On a road trip from Kuching to Miri in a CAM Co-Star minibus, Sibu emerged as a delightful riverfront respite – steeped in history, brimming with local life, and home to markets that might just rival any in Malaysia.

After several trips to Sarawak that began and ended solely with Kuching, I had the chance recently to branch out, travelling across over 800 km of Malaysia’s largest state with a small pile of friends and fellow journalists. For our epic road trip, we chose to self-drive a private minibus from the always-enjoyable Kuching all the way to Miri over the course of a few days.

We were making our journey in the CAM Co-Star, a 20-seater minibus that worked wonders for our little group of seven. While I don’t think any of us would advise filling every seat on a long-distance journey like ours – after all, the CAM Co-Star is more ideally suited for shorter intercity trips when filled to capacity – the six-metre-long bus was quite a good way to travel with a smaller group. This gave us more room and comfort, and just like when you score a whole row to yourself in economy class on an airliner, having the extra space on the Co-Star bus just made the overall trip that much more enjoyable. Easy to drive and easy to park, we came away from our road trip completely sold on the idea of the Co-Star as a winning choice for a small group of intrepid travellers.

Along the route, which made good use of the Pan-Borneo Highway, we visited Damai, Santubong, Sibu, Bintulu, and then Miri, along with a handful of minor additional stops here and there. For me, Sibu was a revelation. Though I had been to Sarawak a few times before, all my previous trips had begun and ended in Kuching. This was the first time that I really ventured out into other parts of the sprawling state, and it’s safe to say the journey made quite an impression.

SIMANGGANG: WHAT’S IN A NAME?

One place we were fortunate enough to visit after leaving Kuching and the surrounding area was the small town of Simanggang, two and a half hours and about halfway to Sibu. Located along the Batang Lupar River, the predominantly Iban town was officially renamed Sri Aman in the mid 1970s – the same as the surrounding district – but the new moniker never truly resonated with locals and definitely didn’t catch on. By 2019, following appeals from residents, the government restored its original name, Simanggang.

According to stories in the Borneo Post and Dayak Daily, the name Simanggang is steeped in local legend and linguistic nuance, and it reflects the colourful exchanges between the Iban and Chinese communities that made it legendary.

Most commonly told is the story of two rival Chinese trading families along the Batang Lupar. One family operated from the riverbank, while the other traded from a boat. Whenever an Iban customer asked after the boat family’s whereabouts, the land-based traders would reply – partly in jest and partly out of frustration – using mixed languages: “Si magang! Udah si magang!” In that blended phrase, “si” (Chinese) means “dead” and “magang” (Iban) means “all.” Hearing “si magang” so often, the Ibans came to refer to that riverine location simply as Simanggang, the place where “all dead” was said.

Another version suggests the name came from the phrase “singgah magang,” roughly translating to “a stopover for all.” Travellers navigating upriver would pause at this point, and the phrase stuck, even though the Chinese pronunciation eventually morphed it into Simanggang. With tales like these, you can appreciate why the locals held fast to the town’s original name and rejected the new “Sri Aman” moniker.

Here, in addition to a bit of general sightseeing which included the beautiful Chinese Temple 慈云阁 (sometimes called the Ciyun Temple) located along the riverfront promenade, we had made plans to visit a café called 72 Kapitan. We had read of its appealing ambiance and tasty food, but what we were far more surprised to discover is that this little obscure eatery is also a legit small-town Coca-Cola museum.

We marvelled at the sheer scope of vintage cans, bottles, branded goods, and other paraphernalia from the world-famous soda pop giant… and then ironically all ordered iced lemon teas, peach teas, and A&W root beers! (It’s true. I think one member of our group wanted a Coke Zero, but it wasn’t stocked.)

If you are passing anywhere near Simanggang, stopping by 72 Kapitan for lunch and a sincerely impressive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia is most definitely recommended, as is their fish and chips. (There’s a collection of other interesting but non-Coke artifacts upstairs, as well.)

We also nipped into the remarkably well-presented Fort Alice museum. Perched on a rise overlooking the river, Fort Alice dates back to 1864, when Charles Brooke ordered its construction to consolidate the White Rajahs’ control in the area. Once a defensive stronghold, it later served as an administrative centre and even a police station.

Painstakingly restored in recent years (to excellent results), the fort now stands as a museum and heritage site. Entry is free of charge, and exhibits highlight the Brooke era, Sarawak’s colonial past, and the role Simanggang played in the region’s history. Visitors can walk its timber halls and verandas while enjoying the exhibits and taking in fine views across the Batang Lupar River. Eventually, after a fine couple of hours spent wandering around Simanggan, we boarded our minibus and continued on to Sibu.

AT THE CONFLUENCE OF RIVERS

Though every one of our chosen “ports of call” was genuinely enjoyable like this, Sibu really stood out – it’s the kind of place that surprises you at every turn, and for foodies, it’s a thin slice of heaven. Midway through our journey – five hours by road from both Kuching at one end and Miri at the other – and set where the Rajang River branches into smaller tributaries (the Igan River chief among them), this market-town-meets-small city wears its past like a subtle badge of honour.

Founded by Foochow immigrants in the early 1900s, Sibu grew into a plantation hub, expanded along its riverbank, and all the while nurtured a thriving tapestry of indigenous traditions – Melanau, Iban, Malay – woven in with Chinese cultural roots. It may not be as large or cosmopolitan as Kuching (only about 250,000 people, as opposed to Kuching’s nearly 700,000), but that’s exactly what makes its sense of place so appealing.

Dropped into our itinerary during a broader road trip across Sarawak – from the compact artistry of Kuching, through jungle-lined highways, to the coastal buzz near Miri – Sibu feels like a settled place where you can really take a breath. Its pace is measured, its rhythms defined by commerce, river life, and community.

Take as your base Win Hotel, a well-appointed riverside property that blends convenience with comfort: modest, well-maintained rooms, friendly staff who greet you with a smile, and a location that drops you right into the pulse of town. Jogging along the river, walking to find a bowl of Sarawak laksa (cliché, I know, but it’s just so tasty), or simply seeing the sights of an unfamiliar town… Sibu really laid the charm on pretty thick during our short time there.

SARAWAK’S MARKET TOWN

As far as I could tell, the heart of Sibu – for all its civic veins lined with shoplots and eateries, Chinese temples, and national parks not far out of town – lies in the hum of its thriving markets, two of which deserve high praise. Sibu’s Central Market, housed in one of Southeast Asia’s largest wooden buildings beneath a sweeping pitched roof, is a head-turner from first sight. And with good reason: this small-ish town in the middle of Sarawak lays claim to having the largest indoor market in all of Malaysia, and as soon as you walk in, you’ll have no reason to question that claim.

Whether judging by its sheer size (sprawling over two floors) or the ridiculous number of vendors and stalls (some 1,100 of them), if there’s a larger, more vibrant, fascinating, eclectic market to be found anywhere in the country, no one in our group had heard of it. If you are in Sibu, a visit to the Central Market is a must-do, if only for the sheer spectacle.

Inside, vendors tout everything from freshly butchered fish and river prawns, to sheets of noodles made on site, cut-and-cook poultry, tropical fruits that drip colour, and baskets of herbs and roots you’ve never had names for. Freshly ground coffee, homemade tuak, rows of kek lapis in hitherto unimagined varieties, sugar cane being shredded and juiced by the kilo, fresh greens (including my favourite East Malaysian veggie – fiddlehead ferns), and even an actual small grocery store… it’s all found here. The market stands as both a supply centre for local life and a stage for Sibu’s cultural identity.

Not far from Central Market lies the hard-to-miss Tua Pek Kong Temple. Notable as the oldest temple in Sibu, a seven-storey pagoda dominates this Taoist temple’s grounds (and towers over the nearby streetscape and riverfront, too). Though the history of this temple dates back to the 1850s, it has been rebuilt and expanded several times, including after its partial destruction during World War II. The soaring pagoda was added in 1982, and has served as an unmistakable landmark ever since. Tua Pek Kong Temple is just a short walk from Central Market, making this a worthwhile route to take.

When evening settles in, the energy shifts from the day’s Central Market to the Sibu Night Market, or Pasar Malam, only a couple of streets over from the main Central Market. Stalls stretch down the street with a hum of chatter, smoke rising from grills, and the constant rhythm of woks at work.

The food is the star here — grilled river fish, oyster omelettes with a sharp squeeze of lime, stuffed tofu, plates of noodles, fresh fruit juices, ice-cold beers (featuring a remarkable array of brands you won’t see in Peninsular Malaysia), a local take on takoyaki that uses squid instead of octopus, and kopi poured strong enough to keep the night alive.

You’ll find pork and non-pork dishes alike, all served in the easy, communal spirit of a town that clearly loves to eat together. We particularly loved the kompia (also called guang bing or kompyang); these little sesame seed-festooned buns are stuffed with char siew pork BBQ and served up as a tasty little slider that’s a beloved Foochow staple here. If you want just the addictive kompia buns (in either salty or sweet variants), just head to Sibu’s famed Seng Wan Bakery at Rejang Park, about a 10-minute drive from the market. Go early, though, as their daily output is typically sold out by lunchtime.

There are plenty of night markets in Malaysia, but Sibu’s has a way of drawing you in and making you linger a little longer, making it feel like the whole town has gathered for an open-air dinner party. We had never seen a night market quite like Sibu’s… and every one of our senses was invited to the show. It was hard at times to know where to turn next, and I’m sure we inadvertently skipped over some delicious treats, as there were just so many things competing for our attention. The one thing missing? More tables and chairs! You’ll quickly learn to eat most of what you purchase while either standing or walking to the next stall.

A CHARMING SNAPSHOT OF SARAWAK

Say what you will about Kuching’s colonial charm – it may edge out just about anything else in the state in terms of size, dining breadth, and certainly a bit more architectural polish – but Sibu matches it in authenticity, in generational warmth, and in unapologetic, unpretentious culinary dedication. It doesn’t rely on trendy claims or fusion frills; Sibu’s markets don’t need any fancy trappings to shine. Fresh is fresh, and flavour is generous.

Same goes for the hawker centres. At one particularly inviting one in town, we grabbed a couple of tables, ordered a bucket of beers and a few small dishes to nosh on (plus our haul from the night market), and sat steps away from the road, fully soaking in the Malaysian-ness of it all. It was convivial and boisterous without any artificiality, and even as obvious outsiders, we felt perfectly welcome.

We had a great time wandering the streets of Sibu, both by day and by night, and it was a memorable overnight stop along our “pan-Sarawak” minibus journey. Located along the stretch where the Rajang and Igan Rivers meet, Win Hotel sits right in the middle of the action, making it an easy base for exploring Sibu on foot. Step outside and you’re immediately surrounded by coffee shops, riverside walking paths, market stalls, and the everyday bustle of town life.

The hotel itself is simple and practical — no luxe spa, no rooftop bar — but what it offers instead is clean comfort, spacious rooms, a quiet night’s sleep, and the convenience of being close to most everything you came to see. There was even ample parking for our minibus right in front of the hotel. And like most hotels in Sibu, the nightly rates are super attractive. (It’s not for nothing that in 2023, Agoda named Sibu as Malaysia’s most affordable tourism destination, a ranking which we’d wager still holds true today.)

The next day was enjoyable as we each branched out and walked around, doing a bit of personal exploration of the areas around our hotel. Sibu doesn’t compete for attention the way some destinations do. Laid-back and unpretentious, the town rewards visitors who take their time, whether that means lingering over another bowl of kampua mee, browsing late into the morning at the epic Central Market, or simply watching the town’s rhythm unfold from a café table.

As we boarded our CAM Co-Star minibus to continue our Sarawak tour with Bintulu and Miri as our next stops, we reflected on the short time we had spent enjoying Sibu. The town’s unhurried charm, coupled with its earned reputation for food, makes Sibu a place worth remembering long after the journey moves on – and without question, a place to return for a longer visit, too!