Venue, Travel & Local Information

About Sarawak

Sarawak, the Land of the Hornbills, there is so much more Sarawak can offer than what meets the eye. Home to 31 ethnic groups, Sarawak is a unique plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food, and festivals (CANFF). It is the place where the journey of endless exploration starts.

As the largest state in Malaysia, Sarawak is home to 27 ethnic groups, speaking 45 languages and dialects, and each with their own stories, colourful cultures, traditions, and beliefs that makes Sarawak a cultural extravaganza just waiting to be explored.

Sarawak has a whopping 56 totally protected areas, 37 gazetted national parks, five wildlife sanctuaries and 14 nature reserves. It’s rainforests are the size of Austria. The hornbill, proboscis monkey and the orangutan are some of the most awe-inducing fauna in Sarawak. Its rainforests house the world’s richest and most diverse ecosystems. Home to the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia (that can grow to the size of a coffee table), squirrels and snakes that fly, deer the size of cats, plants that eat insects (and small animals). Home also to the orangutan, the proboscis monkey, the hornbill the Rajah Brooke butterfly and the silverleaf monkey, experts believe that there are some species of flora and fauna yet to be discovered.

Travel Information

A. Passport and visas: All attendees from outside of Malaysia are advised to visit Malaysia's MyGovernment site: https://www.malaysia.gov.my/portal/subcategory/1543 and ensure that you have the correct documentation to enter the country. All attendees from outside Malaysia are responsible for making sure they have the correct documentation to enter the country.

Delegates are strongly advised to explore visa requirements as early as possible, and should a visa be required, to apply as soon as possible as the process can be time consuming.

Visitors to Malaysia must be in possession of a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of six months beyond the period of stay.

Countries Exempt from Visa Requirements for Travel to Malaysia

• Albania
• Bahrain
• Madagascar
• Netherlands
• Singapore
• Turkey
• Ukraine

For those member states which require a visa, applications should be submitted to the nearest Malaysian overseas mission with the following documentation:
Visa application form with three (3) passport-sized photographs
National passport with remaining minimum validity period of six (6) months
Letter of introduction or invitation letter
No visa is required for visit duration of within one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore.
No visa is required for citizens of the United States of America visiting Malaysia for social, business, or academic purposes (except for employment).
For nationals of Israel, visas are required and permission must be granted from Ministry of Home Affairs, Malaysia.
Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for visit duration of within one month.

B. Climate: Kuching has an equatorial climate. The temperature is relatively uniform throughout the year - within the range of 23°C/73°F early in the morning to 32°C/90°F during the day. Humidity is consistently high in the lowlands, ranging from 80-90%.

C. Language used: Bahasa Malaysia (National Language), English, Mandarin and some Chinese dialects are widely spoken.

D. Transportation within Kuching: Airport to city hotels by taxi are approximately 9 minutes/9.5 kilometers and cost between RM25-RM35. Grab (e-hailing app similar to Uber) costs between RM8-10.

E. Business hour: General business hours are Monday to Friday from 08:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00; Saturday from 08:00 - 13:00. Shopping centers, supermarkets, restaurants, and mini markets are generally open daily from 10:00 - 22:00.

F. Smoking: Smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces, which includes restaurants, bars, shops, and public transport.

G. Currency and credit cards: The currency in Malaysia is the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). Conversion rate is around 4.8MYR to 1USD and rounded to the nearest whole figure (may vary time to time, please check before departure). ATMs can be found on nearly every corner or in convenience stores close to your hotel or the venue. Credit cards are widely accepted.

H. Tipping: Tipping is not typical in Kuching. Restaurants usually include a 10% service charge in the price. For other services, you may tip RM5-10; it is appreciated but not required.

I. Electricity: In Malaysia the power sockets are of type G. The standard voltage is 240 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

J. Additional tourism info: https://sarawaktourism.com/