Discover Bintulu: Markets, Waterfront and History

Get to know Bintulu through its different facets: markets selling fruit, fish and seafood; waterfront areas along the Kemena River; beaches; a garden and zoo; and historic memorial sites. If you are looking for a hotel in Bintulu, this overview offers ideas for the themes you might want to focus on when planning your trip.

Waterfront Areas and Beaches

The Bintulu Promenade is a 120-acre waterfront area near the Kemena River delta and runs along the Kemena River. It is suitable for walks and enjoying the sunset. The Bintulu Esplanade plays another role in city life: health and social activities are often organised there, and it also serves as a venue for stage shows and official events. Individual programmes may vary.

At Tanjung Batu Beach, rocky and sandy stretches meet. People jog and walk on the beach or road, and sunbathing is also among the activities mentioned there. Pantai Tanjung Batu is about five kilometres from the centre of Bintulu. Its facilities include a children's playground, rest pavilions, public toilets, food and drink options, and leisure and sports facilities. As these offerings may change, check which facilities are currently available before your visit.

Pantai Tanjung Kidurong is also known as Pantai ABF. It is located in Tanjung Kidurong in Bintulu, at the end of the route from Pantai Temasya Tanjung Batu. The names help distinguish these coastal locations from one another rather than treating them as a single stretch of beach.

Markets and Local Food

Pasar Utama Bintulu and Tamu Bintulu are next to each other. Goods on offer include, among other things, fruit, belachan, cincaluk, fish and seafood, vegetables, and household essentials. The selection may change over time.

The Pasar Malam in Bintulu takes place daily, on weekdays as well as weekends and local public holidays. Foods on offer include apam balik, roti canai, burgers and nasi campur. Pork specialities such as siew pau are also available, explicitly for non-Muslims.

Culture and History

Kuan Yin Tong Temple is located at Kilometre 2 of Jalan Sultan Iskandar. Its features include a courtyard with a rock garden, an artificial waterfall and a dragon balustrade. These elements give the complex a distinctive architectural character.

Masjid Assyakirin has an artificial cascading waterfall, fountains and a landscaped flower garden. The water and garden features create a different design character from the rock garden and dragon balustrade at Kuan Yin Tong Temple.

Bintulu's history is also tied to specific places. The first meeting of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly was held in Bintulu in 1867. At the Council Negeri Monument, a memorial stone erected in 1967 commemorates the centenary of that meeting. A clock tower and a fountain were added to the site in 1987. This makes it possible to distinguish the historic event, its later commemoration and additions from a later period.

Nature and Leisure

Taman Tumbina Bintulu combines a botanical garden with a zoological garden and offers recreational and educational value. The park provides insight into the diversity of Sarawak's flora and fauna and covers 57 hectares of hilly, undulating terrain. Taman Tumbina Bintulu was inaugurated on 2 August 1991 by the then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Discover more destinations: Lubok Antu, Bekenu, Sri Aman, Lundu, Limbang, Lutong, Niah, Sibu.

For the broader travel overview: Sarawak.