Satok Market

The Satok Weekend Market, often simply referred to as the Satok Market, is the largest and liveliest market in Kuching. Beginning midday Saturday, vendors from the surrounding countryside set up stalls of produce, crafts, orchids and live fish.

But the market’s fame comes from its fresh fruit. Often the market is smelled before seen — the sweet pungent smell of durian fruit commingling with other tropical scents. Obscure fruits, like spiky jackfruit, langsats and water apples, alongside the familiar bananas. Unlike most Western produce sections, shoppers at the Satok market are faced with nearly a dozen varieties of the fruit.

While it’s perfectly possible and enjoyable to visit the market independently, it’s also included as part of the itinerary in many Kuching cooking classes, allowing travelers to visit the market with a knowledgeable guide and prepare typical local dishes using market fresh ingredients.