The multi-faceted city of Kuching in Sarawak has plenty to offer, as Ong Cheow Eng found out.

Kuching is often referred to endearingly as Cat City. Not surprising since “kuching” means cat in Malay. New visitors to the city will find it hard not to notice the gigantic feline statues placed at busy road junctions.However, a quick research reveals that the city actually got its name from a stream.

The source came from a hill called Bukit Mata Kuching (Cat’s Eye Hill), where there were plenty of Mata Kuching fruit, a cousin of the longan with similar tastes, yet different.

Likewise, Kuching has inherent characteristics of a Malaysian city, but it is unique in its own ways. Located on the island of Borneo, Kuching (and Sarawak as a whole) has a different culture and demographic makeup compared to its western counterparts. In addition to the Malays and Chinese, the Ibans, Bidayuhs and Melanaus make up the population. The cultures of the native ethnic groups are exhibited throughout the state in more ways than one, even at a golf tournament.

 I was there on an invite from Tourism Malaysia to cover a leg of the World Amateur Inter- Team Golf Championship. The series is held across Malaysia and the winners of each leg will compete for the overall championship at the grand finals in November, at the Tiara Melaka Golf and Country Club.

For this leg in Sarawak, teams slugged it out at two of the best golf clubs in Kuching – Kelab Golf Sarawak and Damai Golf and Country Club. The dinner and prize presentation ceremony could have been held at a typical hotel ballroom, but the organisers chose to gather everyone at the Sarawak Cultural Village. On stage, there was a grand display of the cultures unique to Sarawak. Although it was just a short, three-hour event, the elaborate costumes, performances, blow-dart shooting and copious servings of rice wine gave me a concise, yet comprehensive peek into the tribal life at Sarawak. The experience opened the eyes of this urban dweller to the wonderfully colourful cultures that pervade through our region.

Evidently, the Sarawakians really know how to party. For a city that is less built-up compared to the likes of Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru, Kuching has many chill-out joints and nightspots. Clusters of drinking holes can be found along the waterfront, Jalan Borneo, Jalan Bukit Mata Kuching and Jalan Pandungan. The hotel bars are popular as well. The Hotel Grand Margherita has a lobby bar called Rajang that is packed each day I was there.

After visiting a few drinking holes, I soaked in the thumping beats at a club named Soho. Well-dressed gentlemen and women in their slinky dresses hinted that this was a place to see and be seen. The place was packed to the rafters during that weekend and with the critical mass as well as music in place, the atmosphere was electric.