IAIA23

Plan Your Stay

HOST CITY

Exotic and vibrant Kuching, Sarawak, is poised on the world’s third largest island, Borneo. A haven of charming cultural heritage, invigorating adventure, and breathtaking natural wonders in ancient rainforests and towering mountains, natural resources (timber, oil, and gas among them), and quaint colonial architecture, Sarawak has a stunning backdrop of cultural diversity and avant-garde city development to match.

CONFERENCE HOTELS  

Staying at one of our partner hotels can heighten your conference and networking experience! The negotiated blocks listed below are available until 21 April 2023. Note: The conference venue is the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

PULLMAN KUCHING

Centrally located in the Kuching Golden Triangle on Jalan Mathies hill, Pullman Kuching enjoys panoramic city and river views and is located near many restaurants and activities in the popular waterfront area.

NOTE: This hotel is located a 20-minute drive (8 km / 5 mi) from the venue. Free shuttle transportation between hotel and venue will be scheduled in the morning and evening for IAIA23 delegates booked at this hotel.

Address: NO. 1A, Jalan Mathies, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak
Block rate: $320 – 370 MYR per night (includes breakfast; taxes not included)
Cancellation policy: Any room booking cancellation within seven days before arrival will incur a one room night cancellation fee.

Booking instructions: Fill out this online form to book. Questions? Contact H6332-RE@accor.com.

 

UCSI Hotel Kuching

Located next to the conference venue on Kuching Ithmus, UCSI Hotel Kuching features panoramic vistas of the Sarawak River, an infinity pool and rooftop lounge, and several on-site dining options.

Address: Lot 2976, Block 7, Muara Tebas Land District, Sejingkat, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak
Block rate: $205 MYR per night (includes breakfast AND 6% Sales and service tax)
Cancellation policy: Payment in advance is required to reserve a room, and any prepayments made are strictly NON-REFUNDABLE. IAIA does not recommend using this option if there is a possibility of needing to cancel your stay; this block is specifically meant to provide an option to delegates booking their stay closer to the event.
Booking instructions Call +82 596610 or +82 596612 or email reservationskch@ucsihotels.com.  (Reference code IAIA2023.)

CLIMATE

Kuching has an equatorial climate. The temperature is relatively uniform throughout the year – within the range of 23°C/73°F early in the morning to 32°C/90°F during the day. Humidity is consistently high in the lowlands, ranging from 80-90%.

LANGUAGE used

Bahasa Malaysia (National Language), English, Mandarin and some Chinese dialects are widely spoken.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

All attendees from outside Malaysia are responsible for making sure they have the correct documentation to enter the country.
Delegates are strongly advised to explore visa requirements as early as possible, and should a visa be required, to apply as soon as possible as the process can be time consuming.
Visitors to Malaysia must be in possession of a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of six months beyond the period of stay. 
For those member states which require a visa, applications should be submitted to the nearest Malaysian overseas mission with the following documentation:

  • Visa application form with three (3) passport-sized photographs
  • National passport with remaining minimum validity period of six (6) months
  • Letter of introduction or invitation letter
  • No visa is required for visit duration of within one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore.
  • No visa is required for citizens of the United States of America visiting Malaysia for social, business, or academic purposes (except for employment).
  • For nationals of Israel, visas are required and permission must be granted from Ministry of Home Affairs, Malaysia.
  • Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for visit duration of within one month.
TRANSPORTATION to kuching

Regular Malaysia Airlines flights connect Kuching with Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Miri, and Sibu. Malaysia’s budget airline, AirAsia, operates frequent flights to Kuching from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Penang Miri, Bintulu, and Sibu.  MASWings operates the Rural Air Service, flying Twin Otters & Fokker 50s to 40 destinations across East Malaysia. Connections to other destinations are via Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, or Singapore. Check airline websites for ticket prices and the latest deals

TRANSPORTATION within kuching

Airport to city hotels by taxi are approximately 9 minutes/9.5 kilometers and cost between RM25-RM35. Grab (e-hailing app similar to Uber) costs between RM8-10.

BUSINESS HOURS

General business hours are Monday to Friday from 08:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00; Saturday from 08:00 - 13:00.
Shopping centers, supermarkets, restaurants, and mini markets are generally open daily from 10:00 - 22:00.

SMOKING

Smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces, which includes restaurants, bars, shops, and public transport.

CURRENCY AND CREDIT CARDS

The currency in Malaysia is the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR).  Conversion rate is 4.5MYR to 1USD and rounded to the nearest whole figure. ATMs can be found on nearly every corner or in convenience stores close to your hotel or the venue. Credit cards are widely accepted.

TIPPING

Tipping is not typical in Kuching. Restaurants usually include a 10% service charge in the price. For other services, you may tip RM5-10; it is appreciated but not required.  

ELECTRICITY

In Malaysia the power sockets are of type G. The standard voltage is 240 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

TAXES

GST (goods and services tax) is charged on all taxable supplies of goods and services in Malaysia except those specifically exempted. TRS (tourist refund scheme) allows tourists to claim GST paid on eligible goods purchased from an Approved Outlet in Malaysia. The tourist can then claim a GST refund from an Approved Refund Agent when the tourist leaves Malaysia by air mode from one of the Approved Malaysian Airports. See www.customs.gov.my/en/tp/Pages/tp_gtrs.aspx  for more information.

Visitor information

Visit https://sarawaktourism.com/ for information on local attractions and guides.
OTHER HELPFUL SITES
www.sarawak2discover.com
https://businesseventssarawak.com/