Have Perut Will Travel...: Hari Kraf Kebangsaan 2024

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Sunday, 3 March 2024

Hari Kraf Kebangsaan 2024

National Craft Day Walkabout

We met you again as we stepped off at Conlay MRT Station and walked across the road to the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex, where Hari Kraf Kebangsaan 2024 (National Craft Day) was in full swing. The atmosphere was lively, colourful, and full of creative energy.

First Things First: Food

We were feeling a little hungry, so we headed straight to Kampung Nelayan Kraf, where a small cluster of food stalls had been set up. After walking around and weighing our options, we settled on Nasi Kak Wok, a Kelantanese favourite made up of rice, chicken cutlets, and gravy.

We ordered:

2 portions of Nasi Kak Wok at RM9.00 each
2 cups of iced sugar cane juice at RM3.00 each

Our early lunch came to RM24.00 (≈ USD5 / EUR5). It was filling, satisfying, and exactly what we needed before diving into the exhibition halls.

Beads, Bags, and Handcrafted Finds

We then made our way into the main arts and crafts exhibition hall. Cat happily browsed from stall to stall, taking her time with every display. A stall selling Sabahan ceramic beads immediately caught her attention, but the owner was nowhere to be seen at the time.

We continued exploring and soon met our friend Lipang Lawai from Raben Beads. Cat picked up two pairs of earrings for RM28.00 (≈ USD6 / EUR5).

Not long after, a brightly coloured woven bag at Jenny Geoffrey’s stall caught Cat’s eye. We could not resist, so we brought it home for RM50.00 (≈ USD11 / EUR10).

A Favourite Beadstress

One of the highlights of the visit was meeting Caroline Agan, Cat’s favourite beadstress. From her stall, we bought:

2 pairs of earrings
2 Kabo necklaces

These beautiful handmade pieces came to RM260.00 (≈ USD55 / EUR50). It felt special supporting artisans we already admired.

More Craft, More Tradition

We took a short break at the canteen for drinks before continuing into the next exhibition hall, which focused on household items. We browsed through the displays of Labu Sayong, the traditional gourd shaped water vessel known for keeping water cool.

After some consideration, we chose a medium sized Labu Sayong from Qazana Gifts & Crafts for RM60.00 (≈ USD13 / EUR12).

Closing the Loop

We looped back to the arts and crafts hall and were pleased to find Houston Rarandis finally back at his stall. From him, we bought two Sabahan ceramic necklaces for RM150.00 (≈ USD32 / EUR29).

Heading Home With Treasures

After two and a half hours, we left the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex with a wonderful collection of handmade items, full hands, and happy hearts. We made our way back to Conlay MRT Station, already replaying the highlights of the afternoon in our minds.

Stay tuned—and be sure to catch our previous video, where we shared an encounter with a particularly rude GoKL bus driver who definitely caught us on the wrong day.