Today is the day Malaysians celebrate National Day or Merdeka. To our fellow
Malaysian readers, in the spirit of patriotism, why not show some love to our
country by getting to know it a little more? By that we mean take the time to
enjoy the beautiful places – from the mountains to the seas – that Malaysia
has to offer.

Now’s the best time to do so since most places are offering
discounts, to entice customers to return since, as we all know, the nation’s
economy hasn’t exactly fared well since the pandemic forced us to live by the
rules of the Movement Control Order (MCO) that was implemented in March and has
gone through several phases now (CMCO, RMCO).

So slap on a face mask, grab a travel-sized hand sanitizer or two, and let’s
do some local travelling!

KL Tower

KL Tower is a nice place to visit whether day or night. (Photo
source: menarakl.com.my)

Nothing says patriotic like ‘touristing’ at one of our country’s most iconic
travel spots. Located in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, the easily
accessible KL Tower is currently offering various discounts to local and
foreign tourists. There’s even a special promo for frontliners!

These discounts apply not only to the tower’s Sky Deck and Observation Deck,
but also its restaurants and other attractions, such as the mini zoo, aquarium
and Upside Down House.

Note that kids below 13 years old and senior citizens above 60 years old are
not encouraged to visit at the moment, as per the SOP. Get further info on the
discounts at https://www.menarakl.com.my/

Tadom Hill Resorts

Take a long, nice nap at the resort’s bamboo tents. (Photo source:
tadomhillresorts.com)

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city and enjoy a peaceful
getaway at Tadom Hill Resorts. Located at Bukit Tadom, Banting, not far from
KLIA, the beautiful lake at the resort offers a serene and scenic place to
either calmly contemplate life or chaotically chase all your troubles away as
you have fun splashing around in the waters.

The resort has a very zen feel as it uses bamboo as its main building
material. Now’s the perfect time to book yourself a chalet as the resort is
offering 10% discount for all accommodations, plus a secret gift! Get more
info at https://tadomhillresorts.com/

Kechara Forest Retreat

Have a Zen weekend at this spiritual retreat hub(Photo source:
Kechara Forest Retreat)

Another tourist hotspot at about an hour’s drive away from Kuala Lumpur is the
Kechara Forest Retreat, located along the hilly Jalan Chamang in Bentong,
Pahang.

Pet lovers would love this place as it offers a free entry Pets’ Day Out,
which is held once every month. Whether you’re with your two-legged or
four-legged friends, this spiritual retreat hub (founded by His Eminence the
25th Tsem Rinpoche) provides the much-needed tranquillity for a perfect short
getaway.

Among the things to look out for here are the aviary (the birds, rescued from
dismal living conditions, include 4 sulphur-crested cockatoos and 2 African
grey parrots), the spiritual programmes and meditation courses (enlightening
modern citizens on the ancient yet relevant teachings of Buddhism) and the
24-feet tall Dorje Shugden statue (the world’s tallest and known as ‘World
Peace Protector’ in Tibetan Buddhism). For more info, visit
https://www.kecharaforestretreat.com

Langkawi Lagoon Resort

Nothing but the beautiful blue sea. (Photo source: Langkawi Lagoon
Resort’s Facebook)

Being a country surrounded by water, Malaysia has no shortage of beautiful
islands dotted with relaxing resorts that are ready to welcome anyone for a
beautiful, sea-filled weekdays or weekends. But today we’ll focus on Langkawi
Lagoon Resort which is offering a limited time offer for stays at the resort
until this 31 December.

Pick from the various rooms available, including the water chalet and rooms
with sea or garden view. Free airport pickup is also included with the
packages. Even better, booking now means you’ll get a 20% discount on your
2021 stay! Get all the info at https://langkawilagoonresort.my/

Mount Kinabalu

Enjoy the views from Mount Kinabalu’s Aki Point Platform. (Photo
source: mountkinabalu.com)

If you have to mumble “no, not yet” every time someone asks you if you’ve
climbed Mount Kinabalu, now’s your chance to finally conquer that majestic
mountain. The prices for some of the climbing packages for this year have been
slashed to almost half!

While anything upward of a thousand ringgit is still a burden for most, to
those who can afford it, there’s no better time than now. The packages’ prices
differ based on which climbing route you’ll be taking.

Some packages also include tours of nearby tourist spots like the Desa Dairy
Farm (the New Zealand of Sabah), Poring Hot Spring and Kinabalu Park. For more
info, head to https://www.mountkinabalu.com/packages

(Photo source: Langkawi Lagoon Resort’s Facebook | Kechara Forest Retreat |
menarakl.com.my | mountkinabalu.com | tadomhillresorts.com)