Take The Path Less Ordinary

You bet, they don’t call our jungle rainforest for nothing. A Malaysian downpour makes European heaviest rain looks like sprinkles, in comparison. We can safely say colonial English certainly did not come here for the weather. Yet, one can be sure that the nastiest downpour will give way to sunny weather again in no time. It comes and goes as natural as day and night. It is part of local life.

The air’s humidity is about 70%, making it difficult for sweat to evaporate and cool the body. In damp jungle, humidity is worst. Moisture condense on your body. While the scorching sun beats down endlessly through out the day, one would be surprised to see very few locals donning hats or for that matter, applying any sun protection cream. The only ones remotely interested in keeping UV at bay are golfers. Owing to its location near the equator, Malaysia is a land of eternal summer. Thus, very few fuss over what to wear in anticipation of changing season. As the weather can be such a tease, insurance comes in the form of umbrella.

The monsoon season that arrives yearly can wreck havoc and flood low lying areas and riverbank villages. Temperature varies 26-34 Celsius on low land and in tropical highlands such as Sarawak’s Bario or Pahang’s Genting Highlands, temperature may plummet to 21 Celcius at night. Hurricane storms almost never hit the shores and tornado is virtually un-heard of. Hailstone rarely make appearances and if it does, hard droplets never exceeds 0.5cm. When not working, locals prefer to go about in sarongs, T-shirts, shorts and flip flops. Bathing twice daily is the norm as everyone sweats easily on hot days.

If there is any good advice for the Malaysian weather, it has to be - NEVER stand near a tree or a metal pole during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes very low, especially from heavy clouds. Pay attention the next time you pass rural villages and be amazed how many coconut trees go “topless” after being torched by lightning.

So, for first-timers to Malaysia, the mantra is;

1. Learn to take it easy. It’s too hot not to, anyway.
2. Be prepared for heavy downpour coming out of the blue.
3. And finally, don’t stand near a coconut tree. If lightning don’t get you, falling coconuts probably will.

Monsoon Medley

The monsoon winds have affected Malaysia’s popularity for thousands of years - and it still does today.

In the past, spice traders, seafarers and adventurers scripted shipping routes and calling ports in accordance to the monsoon’s temperament. While locals never give a hoot about rainfall when they travel, today, this subject generates the most threads in any travel related forums for South East Asian travels.

The word “monsoon” is said to have originated from the Arabic word “mausim” which means season, while another school of thought believes it stemmed from Indian Urdu word “mausam”, meaning weather. It is mostly applied to rain and wind direction along shores fringing the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. It was Greek sailor Hippalus who first noticed the natural phenomenon and used it for sailing.

There are two periods of monsoon to ponder about for beginners to Malaysia. The www is brimming with weather report and records but these are mostly flawed. Please heed them with a pinch of salt. Example, at time of this writing, Weatherbase.com cites in the past 10 years, they recorded high rainfall between July and November in Kuala Terengganu (east coast). However, they showed the SAME high rainfall between July and November in Ipoh (west coast), our home town. Come come Mr.Weatherbase, both sides can’t be experiencing the same heavy rainfall on the same months !

Honestly, it’s not the end of the world when monsoon hits. Malaysia is one of the few country that’s safe from typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It rains all year round (remember, they don’t call our jungles rainforest for nothing), only higher rainfall in monsoon months.

One only have to worry about the monsoon if there’s sea travels involve, especially to Perhentians, Redang, Tioman and other east coast islands. Other than that, rain is part of Malaysian life. Mind you, apart from monsoon, there are places with micro-weathers. Take for example Cameron Highlands. It drizzles almost every afternoon.

South China Sea / Northeastern Monsoon (peak period: Nov – Feb)

In Malaysia, it is known as “musim tengkujuh” (rainy season) and it brings havoc to the eastern shores of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and western Borneo shores of Sarawak and Sabah. But the good news is, resorts or hotels in affected mainland beaches prop up occupancy with heavy discounts and freebies. Not bad, if you’re low on budget and prefer to have the beach all to yourself.

During the monsoon months, Peninsular’s east coast holiday islands such as Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Redang, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Kapas are off bound. Also, this is not a good time to climb Mt Kinabalu or wing islands like Langkayan, Sipadan, Mabul or Kapalai over coastal Sabah. Even if you decide to take a leap of faith, we assure you very few boatmen share your optimism. National parks like Taman Negara and Endau Rompin will be threatened by flash floods and swelling rivers.

Of course there are travellers who ask, “What about October? Is it OK?”. We say, “Can you swim?”. You see, as early as September-end, the sea starts to get choppy (certainly not a good thing for snorkelling, not to mention boat rides) and you can feel the sky is brewing something big. While sea wind picks up, chalets and hotels start to wind down. Cub Med in mainland Cherating, Pahang, is closed during this period. And by October-end, workforce related to tourism would be busy looking for alternative jobs.

Indian Ocean Monsoon / Southwest Monsoon (peak period: June-Sept)

This is the time when moisture-laden winds from Indian Ocean stir things up. Thankfully, rainfall is lesser than the east coast version because peninsular western coastline flanking Malacca Straits is shielded by nearby huge Sumatran Island. It rains but we call it sprinkles.

As the west coast is more developed, people go about their daily chores not having to worry about floods. Past travellers to popular west coast towns and cities like Penang, Kuala Lumpur or Malacca during this season will tell you, “You call this monsoon?”. Most would instead welcome the rain to cool down the day.

Useful link for weather forecast

Malaysian Meteorology Department website