The Best Short Getaway In Selangor
The Best Short Getaway In Selangor
Are you looking for a short getaway in Selangor?
Travelling to Malaysia may be daunting. It has thirteen states and each of it has its character to lure guests to visit.
If you have the time and means to do so, you can take a trip to see the best of each state. If you don’t, then chose the nearest state which is where Selangor comes in.
Combine your discovery of KL with the best short getaway in Selangor while you are in the capital.
WWB Writer, Dee, will take you on a journey showing you the best short getaway in Selangor for you to enjoy.
Best Short Getaway In Selangor
- Batu Caves
- Sekinchan
- Kuala Selangor Beach
- Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park
- Bukit Broga
- National Botanic Gardens, Shah Alam
DISCLOSURE
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Where Is Selangor
Selangor is one of the thirteen states of Malaysia and it is surrounded by two Federal Territories – Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
It is well-linked with highways and expressways. KLIA, which is the international airport for Malaysia is located in it’s Sepang district making it the nearest state to go to other than discovering Kuala Lumpur, the big capital city of Malaysia
Why Have A Weekend Getaway In Selangor?
Malaysians can easily get to Selangor either by train, road (option of driving your car or taking the bus) and flight for some states. As for non-Malaysians, you would need to fly to Kuala Lumpur, or KL first before heading to Selangor.
Getting tired of KL’s busy big city vibe on your travels?Make a short escape to Selangor and see it in a different light.
As a state that is located very near KL, it is easily accessible from KL, the capital city of Malaysia. You can make KL as your place to stay and surprise yourself with a short vacation in Selangor because of how near Selangor is.
It has a different vibe compared to KL which is refreshing and altogether surprising. The state has many hidden and some known gems that you can explore.
Let’s go through the list and check out which ones you would like to tackle for a getaway in Selangor
1. Batu Caves
You cannot miss this if you plan to have a short weekend getaway in Malaysia.
Culture, colours, nature and history all rolled into one.
The limestone caves house Hindu temples and are one of Malaysia’s famous tourist spots regardless of their faith. The tall, golden painted deity of Lord Murugan built in 2006 stood majestically amidst the coloured 272 stairs up to the caves.
Why Batu Caves?
It’s a short getaway from KL that is fascinating for religious and non-religious visitors.
It’s doable as a day trip and does not require much apart from entrance fees, transportation and a mind that is ready for cultural exposure. The climb up the 272 stairs may be daunting but take it slow.
How To Get There?
The most convenient way is to use the KTM train from KL Sentral that departs every half an hour during peak hours and up to an hour during non-peak hours.
It costs only RM 2.60 (less than USD 1) one way and brings you to Batu Caves in 40 minutes. If you like driving, you can rent a car and drive but traffic can be challenging on weekends and public holidays.
Price
There is no entrance fee to visit the main cave also known as Cathedral Cave.
However, there is an entrance fee for Dark Cave – not open all the time, as you need to pre-book and it’s more of an adventure cave.
Cave Villa would cost RM15 (USD 4) per entry and Ramayana Cave, RM 5 (USD 1.25) per entry.
Features
It features the tallest Lord Murugan deity statue in Malaysia and currently the third tallest Hindu deity statue in the world (at 42.7m/140 ft).
Every year during Thaipusam, Hindu believers would throng to this site for a religious procession and non-believers would come to see the procession up close.
The limestone caves that house the temples are at least 400 years old.
What To Expect?
There will be monkeys along the staircases as you go up to see the temple.
Avoid feeding or petting the monkeys as they can be too close for comfort. Make your way up the staircases & enjoy the beauty of the colours around you.
2. Sekinchan
The place is famous for its paddy fields, seafood and the beach.
You can do a day trip or try the homestays in Sekinchan and enjoy the small-town vibe. It’s a perfect short getaway in Selangor for that short weekend break.
Ideally, drive down to Sekinchan, spend a couple of hours taking good shots for your social media at the paddy fields.
Enjoy a hearty seafood lunch at one of the seafood restaurants in Sekinchan and then head to Redang beach (this is the other Redang) and you can try to do a bit of kite flying since the wind is strong and the area is well known for kite flying.
Why Sekinchan?
It’s one of the best options to have a short vacay in Selangor by going on a road trip to a place that transports you to beautiful scenery and delicious food.
I would personally recommend at least a night stay in Sekinchan so as not to rush your trip. It’s great to do this as a family or group of friends and support local businesses/tourism.
How To Get There?
Rent a car and drive to Sekinchan, which is 100km away from KL. Driving will take you about 1.5 hours to reach Sekinchan.
If you insist, you can take a bus however it would be longer as it does a lot of stops along the way.
It is recommendable to drive your own as some of the places you need to see in Sekinchan would require you to have your own means of transportation.
Price
There’s no entry fee to go into Sekinchan town, however, if you are driving yourself, ensure you have enough petrol money and seafood lunch/brunch money.
The accommodation ranges from RM 50 to RM 500 (USD 12 – USD 125) depending on the type of accommodation you are looking for.
I would recommend Padi Box, which is a stylish & eco-friendly hotel that is built using recycled freight containers.
It has views of the paddy fields and basic amenities like a simple park for kids, BBQ area and a common hall. This makes it perfect for small groups and families alike. You can book via their website here.
Other options would be nearby homestays and hotels in Sekinchan town.
One that is frequently of choice is The One Boutique Hotel where the rooms would start at RM 150 (USD 37) per night depending on the type of rooms and when is your date of stay. Further details and the actual rate can be obtained from the website here.
Features
Sekinchan has a Paddy Gallery where you can learn the process of paddy harvesting from A to Z.
The international museum admission is at RM5 (USD1.25) per person and located on the first floor.
Other than being known for its amazingly fresh seafood as it is a fishing village, the picturesque view of paddy fields is another feature Sekinchan is famous for.
Another place not to miss when you are in Sekinchan is to see the Sekinchan Wishing Tree.
It’s located at Pantai Redang and once you get close, you can see that numerous red ribbons are hanging from the tree. The ribbons are wishes from visitors alike and you can do the same by donating to the adjacent temple and fling your ribbon as high as you can near the tree.
Seafood is the reason people flock to Sekinchan.
Make time for a seafood lunch/brunch as the food is as fresh as it gets. Recommended restaurants are
- Guan Seng Long Restaurant
- Restoran Bagan Sekinchan
- Loong Hua Seafood Restaurant
- Jiann Chyi Seafood Restaurant
- Hao Xiang Chi Seafood Restaurant
- Cha Po Tion Restaurant
- Seri Sekinchan Seafood
Blue Tears & Kuala Selangor Fireflies
The Blue Tears at Kuala Selangor very near to Sekinchan is another fascinating phenomenon that you should not miss while you are here.
When stressed, the microorganism in the river will glow into bright blue hues causing the ‘blue tear’ phenomenon. The tour is for 45 minutes and only available at night time. For more info on rates and how to book the tour please visit this website.
What To Expect?
Redang beach is not white and pristine like the Redang that you would see in the East Coast of Malaysia.
Seafood is fresh and delicious, as most of the catch of the day would go to the restaurants for them to cook.
It can be done on a day trip but take it slow, and make it as your short getaway from Selangor to get the best of what Sekinchan can offer.
3. Kuala Selangor
Kuala Selangor is famous for its own Sky Mirror or Sasaran Beach which appears during low tide.
It’s open to the public during a full moon and the new moon period. It’s dubbed Sky Mirror because the shallow water of the beach will reflect the sky in all it’s blue and white hues.
Why Sky Mirror/Kuala Selangor?
It’s not a beach that you can visit any time of day and it’s a natural phenomenon which you should go to experience and see.
You can include the visit to Kuala Selangor, while you spend your short vacation in Sekinchan, Selangor as it is nearby.
How To Get Here?
It is 90 minutes away from KL when you drive on your own. Ensure you put your GPS to the address of Kuala Selangor Old Jetty. This is where you would board the boat to get to your destination
Price
You would need to book a tour to visit Sky Mirror.
The tour operators will charge at around RM 100 (USD 25) per person and slightly cheaper for Malaysians (different rate applies to children below 12). The tour operators will bring you out to sea from Kuala Selangor, to reach Sky Mirror which is 30 minutes away.
Here are a few tour operators you can contact:-
Feature
A photo opportunity with its reflective criteria which does not happen every day.
You would have to book/check with the tour operators to ensure your timing is right. It’s a habitat for marine agriculture where you can find baby clams abundantly on its sand.
What To Expect?
There are always huge crowds on weekends and later during the day.
Find out from the tour operators what is the best time to go. Plan your trip properly so that you can either head to Sekinchan before or after heading to Sasaran Beach
Do stop by for a quick bite while you are here. You can try the places below
4. Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park
If you are not interested to check out Kuala Selangor beach then reserve your evenings to see the fireflies.
Head out to Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park to witness this beauty.
It’s a mesmerising scene to see the fireflies lighting up the dark while you watch in awe from a sampan or boat.
Why Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park?
As part of your Selangor short getaway, while visiting Sekinchan or Kuala Selangor, you can complete the itinerary by coming over here.
It is said the fireflies here are one of the biggest firefly colonies in the world. The mangroves here somehow attract them to flock to this particular part of Sungai Selangor
How To Get Here?
It’s located at Jalan Rawang, Kuala Selangor which means it is nearby Sekinchan. It will take about an hour and 20 minutes (not inclusive of traffic) if you drive on your own. Once you reach Kuala Selangor, just keep following the signboard to Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park.
Price
Please book in advance with a tour company. The rate is RM 80 (USD 20) per person and in each sampan, only 4 people are allowed.
To avoid disappointment, please make your bookings earlier and try to get an 8 pm slot to ensure you can view the fireflies at its best.
You can contact the tour operators below for the package to see the fireflies:-
Feature
Fireflies are amazing creatures and being able to be in their midst is an experience like no other. The slow movement of the boat coupled with the twinkling lights from the fireflies will remind you how amazing nature is.
The fireflies lit up the trees like the twinkling lights on Christmas trees.
What To Expect?
Expect to be amazed by the fireflies and enjoy the slow ride on the boat while checking them out. Avoid taking photos using flashlights as this may disrupt the fireflies.
The whole boat ride would take about half an hour to 45 minutes.
5. Bukit Broga, Semenyih
Bukit Broga is not to be missed for those who love hiking. Perfect for a day trip and best to be done before dawn so you can witness the sunrise over Selangor.
It is 400 metres high and the hike can be down within an hour.
Why Bukit Broga?
It’s nearby and it’s not expensive to hike up the hill.
For those who want to try to give hiking/trekking a start, this would be great to practise. The view on top shows all sides of Selangor – the city, villages, forests and hills.
How To Get Here?
The best way to go to Bukit Broga is to drive yourself to Semenyih.
The drive is about 45 minutes and once you reach there, there will be a signboard telling you further how to go to Bukit Broga. Park near the plantation then start walking to the starting point of the trail.
Price
- Entrance Fee is at RM 2 ( USD 0.50) per person
- Car Parking Fee = RM 1 ( USD 0.25
- Usage of toilet = RM 1 (USD 0.25)
Features
The trek is mostly of lalangs (a type of tall grass) not trees which makes it easy at most parts but challenging due to the steepness. Beautiful landscape and a worthy sunrise view when you reach the top.
It’s a good enough hike/trek that would reward you with good exercise (the hike) and wonderful sunrise view of Selangor (the view).
What To Expect?
The early part of the hike is pretty easy.
It gets challenging towards the end as it is quite steep but it’s nothing that you cannot handle. It’s great for all levels of hikers, especially beginners.
6. Shah Alam Botanical Park, Shah Alam
Located in Shah Alam, this park is the first agriculture park in Malaysia which had name changes along the years. It is an agro-tourism park that is designed for both leisure and research purposes.
The park consists of many gardens, rainforest and is known as one of the largest agriculture parks in the world.
Why The National Botanic Gardens?
It’s perfect for a short getaway in Selangor while supporting the local parks. Facilities are perfect from groups and families. There is a lot to discover at each of the gardens which are also great exposure to nature for kids.
How To Get Here?
Shah Alam is about half an hour from KL if you drive on your own.
You can also opt to take the KTM train from KL and stop at Shah Alam station. From there get a cab to bring you to the Botanic Gardens.
Expect to pay around RM 6 (USD 1.50) for the train and around RM 10 (USD 2.50) for the cab.
Price
Entrance fee is as below:-
- Adults = RM 3 (USD 0.75)
- Senior Citizens (55 & above) = RM 1 (USD 0.25)
- Kids (6 – 11 years) = RM 1 (USD 0.25)
Other fees that you need to pay is depending on what type of facilities you would like to use when you are there.
Two accommodations are available in the park, namely Kampung Idaman and Kampung Budaya where the rates start from RM130 to RM300 (USD 34- USD 75).
Weekend & public holiday rates are slightly more. More details can be obtained from here.
Features
There are 8 types of gardens namely
- animal park,
- ornamental garden,
- four seasons garden,
- spice & beverage garden,
- cactus garden,
- fruit garden,
- paddy field and
- herbs & medicine garden.
There are dams and lakes, houses & facilities for functions and events available. For further details of it, you can go to their website to check what activities you can do here.
What To Expect?
It would be best to spend a night in the homestay in the park to ensure you can check out all the gardens in the park.
By doing so, you won’t be rushing through all the attractions that the park has to offer.
The four seasons garden has different rates depending on the season so do check on the website or call in advance.
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Conclusion
There’s a variety of things to do and places to see in Selangor other than heading to KL.
Personally, my ideal short vacation in Selangor would be to combine Sekinchan, Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park and Kuala Selangor in a weekend getaway while spending the nights in Sekinchan.
Batu Caves and Bukit Broga are perfect for a day trip whereas The Botanical Garden is something you should spend a night’s trip to check out the parks in the garden.
Time to plan your short vacay in Selangor with your family and friends!