Thinking about jetsetting over to Malaysia this spring? It’s just a hop, a skip and a flight away! But what to do once you arrive? Whether you’re a spontaneous traveller, or you like to plan your holidays step-by-step, here are nine ways to make the most of your trip to Malaysia.
Malaysia Craft Promotion
- Date: 30th August – 8th September
- Location: Kuching Waterfront, Sarawak
- Price: Free
- A creative way to spend the first week of spring, the Malaysia Craft Promotion will be held at Kuching Waterfront in Sarawak. The exhibition begins on 30 August and wraps up on 8 September, giving you just over a week to experience it’s sights and sounds. A great way for tourists new to the area to lap up the local culture, the Malaysia Craft Promotion will feature exhibitions, workshops and performances, as well as sales by the various cultural groups of Malaysia, including Malay, Chinese and Indian.
David Blaine ‘Real or Magic’ Asia Tour
- Date: 5th September
- Location: Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur
- Price: Tickets from RM125
- David Blaine is a world famous street magician and endurance artist. Touring Asia for the first time, the illusionist out of the US will put on a 90-minute live performance including his best stage illusions and endurance stunts. Known for such stunts as ‘Frozen in Time’, where he was frozen in a block of ice for 72 hours, and ‘Human Aquarium’, during which he spent seven days in a water-filled sphere, receiving air and food through tubes, Blaine has also broken the world record for holding his breath for an unbelievable 17 minutes and 4 seconds.
Mid-Autumn Festival
- Date: 8th September
- Location: All over Malaysia
- Price: Free
- The Mid-Autumn Festival is a popular East Asian celebration of togetherness. More commonly known in Malaysia as the Lantern Festival or the Mooncake Festival, this is a time for moongazing and parading with colourful Chinese lanterns, which remind people of a time when lanterns were their only source of light. Most of all, it is a time for eating copious amounts of mooncakes. Famous companies and small stalls alike will sell these traditional treats, which come in both sweet and savoury varieties and include ingredients as diverse as red beans, lotus seeds, ham, egg yolk, dates, chocolate, cinnamon, or the distinctly Malaysian pandan leaves and durian. In Penang, it is common to see many decorated stalls selling mooncakes and lanterns, as well as beautifully decorated homes and streets. You can enjoy numerous activities including lantern parades, lion and dragon dances, and Wushu competitions. In Kuala Lumpur, the best place to eat mooncakes is Jalan Petaling in Chinatown where eateries display them in brightly coloured boxes.
World Paintball Players League (WPPL)
- Date: 13th – 14th September
- Location: State Co-curricular Centre, Labuan
- Price: Free
- Not for the faint of heart! The competition takes place at the State Co-Curricular Centre in Labuan and welcomes players from all around the world. If you want to see some great paintball action, then head on over on September 13 or 14.
Malaysia Day
- Date: 16th September
- Location: All over Malaysia
- Price: Free
- An annual event and great cause for celebration – Malaysia Day is held every year on September 16. The date commemorates the anniversary of the Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963. This very special day in the Malaysian calendar is also a public holiday. There are various celebrations held throughout the country on September 16, so no matter where you are there will be fun to be had and culture to be experienced.
Malaysian Open
- Date: 20 – 28th September
- Location: Kuala Lumpur
- Price: Some free seating available, reserved seat tickets from RM35
- Celebrating its 6th anniversary this year, the Malaysian Open will be held from 20-28 September in Kuala Lumpur. Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, Kei Nishikori of Japan and Canadian Milos Raonic are among the star lineup from the world top ten. Tennis fans visiting Malaysia can’t afford to miss the action – and as an added bonus, there is free admission between September 20 and 23.
Borneo International Kite Festival
- Date: 24 – 28th September
- Location: Bintulu, Sarawak
- Price: Free
- Get ready for one of Malaysia’s most colourful and creative festivals. For five days from September 24, the sky surrounding the old airport in Bintulu Sarawak will be full of kites, lanterns, balloons and anything else you can make fly or float. Perfect for the whole family, this festival will keep you entertained with a variety of kite contests, kite-making workshops, kite-colouring and even a few stunt performances that might take you by surprise. Bring a camera and perhaps a pair of binoculars so you don’t miss any of the fun!
Kuala Lumpur International Tower Jump
- Date: 26 – 29th September
- Location: The Menara Tower, Kuala Lumpur
- Price: Free
- The Menara Kuala Lumpur, better known as the KL Tower, has become an attraction for extreme sport enthusiasts. Standing at 421-metres high, ‘BASE’ (building, antenna, span, and earth) jumpers are drawn to this building, which is the fourth tallest telecommunications tower in the world. Whilst this event is only for experienced daredevils, it would be a great one to spectate at, with both day and night jumps and plenty more entertainment to be had. There will be light aircraft flying past, helicopter roping, radio controlled aircraft displays and gliding exhibitions.
Long Thien Shih Solo Exhibition
- Date: June – September 2014
- Location: Galeri 3A dan 3B, Balai Seni Visual Negara, Kuala Lumpur
- Price: Free
- Art enthusiasts and appreciators should make a point of dropping by the solo exhibition of renowned Malaysian artist Long Thien Shih. One of the most celebrated artists in the country, Shih’s artwork tracing over 50 years will be exhibited in Kuala Lumpur from June, wrapping up in September; the perfect way to finish your trip to one of the most diverse destinations in Southeast Asia.