From rendang in Seoul to Langkawi staycations: How Malaysians are rewriting Hari Raya travel

Some Malaysians are rethinking Hari Raya traditions, swapping balik kampung trips for staycations and overseas travel as festive habits evolve. Read more at straitstimes.com.

KUALA LUMPUR – For decades, Hari Raya in Malaysia has followed a familiar script: highways jammed with cars heading back to home towns, home kitchens filled with the smell of simmering rendang and days spent visiting relatives in an open-house marathon until one’s baju raya feels fit to burst.

But that familiar script is being rewritten in the face of urbanisation, smaller households and changing lifestyles, say observers.

During Aidilfitri, a growing number of Malaysians are swopping “balik kampung”, or homecoming, for hotel staycations and overseas trips.

The shift is reflected in surging travel searches during this period, double-digit booking growth and packed resort destinations from Langkawi to Seoul.

According to Malaysian Association of Hotels chief executive Isaac Mohan Raj, the island resort of Langkawi, for example, is seeing stronger demand. Hotels in Pantai Cenang are reaching more than 80 per cent occupancy, while those in Kuah town are around 60 per cent full for the Hari Raya period of March 20 to 22.

“One reason could be the recently announced extra school holiday,” he told The Straits Times, referring to the government school break that was brought forward from March 19, after March 18 was declared an additional holiday.