02/07/2025
🕊️ Day 4: A Graceful Farewell to Sarawak 🌄✈️
⛪On our final day, some of us chose to attend early morning Mass at sunrise at the Carmelite Monastery. This peaceful and serene place houses a chapel where we quietly joined in the sacred liturgy.
After Mass, we returned to the hotel for breakfast 🍳 and to check out 🧳.
🏛️Before heading to the Borneo Cultures Museum, we made a quick stop at St. Peter’s Church for a group photo 📸. To our surprise, the main doors were open , allowing us to enter. Those who had only been able to attend the Consecration Mass online the day before felt especially blessed to step inside. We spent a few moments in prayer and took photos of the beautifully consecrated church.✨
🛍️Near the entrance, a small booth had been set up offering religious articles for sale. Many of us supported the church by purchasing items to bring home 🎁.
✅Satisfied with our brief visit , we proceeded to the Borneo Cultures Museum 🏛️ — the largest museum in Malaysia 🇲🇾. The five-storey modern building features architecture inspired by traditional Sarawak songket and rattan motifs 🎋🧵, and it is the first museum in Malaysia certified under the Green Building Index 🌱.
🌀 We began our exploration from the top floor and gradually worked our way down. The exhibits were impressively curated, with world-class presentation and preservation — a true source of pride for the people of Sarawak 💖.
🏺The museum featured exhibitions such as “Time Changes” ⌛, which traces Sarawak’s history from prehistory to the colonial era , along with displays of traditional crafts , textiles , and ritual items 🪔🎨🧶.
🎮,Advanced multimedia installations,interactive exhibits , and life-sized dioramas brought Sarawak’s rich cultural narratives to life . Notable artefacts included the 37,000-year-old “Niah Lady” skull 💀 and ceremonial items used by various ethnic communities in Borneo 🌿.
After our visit to the museum, we enjoyed lunch 🍽️ — our final opportunity to savour Sarawak’s delicious local hawker fare 🍜.
🏬Following lunch, we made three brief stops before heading to the airport ✈️. Our first stop was at a wholesale shop , where many took the chance to buy the famous Sarawak pepper products, along with other local snacks. Some of us also picked up Sarawak laksa paste, wild honey, biscuits, and a variety of souvenirs to bring home 🏡🥄🍯🍘.
🌈,We then visited a well-known layer cake shop , renowned for offering over 40 varieties of traditional kek lapis Sarawak . The colourful intricately layered cakes were a true delight — both to the eye and the palate 👀😋.
🌊Our final stop was the Kuching Waterfront . This gave those who hadn’t had the opportunity earlier a chance to enjoy the scenic views take photographs , and soak in the atmosphere . Some even crossed the road for a quick purchase of textiles as last-minute souvenirs 🌅 🧣.
👋 At last, we made our way to the airport , where we bid farewell to our friendly and helpful local drivers and guides . We left Sarawak with hearts full of gratitude— enriched by the spiritual encounters , cultural experiences , and beautiful memories that will remain with us always 🌟🛫 💛 .
