The UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town, Penang seems like the place to be next month—the George Town Festival throughout the entire month of August is sure to attract  tourists in droves. The celebrations include the second edition of the OBSCURA Festival of Photography (Aug 11-31), Malaysia's first large-scale international photography exhibition. 

The exhibiting artists lined up for the event include acclaimed Magnum photographer Jacob Aue Sobol, documentary photographer Patrick Brown and others. There will also be a host of exciting workshops and talks to participate in—the OBSCURA Workshops will be open to both amateur and professional photographers, and will be helmed by prominent names like Pulitzer Prize winner Maggie Steber, Ian Teh and Justin Mott. Then there's also the OBSCURA Festival International Photobook Show, which will feature over 140 gorgeous photography books from all around the world. 

The exhibitions and talks are free of charge; however, registration and fees are required for the workshops. It's one festival worth taking a roadtrip for—otherwise, you can always take fly there via Jetstar (around $100 for a round-trip itinerary in August). Find out more at at the official website.