Many of us enjoy driving, the freedom of open roads and joy of discovering new places at our own time. Singaporeans especially don't have much such opportunities at home.
Self drive holidays allow us to check out off-the-beaten-track places. We chose Sarawak because it is relatively less touristed (though tourism is growing fast), has many natural wonders, fascinating historic places, culture, heritage, interesting unique food, which are accessible by the Pan Borneo Highway (Sarawak section) running from Telok Melano in the west to Miri in the east (700km highway distance).
We did the Kuching to Telok Melano leg in 2024. In Oct 26, we did Kuching to Sibu (450km highway distance). We enjoyed the driving holiday adventure, and is sharing our Kuching to Sibu itinerary here for your reference.
*This is just the itinerary. I am writing separate detailed articles on each of the special locations and activities.
Day 1 • From Singapore to First Day in Kuching
We flew direct from Singapore to Kuching. Flight time only about an hour but Singapore and Kuching are worlds apart, so there are many eye opening experiences waiting for us.
Pick up our ride at Kuching Airport.
Check-in at Pullman Kuching. Had a light dim sum afternoon tea.
Continue eating at the famous Lau Ya Kheng Kueh Chap at Carpenter Street ๐คญ Kuching kway chap differs from the Singapore and Johor versions in having more side dishes such as fish and seafood besides pork offal. It's almost Teochew porridge with kway (rice sheets). By the way, Lau Ya Kheng Kway Chap also serves porridge.
Chill over Libex coffee at Earthlings Coffee. Libex known for its fruity flavour is a recognised coffee varietal which is a hybrid of Liberica and Excelsa coffee. At the moment, Libex is unique to Sarawak. So if you are a coffee enthusiast, make sure to give Libex a try.
Took a walk at the riverfront. Visited the Kuching International Cat Festival 2026. There is something going on, all the time in Kuching.
Chicken rice supper at Jalan Ang Cheng Ho. Didn't look like much nor appetising but we were delighted at the delicious chicken, rice, and was especially blown away by the house made sambal.
Serious food blogging work in progress ๐
Restful night at Pullman Kuching Hotel.
See you tomorrow ๐คญ
Day 2 • From Kuching to Simanggang
Set off from Pullman Kuching.
Sarawak laksa for breakfast at 126 Laksa at Jalan Chan Chin Ann in Kuching. Sarawak laksa is unique, different from other laksa dishes in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Heavily spiced, unique complex blend of spices in coconut milk, moderately spicy hot. You can find Sarawak laksa stalls everywhere in Kuching.
After breakfast we departed Kuching and headed southeast on the Pan Borneo to Sungai Tenggang.
Sungai Tenggang about 130km southeast from Kuching is a small village which is a popular stop for people travelling between Kuching and Simanggang.
Hakka style braised duck at ๆฅๅฉๅฎขๅฎถๅค้ธญ at Sungai Tenggang. Hakka style braised duck differs from the Teochew variety by being savoury sweet from sugar added to the braising stock of soy sauce and Chinese spices.
Short stop at Pekan Lachau where there were many street side vendors selling local vegetables and food such as dried, smoked and salted fish.
The legendary Batu Nabau or Snake Rock ่ๅคด็ณ near Engkilili town.
Lubok Tua Pek Kong temple built by Hakka miners in the 1800s. This temple where Tua Pek Kong ๅคงไผฏๅ
ฌ is represented by a large rock is just steps away from a small river where miners panned for gold during the site's heyday.
Site of the Fifteen Shares Kongsi ้ฉฌ้นฟๅไบๅๅ
ฌๅธๅฒ็จฟ a Hakka miners society.
Chinese Temple ๆ
ไบ้ in Simanggang town.
Dinner at ๆณ่ณๅทๆฐ้ค้ฆ Chuan Hong Restaurant in Simanggang. Famed for their roast duck but I enjoyed many other dishes here too.
Over night at Roxy Hotel Simanggang.
Day 3 • Simanggang (Bandar Sri Aman)
Breakfast at Fah Lok coffee shop Bandar Sri Aman town in Simanggang District which is famed for their Mee Goreng Satay. Differs from Singapore's satay bee hoon as noodle is used, stir fried till there is some wok hei, then doused with a peanut and spice sauce.
Mount Hossana Chapel famed for its architecture of three candles representing the Holy Trinity.
Coffee break at Man Man Cafe ๆผซๆผซ in Simanggang.
Lunch at Simanggang Chicken Rice restaurant. It's a large fast food type restaurant specialising in Hainanese chicken rice.
Fort Alice was an old fort from Sarawak's colonial days. Today, it is a museum of Simanggang communities' heritage and culture.
Rumah Sri Aman.
This historic building was constructed in 1927 during the reign of Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke.
The peace treaty signed here in 1973 between the Sarawak government and Kalimantan Communist Party officially ended the Communist insurgency in Sarawak.
Dinner at Open Air Market (a hawker centre) in Simanggang.
Stall #14 Kong Kee Ho is well known for their ikan bakar.
We rested one more night at Roxy Hotel Simanggang.
Day 4 • Simanggang to Betong
Breakfast at Noodle King at Simanggang.
I enjoyed the humble fried noodle here. It's like the Hong Kong staple, noodles stir fried in soy sauce. Basic humble ingredients so everything depended on the skill of the chef to turn out a delicious meal. Noodle King does a good job of it - the noodles were well enveloped in umami savoury flavour with a bit of wok hei taste and aroma.
Eat again on arriving at Betong Town Square.
Got introduced to a local specialty - puffer fish. The locals have a tradition of eating puffer fish fresh and also salted and dried. Of course, this requires special know how to process the notoriously poisonous fish.
Didn't have a chance to have fresh puffer fish this time but did got to try the salted version. The dried salted fish is cut into small pieces and fried. Lots of spines on the stiff chewy skin. The firm dry meat wasn't much different in taste from other fried salted fish. Hope to try Dayak style fresh puffer fish next time.
Pepper shopping for Sarawak's most famous crop.
Packing pepper into bottles.
Fort Lily, a museum on the life and stories of Betong's pioneers.
Betong's Shang Ti temple ไธๅธๅบ.
Tuak or traditional Iban rice wine making demonstration at a long house known as Rumah Engkeranji.
Once the ice was broken with sips of tuak, we were immersed in the immense warmth and exuberance of Iban hospitality ♥️
A pepper bush.
Sarawak's most famous crop
Tea break at Jessie Cake Designer in Betong, the town's only patisserie.
Dinner at chef Own's Kitchen.
Over night at Medan Hotel Betong. A basic bare bones place to rest.
Day 5 • Betong to Sarikei to Sibu
Check out of Medan Hotel in Betong.
Breakfast was the famous Sarikei siew mai.
Visit the The Shepherd Farm.
First stop in Sarikei was the famous Glory Cafe coffee mee udang tom yam coconut.
They have both the traditional Foozhou style prawn mee and Glory Cafe's unique robustly spicy our tom yam style.
Continue eating at Kedai Kopi Aik Seng ๐คญ
Yanz Satay Corner for freshly grilled house made satay served in a kong (tin can) with peanut and spice sauce.
Chill at Sibu ไบฒๅ็พ้ฃๅญ Muhibah Hawker Centre in Taman Selera Muhibah.
Night at Otel Hotel.
Day 6 Sibu • A Busy Day in Little Fuzhou
Check-in at Sibu Central Market first thing in the morning. Reminds me of Larkin market in Johor Bahru and Gaylang Serai market in Singapore, but much bigger (in fact, the largest in Malaysia). There is a wet market at ground level, and a food centre on the upper level.
Many vegetables and local produce stalls. I was fascinated by many things such as dabai, a Borneo "olive". Its flesh felt like mash potato, taste was woody, sweet, bitter but all very subtly.
We bought a kilo worth of large river prawns.
ๆ้
้ฅฎๆ stall at the upstairs hawker centre cooked them for us four different ways ๐
Stopped by Poh Guan Hong ไฟๅ
่ก a traditional Chinese medicine hall (founded in 1942). Got their famous ็ฅๅๆฐด for tummy upset and several packs of herbs for soup. Love the herbal soups we made when we got home. Haven't got a chance to use ็ฅๅๆฐด yet but it has a reputation of clearing tummy upset like magic.
Watch traditional bakers make kompia from scratch.
Got my haircut by uncle Dennis Kong for RM12.
ๆ็ๅฎขๅฎถ้
ธ้ธญ Signature Hakka Sour Duck at Wonderfood Sibu restaurant ็พ้ฃ็พๅฎข.
Tua Pek Kong temple at the Sibu riverfront.
Masjid Al-Qadim of Sibu was built in 1861. It was originally a wooden structure which construction was initiated by Tuan Haji Abdul Salam Minangkabau from Indonesia. Funds for construction were donated by the local community.
Sibu also known as New Foochow was founded in 1901 by Wong Nai Siong and pioneers from 10 Fuzhou districts. The World Fuzhou Heritage Gallery showcases many historic artefacts from these Fuzhou pioneers.
Hour long sunset cruise along Rajang River.
Masjid An-Nur (Masjid Daerah)
Sibu Tua Pek Kong temple ๆฐธๅฎๅ
ๅคงไผฏๅ
ฌๅบ.
Dinner of Dayak cuisine at Mak Borneo. I had my first grilled sago worm.
Pinched off the head, ate only the body.
The skin was quite thick, tender but felt leathery to the bite. Moist but neither creamy nor juicy. Tasted like fried egg white, savoury with a peculiar subtle sweet minty taste like candy sprinkle
Dabai ice cream at Mixfood Borneo, must try lo ๐
Spent another night at Otel Hotel.
Day 7 • Sibu the Swan City
Early start to visit ้ณๅขไปๅธๅ
ๆๅทฅ็ฆๅท้ข็บฟ to watch and learn how to make traditional Hockchew mee sua (wheat noodle).
At Ah Sieng, mee sua is still made using the ancient way with minimum tools. The wheat floor is hand kneaded, pulled and stretched by hand, and sun dried.
After Ah Sieng, we were hungry and breakfast was naturally ็ฆๅท็บข้
้ธกๆฑค้ข็บฟ Mee Sua in Chicken Soup and Rice Wine. Normally eaten on important occasions like birthdays and during confinement but we can enjoy it at anytime in Sibu.
The obligatory snap with the swan statues. There are many swan statues around Sibu. We took this at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang, Sibu Town Square.
Sibu Night Market is a must visit. Right at the heart of town near the Sibu Central Market. About a hundred food, sundry, clothes and other stalls.
There were at least 4 or 5 stalls selling the Hockchew specialty ang zhou bak or pork stewed in red wine sauce. All kinds of pork parts from head to tail. I enjoyed the sweet savoury tangy flavours the red wine sauce imparted to the various pork parts which all had their own unique textures e.g. crunchy pig ears.
Try Sibu doughnut or pork snout (nose).
Dinner in Sibu at Siew Hua Cafe coffee shop with many little food stalls. Seafood and sayur midin (again)!
Another good night at Otel Hotel.
Day 8 • Sibu to Singapore
Ding bian hu ้ผ่พน็ณ at Treasure Land for breakfast. This was my first time having this delicious Foochow food icon. It's flowy batter splashed onto the fringe of a wok with pork soup inside. When the batter on the wok fringe firms up, it is scraped off the wok, folded directly into the soup and served with fish balls, cuttlefish, etc.
Round two breakfast, kampua noodle at Sing Him Corner. Humble noodle dish laced with pork lard and topped with char siew. As Sibuan as apple pie is to Americans.
Kompia at Sing Him Corner. Wasn't expecting kompia to be served like this - the baked buns sitting in a pool of dark sauce sponging up its sweet savoury flavours and topped with tender stewed pork slices. Carbs and protein, a unique breakfast with Nanyang kopi (coffee).
Drop the car and car keys at Sibu Airport. Handover was a breeze.
Pick up car in Kuching and drop off in Sibu, so easy and convenient.
Direct flight from Sibu to Singapore. About 1.5 hours.
Good bye Sibu. I will be back!
It was a comfortable ride in Scoot's new Embraer E190.
Hello Singapore.
Home sweet home.
Note: This is just the itinerary for your reference on the main places and activities during our 8-day self drive holiday. I am writing up separate detailed articles on the each highlight from our self drive, self discovery adventure. Do come back here for them.
Read more ๐ Pan Borneo self drive 2026
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Written by Tony Boey on 7 Nov 2026
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