Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
196
HOLIDAYS
During Malaysia's official public holidays,
expect government offices to be closed, as
well as some shops and r estaurants,
depending on the ethnicity of the shop
owner or r estaurant o wner. D uring
Hari
Raya Puasa
and
Chinese New Year,
you
can expect many shop and restaurant clos-
ings. H owever, look out for special sales
and celebrations. Also count on public
parks, shopping malls, and beaches to be
more cr owded during public holidays, as
locals will be taking adv
countries. After September it's quiet again
until D ecember. Both seasons experience
approximately equal tourist traffic, but in
summer months that traffic may ebb and
flow.
Singapore's school holidays occur fr om
mid-May through to the end of June, and
again during N ovember and D ecember,
when families are likely to flock to Malay-
sia's seaside resorts, particularly the budget
and midpriced pr operties. M alaysians in
general ar e r elaxed about childr en when
on holidays. I f you're looking for an inti-
mate couples escape, tr y to av oid family
resorts during this time. Malaysia's school-
children ar e cut loose for about 1 to 2
weeks in March, May, and August, with a
longer break from mid-November through
December.
CLIMATE
Climate considerations will play a r ole in
your plans. If you want to visit any of the
east-coast r esort ar eas, the lo w season is
between November and March, when the
monsoon tides make the water a little
choppy for waterspor ts and beach activi-
ties. During this time, many island resorts
may close. O n the w est coast, the rainy
season is fr om A pril thr ough M ay, and
again from October through November.
The temperature is basically static year-
round. Daily averages range from 67°F to
90°F (21°C-32°C). Temperatures in the
hill r esorts get a little cooler , av eraging
67°F (21°C) during the day , 50°F (10°C)
at night.
antage of their
time off.
Official public holidays fall as follo ws:
New Year's Day (Jan 1), Chinese New Year
(Feb 14-15, 2010), Prophet Muhammad's
Birthday (M ar), Labor D ay (M ay 1),
Wesak Day (May 21, 2010), King's Birth-
day (Jun 6), National Day (Aug 31), Hari
Raya P uasa (also called E id al-F itr; S ept
20-21, 2009; S ep 8, 2010), D eepavali
(Nov 15, 2009; N ov 5, 2010), H ari Raya
Haji (also called E id al-A dha; N ov 27,
2009; Nov 14, 2010), and Christmas (Dec
25).
Note:
P lease confirm all 2010 dates
listed abo ve befor e y ou plan y our trip;
some holidays vary, as they ar e dependent
on the phases of the moon. I n addition,
each state has a public holiday to celebrate
the birthday of the state sultan.
For an exhaustiv e list of ev ents beyond
those listed here, check http://events.from-
mers.com, where you'll find a sear chable,
up-to-the-minute roster of what's happen-
ing in cities all over the world.
11
4
GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND
GETTING TO MALAYSIA
By Plane
Malaysia has fiv e international airpor ts—
at Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Kota
Kinabalu, and K
international flights come into some
domestic airpor ts—and 15 domestic air-
ports, including K ota B haru, K uantan,
and K uala Terengganu. S pecific airpor t
information is listed for each city.
uching, although
