Monsoon in Malaysia

Is there a monsoon season affecting certain attractions and destinations within Malaysia?

Usually the first question you ask when organizing a holiday trip to Malaysia is: What is the best period to visit the country. Malaysia is the perfect destination throughout the whole year. In countries with a tropical climate it’s obvious that it rains once in a while. Most of the time this is a short (heavy) period, and before you know it the sun already shines. When it comes to the rainy seasons 3 different regions can be distinguished in Malaysia, namely the eastern side and western side of the peninsula and Borneo.

Bad weather in Malaysia (pictures from Kuala Lumpur)

To the western side of the peninsula of Malaysia there’s hardly a rainy season or monsoon. This is because of the moderate climate at the Andaman Sea. Here Malaysia is protected by the Indonesian island of Sumatra for a great part. Along the western side of the peninsula the weather can of course be a little bad. It can sometimes be a day with bad weather indeed, but most of the time there’s just a short and heavy shower at the end of the day (this is normal in the tropics). You can be quite sure that between 4 and 5 in the afternoon it rains persistently for about 10 to 30 minutes. As a matter of fact this is often very pleasant, a bit of cooling at the end of the day. Islands to the western side are: Penang, Langkawi and Pangkor amongst others. So here there’s hardly a serious rainy season, although, it’s not an inconvenience when you’re on holiday there. Kuala Lumpur is also on the western side and here there’s often a difference in the dry and wet periods. In such a great metropolis in a tropical climate it’s nice when there’s rain because this makes the air cleaner.

Bad weather during monsoon season in Malaysia (Top pictures from Langkawi, lower picture near Lake Kenyir)

The rainy season to the eastern side of the peninsula is in the period between October and March and can be quite heavy; it sometimes rains days on end then. Resorts on islands like Perhentian, Redang and Tioman are often closed in this period, because the sea can be very wild and a passage with the ferry can be difficult. All the beauty of the bounty islands has disappeared for a while. Cities like Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan are also less attractive to visit during this period. Around Kuantan there can sometimes be floods in this period. Apart from that, every year is different, sometimes it rains for weeks in a row, other times the weather can be beautiful for a couple of days.

The rainy season on Borneo is in the period of October to February; although in this last month it doesn’t rain as much as in the remaining months. A shower is short and fierce most of the times and before you know it the sun shines again. The islands to the northwestern side of Borneo have to deal now and then with the ‘tail’ of typhoons from the Philippines. This unloads itself in heavy wind and rainfall.

4 comments on Monsoon in Malaysia

  1. J
    8 years ago
    July 7, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    You didn’t get the 5-7 days of continuous torrential rain? I must have been in another Malaysia then.

    Reply
  2. Felton Naveja
    6 years ago
    December 2, 2018 at 2:33 pm

    TODAY editors, writers and experts take care to recommend items we really like and hope you’ll enjoy! Just so you know, TODAY does have affiliate relationships. So, while every product is independently selected, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the revenue.

    Reply
  3. Suzette Lockwood
    5 years ago
    March 11, 2020 at 10:12 am

    Hello

    My Name Is Suzette, I Am Web Leads Email Design Tools

    We found you on web wonderfulmalaysia.com and I truly liked your work.

    You can see that there are every second types of leads and some are even phone verified. What you want to complete subsequently these leads is use the system on the website to email them behind your thing opportunity.

    You can send email ads to 1000+ random prospects every 24 hours using our online mail system, All Worldwide Use The Email Communication

    Just Check Member Area Only

    https://createsplashpages.com/splash.php?id=5713

    If You Miss, Wll Miss Forever Because Sky Are Still Big And No Limit

    Enjoy!

    Reply
    • Jeus
      8 months ago
      April 29, 2024 at 8:55 am

      Go to hell

      Reply

12 Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Monsoon in Malaysia

  1. Vacation Spots for Solo Travelers This Fall | Travel Plus
    11 years ago
    September 3, 2013 at 9:35 am

    […] Malaysia.  Adventurous solitary trekkers will enjoy Malaysia, a country about the size of New Mexico in Southeast Asia.  With territory on both the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo, Malaysia offers coastal resorts, the oldest rainforest on the planet, and a variety of mountains.  Tourists can also explore the Mulu Caves, a rehabilitation center for orangutans, the Cameron Highlands, and an assortment of other attractions.  (Just keep an eye on the weather if you want to avoid the monsoon.) […]

    Reply
  2. […] You might experience more rainfall and rough seas during November to February because of the monsoon season at the South China […]

    Reply
  3. […] has a tropical climate with warm and humid weather all year round. Temperatures in the lowlands range from 21ºC (70ºF) […]

    Reply
  4. Flowers Must Die part II | El Bueno, El Feo y El Malo
    11 years ago
    January 20, 2014 at 8:00 am

    […] from the beginning I was intrigued by this country not having any seasons (not counting the current rainy season, which is hardly noticeable on this side of the Malaysian peninsula), so the whole year round the […]

    Reply
  5. […] markets. These two cities also reflect the traditional Malaysia best. Avoid these cities during monsoon season (October through March), because the weather is usually very bad. These cities lose their […]

    Reply
  6. Pulau Sibuan, Semporna, Sabah | malaysiastopisland
    9 years ago
    August 21, 2015 at 6:31 am

    […] of divers, some other sites are a bit more challenging because of the currents. Especially during monsoon (Dec/Jan) visibility is bad and the currents are […]

    Reply
  7. Most attractive place to visit in Malaysia | TravellogKhai
    9 years ago
    September 1, 2015 at 4:18 am

    […] markets. These two cities also reflect the traditional Malaysia best. Avoid these cities during monsoon season (October through March), because the weather is usually very bad. These cities lose their […]

    Reply
  8. My CMS final
    9 years ago
    June 9, 2016 at 9:56 am

    […] markets. These two cities also reflect the traditional Malaysia best. Avoid these cities during monsoon season (October through March), because the weather is usually very bad. These cities lose their […]

    Reply
  9. Malaysia Top 10 Tourist Destinations – ADVENTUROUS JAYNE
    8 years ago
    August 15, 2016 at 5:43 am

    […] markets. These two cities also reflect the traditional Malaysia best. Avoid these cities during monsoon season (October through March), because the weather is usually very bad. These cities lose their […]

    Reply
  10. Diving at Kapalai Island - VISIT SABAH
    8 years ago
    January 18, 2017 at 2:18 am

    […] you like muck diving you are best off at Mabul Island, the macro paradise of the world. There is a monsoon season between November and February, though visibility is still […]

    Reply
  11. LAYANG LAYANG ISLAND - VISIT SABAH
    8 years ago
    January 18, 2017 at 2:49 am

    […] Located 300km northwest of Kota Kinabalu, you find Layang Layang, part of the disputed Spratly Islands. The island is a true diver’s paradise. Though the island is not cheap, it is definitely worth a visit. When you go to Layang Layang, do not expect to arrive at a tropical paradise. The place used to be an active marine base, and until only recent no public visitors where allowed on the ‘man-made island’. Because of the splendid diving conditions, Layang Layang is a must-visit destination for scuba diving enthusiasts. There are no tropical beaches on the island; only the naval base, the resort and diving school and the air strip. The (only) resort on the island, Layang Layang Island Resort, is closed from September till February; as during this time the area is being plagued by the monsoon. […]

    Reply
  12. Gunung Mulu National Park - FlyKLIA
    3 years ago
    December 8, 2021 at 8:54 am

    […] Mulu National Park lies deep within the vast jungles of Borneo, it is not affected bymonsoon and typhoon seasons. Because of this there actually is no real best time to visit Mulu. Driest months however are […]

    Reply

Leave a reply

Name Email URL