A Malaysian Homestay in a traditional village, called Kampung, is the best way to get to know the real Malaysia. We stayed in Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani, in Sungai Besar, Selangor one of several villages that has been selected by the Ministry of Tourism to provide a Malaysian homestay experience.
The kampung house that we stayed was big enough to accommodate 10-18 people with 3 air conditioned bedrooms, a kitchen and a large living area.
There were also smaller units like the one below. According to the host, Kampung stay is very popular amongst visitors from Singapore, Europe and Japan.
For my kiddos who are very much into computer games, Xbox, and Disney TV channels, the kampung experience gave them the chance to enjoy the simple rural life like playing with the kampung cats, and chasing after the rooster.
With a backyard as big as this, there was so much room to roam freely.
As part of the homestay, the host can arrange for several activities for guests. This included kite flying and fishing by the river below.
Walking through the rice padi fields and the surrounding kampung area was a great way to unwind and enjoy the peaceful and quiet rural area.
At the time of our visit, the rice padi was almost ready to be harvested.
There were also indoor activities available like the traditional malay game of congkak.
Our favourite was the lesson in traditional batik painting.
Check out our batik masterpieces below.
There were several local factories near the village selling local snacks that are worth a visit.
Dining at one of the little kampung coffee shop is a great way to enjoy the kampung-style food and mingle with the friendly locals. The shop across the road from our kampung house served the simplest and the tastiest fried noodles (mee goreng) and fried rice (nasi goreng) we have ever tasted. It was very cheap too!
In the evening, our host brought us to see the fireflies on a boat at Sungai Bernam. It was so dark that we could hardly see the river or the trees in front of us. All we could see were fireflies; hundreds of them perching on the trees lining the river.
Tips:
- If you are interested to stay at Kampung Dorani, you can go to their website at doranihomestay.com.
- Apart from the kampung house where we stayed, guests could also choose to stay in a kampung house with a local family, or at the kampung hut below.
- There are many more villages that offer a Malaysian homestay, and each one is different. Some villages have rice padi fields, while others have durian and other fruit plantations. Some focus on traditional crafts like basket weaving or kite-making. Activities available at each homestay are also different. You can visit www.go2homestay.com for details about a Malaysian homestay.
This trip was part of our Malaysian road trip which included Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort, Colmar Tropicale, Penang, KL and i-City Malaysia.
