As Malaysians, we stand not only tall with our shoulders puffed out over our street food culture and picturesque tropical destinations, but also because of the plentiful amount of public holidays we get in a year! With more than 50 public holidays observed, we Malaysians know how to let loose by maximising our travel plans with the long weekends.
If you hadn’t already started planning for your travels in 2022, be sure to plot these dates in your fancy 2022 planner and start making reservations to your next travel destination:
Chinese New Year
1 to 2 February 2022 (Tuesday to Wednesday)
Apply for leave on: 31 January 2022 (Monday)
Your long weekend duration: Five days
Labour Day & Hari Raya Aidilfitri
1 May, 3 to 4 May 2022 (Sunday, Tuesday to Wednesday)
Your long weekend duration: Five days (including Monday as Labour Day falls on Sunday)
Wesak Day
15 May 2022 (Sunday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days (including Monday)
Agong’s Birthday
6 June 2022 (Monday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days
Hari Raya Haji
11 July 2022 (Sunday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days, four days for residents of Perlis and Terengganu
Malaysia Day
16 September 2022 (Friday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days
Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday
9 October 2022 (Sunday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days
Deepavali
24 October 2022 (Monday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days
Christmas Day
25 December 2022 (Sunday)
Your long weekend duration: Three days
Need some inspiration to plan your long holidays this year? Check out these extended weekend plans that we’ve lined up!
1. Reconnect with nature for the eco-conscious
Since the start of the seemingly never-ending COVID-19 pandemic (touch wood), nature retreats and conscious travelling has been gaining in popularity. Make full use of your long weekends this year to unplug – it’s not THAT often we get that many long weekends in a year! Here are some nature retreats we think you should check out.
A jungle retreat at Kuala Kubu Bahru, Selangor
Nestled within the heart of Kuala Kubu Bahru is an aqua blue jungle retreat aptly named Sarang By The Brook. This container-style rainforest resort offers a stay complete with a guided jungle trekking activity and a visit to Sungai Chilling, where you can bask in awe of the multi-tiered Sungai Chilling Waterfall.
If you have a thrill for adventure, you can pre-book a white water rafting adventure before arriving at Sarang By The Brook. And, a short 12-minute drive takes you to one of the most excellent stargazing spots in Selangor! Pop by Sungai Selangor Dam for starry views when you stay at this retreat!
Book your jungle and waterfall retreat on Klook!
Live that beach life in Langkawi, Kedah
Langkawi holds a place dear to our hearts and is home to some of the most scenic beaches in Peninsular Malaysia. Live the kampung life by staying at the award-winning Kunang-Kunang Resort – you’ll want to plan months ahead as their villas sell out fast. Start your day by conquering the 10-million-year-old rainforest, laze around the sandy beach in the afternoon (or if you’re up for an island-hopping adventure, go all out with a jet ski tour instead), and end it with a dinner at Pohon Beringin Restaurant in Kunang-Kunang Resort for authentic Malay cuisine.
Book your stay at Kunang-Kunang Resort for an immersive kampung getaway. Klook has the best deals for morning jungle treks and island hopping tours on a jet ski!
2. Experience new things!
If you’re still sceptical about being out and about, you can still have fun during the long weekends by doing something different to your usual daily routine. Although cafe-hopping on your off days may seem inviting, it’s nice to break out of your comfort zone by trying out something new. Find your inner muse by joining these workshops!
Learn a new skill at home
Not everyone’s comfortable leaving their homes just yet (especially when the Omicron variant recently caused a temporary halt of the VTL with Singapore), and we get it! But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn something new in the comfort of your own home – Craft La has made picking up a new hobby accessible for all. All you need is a stable internet connection, free time, and the will to learn!
This 6-in-1 online craft workshop bundle will teach you how to hand-knit and sew dolls, paint folk art, hand crochet a potted container, embroider floral hoops, and brush lettering.
Figure out your true calling with this online workshop bundle available on Klook!
Become a pewter smith for a day at Royal Selangor
Knock your worries and frustrations away at Royal Selangor’s visitor centre! Famed for its pewterware, Royal Selangor is the world’s foremost brand that produces works of art and is made of locally-sourced alloy as its medium.
At the visitor centre located in Kuala Lumpur, you can learn the art of the trade by participating in their School of Hard Knocks experience to make a food-safe pewter dish or craft a pewter ornament at The Foundry workshop.
Book the School of Hard Knocks or The Foundry workshop (why not go for both?) on Klook!
Think you have a flair at pottery?
Throw your hands up in the air (actually, don’t – it takes a lot of patience to throw a pot) if you’ve always wanted to try out pottery! Spin the pottery wheel and hope for a steady hand – you’ll need it when you give this craft a go at Good Times DIY Pottery Studio at Paradigm Mall, Petaling Jaya. This hour-long workshop comes with proper guidance from experienced potters, and you’ll be able to take home two pieces of artwork.
After you book this workshop on Klook, make sure to call ahead to reserve your slot!
3. Travel for peace of mind
If you hadn’t already heard, pandemic fatigue is real and staying cooped up with nowhere to travel takes a toll on the wanderlust in you. Take the chance of having a long weekend to yourself to check in on your mental state, and if needed, take a breather or book yourself a spa trip to these recommended destinations.
A seaside massage at Semporna, Sabah
Find this floating spa centre within Dragon Floating Inn at the idyllic town of Semporna, Sabah. To have a view of the sea while you get a massage, choose the Sea View Body Massage package. For only RM149, you can take in the glorious ocean’s panorama as you get your knots untangled.
Start with a 20-minute foot bath with a bamboo shower and move on to a foot massage in sea salt, and end it all with a 50-minute full-body massage with natural coconut oil. If your skin needs some nourishment after some sunburn, the spa centre also offers an after-sun recovery massage complete with a gold foil face mask.
Book your spa-cation on Klook!
Soul-searchin’ by the east coast
Terengganu always promises pristine, glistening waters and the soothing sounds of the rainforest. But a stay on Redang’s The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort offers the ultimate zen retreat on the east coast.
Bring along your partner on this trip, or decide to travel solo – the best way to find your inner peace is to recollect your thoughts amidst the rhythmic sounds of the waves or while being enveloped within the tingling aromatic scent of Taaras’ Signature Massage at Taaras Spa. Klook has you sorted for a much-needed soul-searching trip.
