Kuching’s biggest and liveliest market is 9km west of the city centre. It's open every day, but the main event is the larger weekend market that begins around midday on Saturday, when folk, some from rural longhouses, arrive with fruit, vegetables, fish and spices.
The air is heady with the aromas of fresh coriander, ginger, herbs and jungle ferns, which are displayed among piles of bananas, mangoes, custard apples and obscure jungle fruit. If you smell something overpoweringly sickly-sweet and pungent, chances are it’s a durian. Vendors are friendly and many are happy to tell you about their wares, which are often divided into quantities worth RM1 or RM2.