Splash, scream and slide at Malaysia’s top theme parks during the holidays.
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(Photo: https://sunwaylagoon.com)
While Malaysia may not be home to many international names when it comes to theme parks, there are quite a few, as well as many international-standard theme parks to be found here. They’re also not too steep on the wallet, which can never be a bad thing when it comes to buying tickets for the whole family! Check out our top picks here.
As one of Malaysia’s best-known theme parks, Sunway Lagoon is a pretty fail-safe option. With over 80 attractions across its 88-acre space, there’s plenty to see and do here. Splash yourself at their famous Water Park with slides, a man-made beach and myriad water rides ranging from high-speed tube slides to six-lane waterslides, or spend time checking out their Western-themed (slightly drier) amusement park. Those looking for more thrills will be delighted to get to the X-Park, where you’ll get to try bungee jumping and ride the flying fox. Sunway Lagoon also houses Asia’s first Nickelodeon-themed land, featuring a SpongeBob Squarepants-themed splash ride as one of its star attractions. Oh, and they also have a zoo of their own, which counts a pair of majestic white lions named Zola & Zuri among its residents. Alternatively, you can also head to Perak’s Lost World of Tambun if you want more of the lush greenery vibe as they’re also operated by the Sunway Group. The attractions are only slightly different and you’ll have the added bonus of Tambun’s natural hot springs.
Rollercoaster and carousel-type rides are nowhere to be found here, but don’t let that throw you off. Escape Park Penang banks itself on reintroducing outdoor fun activities in a natural environment that also happens to be family-friendly. The 44-acre park is divided into two zones of Waterplay (wet park) and Dryplay (dry park), offering at least 30 thrilling activities. The park’s must-dos include the longest tube water slide in the world - coming in at 1,111 metres long and certified by the Guinness World Record, and Monkey Business - a challenging rope course that spans over 100 challenges and ziplines all over the jungle. However, if Escape Penang sounds a bit too overwhelming for you (or too far), you can also check out Escape PJ - its smaller sibling - housed partially-indoors at Paradigm Mall in Kelana Jaya, Selangor.
Located within the premises of the Putrajaya IOI City shopping mall, District 21 is an obstacle-themed indoor park set within a post-apocalyptic setting. Despite the possibly daunting description, the 70,000 square-feet park does cater to both thrillseeking adults and teenagers as well the milder-to-not-so-adventurous little ones. Adults in the room can look forward to its trampolines, aerial obstacle courses, highspeed slides and 30km/hour zip line, while kids should find the carousel, pedal gokarts and mini obstacle courses (low ropes and tubby rides) doable fun.
A relatively new addition to Resorts World Genting (it opened in December 2018), this Tron-esque theme park offers 20 rides suitable for all ages. There’s the seriously family-friendly and pleasant classic carousel ride and Copper Express vintage trains… and there’s the Eagle Landing Zipline that zips at least 200 metres across Skytropolis as well as the Sky Tower that drops you down suddenly from all the way up. An added bonus is always the cool atmosphere of Genting Highlands surrounding the park itself - always a plus-point when it comes to escaping the common heat of Malaysian weather.
At the time of its opening in September 2012, the 76-acre Legoland Malaysia was actually the country’s first international theme park. The dry Legoland Theme Park is divided into 7 themed zones including Technic (housing the parks’ fastest rides such as Aquazone Wave Racers), Imagination (home to the Build and Test Centre, which is a very large LEGO playground where you can build LEGO creations to your heart’s content), and the Miniland, which features built-to-scale LEGO replicates of both famous landmarks around Asia and Malaysia. Meanwhile, Legoland Water Park features 20 water slides and attractions such as Build-A-Raft, a lazy river with platforms that enables you to attach soft LEGO-like bricks - hence ‘building a raft’ - and Joker Soaker, which is a wading pool that occasionally showers guests with buckets of water. There’s also a Legoland-themed hotel, featuring a choice of child-friendly LEGO-themed rooms to stay in.
Additionally, most of these theme parks do have on-site or nearby accommodation options (should you wish to stay for a bit longer!), shopping venues as well as plenty of food and dining options so they’re relatively family-friendly. Plan your next Malaysian theme park adventure now!
