Transportation from the Santubong River Anchorage

For those anchoring in the Santubong River when visiting the Kuching area, here are a couple of good transportation options.

TAXI
The Santubong anchorage is quite far from Kuching. You can pick up the little minivan buses at the main road near the roundabout. However, it can be difficult to get a bus back in the afternoon, and it can take a long time because they stop in every small town on the way.

A taxi is about 50RM. However, Hasim is a taxi driver who lives in Santubong and comes back around 1700 each day. He charges only 30RM if you go back with him. You can also go into town with him but he leaves around 0700. His number is 0138008345.

Hasim also knows how to find Immigration, Customs, and the Harbour Master if you would like to use him for clearing in.

RENTAL CARS
Ahmad lives about halfway between Kuching and Santubong. He has several cars for rent – including a nice 7- or 8-person van and a very inexpensive small Perodua. The best part is that he will deliver the car you rent to Santubong. You have to take him back to his house. but it is well worth it for the convenience.

You can also pick him up on the day you are finished with the car and he will drop you off in Santubong. He’s a very nice guy. His number is 0135788131.
Ahmad also knows where you can fill LPG tanks with US-style valves. (For more information about LPG, see our comment above).

If you visit during the Rainforest World Music Festival (highly recommended – more info. at rwmf.net), we found that hitchhiking the 4km to the site was very easy. We were usually picked up within 5 or 10 minutes. We were 5 people and split into 2 groups to make it even easier.

Coming back from the festival was a bit more difficult. Sometimes we got a ride and sometimes we took a shuttle van (about 7-10RM/person). We sometimes offered those who picked us up 5 or 10 RM for petrol. So don’t worry about Festival transport – it works out.

We also found it was easy to hitchhike a couple of kilometres to the National Park trailhead. The hike up to the top of Mount Santubong is challenging but well worth it.

Bruce Balan & Alene D. Rice
s/v Migration
http://migrations.brucebalan.com