Celebrate Kaamatan and Gawai in the Klang Valley
Going home to celebrate the harvest festival may not be feasible for most Sabahans and Sarawakians residing in Peninsular Malaysia. If this applies to you, fret not, you can still celebrate by partaking in these events that are happening in the Klang Valley throughout May and June.
Taking place this weekend in Kuala Lumpur is the Borneo Native Festival (BNF). Both Sabah's Kaamatan festival and Sarawak's Gawai Dayak, the Bornean states' respective harvest festivals, are the focus of the event.
Now in its fourth year, the 2025 edition of BNF will run from May 23 to May 25. It will be held at Central Market from 10am to 10pm throughout the three days.
Different activities are scheduled for each day, including Borneo craft workshops, music performances and traditional food demo.
The Borneo Beatz Concert will bring the festivities to a close on the final day, with performances by the likes of Alena Murang, At Adau, Belle Sisoski and Tompuvan.
If you are not from either state, your visit to the festival will give you the chance to experience the diverse cultures and traditions of Sabah and Sarawak.
More merriment
If you're a Sabahan craving for homecooked meals, or you just want a taste of the state's traditional cuisines, satiate your hunger at the Sabah Kaamatan Buffet by Ibis Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
Currently taking place at the hotel's Kampung Kitchen Buffet Restaurant until May 31, the buffet features a spread consisting of Sabah's traditional dishes such as hinava (raw fish salad), ambuyat (sticky sago) and linopot (leaf-wrapped rice).
Savour Sabahan traditional food at the Sabah Kaamatan Buffet at Ibis KLCC. — Photos: FLOREY D. MIKIL/The Star
Sabah Kaamatan Buffet offers authentic Sabahan dishes.
Ensuring authenticity, all ingredients are sourced from Sabah itself by chef Sandra Paut. This marks the third year in a row that the Kadazandusun chef, from My Native Sabah Restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, is flown in to curate the menu.
Sarawakians will also get a chance to savour their traditional dishes in June, as the hotel will be introducing its inaugural Sarawak-focused buffet early next month.
Speaking of Sarawak, since the state known for its traditional drink tuak, several joints in KL will be holding special events featuring the drink.
Among these is Nest13 Bar & Lounge in Petaling Jaya. You can grab some tuak cocktails at the rooftop bar during its Gawai Kaamatan Party Night on May 24. The event will feature traditional games and performances, as well as a live band, a best dressed contest and lucky draw sessions.
If you missed the party this weekend, you can head instead to Pisco Bar in KL on May 29. The bar's Gawai Kaamatan Festival will kick off at 8pm, featuring traditional dancing, games and, of course, plenty of tuak.
Havana Bar & Grill in KL will also hold its own Gawai Kaamatan Festival, happening on June 8.
Partying isn't your scene? Perhaps you'll be more interested in the Kuala Lumpur Borneo Half Marathon 2025. Entering its second year, the marathon runs on June 1 at Dataran Merdeka. Registration closes on May 28, check here for details.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
11 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Gawai Dayak takes spotlight in KL as part of Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign
Participants sway to the beat during a traditional Gawai dance. KUCHING (June 11): The vibrant spirit of the Gawai Dayak Festival came alive in Kuala Lumpur as Tourism Malaysia partnered with ibis KLCC to host a cultural showcase celebrating Sarawak's unique traditions and culinary delights. Held on Tuesday, the event was also part of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, aimed at promoting the Gawai Dayak celebration to both domestic and international guests. Tourism Malaysia Director-General Datuk Manoharan Periasamy officiated the two week-long event from June 8 to 22. The event highlighted Sarawak's diverse cuisine including Laksa Sarawak, Manok Pansoh (chicken cooked in bamboo), Nuba Laya (wild rice in leaf wrap), Umai, and the iconic 'kek lapis'. Guests were treated to traditional dance performances by a local troupe, showcasing Sarawak's rich cultural heritage and hospitality. 'The event is part of Tourism Malaysia's ongoing efforts to highlight the essence of Sarawak's vibrant culture and for everyone to join in the festivities and experience the warmth of Malaysian hospitality,' said Tourism Malaysia in a statement. According to the board, the event also aims to bridge cultural appreciation between Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia as part of VM2026 promotions. In a related update, Tourism Malaysia reported that the country welcomed 38 million international visitors in 2024, marking a 31.1 per cent increase from 2023 and an 8.3 per cent rise above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Visitor receipts also surged significantly, generating RM106.78 billion – a 43.7 per cent jump from 2023 and 20 per cent more than 2019. 'This positive trend has carried into early 2025, with the first four months recording 13.4 million arrivals – a 21 per cent year-on-year increase,' Tourism Malaysia added. From January to April 2025, Singapore remained Malaysia's top source market for tourists, followed by Indonesia, China, Thailand, India, Brunei, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and the United Kingdom. Gawai Dayak ibis KLCC kuala lumpur Tourism Malaysia Visit Malaysia 2026
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Short film shot at Niah National Park premiering this Father's Day
KUCHING: A short film shot entirely at Niah National Park is set to be released on Father's Day this Sunday (June 15). "Space Between" not only showcases Sarawak's natural beauty but also portrays the relationship between a father and his young daughter as they explore their heritage of harvesting birds' nests in the depths of the Niah Caves. Produced by 21 Ways Film, a Sarawakian production house, the film is believed to be the first to be shot on location at Niah National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site. State Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan said initiatives like this reflected the growing creativity and confidence in Sarawak's film industry, as more filmmakers sought to tell stories rooted in the state's landscapes and traditions. "I would like to commend the team behind 21 Ways Film for their effort and commitment in producing this film. "Their work demonstrates the kind of homegrown storytelling that highlights Sarawak's unique identity, culture and talent," he said at the premiere screening of "Space Between" here on Monday. Snowdan said the film was supported by the ministry's tourism, heritage and creative industry facilitation fund, which was established to encourage growth across the creative, tourism and performing arts sectors. Looking ahead, he hoped that "Space Between" would be considered for submission to international film festivals. "This will be a way to further showcase Sarawak's unique stories and landscapes as well as the capabilities of our local creative talents. "Platforms like these offer opportunities for exposure, growth and connection with the wider world and we fully encourage our filmmakers to be bold in reaching beyond our borders," Snowdan said. Director Danish Busmah described "Space Between" as a deeply personal story about a father and daughter. "Behind the film lies something real, our collective desire as Sarawakians to tell stories that come from our heritage and lived experiences," he said. The 12-minute film features local actors Julai Billie as the father Jon and Darweesha Dasuki as his daughter Sara. It will be shown on TVS (Channel 122 on Astro, MYTV and Unifi TV) at 5.30pm on June 15.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
A West Kalimantan road trip that gives off Malaysian vibes
Like many Sarawakians, I took advantage of the long Gawai Dayak holidays from June 1 to 4 to make a trip across the border to West Kalimantan. Instead of heading for the provincial capital of Pontianak, as many usually do, my group of friends packed into a four-wheel drive and travelled the other way. We took the Pan-Borneo Highway west towards Lundu. We crossed the border in Biawak-Aruk, a far less travelled route with shorter queues than the main Tebedu-Entikong crossing. Our destination was Singka-wang, the second-largest city in West Kalimantan. The journey took the whole morning along a smooth, well-paved if narrow two-lane highway past kampung houses and jungles interspersed with oil-palm estates and coconut groves. We made a lunch stop in Sambas, home to an ancient sultanate, and passed through smaller townships, such as Pemangkat and Selakau, before reaching Singkawang. Kuching-registered cars seem-ed to be clogging the city streets. Major hotels were packed with Sarawak holidaymakers. Singkawang seems transformed compared with my last visit more than a decade ago. It is likely the only Indonesian city of any size where nearly half of the residents are of Chinese ancestry. This is evident in the proliferation of Chinese temples in town and on its outskirts. Mosques and churches are also prominent in Singkawang, reflecting its multiracial population and lending the place a feel reminiscent of Malaysian cities. This heady racial mix was not without its problems. At the turn of the century, in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, ugly tensions erupted between local Dayaks and migrants from Madura, resulting in many deaths. Earlier, communist-inspired uprisings spread across the border into Sarawak. Gold-mining Hakka kongsi gave rise to the declaration of the Lanfang Republic in 1777, which was ended by Dutch colonists more than a century later, in 1884. Today, with democratisation following the overthrow of Suharto, Singkawang has a Chinese mayor, Tjhai Chui Mie, who was recently re-elected. The mayor has grand plans for her city, most evident in the recent opening of a new airport. With a new deep-sea port nearby, economic prospects for this coastal city shine brightly. This is especially true as Indonesia's shift of its national capital to Nusantara in nearby East Kalimantan gathers momentum. At the very least, more two-way travel between Sarawak and West Kalimantan can be expected. Indonesian visitors to Kuching are a common sight, and Malaysian travel to West Kalimantan is on the rise. The most recent good news has it that the main airport in Pontianak has officially regained its international status. Flights between Kuching and Pontianak, which were cut during the Covid-19 pandemic, are expected to resume soon. Given that medical tourists have been packing the daily flight between Kuching and Jakarta, private hospitals in Kuching can expect more patients when Pontianak flights resume. The charms of West Kalimantan ought to be better promoted to Sarawakians to encourage a healthier, more balanced flow of visitors across the shared border. My recent visit to Pontianak shows that the dusty old city, like Singkawang, has been largely transformed into one with well-maintained streets, high-rise international hotels and big malls.
