See the Sea Awaken at the Regatta Lepa Semporna Festival
Situated in the east coast of Sabah is Semporna, a small town that hosts multicolored festivities every year in the celebrated Regatta Lepa Semporna Festival. This particular cultural festival celebrates the Bajau Laut community whose customs and way of life including histories as a seafaring people are represented and enhanced through nationalism in form of maritime rallies.
The lepa boats too are decorative uses employed as traditional sailing vessels of the Bajau people and are at the center of the celebration too. During this festival, the boats are transformed into artful creations, painted and carved and dressed in bright colorful fabrics and flags. This fantastic parade with dozens of lepa boats graces the shores, with each boat representing a certain village with a certain design and performance contest.
The festival doesn’t just appeal to the eye. It seeks to bring the viewer into the Bajau Laut universe, a place that is defined by both culture and it’s belief in the sea. Traditional musicals are heard in the streets, dancers do not just perform but are also donned on with the traditional costume as women and men go out of their way to create and sell handmade crafts and food in stalls. Through participation in such a festival, one could meet the indigenous peoples in Malaysia, a country that is chained to modernity but they are able to remain attached to a degree of authenticity.
There is essential information about the venue, sessions’ agendas, and how best to navigate the occasions for people who will not want to miss out a single event on the Regatta Lepa Semporna Festival. This enables the tourists to enjoy their holidays and get the most out of the events as they have already decided on where to stay and the time it lasts.
The occasion occurs every year in April and attracts a large number of domestic and international visitors. It is a significant draw not only for culture and photography enthusiasts but also for tourists pursuing the natural beauty of Semporna. This is because the town serves as convenient access to some of the best diving destinations in the world including Sipadan, Mataking, and Mabul islands. Therefore, this town offers the best of cultural and marine excitement.
Witnessing the living history of the Regatta Lepa Semporna Festival where history is afloat and patriotism is in tune with drumbeats. It is one of those activities that one would not forget easily and come to look at cultural harmony of the people of Malaysia with heightened respect and understanding.