Disclaimer: The personal opinion of the guest doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of Muslim Solo Travel.
Do you like horse riding, discovering good street food, and feeling the rush of being in a local festival? Then you will want to hear this Muslimah Solo Traveler’s experience at Oh! Ria Fest in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Prelude to Joining This Festival (from our MSTer’s Perspective)
On Sundays when I am in Malaysia, my reset routine usually consists of working out, going on a hike, cycling, paddle boarding, or anything that lets me sweat the exhaustion of the week. This is also a way for me to build up energy for the week after. For some of us MSTers, retail therapy is the answer!
Ever felt the pain of going to the gym but the feel-good endorphins afterward? Then you would understand.
Raleigh Classic Folding Bike
A sturdy, classic and reliable foldable bike for MSTers on the move for exploring!
Hiking and exploring the English Garden in Saujana Hijau Park in Putrajaya was on my agenda this weekend. As this is also one of the mini ways for me to explore little pockets in the country.
Saujana Hijau Park has different themed gardens with native plants from all over the world like Australia, China, Mexico and so much more!
However, upon arrival at the park’s entrance at 8:00 am, rain started to pour like crazy in the middle of what was supposed to be a sunny August.
The heavy downpour was a clear sign for me to have a change of heart to “You know what, let’s go to Equestrian Park for that festival instead”.
And voila, in 20 minutes, I was already at Equestrian Park in Putrajaya for Oh! Ria Fest.
Early Bird Catches The Worm – Lots of Parking!
Luckily – as I arrived super early, right when the festival was about to start – there were rows and rows of parking inside the park for visitors.
“Usually visitors park outside!” one of the vendors told me upon buying Halal food from them.
Like any other festival in the world, going via public transport is always the best solution as parking (entry and exit) can take too long! But perhaps because it was raining, that entering and exiting took less than 10 minutes for me.
The entry to the Park from Lebuh Gemilang is a good 750m so imagine how long the car queue could be if you were to come during peak festival’s hour? It can go up to one hour!
Upon leaving the festival grounds (about 10:00 am), the entire park was full of cars, and you could see cars lining up in the entryway trying to come in.
Buying Halal Street Food & Fruits
According to the organizers, about 80 vendors are participating in this year’s festival.
However, as it was (1) raining and way (2) too early when I visited, the majority of the vendors like Fazz Fries (famous for their long cheesy fries) were only slowly starting to open up.
Regardless of the limited choices, I still managed to grab some piping hot mashed potatoes drizzled in black pepper sauce; a spaghetti and meatball set from Pak Din Western; a box of six assorted brownies (sea salted, caramel, and nuts); and fresh MD2 Super Sweet Pineapples!
In total, RM40 (8.90 USD) was spent via QRPAY, which is standard when paying vendors and hawkers throughout the country.
If you’re a traveler coming from outside of Malaysia, get yourself Touch n Go as the card allows you to travel via public transport and the app allows you pay via their in-build QR code. Most merchants have Touch & Go QR so it’s nifty to have!
MST Tip
About Equestrian Park Putrajaya
This park is also open on normal days if you want to just chill by the cabin cafe and watch some horse riding in action.
Ekues Cabin Cafe:
- Open 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (Tuesdays – Sundays).
- Directions here
Seeing Horse Riding in Action
On the event tentative the organizers have listed so many activities for visitors to enjoy when visiting here like face painting, horse feeding, Dressage, Show Jumping, concerts by local Malaysian artists, and Zumba.
Having been unable to forget my horse-riding experience in Kazakhstan’s mountainside just a month ago, there’s now a mental note within me to join in any horse-riding opportunities that arise within my country, or in the world afterward.
Hence why visiting this festival is important. The thought of paying a visit kept nagging at the back of my mind the entire weekend.
Seeing the different horses in dark brown, grey, and white, galloping around the field with their riders gave me (and pretty sure the spectators there) a thrilling emotion. A Muslimah was riding it too!
Experiencing Oh! Ria Horse Riding Putrajaya Festival in The Rain as a Muslimah Solo Traveler (What I Didn’t Expect!)
Things I Didn’t Expect #1 – The Grand Stand Faced Two Sides
Only after eating my spaghetti meatballs and walking back to the parking lot did I realized that the Grandstand faced two sections:
- Where the vendors, activities, and stage are at.
- Where the horse stable and the Eques Cafe are at
“Had I known this earlier, I could’ve enjoyed my brownies and spaghetti Halal foodie experience whilst facing the horses. Not the workout session.
Not saying the workout session (more about this below) was not fun to watch, but I came mostly for the horses.
So if you’re going here next year, make sure you choose the right grandstand side to sit at! If you love watching horses, keep in mind of the side that faces the stable.
MST Tip
Things I Didn’t Expect #2 – You Need To Pay For Parking To Go Here
Usually, parking is free at any festival.
But times have changed so much since the pandemic. This time, in 2024, parking was RM1 (0.22 USD)
So if you’re parking inside the park, you’ll pass an auto gate and it will automatically scan your plate number.
Pay Either via Flexi Parking
Upon leaving, I was confused on how to pay via the Flexi Parking app. But the auto gate had a helpful mic that connected me with the festival’s team members.
The auto gate’s microphone buzzed “Click Authorize (insert your car’s plate number) to pass through,” so that was a new piece of information!
Make sure your Flexi Parking App has money inside! This is worth having if you’re going on road trips throughout the country
MST Tip
Debit / Credit Card Are Accepted too
If you’re a traveler, debit / credit cards are the way to go. They’re accepted to and there’s no need to key in your car’s number plate. In case if you’re driving a rental car!
MST Tip
Things I Didn’t Expect #3 – There was a Workout Morning Session (Very Muslim Solo Travel-Friendly!)
Upon arrival around 8:20 am, the whole park was echoed with rock and high-pitched beats workout songs. All coming from the Main Stage. Turned out a Pound Session was happening!
The ladies joining (most of them were Muslimahs!) were truly immersed in their horse / cowboy-themed sports clothes.
From drizzles to rain showers and slight heavy downpours, the entire Pound Session was filled with empowered ladies rocking their green neon pound sticks!
Weekly MST-friendly Pound Session Throughout Klang Valley / Malaysia
Pound With Hanis Sessions (Held Weekly throughout Klang Valley MY)
Malaysia Pound Posse+ Wrapping Up till 10:00 pm Tonight! & If You’re A Muslimah Solo Traveler…
If you are a Muslimah Solo Traveler who’s currently in KL or Klang Valley, you might still be able to make it tonight as there are only a few hours left for this event.
Otherwise, this horse-loving festival is surely worth keeping on your #MuslimFriendlyMalaysia bucket list next year.
Have you experienced horse-riding, let alone a horse showcase festival before? Definitely a #MuslimSoloTravel-friendly sport!
