Kampung Telaga Air
Kuching, Sarawak

fishing jetty with Gunung Santubong in the background

Kampung Telaga Air is a sleepy fishing village around 30 km from Kuching. It gets busier at weekends and public holidays and is popular with anglers seeking open sea sport fishing opportunities. In conjunction with the Telaga Air Festival, a fishing competition was held on 22 Dec 2024 and it may be repeated in future years.

small boats used for fishing and sightseeing tours

The other big attraction here is wildlife sightseeing boat trips (see below).

Boat Trips

modern jetty for sightseeing boat tours

Sight seeing boat trips depart from the jetty giving visitors the possibility of sighting crocodiles, proboscis monkeys and dolphins in their natural environment.

Boat trips last 2 hours per trip and the itinerary can cover Kampung Sibu Laut (on the opposite bank of the Sungai Sibu), Kampung Trombol at the mouth of the river, and across to Santubong and the mouth of the Salak River, depending on conditions. This itinerary skirts the Kuching Wetlands National Park and its mangrove coastline harbours Estuarine Crocodiles, endangered Proboscis Monkeys, Lesser Adjutant Storks and Griffith's Silver Leaf Monkeys among other wildlife.

Boat trips to nearby Satang Island (a turtle nesting site) are also available.

Trips are charged at RM320 per boat for 1-5 persons (RM350 for non-Malaysians) with RM 30 for each additional passenger up to the max capacity of 8 or 12 passengers depending on the boat size.

Trips must be arranged in advance and you can call 0198248506 for information.

sign warning of crocodilesSwimming in the river is not advised.

Apart from fishing and boat trips there is not a great deal to do in the village.

There are a number of food stalls and casual restaurants selling seafood,  coconut, mango or avocado shakes, and other local delicacies.

freshly caught seafood on saleYou can buy freshly caught seafood here.

There is a small riverfront park with children's playground and a number of market stalls, all of which were closed on my visit but it was a weekday.

a statue made of driftwood and car tiresCreative use of driftwood and rubber tires.

How To Get to Kampung Telaga Air

The village is about 27 km from Kuching Waterfront and should take less around 40 minutes by car.

The exact location is marked on this map:

Accommodation

Homestay accommodation is available in the village if you want to extend your stay.

You can find contact details on this Sarawak Government website.

Nearby

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.