JOHOR BAHRU - Domestic holiday is still the top pick among locals for the year-end school vacation, with popular tourist spots still the preferred destination.
A Bernama survey of several local tourist locations, be it a historic site, the zoo, theme park, museum or shopping malls, found that these destinations continue to pull in the crowd as they seek to spend the long holidays with their families.
Nazathul Nadeea Amyza Mohd Shuhaimi, 20, of Kuala Lumpur, who chose Johor as her holiday destination, said she and her family decided to spend their vacation in the country this year since there are many locations here that they have not been to.
"Among the locations I have visited (in Johor) are the Johor Premium Outlets (JPO), Legoland Malaysia Resort theme park, Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Puteri Harbour, the grounds of Istana Bukit Serene and Danga Bay.
"There are also many hipster cafes, which have gone viral, along Jalan Dhoby, such as the Hua Mui and Kopi Loco restaurants, Salahuddin Bakery and Hiap Joo Bakery. There are also many unique dishes here which are difficult for me to find in Kuala Lumpur, such as kacang pool and lontong kering,” she told Bernama.
The college student said that besides these interesting places in the city centre, she and her family also managed to visit the 2023 Johor Craft Festival at the Angsana Johor Bahru Mall here which features handicraft products from all over Malaysia.
Engineer Mohd Qayyum Ashraf Mohd Shukor, 33, said he and his family chose to holiday in their hometown in Johor Bahru because there are still many interesting locations and shops that they have not visited yet.
"This year-end holiday season I chose to tour this district and support the local products and entrepreneurs. Plus, I also get to save money on hotel accommodation and transport,” said Mohd Qayyum Ashraf, who stays in Damansara Aliff here.
Tourism Johor director Suhairi Hashim, when contacted, said Johor Bahru is among the top picks for international and domestic tourists besides Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang.
Meanwhile, a Bernama survey in Perak found that tourist sites like the Perak Museum and Taiping Zoo are the hotspots for parents and their children to spend quality time during the school holidays.
In fact, the Zoological Exhibition: The Art of Taxidermy at the Perak Museum is one of the more interesting events, making it a must-visit each time the school holidays come around.
Twenty-nine-year-old clerk Hazilawati Ramlli, of Batu Kurau, said she took advantage of the school holidays to take her nephews and nieces, who came from Sungai Petani, Kedah, to visit the Perak Museum.
"Today, I took them to the Perak Museum because it is a suitable place for the whole family, especially children since the museum has for the past six months been displaying historic exhibits related to animals and other species in Malaysia," she said.
Teacher, S. Shanti, 36, said the school holidays are the best time for her and her husband to take their children for useful activities.
"My children are excited and happy to visit the Perak Museum. They had the chance to view the exhibits and learn new things. We brought them here on a working day as we don’t want to be caught in crowded places, not when the COVID-19 cases are on the rise,” she said.
As for technician Ahmad Faizal Bakaruddin, 41, he said that although the school holidays last until the end of this week, he did not have time to go back to his hometown Penang.
"My wife is working and I could not take a long break. So, I took this opportunity to take my two children out for a trip around Taiping. After the Perak Museum, we went to the Taiping Zoo and we spent the whole day in Taiping. Sometimes, it is boring to just stay at home,” he said. - BERNAMA