Home to many Foo Chow delicacies, Sibu (Sarawak) is a town where one gets to find many delicious eats like Kompia, Kampua etc. Sibu is also the second largest town after Kuching (in the state of Sarawak). Thanks to the geographical location and right next to the Rajang river, Sibu is dominated by the bustling waterfront industrial trading activities such as transportation of timber, pepper and rubber. The town has a population of approximately 200,000 and most of them are descendants of Foo Chow... which explains on the availability of Foo Chow delicacies. There are many flights traveling to Sibu nowadays and AirAsia has launched a direct flight from Penang to Sibu recently. The Sibu Airport is approximately 30-minute drive away from Sibu town but due to the lack of public transportation, it is best to rent a car if you wish to explore the town (or neighboring towns).
Some tips from Ken:
- Book a hotel somewhere in the heart of town, we recommend either RH Hotel or Kingwood; the former one offers a more spacious room and strategically located right next to the landmark- Wisma Sanyan but the facilities are older. The latter one is closer to most tourist attractions like the Sibu Central Market or Tua Pek Kong Temple and has newer facilities but the service is less-attentive and usually busier with events (parking might be an issue if there are events in the hotel).
- Rent a car so you won't miss out any attractions in town; while those tourist attractions are accessible by foot, you get to venture further with a car. But if you are renting a car, do take note on the parking fee by local authorities. You need to get a parking coupon booklet if you don't want to get any parking summons.
- Start your day early- the Sibu folks usually start their day very early and you can start by exploring the Sibu Central Market or any hawker centre. There are limited activities after 7 pm so don't worry, you will get plenty of rest after sunset.
- Bring sufficient Cash- many shops are still on cash term, even if some may accept credit cards, there is usually minimum spending requirement. E-Wallets are not common in hawkers; as for others, those E-Wallets like Touch N Go and GrabPay are not commonly used (they use Sarawak Pay for your information).
- Check out Arthur's blog- the very experienced true blue Sibu resident knows where to get the best food in town, watch out for his recommendations (and mine below).
