The mid-year break for public schools across Malaysia begins this weekend (May 23-June 7, and May 22-June 6 for Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu).
Coinciding with this are several public holidays, happening either nationwide or in certain states. They are: Hari Raya Haji on May 27; Kaamatan on May 30 and 31 (Sabah); Wesak Day on May 31; Gawai Dayak on June 1 and 2 (Sarawak); and the birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on June 1.
This makes the two-week period the perfect time for you to catch up with some friends or spend quality time with the family.
If that’s exactly what you plan to do but are still undecided, here are a few suggestions of activities and places you can check out.
Bask in nature
Mother Earth has endless charms, from beautiful blooms to verdant forests. One of the latest attractions where you can enjoy nature’s beauty is at Eufloria Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Located at Gohtong Jaya, Pahang, the attraction features several curated spaces. You can admire flowers at Garden of the Seasons, see giant sculptures while relaxing by an indoor waterfall at the Zodiac Pavilion, or enjoy lush greenery in the Rainforest Grove.
If you live within the Klang Valley and don’t wish to venture out of the area, you can head to Kepong Botanic Gardens instead.
It is part of Selangor’s Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) – a Unesco World Heritage Site – and you can relax here while strolling among towering trees.
You can do this little stroll high above the ground, too. Just take the FRIM Forest Skywalk.
With varying heights that range from 18m to 50m, the 250m-long canopy walk will give you good panoramic views of the park at various points of elevation.
If you’re headed to Singapore instead, you’re probably thinking of visiting the popular Gardens by the Bay. But you may be interested in adding another garden to your itinerary, namely the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The first Unesco World Heritage Site in Singapore is almost two centuries old, with a manicured landscape that reflects its British colonial era conception.
Go on a train ride
For an even more leisurely way of enjoying nature, try going on a train ride. Just a short ride will do, like the one you can take at Terminal Sekinchan in Selangor.
At this relatively new attraction, you can go on a mini train ride that takes you through a wide expanse of padi fields. It is located in Sekinchan after all, the “Rice Bowl of Selangor”.
Fans of Studio Ghibli might enjoy this too, as the attraction features elements borrowed from the Japanese animation studio’s popular films.
You can wait patiently on the train platform with Totoro (the character from My Neighbour Totoro) and No-Face (Spirited Away). Or go pose with Turnip Head (Howl’s Moving Castle), who is carrying out its scarecrow duty in the padi field.
Over in Putrajaya, there is a similar attraction called, of course, the Putrajaya Train Ride. Running for about 30 minutes per session, the lakeside train lets you relax while taking in the scenic view of Putrajaya Lake.
The train route, which begins from Dataran Putra in Presint 1, also passes by landmarks like the Prime Minister’s Office and Putra Mosque.
Learn to ski or ‘fly’
You don’t necessarily need to go to snowy places like Hokkaido in Japan or the Swiss Alps in Switzerland to ski, you can do so right here in our tropical country.
Thanks to indoor skiing centres, you can now learn how to glide smoothly on snow in several places around Malaysia. In Petaling Jaya, Selangor there’s First Traxx, touted as the country’s first indoor ski and snowboard training centre. There’s also Slope Master (also in Selangor), which opened just last year.
At these centres, you can get coaching on skiing and snowboarding. Children from as young as six years old are welcome to join the sessions, so this can be a fun activity for the whole family.
If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation with a sprinkle of thrills, check out Club Med Bintan. Although located on an Indonesian island, the resort is accessible via ferry from Singapore.
Aside from lounging around on the beach, you can add something exciting to your itinerary: trapeze sessions.
That’s right, you can learn how to “fly” ... sort of. Aerial acrobatics may be a new skill you can learn while on holiday. The sessions here (it is also available at Club Med Cherating in Pahang) are beginner-friendly and also suitable for young children.
Pat some pets
Petting zoos are a good place to bring kids to, as they can spend hours feeding adorable animals or giving the cuties plenty of soft pats.
Most petting zoos now have also expanded to include other activities so you and your kids can spend the whole day there without feeling bored.
For example, Nabila Agrofarm in Seremban, Negri Sembilan. The main attraction here is the mini zoo where kids and adults alike can have fun feeding animals like rabbits, goats and ostriches.
Other activities you can do on the farm include archery, horse riding and learning about water-based horticulture at the hydroponic vegetable garden.
In Kuching, Sarawak, Jong’s Crocodile Farm and Zoo is a great place to visit. No, you can’t pet the crocodiles. At least not the full-grown ones.
But you can hold the baby crocodiles safely at the farm’s petting zoo.
While you understandably can’t feed the crocodiles, you can watch the crocodile feeding sessions that are held daily.
The petting zoo also has other animals like rabbits, iguanas and turkeys. It has a mini playground, too, where kids can play on slides. Other than these, there are other attractions such as the Jungle Walk, Bujang Senang Museum and Peacock Garden.
Go cafe-hopping
With the way the cafe scene is always coming up with new iterations of coffees, hopping from one cafe to another understandably remains a popular activity.
Cafes are also drawing patrons in with their aesthetically pleasing facade and interior. The cosy atmosphere lends a calming lull, making cafe visits actually relaxing, especially if you’ve been working or studying hard prior to the holidays.
Kuala Lumpur’s Petaling Street is often visited for its abundance of cool cafes. But you can also go to places outside the capital city for more options. For example, Monk in Subang Jaya is a very cosy listening bar and cafe with a Japanese style interior – and only 10 seats. This means you get to listen to jazz with minimal disturbance from other patrons.
If you’re cafe-hopping in Singapore, Hanco Coffee at *Scape has a vibe inspired by Seoul, South Korea. Its menu consists of interesting coffee blends and homemade burnt cheesecakes.
Postboy Coffee is another cool Singaporean cafe to visit. It is located at Enabling Village, a community space that celebrates people of all abilities.
While you’re sipping on matcha, you can partake in the cafe’s highlight: writing a postcard to your future self. If you’re here with friends, put a twist on it by sending each other postcards that all of you will only be able to read once you receive the postcards in the future.
