Using Malaysia’s Long Weekends to Explore the Country as a Foreign Teacher

Quick Answer: Malaysia’s many public holidays often create long weekends (when a holiday falls next to a weekend), perfect for foreign teachers to explore the country. Use them for short getaways — highlands, beaches, heritage towns, islands, or nearby cities — by planning ahead, booking early (long weekends are popular), and matching destinations to the time available. Long weekends are a great way to see Malaysia bit by bit throughout the year.

The Gift of Long Weekends: Using Malaysia’s Long Weekends Essentials

Malaysia’s many public holidays (covered in our public-holidays article) often create long weekends — when a holiday falls adjacent to a weekend, giving you three (or more) days off in a row. For foreign teachers, these long weekends are a gift: perfect opportunities for short getaways to explore Malaysia throughout the year, between the longer school breaks. This article guides you on making the most of Malaysia’s long weekends for exploring the country — where to go, how to plan, and how to use these regular short breaks to see Malaysia bit by bit. Long weekends are a wonderful, frequent perk for the travel-loving teacher.

Why Malaysia Has So Many

Malaysia’s generous number of public holidays (for its multicultural festivals and national days, covered in our public-holidays article) means frequent opportunities for long weekends throughout the year. Whenever a public holiday falls on a Friday or Monday (or adjacent to the weekend), you get a long weekend; and sometimes holidays cluster or can be bridged for even longer breaks (covered below). With so many public holidays, these long-weekend opportunities arise regularly across the year. This frequency — a benefit of Malaysia’s rich holiday calendar — gives teachers regular short-break opportunities, far more than in countries with fewer public holidays. The many holidays translate into many chances for getaways.

Great Long-Weekend Destinations

Great long-weekend destinations from KL (covered in our getaways article) include: the cool highlands (Cameron Highlands, Genting, Fraser’s Hill) for a refreshing escape; heritage towns (Melaka, Penang) for culture and food; beaches and islands (Langkawi by short flight) for relaxation; nearby cities (like Ipoh) for easy exploration; and nature spots for outdoor getaways. These destinations are reachable and enjoyable within a long weekend’s timeframe. Malaysia’s variety means you can alternate between different types of getaway — cool highlands one long weekend, a heritage town another, a beach the next. The wealth of accessible, varied destinations makes long weekends perfect for sampling Malaysia’s diversity through regular short trips.

Planning Your Long Weekend

To plan a long-weekend getaway: identify upcoming long weekends from the public holiday calendar (national plus your state’s, for the current year — covered in our public-holidays and state-holidays articles); choose a destination suited to the time available and the season; book transport and accommodation ahead (long weekends are popular, covered below); plan your itinerary for the available days; and prepare for the trip. A little advance planning lets you make the most of each long weekend. Knowing when the long weekends fall (from the holiday calendar) lets you plan getaways in advance throughout the year. Planning ahead ensures enjoyable, well-organised short breaks that maximise your long-weekend opportunities.

Booking Ahead Is Key

Booking ahead is especially important for long weekends, because they’re popular travel times — many people take getaways on long weekends, so transport (flights, etc.) and accommodation at popular destinations can book up and rise in price. Booking early secures availability and better prices. Since long weekends are peak short-break times, don’t leave booking late, especially for popular destinations like Langkawi or the highlands. Early booking is key to enjoying smooth, affordable long-weekend getaways. Plan and book your long-weekend trips well in advance to avoid disappointment and high prices — a little forward planning makes your regular short breaks much easier and cheaper.

Matching Destinations to Time

Match your destination to the time a long weekend allows — long weekends (typically 3 days) suit destinations reachable and enjoyable within that timeframe: nearby highlands, heritage towns, accessible beaches/islands (Langkawi by short flight), and nearby cities work well, while very distant or time-intensive destinations (like Borneo) are better saved for longer school breaks (covered in our travel article). Choosing destinations realistically suited to a long weekend ensures you can travel, enjoy, and return without rushing. Don’t try to cram a destination needing more time into a long weekend. Matching the trip to the available time makes for relaxed, enjoyable getaways that fit comfortably within your long-weekend window.

Combining Holidays for Longer Breaks

Sometimes you can combine holidays or bridge them with leave for longer breaks — when public holidays cluster, or fall close together, or near your school breaks, you may be able to create extended breaks (sometimes by taking a day or two of leave to ‘bridge’ a holiday to a weekend, if your school permits). This can turn a long weekend into a longer getaway, allowing more ambitious trips. Look out for opportunities where holidays align favourably with the calendar or your breaks. While subject to your school’s leave policies, strategically combining or bridging holidays can extend your travel windows. Spotting and using these opportunities lets you create longer adventures from clustered or well-placed holidays.

Exploring Malaysia Bit by Bit

The beauty of long weekends is that they let you explore Malaysia bit by bit throughout the year — regular short getaways adding up to a thorough exploration of the country over your time there. Between the longer school breaks (better for bigger regional travel, covered in our travel article), long weekends are perfect for systematically discovering Malaysia’s diverse destinations — its highlands, beaches, islands, heritage towns, and cities (perhaps working through a Malaysia bucket list, covered in our bucket-list article). Using your frequent long weekends for these regular short trips, you can see a great deal of Malaysia over time, enriching your experience and making the most of the country you’re living in. Long weekends are a wonderful tool for exploring Malaysia steadily and enjoyably.

Common Mistakes

Booking flights and accommodation too late for school holiday periods

Malaysia’s international school calendar creates predictable demand peaks at certain travel times — mid-term breaks, Chinese New Year, and the long holiday between academic years in June/July. Teachers who wait until after the school calendar is confirmed to book travel during these periods often face significantly higher prices or find their preferred destinations fully booked. As soon as you receive the school calendar for the year, identify your target travel windows and book flights and accommodation well in advance. AirAsia in particular releases sale fares months ahead, and early booking yields substantial savings for regular travellers.

Underestimating how accessible the wider region is from Kuala Lumpur

KLIA is one of Southeast Asia’s best-connected airports and AirAsia’s main hub, making destinations across the region — Bali, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Colombo, Hanoi — reachable for RM150 to RM400 return during sale periods. Teachers who are accustomed to expensive international travel from their home countries sometimes don’t realise that weekend trips to neighbouring countries are genuinely affordable from KL. Take time in your first term to build a mental map of what is accessible and at what cost, and plan regular short trips as a deliberate component of your Malaysia experience.

Failing to budget for airport transfers, which add significantly to travel costs

KLIA is approximately 60 kilometres from central Kuala Lumpur, and KLIA2 is even further. Grab fares to the airport during peak periods can reach RM80 to RM120 each way, adding RM160 to RM240 to the round-trip cost of any journey before the flight is even purchased. The KLIA Ekspres train offers a faster, more reliable alternative at a fixed price of RM55 each way from KL Sentral. Budget for airport transfers as part of every trip calculation, and factor in journey time when selecting morning or evening departure times during peak traffic periods.

Not investigating Malaysia’s public holiday and long weekend structure in advance

Malaysia has a large number of public holidays, and many international schools observe both federal gazetted holidays and state-specific public holidays, which can create long weekends that are not immediately obvious from the standard school calendar. Teachers who do not research the full public holiday schedule often miss opportunities to book efficient travel windows. Download the complete Malaysian public holiday calendar, cross-reference it with your school’s academic calendar, and plan travel around the most favourable windows early in the school year rather than discovering them at short notice.

Packing for the wrong climate or without considering Malaysia’s practical realities

Malaysia is hot and humid year-round, with occasional heavy downpours, and the transition for teachers from temperate climates takes time. Teachers who over-pack formal clothing that is impractical for the climate, bring electrical appliances incompatible with Malaysia’s 240V/13-amp plug system, or forget to pack prescription medications in sufficient quantities to cover them until they establish a local GP relationship all face avoidable inconveniences on arrival. Pack for the climate, include a quality compact umbrella, bring a supply of any prescription medication, and check appliance compatibility before shipping electronics.

Assuming comprehensive travel insurance through the school covers all travel

Most international school employment packages include some level of health insurance coverage for in-Malaysia medical care, but this rarely extends to comprehensive travel insurance for trips outside Malaysia during school holidays. A medical evacuation from Bali, hospitalisation in Japan, or emergency dental care in Thailand can generate costs that basic employer health insurance will not cover. Purchase a dedicated annual multi-trip travel insurance policy from your first month in Malaysia that covers the countries you plan to visit, and check exclusions carefully — particularly for adventure activities and pre-existing conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can foreign teachers use long weekends in Malaysia?

Malaysia’s many public holidays often create long weekends (when a holiday falls adjacent to a weekend), perfect for short getaways to explore the country — the cool highlands, heritage towns like Melaka and Penang, beaches and islands like Langkawi, or nearby cities. Plan ahead, book early (long weekends are popular travel times), and match destinations to the time available (3-day-suitable spots, saving distant ones like Borneo for longer breaks). Long weekends let you explore Malaysia bit by bit throughout the year.

Why should I book long-weekend trips early?

Because long weekends are popular travel times — many people take getaways then, so transport (flights especially) and accommodation at popular destinations like Langkawi or the highlands can book up and rise in price. Booking early secures availability and better prices, ensuring smooth, affordable getaways. Since long weekends are peak short-break times, don’t leave booking late, especially for popular destinations. A little forward planning makes your regular long-weekend trips much easier and cheaper.

How long does the Employment Pass process take for teachers in Malaysia?

The Employment Pass application process typically takes 6 to 12 weeks from document submission through the Expatriate Services Division (ESD). The employer manages the application, but teachers must provide certified copies of their degree certificate, a clean police clearance certificate from their home country, and medical documentation. Starting document collection early — as soon as a job offer is received — is the most effective way to avoid delays to the contract start date.

Is Malaysia a good country for foreign teachers to save money?

Yes — Malaysia consistently ranks among the best destinations globally for teacher savings potential. The combination of competitive international school salaries, low cost of living (particularly accommodation, food, and transport), and low income tax rates means most foreign teachers can save RM3,000 to RM8,000 per month after all living expenses. This compares favourably with higher-salary destinations like Singapore or the UAE, where living costs absorb a much larger proportion of earnings.

What qualifications do I need to teach at an international school in Malaysia?

Most international schools in Malaysia require a recognised teaching qualification (a Bachelor of Education, PGCE, or equivalent), a minimum of two years classroom teaching experience, and a degree in the subject being taught at secondary level. IB World Schools additionally prefer or require IB workshop certification. Degree attestation — having your qualifications officially verified — is required for the Employment Pass application and can take 4 to 8 weeks depending on the issuing country.

Do foreign teachers in Malaysia pay income tax?

Yes. Foreign teachers who are tax residents — defined as spending more than 182 days in Malaysia in a calendar year — pay income tax at the graduated resident rate, typically 7% to 15% on a standard teacher salary. Non-residents pay a flat 30% rate on all Malaysian income. Monthly PCB deductions are made from salary, and annual tax returns must be filed with LHDN by 30 April.

Can my family come with me if I teach in Malaysia?

Yes. Spouses and dependent children can accompany foreign teachers to Malaysia on a Dependent Pass, which is issued alongside the Employment Pass. A Dependent Pass does not automatically grant the right to work — spouses who wish to work must obtain a separate endorsement or their own work visa. Children enrolled at the teacher’s international school typically receive fee discounts as part of the employment package.

Ready to Teach in Malaysia?

Teaching in Malaysia offers a genuinely rewarding combination of competitive salaries, low living costs, and a unique base for exploring Southeast Asia. Whether you are researching your first international posting or planning your next career move, every aspect of the process is covered on this site — from Employment Pass applications and salary negotiation to accommodation, tax, and life in Kuala Lumpur. Browse the related guides below to build the full picture before you commit.

Similar Topics

• How Long Does a Malaysia Work Permit Take? A Teacher’s Timeline
• Police Clearance Certificate for a Malaysia Teaching Job: Country-by-Country Guide
• Malaysia Public Holidays: A Foreign Teacher’s Complete Calendar Guide
• Food in Malaysia: A Foreign Teacher’s Guide to Eating Well and Cheaply
• A Foreign Teacher’s Guide to Settling Into Life in Sri Petaling
• How to Withdraw Your Malaysia EPF When You Leave the Country

References

• International Baccalaureate Organisation — www.ibo.org
• Cambridge Assessment International Education — www.cambridgeinternational.org
• Council of International Schools (CIS) — www.cois.org
• Ministry of Education Malaysia — www.moe.gov.my
• British Schools Overseas — www.gov.uk/british-schools-overseas