Seeing and hearing the stories and games our children effortlessly invent is one of the absolute joys of parenthood – and sadly, a reminder that our own imaginations aren’t quite what they used to be. But once upon a time, I too created worlds, became new characters and made believe… and a recent holiday reminded me that those days need not be over forever.

In the quaint town of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, lies a treasure trove of whimsy known as LEGOLAND Malaysia. A paradise for families seeking laughter and adventure, this vibrant wonderland boasts towering LEGO sculptures and exhilarating rides that promise to ignite the imagination of your kiddos. With all the colourful brick creations, families can share moments of joy and wonder, creating cherished memories that will linger long after the holiday ends. Even if you aren’t a Lego fan, you are going to be impressed by the Lego structures in this park.

Each area is generally quite compact and has its own theme, look and feel and own style of attractions. Lego Kingdoms is full of castles, knights and dragons! There are also rides – including two roller coasters – a big one (the Dragon) and one more appropriate for young kids (the Dragon’s Apprentice), a shop, restaurant, food stands and a giant play area.

Imagination is colourful and filled with interesting attractions – this is a great area to go if it’s raining, not to mention that it comes with the 4D cinema and the Build and Test area. This area is also great for toddlers and young kids with a child-size city for kids to play in and a train to ride.

You will see a long queue at the driving schools for private ‘instruction’ and the chance to drive child-sized electric LEGO cars. Parents wave on the sidelines as the drivers confidently take turns, stop for red lights and occasionally overtake on the wrong side of the road.

Stop to amaze the tourist photo frenzy at Miniland. You will feel like you are a giant among amazing replicas of Tiananmen Square, the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Singapore, China’s Forbidden City, Bolinao in the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and… pirates….. and everything! So intricate were the details, I found myself wishing for a bottle of ‘shrinking potion’ so I could jump right into them. Imagination: found.

They say it takes a full 12 hours to experience LEGOLAND Malaysia. Any parent respecting their own sanity will only spend about half that time, which is why multi-day passes are available. There is also an entire water theme park attached to the park for which you can buy combined entry tickets – that will be another story to share.