Sarawak’s haze is already changing travel plans, with the state recording a dip in tourist arrivals as air quality worsens. Tourism Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the decline was noticeable and could continue while the haze persists. He made the remarks in Kuching on Sept 5, as Serian remained under a state of emergency after its API reading passed 500 earlier in the week. The pressure is not limited to hotels and tour operators. Kuching’s Borderland Music Festival and Miri’s Jom Heboh Carnival are among the events facing a more difficult operating environment. Abdul Karim said organisers should follow SDMC guidance and reconsider outdoor plans when readings become very unhealthy. Kuching recorded an API reading of 313 on Sept 4. Serian was at 334 on the morning of Sept 5, after peaking at 521. Schools in 12 districts are scheduled to close from Sept 7 to 11, affecting nearly 200,000 students. For visitors, the practical question is whether an outdoor itinerary still makes sense on the day. Check the latest APIMS reading and event notice before travelling; the numbers can change with wind and rain.

AirBorneo passengers, check your schedule if you are flying between July and October. AirBorneo says about 4,000 passengers may be affected by temporary flight frequency changes on selected routes from July 6 to Oct 24. The airline said the move is linked to maintenance issues involving several ATR72 and DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, plus delays in getting critical parts and spares. [image: 1784250399755-airborneo-plane.jpg] Source: DayakDaily [image: 1784250399820-airborneo-reschedule.jpg] Source: DayakDaily / AirBorneo What passengers should know Around 594 flights will have frequency changes, while another estimated 1,337 flights will be retimed. Affected passengers will be moved to the next available flight, either on the same day or the next day. AirBorneo also said the temporary changes will not increase fares on affected routes. The airline said all destinations in its network will continue to be served, with no route suspended or discontinued. Location: AirBorneo network across Sarawak and the region Details: Selected routes affected from July 6 to Oct 24; rebooking and refund options apply under MACPC. Source: DayakDaily Anyone here got their AirBorneo timing changed already?

Two deals to check out this weekend in Kuching: 1️⃣ Emart Boulevard Kuching — PWP July 2026 Spend RM120 & above storewide in a single receipt and enjoy exclusive Purchase with Purchase (PWP) offers! [image: 1783045200409-deal1.jpg] Valid: 1 - 31 July 2026 Emart Boulevard, Kuching 2️⃣ GD Travel Fair by Good Times Travel — ONE DAY ONLY Looking for your next holiday? GD Travel Fair is happening this Saturday only with special travel packages, flight deals, and promotions! [image: 1783045200409-deal1.jpg] Date: 4 July 2026 (Saturday) Venue details on Good Times Travel Facebook page Don't miss out on these deals! ️

AirBorneo has been allocated airport slots for direct flights between Kuching and Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport — but the airline says it hasn't formally applied just yet. The slot allocation happened during the 158th IATA Slot Conference in Bangkok from June 9-11, where AirBorneo was listed alongside Riyadh Air, Virgin Atlantic, and SkyUp Nistru as new airlines receiving slots for Thailand services. According to Thailand's The Nation, AirBorneo was allocated 14 flights per week on the Kuching-Suvarnabhumi-Kuching route for the Winter 2026/2027 season (Oct 25, 2026 to March 27, 2027). [image: 1781503391488-airborneo-logo-resized.jpg] Source: Borneo Post However, AirBorneo has since clarified that no formal application has been submitted for the Bangkok route at this stage. "Destinations across the region are part of our longer-term route planning, but nothing has been formally confirmed," the airline said in a statement. AirBorneo stressed that its immediate priority is stabilising its current intra-Borneo operations following service disruptions earlier this month. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) identified Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui, and U-Tapao as airports experiencing strong travel demand ahead of the high season. Tourism Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had earlier said the airline could expand to regional destinations including Thailand from 2027, subject to operational readiness. Location: Kuching International Airport / Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok Details: 14 weekly flights allocated for Winter 2026/27, pending formal confirmation Source: Borneo Post - AirBorneo clears key hurdle | AirBorneo clarifies no submission yet What do you think? Would you fly Kuching-Bangkok direct?

[image: 1781140099831-airborneo.jpeg] AirBorneo CEO Megat Ardian has publicly apologised for the recent wave of flight delays and cancellations affecting passengers across Sarawak and Sabah, while announcing that new ATR 72-600 aircraft are on the way. In a statement, Megat Ardian said the disruptions were caused by several aircraft being unavailable at the same time due to maintenance requirements and technical rectification works. "I would like to sincerely apologise for the disruption, inconvenience and uncertainty this has caused," he said. What Happened Multiple AirBorneo flights were delayed or cancelled in recent days, leaving passengers stranded across Sarawak and Sabah. The airline confirmed the root cause was overlapping maintenance schedules that took more planes out of service than expected. What is Being Done AirBorneo teams are working around the clock to restore normal operations Additional resources have been mobilised to speed up repairs New ATR 72-600 aircraft will be progressively introduced as part of the fleet renewal programme Affected passengers are being offered rebooking, refunds, meals, and accommodation Contact for Affected Passengers Local: 1 300 22 1388 International: +60-8253 7555 Location: Kuching / Sarawak-wide Details: CEO Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin apologises, promises fleet improvement with new ATR 72-600 series Source: https://dayakdaily.com/airborneo-ceo-apologises-for-flight-disruptions-says-new-atr-fleet-on-the-way/ Have you been affected by the recent AirBorneo delays?

Tbh when I first went to Sarawak Cultural Village, I thought it'd be one of those "for tourists only" places... Turns out it's way bigger than I expected — 17 acres of actual living museum, not just display. Every traditional house has real people inside doing crafts, cooking traditional food, telling their stories. Spent the whole afternoon there and still didn't cover everything. Here's what I think are the best bits [image: 1780726693527-resized_scv_bridge.jpg] Source: Thomas Quine (Wikimedia Commons) The Orang Ulu longhouse is the most photogenic spot. High ceilings covered in beadwork and murals, super vibrant colours. Someone was playing traditional instruments when I walked in — the atmosphere was genuinely something else. [image: 1780726694256-resized_scv_deck.jpg] Source: Thomas Quine (Wikimedia Commons) The bamboo walkway outside the Iban longhouse is another great photo spot. That bamboo bridge? Almost every shot looks like it could be a cover photo. [image: 1780726694918-resized_scv_lamps.jpg] Source: Thomas Quine (Wikimedia Commons) The handicrafts around the village are really well made — bamboo lampshades, beadwork, wood carvings. Good quality souvenir material. [image: 1780726696248-resized_scv_hall.jpg] Source: Thomas Quine (Wikimedia Commons) The stone carvings outside the Bidayuh longhouse caught my eye too. Spent a good 10 minutes just looking at the patterns. [image: 1780726696630-resized_scv_carvings.jpg] Source: Thomas Quine (Wikimedia Commons) Don't miss the cultural performances — twice daily at 11:30am and 4pm. Traditional dance, music, and costumes. The energy live is something you can't capture on a phone. Practical Info ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Address: Pantai Damai, Santubong, Kuching (about 35 mins from city centre) Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm (last entry 4:00pm) Tickets: Malaysian - Adult RM95 / Child RM65 Non-Malaysian - Adult RM135 / Child RM85 (Cheaper online, above is walk-in price) ️ Combo with lunch available: RM138 (Malaysian adult) Real Reviews ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Very educational and interesting to learn about the different ethnic groups in Sarawak... the cultural dance performance is a must-watch!" — Azreen S. (Google Maps) "The staff are very friendly and explain their culture in each house. The bamboo bridge area was the highlight for me, really beautiful scenery." — Wei Ling C. (Google Maps) "Best place to bring overseas visitors. You can get a good overview of Sarawak's main ethnic groups in half a day. Just bring water, there's a lot of walking." — Kenji T. (TripAdvisor) RM95 might feel steep for locals, but if you've got friends visiting Kuching, this is the kind of place everyone should experience at least once. I've been three times and noticed something new each visit. Have you been? Worth it or not? Drop your thoughts below

If I had to design a Kuching day for a visitor who keeps asking, “Where do we actually meet Sarawak?”, I would drive towards Santubong before the heat builds and use Sarawak Cultural Village as the day's cultural spine. It compresses a huge geography into one walk, but the details are worth more than the slogan. [image: 1780538578622-scv_main.jpg] SCV entrance The village was created as a living-museum project in 1990, and its seven house types explain why “Sarawak culture” is plural. A raised Iban longhouse, a Bidayuh headhouse, an Orang Ulu house, a Melanau tall house and the smaller Penan, Malay and Chinese structures make climate and community visible in wood, height and shared space. That is the first story a traveller can physically read before hearing a performance. [image: 1780538589481-scv_panoramio-resized.jpg] Panoramic view of the village The second story is what changed when a living tradition became a visitor route. Guides and craft demonstrations keep the place from being empty scenery, while the lake, paths and scheduled stage show make the experience easy to follow. It is excellent for a first orientation, children and visitors with limited time; it is less satisfying for anyone who wants to observe ordinary village life without a timetable. [image: 1780538589985-scv_village11.jpg] Traditional architecture inside the village I would arrive around opening, spend the first stretch inside the houses, and choose one show rather than designing the day around both. The site is about 35 km from Kuching and current visitor information lists 9:00am–5:00pm, with shows at 11:30am and 4:00pm. Allow at least three hours, wear shoes for uneven paths and keep water handy. Ticket prices, lunch packages and show arrangements can change, so confirm the live booking page before paying. [image: 1780538590304-scv_cultural2-resized.jpg] Cultural dance performance For international visitors, the practical trade-off is simple: one paid, organised stop gives a broad cultural frame, but it cannot replace a community-led trip into the interior. Pair it with Damai beach or a Santubong viewpoint if you want a full day; if your interest is only a stage performance, arrive for the show and spend the rest of the day elsewhere. [image: 1780538590861-scv_cultural1-resized.jpg] Traditional handicrafts on display I like this version of the stop because it makes a complicated region approachable without pretending the shortcut is the whole journey. What would make you stay longer: a house explanation, a craft session or the music?