A wedding gift
The Rajah's palace for his wife.
Rozita1974 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ben Sutherland from Forest Hill, London, European Union — CC BY 2.0 · Boonjinchung — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marufish from Alor Setar, Malaysia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cerevisae (talk). — CC BY-SA 3.0
An elegant white palace on the north bank of the Sarawak River, facing the Kuching Waterfront, built in 1870 by the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift for his wife Margaret, and their home for many years. Its name is a variation of istana, meaning palace. The palace is made up of three white buildings with red tiled roofs, surrounded by neat gardens and lawns sloping to the river, in a style blending colonial architecture with the steep roofs of Malay houses. Ranee Margaret recalled her life there in a book about her years in Sarawak. Today it is the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak, so its interior is not open to visitors; the gardens sometimes are, and the palace opens its doors to the public on a few occasions such as Eid open houses. It looks its best from the waterfront and the Darul Hana Bridge, especially at sunset when it is lit. You can cross the river to it on a traditional tambang boat from the waterfront for a token fare, then walk on to nearby Fort Margherita, which Charles Brooke built and named after his wife.
The Rajah's palace for his wife.
A traditional river boat.
Lit at sunset.
The north bank of the Sarawak River, opposite the Kuching Waterfront
Kuching Waterfront and Darul Hana BridgeThe waterfront is the heart of Kuching and its loveliest part: a promenade of ab4 minutes walk
Square TowerA small white building shaped like a fort, with crenellated parapets and a hexag5 minutes walk
Masjid India Bandar KuchingAn elegant white mosque on the bank of the Sarawak River at the western end of K5 minutes walk
Old Court HouseAn elegant white complex from the era of Sarawak's White Rajahs, built by Charle6 minutes walk
Fort Margherita and the Brooke GalleryA small white fort in the style of an English castle, built in 1879 by Charles B7 minutes walkNot on ordinary days, as it is the governor's official residence, but it opens to the public on a few occasions such as Eid open houses, and its gardens sometimes open.