LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION
Top Tens
OUR FAVOURITE FESTIVALS & EVENTS
It was a tough choice but the following is our Top Ten favourite festivals and events from the region.
- Thaipusam - January
- Chinese New Year - January
- Malaysian Grand Prix - March
- Singapore Food Festival - March to April
- Hari Raya Puasa - March to April
- Singapore Arts Festival - May to June
- Sultan of Brunei's Birthday Celebrations - 15 July
- Malaysian National Day (Hari Kebangsaan) - 31 August
- Thimithi - October/November
- Deepavali - October to November
TOP READS
Get a feel for the cultures of Malaysia and Singapore with the following acclaimed books by local and international writers.
- Foreign Bodies and Mammon Inc. Hwee Hwee Tan
- The Malayan Trilogy Anthony Burgess
- The Rice Mother Rani Manicka
- Lord Jim Joseph Conrad
- The Return KS Maniam
- The Consul's File and Saint Jack Paul Theroux
- Malaysian Stories W Somerset Maugham
- Love and Vertigo Hsu-Ming Teo
- Heartland Daren VL Shia
- Ceritalah and Journeys Through Southeast Asia: Ceritalah 2 Karim Raslan
MUST-SEE MOVIES
Neither Malaysia nor Singapore (let alone Brunei) is known for its cinematic output, and Hollywood tends to use the region mainly as an exotic backdrop.
- Penarik Becha (1955) Director: P Ramlee
- Entrapment (1999) Director: Jon Amiel
- Saint Jack (1979) Director: Peter Bogdanovich
- Rogue Trader (1999) Director: James Dearden
- King Rat (1965) Director: Bryan Forbes
- Bugis Street (Yao Jie Huang Hou; 1994) Director: Yonfan
- Mee Pok Man (1995) Director: Eric Koo
- Money No Enough (Qian Bu Gou Yong; 1998) Director: TL Tay
- Forever Fever (1998) Director: Glen Goei
- 15 (2003) Director: Royston Tan
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