On one of our last days in Kuching we decided to check out the Pitcher Plant and Wild Orchid Garden. We had obtained a map with bus routes to various tourist sites from the Tourist Information Center, but even so it was tricky to find the correct bus. The buses aren’t labeled very clearly, so you have to search for the route number on the front or back of the bus, and the drivers may not speak English. We finally found the correct bus station (many are just areas that buses congregate, but not real stations), and the right Sarawak Transport Co. bus to take us to the garden. If you are having trouble locating the bus, there is a small office for the Sarawak Transport Co. located next to the pink building and they can tell you which bus and when. We told the bus driver where we were headed and he dropped us off just a block away. The Garden is actually in a neighboring town, Padawan, located about 40 minutes from Kuching.
Not too many of the Orchids were in bloom when we went, but the ones that were blooming were pretty. Some of the orchids bloom year round, while others are seasonal.
It was amazing to see such a variety of pitcher plants, in so many different colors and sizes. We hadn’t seen any in the wild, so we were glad we went to the Garden.
We only spent about half an hour in the Garden, since it is pretty small and perfect habitat for mosquitoes! George was getting eaten alive, so we had to get out of there ;). The bus stop was right across the street, and by the time we had gotten a bottle of water at the shop next to it a bus was pulling up to take us back to Kuching. Perfect timing!
Here are some more photos:
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