My first post-COVID flight's destination is to Miri, Sarawak! :D Haven't been there before and I'm so excited to share more with you!
Here's the top 8 things to do in Miri, Sarawak!
1. Explore the Canada Hill and The Grand Old Lady: Malaysia's First Oil Well
Explore the Canada Hill to check out the panoramic view over the city and spot the South China Sea in the distance. It will also be an awesome spot to take in the sunrise and sunset views at Canada Hill (Bukit Minyak in Bahasa).
Right beside the viewing point at Canada Hill, check out The Grand Old Lady: Malayasia's First Oil Well!
It marks the spot where Shell first drilled oil back in 1910. The oil discovered at this spot fueled the nation's development and now it is a popular tourist photo spot. It was really windy and sunny when we were there. We also met many hikers who hike up Canada Hill and took photos there too!
2. Visit San Ching Tian Temple- one of Southeast Asia's largest Taoist temple
The San Ching Tian temple is one of Southeast Asia's largest Taoist temple and has an elegant grand entrance as well as a two-tiered orange roof. The intricate dragons decorate the exterior while bronze religious statutes of deities filled up the interior of the temple.
We took a walk around the temple and managed to capture the details of the temple's architecture. Also, I made a little prayer and offering too. (it's optional, depending on your religion). Do remember to remove your shoes before entering the interior of the temple.
3. Visit the oldest Buddhist Temple in Miri - Tua Pek Kong Temple
Another place not to be missed will be the oldest Buddhist Temple in Miri, the Tua Pek Kong Temple. This Tua Pek Kong temple was built back in 1913 where they dedicated it to their deity who protects all overseas Chinese.
I'm in awe of the colourful architecture adorned with dragons. Do remember to remove your shoes before entering the interior of the temple.
4. Enjoy 3 magical nights at the Borneo Jazz Festival
The Borneo Jazz Festival spans across 3 nights where we get to enjoy awesome music lineup by the talented community of musicians- Jazz artists, rappers and Djs from Malaysia, USA, Germany, Italy Switzerland, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, China and Singapore.
The Borneo Jazz Festival 2022 was held at Coco Cabana, hoping to build on the music tourism ecosystem in Miri. During the festival, there's also a lot of fringe activities such as the Eco Art Project, Wellness programme to unwind and relax, Borneo Boat Lute Exhibition as a part of Eco Drum Workshop & Jam too. I personally really enjoyed shopping at the Artsy Fartsy Market too! Got to see lots of local artists and their beautiful handicraft works which are up for purchase too.
To kickstart, the first night's performance features Afro Asia (Founded by Steve Thornton) as well as featuring John Thomas for the Ethno Jazz Fusion.
Next up, featuring the performance by Helga Violin with her custom made electric violin.
5. Cafe Hopping at Times Square Miri
Here's two of my favourite cafes that you got to check out:
A) The Nest Cafe Lounge
It was full house when we were at the cafe during the weekends. You will probably need to see your luck or make a reservation in advance to get your preferred seat :D Sadly, we waited for really long but I didn't get the seat I wanted. Had to settle for second best, oh wells.
Address: No A-G18, Miri Times Square, Marina Parkcity, 98000, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
B) Sugirl Please Studio Cafe
Address: No A-1-53a, 1st floor (not Ground level) above llao llao TimesSquare, Miri, Sarawak
6. Catch the awesome sunset view at Coco Cabana
7. Explore local food haunts for affordable and delicious food!
It was really easy to book a Grab ride to the various local food haunts!
We went to a famous Dim Sum place in Miri called Lao Yang Dim Sum and really enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast we had there! My favourite has got to be their custard bun and It's really affordable and frequented by lots of local residents.
Especially love local finds like this spot. It tends to get really crowded during weekends as a lot of families go to Lao Yang Dim Sum and Yum Cha hehe! So, hop over early to get a seat.
Address: Address: 2450-2452, Jalan Dato Permaisuri, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Wished we had more time to explore more local food haunts!
8. Visit Taman Awam Miri for the rainbow stairs and suspension bridge
Do note to bring along mosquito repellant as the mosquitoes are commando trained haha!
Where to stay?
Book your Miri stay at Pullman Miri Waterfront
Loved the location of our hotel, the food, service level as well as how spacious and clean the room was! My room came coupled with a huge bathtub and a view of the river :D
You can also catch the view at the infinity pool of the hotel! The central location of the hotel made it really easy for us to walk over to Miri Times Square for coffee, and minutes drive to malls, food haunts as well as Coco Cabana.
I've thoroughly enjoyed myself while exploring Miri and Sarawak's beautiful culture, adventure, nature, scrumptious food and festivals! Can't wait to explore the other parts of Sarawak and create new wonderful memories! Hope that the above helps you to plan your next getaway to Miri, Sarawak :D
Till the next wanderlust adventures! XOXO!
Welcome to my blog! My name is Chloe and I am a hopeless romantic who loves photography and travelling. I love to share on travel, fashion, food, beauty, lifestyle and my cherished moments in this blog!
