I Love Sarawak
A rainbow over the beach and hills at Damai, near Mount Santubong
Beaches

Damai Beach

Santubong Peninsula

Golden sand at the foot of Mount Santubong, with Damai's resorts and coral just offshore.

Damai Beach sits on the Santubong Peninsula about 35km from Kuching, in the shadow of Mount Santubong itself. It's the closest proper beach getaway to the city, with a handful of resorts — Damai Beach Resort, Damai Puri Resort & Spa, Damai Lagoon Resort and Permai Rainforest Resort among them — plus smaller guesthouses and homestays for those not after a full resort stay.

Beyond the sand, Damai is also the base for visiting the Sarawak Cultural Village and for anyone tackling the Mount Santubong climb, making the peninsula an easy combined day trip or overnight escape from the city.

Highlights

  • The closest resort beach to Kuching city
  • Mount Santubong rising directly behind the coastline
  • A cluster of resorts from full-service to homestay
  • Easy pairing with the Sarawak Cultural Village next door

Getting there

Damai is about a 40-minute drive from Kuching city (50 minutes from the airport). A Grab costs roughly RM45–80 one way, though they can be scarce for the return trip. The Damai Shuttle runs from the Grand Margherita Hotel in town, and local bus K15 departs from Saujana Bus Station — there's also a free weekend hydrogen bus on the Kuching–Damai loop, though its schedule isn't fully reliable.

Good to know

  • Book a return Grab in advance, or arrange transport through your resort — rides back from Damai are less predictable than rides out
  • Pair a visit with the Sarawak Cultural Village or the Santubong hike for a fuller day
Read our stories about Damai Beach← All places

Photo: Ayu Farhana (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.