Malaysia
3°08′N 101°42′E
A tapestry of colours and flavours, Malaysia brims with a fun mix of all things Asian. From the mysticism of the Orient, to the spices of the South, you will find Malaysians to be warm and friendly people, always eager to share their favourite eating outlet with the curious traveller.
Malaysia is blessed with an exciting geography comprising of fine sandy beaches, cool highlands, million-year-old forests, and of course, a capital city with architecture so modern, Lonely Planet writes that if aliens were to descend onto earth, they would probably take the Petronas Twin Towers as their mothership.
In the shadow of this intergalactic superstructure lies the celebrated KL Convention Centre. Located right at the heart of KL’s City Centre (KLCC), the vicinity is the most intense business, commercial and entertainment district of the country. A leisurely stroll will bring you to Suria KLCC, Aquaria KLCC, KLCC Park, KL Tower, and the eclectic Bintang Walk. Other nearby attractions include the crafty Central Market, the bustling Petaling Street, the breezy Taman Tasik Titiwangsa and the romantic Asian Heritage Row.
Tropical all year round, the Malaysian climate generally hovers between 20˚C and 30˚C, so do pack light clothing and that sunscreen.
Oh that’s right, we have something happening around the country every month. These festivities range from religious celebrations to national holidays to just another excuse to have a party.
The religious celebrations in Malaysia are always the grandest, with everyone joining in the festive moods. It is quite impossible not to be caught up in the excitement whenever Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Chinese New Year or Deepavali or Christmas is around the corner. Traditional and modern festive music fills bazaars and shopping complexes. Sales galore around every corner. Sweets and cultural delicacies everywhere.
National holidays are always loads of fun and the Malaysian Independence Day celebration tops this list. Celebrated on 31st August annually, the celebration sees fireworks and parades and of course, more sales.
But being Malaysian, we really don’t need to have a festive reason to have fun, actually. Where there are no religious or national holidays, we make up our own reasons to sing, dance and have a party. Celebrations such as Citrawarna (a music and dance celebration for the colours of Malaysia), Citrarasa (a celebration for Malaysian food!), water festivals, music festivals, flower festivals, arts festivals, fireworks festivals and buskers’ festivals – you will never really be in Malaysia during the ‘wrong’ time of the year.
And when all the excitement is put to rest (for the time being), retreat to the sandy white beaches and the clear blue waters and experience the more chilled out side of Malaysia. Venture into the million year olf forests of Borneo and discover the wild side of Malaysia. Or just take a road trip and jalan-jalan cari makan (a local saying adopted from a popular television programme, meaning “go out and find food”).
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