Visitor's Guide

Whether you prefer fine dining, country cooking, vegetarian, Japanese shashimi, pizza, fried chicken, noodles or Thai tom yam, Miri has something to tempt you.

Hawker Food
Miri's famous are the Sarawak Laksa, 'Marudi' kueh tiaw, 'kolok mee' (dried noodles), curry rice, various fine noodles, chicken rice, beed noodles, dim sum and many more.

Malay food
Miri offers a wide range of famous and delicious Malay food like nasi lemak, satay, mee goreng, beef rendang and others. They can be found at food stalls along North Yu Seng Road, Jalan Permaisuri, Jalan Bendahara, Taman Serojo, Taman Selera and Sarberkas Commercial Center.

Chinese Food
There are many good Chinese restaurants in Miri apart from those in hotels. They serve excellent Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew, Foochow cuisines. Don't forget to savour the famous 'Tutu' fresh water fish.

Western Food
The hotels in Miri serve some of the best western cuisine. You can also order western cuisine like steaks, Fish & Chips and continental food in joints like Al Fresco Side Walk Cafe, Cafe Bavaria, Cafe Miri, Sea Horse Bistro and many other places.

Seafood
Fresh seafood is abundant in Miri. Some seafood restaurants offer fresh and live seafoood like fish, prawn, crab, lobster and many more.

Other cuisines
Miri also offers Indonesian, Indian, Thai, Korean and Japanese cuisine at various outlets around the city. If you feel more adventurous, you must try the raw fish salad known as "Umai", white crispy "keropok lekoh", tnagy herby chinese "kacang ma". For those with exotic tastes, sago worms and jungle snails make interesting gastronomic excursions into the unknown!

Blog
See the MakanManiacs blog site for information on food around Miri!
http://www.MakanManiacs.com

1. The Niah Caves is just next to the city center.
Contrary to what was depicted (and therefore suggested) on travel brouchures and postcards, the Niah Caves is not next to the Pelita Tunku Complex. In fact the Niah Caves are about an hour's drive away, with some trekking before actually reaching the site.

2. "What shall we do today.. I know! Let's go visit the Mulu caves!"

The Mulu Caves cannot be visited on a whim. You will need to book in advance, with a plane flight that depends entirely on weather. If the weather is bad, the flight may become delayed or even cancelled. This is quite common.

3. Oil palm plantations are destroying Orang Utan habitats

There are no Orang Utans in this part of Borneo except in zoos. They exist in Sabah (eastern part of Borneo). Therefore a recent claim by an environmentalist about the oil palm plantations destroying 'habitats of Orang Utans' are laughable.

4. Oil palm plantations are destroying elephant habitats

Same with elephants. No elephants in this part of Borneo. Nor are oil palm plantations destroying anything.

5. People from (Miri) Sarawak still live on trees.

And our DSL is connected by tree vines... Seriously - nobody within reach of the city live on trees. We checked.

Interested in myths and legends? Head over here and check out this link, full of wonderful myths and legends told and passed down for many generations in Borneo.

In Miri, alot of the old town area is accessible by walking. However, be careful when walking. Pedestrians are not given priority in miri, and drivers tend not to let pedestrians cross the road (there may be a few exceptions, believe it or not, there are some courteous drivers around.)

Generally, these places have slow traffic, have plenty of traffic lights or are constantly in a jam so crossing the road is not very dangerous.

Most landmarks can be seen from anywhere in the Old Town Center so it is easy to know your location and not get lost. Even if you do get lost, a lot of the locals know English, so asking directions is easy.

Should your feet tire from walking, there are two taxi stations within the town center, and a few more minor ones outside shopping complexes, so finding one and getting a ride back to your hotel or destination is easy.

A lot of the hotels and inns are within the town center too.

One of the most attractive features of the state of Sarawak and one which sets it aside from many of the other Malaysian states is its cultural diversity. With the 27 distinct indigenous ethnic groups that speak 45 different languages and dialects, Sarawak can be proud to boast racial harmony amongst a population of 2.1 million who adhere to a variety of traditions, practices and religions. In Miri alone one can see the diverse cultures and traditions.

With such a melting pot of customs and cultures, Mirians enjoy a variety of colorful festivals throughout the calendar year. The cultural diversity also allows Miri to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.

Information from the visitors' Guide to Miri

Some useful information when visiting Longhouses - Redirects to MiriCommunity.

Miri airport receives flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Johor Bahru, and Labuan, and interstate flights from Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and other smaller airports in and around Miri.

Airport Transport
Travel agents and hotels usually pick up their guests from the airport. Taxis into town are readily available, paid for by a 'taxi coupon' purchased at the airport.

Immigration Formalities
Non-Malaysians need a valid passport, with a minimum of six months validity from their arrival date. Sarawak has its own immigration control; arrivals from Sabah or Peninsular Malaysia still need to undergo immigration clearance. Visitors to Brunei may need to apply for a Brunei visa. For peninsular Malaysians and Sabahans, MyKad may be used for immigration clearance and those intending to stay beyond six months, passport is required.

Export of Antiques
Any artifact made in or imported into Sarawak more than 100 years ago is deemed an antique, and cannot be exported without consent by the Sarawak Museum's Curator. The consent form is free and antique dealers should attend to the formalities.

Agricultural Restrictions
The import or export of plants and seeds is not allowed without a permit from the Sarawak Department of Agriculture.

Time
Miri, like the rest of Sarawak and Malaysia, is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Median Mean Time (GMT) and 16 hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time.

Language
Malay Language (or known locally as Bahasa Malaysia) is the national language. However, English is widely spoken in Miri. Other languages in Miri include Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Lun Bawang, Mandarin, and several Chinese dialects.

Religion
The official religion of Malaysia is Islam, but freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution. There are Christians, Buddhists, Hindaus, Sikhs, and followers of other faiths living here.

Electricity
Electric Voltage is 220-240 (50 cycles). The type of power plugs used is the three square pin variety. Major hotels will be able to supply adapters. There is electricity in all towns and national parks. Where electricity is not available, hurricane lamps and good torchlights are recommended.

Photography
Photographers are advised to bring watertight packaging for their cameras and film materials if they intend to go on upcountry trips. Sudden downpours, or splashes during a boat ride can ruin expensive equipment.

Rural Air Network
Formerly inaccessible destinations in Sarawak are now served by the rural air services of MAS Wings. From Miri, flights operate regular schedules to Bario, Long Lellang, Long Banga, Marudi, Long San, Ba Kelalan, Lawas, Long Seridian, Long Lama and Long Akah. There are direct flights from Limbang to Bario, and from Lawas to Ba Kelalan.

River Travel
The rivers of Sarawak have been the highways since time immemorial; express boats, speedboats and longboats ply their lower reaches. Longboats take over in the upper rivers. On a real 'inland trip' passenger often have to get out and wade in the shallow water while the crew manhandles the craft over rapids and gravel beds.

Overland Travel
There are two bus terminals in Miri. The one in Jalan Padang, adjacent to the Visitor's Information Center, serves the local network, with fares starting at 60 sen. Bus services to Sungei Tujuh (into Bandar Sri Begawan - Brunei) starts from here and is operated by the Miri-Belait Bus Company. The Outstation Bus Terminal is located at Pujut Corner, off the Miri-Pujut Road. Buses to Niah, Lambir Hills National Park, Bintulu, Sibu, Sarikei and Kuching depart from here. You can see the schedule for outstation travel from Biaramas.