Why We Moved Our Reunion to the Beach
For years, our Chinese New Year followed the same script. Everyone squeezed into one family home, the aunties took over the kitchen, the kids ran out of space by the second day, and the uncles argued about where to park. We loved it, but by the end of every visit we were tired in a way that had nothing to do with celebration.
Then one year, my cousin suggested something that sounded almost rebellious. What if we booked a few villas by the sea and held the reunion there instead? No one would be the host, no one would be stuck washing dishes alone, and the children could spend their days outdoors instead of glued to a screen.
We tried it on the Terengganu coast at Katsetiu in Setiu, and it has become our new tradition. Here is what we learned about bringing a big family together by the water, and why I think more families should give it a try.
Timing the Trip Around the Weather
Chinese New Year usually lands in late January or February, which on the east coast means the tail end of the northeast monsoon. The heaviest rain in Terengganu tends to come earlier, in November and December, and MetMalaysia has noted that the northern states often turn drier as the monsoon winds down in the new year.
In practice, that has meant a mix of breezy blue days and the odd grey afternoon. The sea can still be choppy, so we treat it as something to walk beside and play near, not a place for serious swimming. The villa pool takes care of the splashing. I keep an eye on the MetMalaysia forecast in the week before we leave, and we always plan a few indoor options in case a shower rolls through during dinner.
Honestly, the cooler air is part of the charm. Sitting outside at night in February, with a sea breeze and a light jacket, feels a world away from a stuffy living room packed with forty relatives.
Choosing Villas That Fit a Big Family
The key to a group reunion is space, and not just more bedrooms. You want places where different generations can be together without being on top of each other.
Katsetiu works for us because it is a small cluster of villas rather than one big building. There are larger units and smaller ones, including a three-bedroom villa of around 250 square metres alongside one-bedroom villas with an extra room. Booking several side by side lets each branch of the family have its own base while still sharing the same stretch of beach and garden. Grandparents get a quiet room on the ground floor, young couples get their privacy, and the teenagers can be loud in their own corner without anyone complaining.
The villas have their own kitchens or kitchenettes, which matters more than you would think. Breakfast happens in small groups, at whatever time each household wakes up, and the big meals are saved for when everyone gathers. There is also a pool, a garden, a picnic area, barbecue facilities and bicycles for guests, so the children always have something to do. On rainy evenings, the board games on the shelf have saved us more than once.
My one piece of advice is to book early. Villas that suit large groups are limited along this coast, and festive weekends go quickly.
The Reunion Dinner Under the Sky
The highlight, of course, is the reunion dinner on the eve of the new year. At home, this meal is often a race against the clock in a hot kitchen. By the sea, it became something slower and more joyful.
We start the morning at Pasar Payang in Kuala Terengganu, the city’s central market by the river. The wet market is where we find our seafood: fresh prawns, squid, and whole fish that the traders will happily clean for you. Dried goods, keropok and fruit fill the rest of the bags. Buying fresh from the coast for your reunion meal feels right somehow, as if the sea itself is part of the feast.
Back at the villas, everyone gets a job. The uncles take over the barbecue, grilling prawns and fish wrapped in banana leaf. The aunties set up a big pot for steamboat, with fish balls, vegetables and a clear broth that bubbles away on the table. The cousins lay out long tables in the garden, string up a few red lanterns and set out mandarin oranges in bowls.
Then comes the yee sang. There is nothing quite like tossing the salad as high as you can while shouting wishes for the year ahead, with the sound of the waves behind you and the whole family in one circle. The kids aim for the sky. The grandparents laugh at the mess.
A practical note here. The resort’s own restaurant serves Malaysian food with halal options, and many properties along this coast have house rules about outside food and cooking. We check with the host before we arrive and plan our menu around seafood, chicken and vegetables, which suits the setting perfectly anyway.
First Morning of the New Year in Kampung Cina
On the first day of the new year, some of us drive into Kuala Terengganu for prayers and a slow walk through Kampung Cina, the city’s small but historic Chinatown along Jalan Bandar. It sits right where the Terengganu River meets the sea, lined with old shophouses that some families have held for generations.
The Ho Ann Kiong Temple, first built in 1801, is the oldest Taoist temple in the state and fills with devotees early on the first morning. The decorations across the neighbourhood are gentle rather than overwhelming, red lanterns against weathered timber doors, and the whole street feels more like a family gathering than a public show. After the temple, we wander the lanes, look at the murals, and stop for coffee before heading back to the beach.
For those who stay behind, the first morning is just as good. A walk along the sand at sunrise, a round of ang pao on the veranda, and a late breakfast of leftovers from the night before.
Days Built for Every Generation
The days in between the big events are where a beach reunion really shines. Nobody has to entertain anybody.
The children take the bicycles along the quiet village roads or build forts on the sand. The teenagers disappear to the pool. The older folks settle into chairs under the trees with tea and kuaci, catching up on a year’s worth of news. Somebody always organises a game of mahjong on the veranda.
If the family wants an outing, Setiu Wetlands is close by. Its boardwalk through the mangroves is an easy, shaded walk for all ages, and the kids love spotting crabs and birds. It makes a lovely change of scene for a morning, and everyone is back in time for lunch.
On one of the quieter evenings, we skip cooking altogether and walk over to the resort restaurant for a simple Malaysian dinner. After two days of feasting, a plate of nasi goreng and a glass of iced tea eaten without any washing up afterwards feels like a small luxury. The kids fall asleep early, and the adults stay up talking on the veranda long after the plates are cleared.
What surprised me most was how much more we talked. Without a television in every room and chores pulling people away, conversations stretched across whole afternoons. My uncle told stories I had never heard. My niece taught my mother how to fly a kite on the beach.
A Few Tips for Planning Your Own Beach Reunion
Share the work before you arrive. We split the family into teams for shopping, cooking, cleaning and games, and it keeps things fair and relaxed. Bring the festive details that matter to you, whether that is red packets, lanterns, oranges or your grandmother’s recipe, because they turn a holiday into a reunion. Plan the long drive with rest stops, especially with elderly relatives, and try to arrive a day before the eve so nobody is rushing.
Think about the mix of rooms before you book. Count the elderly relatives who need a ground floor room, the families with small children who want to be close to the pool, and the night owls who are better placed at the far end. A quick sketch of who sleeps where saves a lot of shuffling on arrival day.
Pack for the coast as well as the festival. Sunscreen, hats, insect repellent and a light jacket for the evening breeze are just as important as the new clothes for the first day. A portable speaker for festive songs, a few extension cords for the steamboat and plenty of containers for leftovers will also make your life easier.
Most of all, let go of doing it the way it has always been done. The heart of Chinese New Year is being together. Whether the table sits in a living room or under the open sky by the South China Sea, what matters is who is sitting around it.
For our family, the sound of the sea has become part of the new year. I suspect it will for yours too.