As 2019 ramps up, the Eventful Globe team is already looking at every opportunity to catch local and iconic events around the world. Here are three countries that we recommend that you visit in 2019 for an eventful year!
#1 – Malaysia
After the blockbuster movie “Crazy Rich Asians”, many travelers have their sights set on cosmopolitan Singapore, and rightfully so! Singapore, being a multiracial/multireligious community, has many public holidays celebrating about one festival per month, and being an international hub, it hosts exciting events every single day!
While considering your trip, however, don’t overlook Malaysia. In fact, consider flying into Kuala Lumpur, as there are many cheap flights in and out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Kuala Lumpur, with its iconic Petronas Towers, has fantastic food, great public transportation, tons of shopping, and – of course – plenty of amazing events!
Malaysia celebrates many festivals that are celebrated in Singapore. Malaysia, however, is a much more affordable destination–Singaporeans endure long hours of traffic for discounted shopping/services across the border. The affordability of travel in Malaysia makes a comfortable vacation much more accessible, especially if you hope to splurge on a nice hotel or fancy meal.
Indeed, many visitors often overlook Malaysian Borneo, a short 1-2 hour flight from either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Malaysian Borneo takes you to a very different world marked by amazing rainforests teeming with wildlife.
Malaysia also has some unique festivals including those in Borneo that range from the traditional to the modern, not to mention the internationally acclaimed world music festival that is set in Borneo’s rainforest–Rainforest World Music Festival.
Both Peninsular Malaysia and Eastern Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo) are rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage, making them great places to observe festivals.
#2 — Myanmar / Burma
While you’re in Southeast Asia, we highly recommend stopping by Myanmar / Burma to discover some of the fantastic events in this country before ever-increasing flocks of tourists beat you there!
Myanmar celebrates some of the same festivals found in nearby Thailand (for example, the Water Festival and Buddha’s birthday), but also has some exciting festivals only found there. We’ll be featuring at least one unique event from Myanmar this year so stay tuned to Eventful Globe!
#3 — Your home country!
Yes, we bent the rules a bit for this one, but we’ve realized that in all of our exploring, it’s far too easy to miss what’s in your own backyard. Many travelers assume they need to board a plane, train, or automobile to see something unique and spectacular, ignoring the neighborhoods and towns nearby!
One recent example: we were looking for something fun to do in the evening and discovered that within a few miles of our home was a fantastic temporary exhibit featuring microscopic Game of Thrones statues carved onto the tips of pencils! It was a fascinating, fun and free exhibit that we would never have experienced if we hadn’t looked in our backyard.
Wherever your travels take you, we hope you make an event out of visiting our site. Subscribe now and get inside tips and information on upcoming events!