Overnight in Sibu or Miri?

I am planning a trip to Malaysia in May - my plans are to spend around a week or so in Borneo, then head to the Peninsula for the remainder. My plan so far is to spend a few days in Kuching and go on a few day trips around there (Semenggoh, Gunung Guding, Bako, etc.) then work my way east towards Brunei. I would like to travel by boat to Sibu as it will probably be the only chance I have for a boat trip while I am in Borneo.

I understand the boat trip is around 4-5 hours, then from Sibu to Miri is approximately 8-9 hours by bus. Obviously, I will probably have to spend an overnight somewhere between Sibu and BSB, so I am wondering, which is the more interesting city to spend it in, Sibu or Miri? I understand there are a lot of interesting sights that are close to Miri (such as Gunung Mulu, etc.) but unfortunately I won't have time to visit these areas on this particular trip. Is it possible to travel by bus from Sibu directly to Brunei?

If you are only spending a week in Sarawak it would be best to stay around the Kuching area otherwise you will spend a lot of time on a bus. 2 or 3 nights in Bako and a night or 2 in Gunung Gading and a night or 2 in Kuching you are already up to a week. Sarawak is a huge state and getting from Kuching to Miri takes a lot of time.

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