Particularly beautiful early in the rice-growing cycle, when mile upon mile of young shoots gleam a vivid green, the Sekinchan Paddy Fields take their name from the Malay word for rice on the stem: padi. Egrets and the occasional heron feed on insects among the padi fields, while a paddy processing factory and museum let you discover the farming process and buy specialty rice to take home. Many tours from Kuala Lumpur include a firefly cruise in Kuala Selangor.
Sekinchan sits on Malaysia’s west coast, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) north of Kuala Selangor. It’s about a 1.5-hour drive northwest of Kuala Lumpur and public transport is incredibly time-consuming: Book a tour, hire a driver, or self-drive.
It’s vital to see the Sekinchan Paddy Fields at the right stage of the rice cycle. Farmers plant two crops a year: Come in March, April, September, or October to see the fields at their best. Expect slender shoots mirrored in the water early in the growing season and lush green stems later in the season, with mud, stubble, or gold hues at other times.
Many travelers combine a visit to Sekinchan with a tour of Kuala Selangor town, best known for the Selangor River firefly cruises through the mangroves. But you can also visit Melawati Hill (Bukit Melawati), a stronghold for Selangor’s powerful 18th-century sultans, look for walking fish and silvered leaf monkeys in the Kuala Selangor Nature Park, or discover the Sky Mirror reflective sandbar when the tides are right.