If you’re looking blankly at a map for travel opportunities in 2025, then Selangor might be a cracking choice. With 2025 designated ‘Year of Visiting Selangor’, the Wise Traveller offers a quick reveal of this fascinating state.
Where’s Selangor?
Selangor is a state on the west coast of Malaysia and one of the gateways to this fascinating country. This is because it encompasses the capital, Kuala Lumpur, its international airport and its main port, Port Klang.
While one of the most developed in terms of infrastructure and communications, the state is also a must-visit as it is packed with centuries-old cultural sites and modern high-tech attractions. If shopping is your bag, then Selangor might just be a paradise of luxury malls and traditional bustling markets.
The Year of Visiting Selangor
2025 could well be a memorable year for Selangor as Tourism Selangor, the official tourism agency, and the state government are focusing on eclipsing eight million visitors. The ambitious goal will be achieved with more than 100 special events and programs planned across every district to highlight the state’s diverse attractions, cultures and people.
A recent three-day Selangor Travel Fair, which attracted thousands of visitors, included leading 20 tourism operators, such as Skyline Luge, Splash Mania Waterpark, Jumpstreet Malaysia, Farm in the City, HL Dragon Fruit Farm, and Avani Goldcoast Resort Sepang.
Selangor Highlights
i-City: Malaysia’s premier digital city, i-City is a business hub by day and a lifestyle haven at night. Along with the Central i-City Shopping Centre, one of its biggest attractions is the i-City Theme Park. It boasts five main themes: City of Digital Lights, SnoWalk, WaterWorld, FunWorld and Itsy Bitsy.
I-City has aligned with Visit Selangor 2025 goals by announcing its latest tourist attraction, SkyCity. SkyCity is a 60-meter tower adorned with LED lights and will feature a 600-meter glass slide. It is expected to open in December, 2024, to celebrate the birthday of His Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ibni Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.
Bangi-Wonderland: Bangi Wonderland is a water theme park offering year-round entertainment for all ages. Over 12 acres, the theme park features 15 slides and rides, including high-speed waterslides and child-friendly splash pools. The main attractions include a water cannon, magic funnel, and Spiralax, a high-speed twisting and turning slide.
District 21: Across 70,000 sq ft of indoor fun, District 21 is in IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. Set in the year 2066, when the world has become a toxic and hostile place, and the survival of the human race hangs in the balance, District 21 is an indoor adventure park that promises exciting sporting and physical activities. It includes ten adventure attractions, from climbing, jumping, and riding, to sliding and flying, such as the popular Ninja Warrior Course.
Zoo Negara: Otherwise known as the National Zoo of Malaysia, the Selangor zoo is based over 110 acres in Ulu Klang. Officially opened in November 1963, the zoo now accommodates 5,137 animals of 476 different species. Having recently had pandas from China, the zoo also has big cats, such as tigers, visible nearby. There is also a mini bird park and a mini safari that hosts giraffes, zebras, and deer, and a new orangutan exhibit area is currently being added.
Waterfalls: Often hailed as Selangor’s most beautiful waterfall, the Chiling Waterfalls and Santuari Ikan Sungai Chiling (Mahseer Fish Sanctuary) are just over an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. You can have an enjoyable jungle trek that takes visitors across streams and rivers, passing exotic plants like wild orchids and bamboo before reaching the signature 80-meter waterfall overlooking a calm lagoon.
Kuala Selangor’s Fireflies: Most visitors to Kuala Selangor go for the synchronized flashing of thousands of fireflies glowing spectacularly in the evenings along the banks of the Selangor River. The best way to enjoy this spectacle is by travelling the river in a traditional sampan or an electrically-powered fiberglass boat to help reduce pollution and protect the fireflies’ natural habitat.
Conclusion: Selangor can veer from the extreme to the quiet, to the hyper to the natural world. Yet the state offers many opportunities that would befit a country, let alone a state. So, if you are entranced, check this for potential opportunities to visit Selangor in 2025.
Andy Probert is an independent journalist and PR writer. He writes about travel, aviation, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Telegraph, Hurriyet Daily News and other newspapers worldwide.
