Kuching Bike & Cook: Learn Sarawak Cuisine from Market to Table

Ride past wooden stilt houses, cross the river by sampan, shop the Satok Market, then cook lunch yourself

Kuching Bike & Cook is a morning class in Sarawakian cuisine that starts with a guided bike ride through seven Malay villages on the banks of the Sarawak River, includes a stop at the Satok Market to see where ingredients come from, a river crossing by traditional sampan, and ends with a hands-on cooking lesson where you prepare Sarawak laksa chicken, jungle fern, and kerabu before eating what you made. The ride is gentle. The cooking is the main event.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore villages and cook Sarawak cuisine

• Ride through Malay villages
• Cross Satok Bridge
• Visit Satok Market
• Ride river taxi to Haji Omar jetty
• Join hands-on Sarawak cooking class

The experience

You start in the quiet stretch of villages just beyond the Old State Mosque: a third of the way through Kuching's oldest Malay settlement, which dates back centuries. Seven villages line this side of the river, their wooden houses on stilts mixed now with newer homes, and the bike ride takes you through all of them at a pace that lets you take in the calm. The route leads to the Satok Bridge, where you cross over to the Satok Market, one of Kuching's main markets, full of fresh produce and fish. After you've seen where the ingredients actually come from, you ride on to a jetty and board a sampan, a centuries-old wooden river taxi, to cross back to the other side of the Sarawak River.

The cooking class is where the morning focuses. In the kitchen, you learn to prepare Sarawak laksa chicken, jungle fern (the local vegetable), and kerabu, the Sarawakian way of making salad. You chop, blend and stir under instruction, then sit down to eat the lunch you made. Bottled water and snacks are included throughout the morning. Your English-speaking guide stays with you the whole time. The class runs about six hours total, from the first village to the last bite.

What’s included

• Bike and helmet.
• raincoat.
• local English-speaking guide for the full morning.
• boat fees for the sampan crossing.
• bottled water and snacks throughout.
• hands-on cooking class.
• lunch of the dishes you prepare.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (7 to 11 years) · Under 7: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Paradesa Borneo

Is this one for you?The morning is six hours of steady activity (biking, walking through the market, boarding a boat, and standing in the kitchen), so it suits travelers who are comfortable with a full morning out and want to move and make something rather than sit and watch.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 11 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.

What are the seven Malay villages like on the bike route?

The villages line both banks of the Sarawak River and are known for their connection to boat-building. Old wooden houses on stilts are the main sight, with newer homes built alongside them. They're quiet and a short distance from Kuching's city centre, so the bike ride feels like stepping out of urban life without going far.

Do I need to know how to cook to join the class?

No, the class is hands-on instruction, so you learn as you go. The guide teaches you how to prepare each dish, and you work through the steps yourself in the kitchen.

What exactly do I cook and eat?

You prepare Sarawak laksa chicken (a local noodle soup), jungle fern (a regional vegetable), and kerabu (a salad prepared the Sarawakian way), all meant to be eaten with rice. You cook it and then eat it as your lunch.

Is the bike ride difficult?

The ride is gentle and suitable for all fitness levels. It's a morning ride through villages at a pace that lets you take in the atmosphere. The route covers seven villages and includes a stop at the market before you board the sampan to cross the river.

What's included in the price?

The bike, helmet, raincoat, English-speaking guide, boat fees for the sampan, bottled water, snacks, the cooking class, and lunch are all included. You don't arrange your own transport to the start point.