Brooke Dynasty heritage



Our Sarawak Vacations
Sarawak wildlife & beach vacation
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
Borneo 8 day tour, the wild heart of Borneo
A unique experience in the untouched, beautiful Sarawak.
Sarawak family vacation
An action-packed vacation got the whole family to enjoy!
Wild Borneo vacation, private departure
Highlights of Malaysian Borneo including Deramakot
Sarawak and Singapore vacation
Discover beautiful Sarawak with a 2 night Singapore stopover
Luxury beach vacation in Borneo & Orangutans
Relaxation in one of nature's most picturesque settings
Orangutan conservation vacation in Borneo
Meet Iban tribes and encounter orangutans in Borneo
Borneo tour, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei
Exotic Trans-Borneo Overland from Rainforest to Beach
Borneo wildlife cycling vacation
Ultimate Borneo wildlife experience on two wheels
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
Singapore and Sarawak vacations
A wildlife and Cultural Vacation to Singapore and Sarawak
Borneo wildlife vacation, Sarawak
A light trekking and jungle adventure vacation in Sarawak
Borneo tour, Orangutans and Iban
Spotting wild orangutans and meeting indigenous tribes
Sarawak vacation, wildlife adventure
Tailor-made wildlife and turtle vacation to Sarawak
Sarawak off the beaten track tour
Explore Remote Sarawak’s Coastal and Interior Region
Borneo vacation, Sarawak highlights
Wildlife, Orangutans, longhouse stay & beach in Sarawak
Sabah & Sarawak vacation in Borneo
Wildlife, jungles, culture and idyllic beaches
Sarawak and Sabah vacation, tailor made
Tailor made Sarawak and Sabah adventure vacation
Sarawak cultural tour in Borneo
A cultural jungle adventure through Sarawak
Borneo tailor made tour
A Borneo vacation tailor-made for the adventurous traveler.
Sarawak rainforest cycling tour, Borneo
Discover the sights, sounds & taste of authentic Sarawak
Sarawak 5 day cultural tour
Explore Sarawak’s remote and fascinating coastal region
Highlights of Borneo group tour
Small-group culture and wildlife tour of Borneo
Orangutan volunteering in Borneo
Volunteer at an orangutan rehabilitation center in Borneo
Borneo cycling vacation, Headhunters Heartland
An epic ride into The Iban Heartland
Borneo wildlife vacation
Showcasing the best of Borneo - wildlife, rainforests and tropical beaches
Borneo small group adventure vacation
A varied and exciting 2-week Borneo tour of Sabah & Sarawak
The White Rajahs
In 1946, after a period of Japanese occupation during World War II, Vyner Brooke secretly and controversially ceded Sarawak to Britain as a crown colony, and nearly 18 years later it gained independence, joining the Malaysian Federation as the state of Sarawak.
The Brooke architectural legacy


Astana
Brooke Dockyard
A key part of the Brooke dynasty heritage, the dockyard was opened in 1912 and rapidly became a major source of employment in Kuching. It is currently closed, and plans are underway to turn it into a maritime museum, where the reconstructed Royalist will be on display.Our top Sarawak Vacation
Sarawak wildlife & beach vacation
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
2021: 6 May, 20 May, 17 Jun, 8 Jul, 29 Jul, 5 Aug, 19 Aug, 2 Sep, 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 18 Nov, 2 Dec, 16 Dec, 23 Dec
2022: 27 Jan, 3 Mar, 17 Mar, 24 Mar, 31 Mar, 21 Apr, 5 May, 19 May, 16 Jun, 7 Jul, 28 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug, 1 Sep, 22 Sep, 6 Oct, 20 Oct, 17 Nov, 1 Dec, 15 Dec, 22 Dec
Brooke Gallery at Fort Margherita
Main Post Office
The handsome Neo-classical architecture and Corinthian colonnades of the Kuching Post Office make it one of the most distinctive buildings in the city. Before it became the post office, it was used as a police station, and the stables of the third Rajah, Charles Vyner.Old Courthouse
With its colonnaded terraces and clock tower the Old Courthouse is an impressive sight on its own, but it is now a celebrated tourism complex that houses a textile museum in the Pavilion, the Charles Brooke Memorial and the Ranee Margaret Exhibition, featuring artifacts owned by the wife of the second White Rajah including her impressive collection of keringkam, Malay woven cloth.Sarawak Museum
The Forts
Over the course of their rule the White Rajahs built at least 18 wooden forts across Sarawak to fend off pirates and prevent tribal conflict. While most are little more than ruins nowadays, others have been carefully restored and several, such as Fort Margherita, Fort Hose, Fort Sylvia and Fort Limbang, now serve as museums.The Pavilion
First used as a medical center, the award-winning Pavilion is an impressive architectural feat blending themes of English renaissance and colonial. It houses the Textile Museum where you can see handicrafts made by various Sarawak ethnic groups. You can watch the intricate process of wood carving or basket weaving, and even have a go on the loom yourself.The Round Tower
Mystery surrounds the reason the Round Tower was built, though it’s thought it was originally intended as a fort. The whitewashed structure was rebuilt after a fire and is intended to become a fine dining restaurant with a colonial theme, but will continue to offer outstanding views across Kuching.
Responsible Travel would like to thank the Sarawak tourist board for their sponsorship of this guide