Living it simple
Lush greenery: The view from the top of Bukit Jugra.
Selangor is offering homestay programmes at several Malay villages for tourists to sample the quintessential kampung life.
FOR a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, and an opportunity to experience the kampung life, take a short break and explore the various homestay programmes offered in Selangor.
Recently, Gaya Travel magazine and the Malaysia Co-Operative Societies Commission (MCSC) organised a four-day, three-night trip for the media to showcase some of the tourism-related products and services offered by MCSC.
During the trip, participants were given the opportunity to sample village life by staying with various keluarga angkat or host families.
The first stop was in Sungai Sireh, Tanjung Karang.
The picturesque village is a two-hour drive from the Kuala Lumpur city centre and has been labelled one of the important rice-growing communities in Malaysia.
Set amidst acres of padi fields, the village offers views of sweeping vistas and can be considered a quintessential Malay kampung.
The villagers in Sungai Sireh are a friendly lot and most actively participate in the homestay programmes.
Once the visitors had settled down, they were introduced to their hosts.
Two of the hosts were Mohd Tohid Ahmad Jumadi and his wife, Sudarwati Abd Rahman, who put up four of the participants.
After a sumptuous meal cooked by Sudarwati, who insisted on being called mak (mother), the participants retired to their rooms for some much-needed rest.
During their stay, the participants were given the chance to participate in various activities in the village, including helping Mohd Tohid, or Wak as he prefers to be known as, harvest homegrown vegetables and fruits such as cili padi, ubi kayu (tapioca), bananas and passion fruit.
Ready to go: All-terrain vehicles are available at the homestay in Sungai Lang.
Participants were also given the chance to experience other typical activities in the village, including catching eels, fishing in the nearby river and harvesting rice.
For dinner, the participants joined the villagers for the iconic nasi ambeng, a local favourite, while watching cultural shows presented by youths from the village.
Surprisingly, some of the villagers, including mak, can communicate in basic Korean, an ability they picked up after welcoming hundreds of South Korean guests to the village as part of the homestay programme.
The second stop for the group was in Sungai Lang, Banting, where the host families included Othman Johari and his wife, Umi Salamah Dalail.
Here, the participants had the opportunity to sample Malay-Javanese cuisine.
Activities planned for the group included All-Terrain Vehicle rides to visit the various SME businesses run by the villagers.
Away from the city: With lots of fresh air and a scenic view, Tanjung Karang is an ideal place for a homestay programme.
To wrap up the expedition, the organisers arranged for the participants to take to the air, with paragliding in Bukit Jugra on the agenda.
While gliding serenely in the sky, the participants witnessed the beauty of Selangor’s coastline set against a scenic panorama of the Straits of Malacca.
To find out more about the Sungai Sireh homestay programme, contact Faez at 019-318 8220 or Selamat at 013-305 1470 while the Sungai Lang homestay programme can be contacted at 03-3180 1021 or 016-341 7539.
Alternatively, visit www.skm.gov.my for more information.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Lush greenery: The view from the top of Bukit Jugra.
Selangor is offering homestay programmes at several Malay villages for tourists to sample the quintessential kampung life.
FOR a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, and an opportunity to experience the kampung life, take a short break and explore the various homestay programmes offered in Selangor.
Recently, Gaya Travel magazine and the Malaysia Co-Operative Societies Commission (MCSC) organised a four-day, three-night trip for the media to showcase some of the tourism-related products and services offered by MCSC.
During the trip, participants were given the opportunity to sample village life by staying with various keluarga angkat or host families.
The first stop was in Sungai Sireh, Tanjung Karang.
The picturesque village is a two-hour drive from the Kuala Lumpur city centre and has been labelled one of the important rice-growing communities in Malaysia.
Set amidst acres of padi fields, the village offers views of sweeping vistas and can be considered a quintessential Malay kampung.
The villagers in Sungai Sireh are a friendly lot and most actively participate in the homestay programmes.
Once the visitors had settled down, they were introduced to their hosts.
Two of the hosts were Mohd Tohid Ahmad Jumadi and his wife, Sudarwati Abd Rahman, who put up four of the participants.
After a sumptuous meal cooked by Sudarwati, who insisted on being called mak (mother), the participants retired to their rooms for some much-needed rest.
During their stay, the participants were given the chance to participate in various activities in the village, including helping Mohd Tohid, or Wak as he prefers to be known as, harvest homegrown vegetables and fruits such as cili padi, ubi kayu (tapioca), bananas and passion fruit.
Ready to go: All-terrain vehicles are available at the homestay in Sungai Lang.
Participants were also given the chance to experience other typical activities in the village, including catching eels, fishing in the nearby river and harvesting rice.
For dinner, the participants joined the villagers for the iconic nasi ambeng, a local favourite, while watching cultural shows presented by youths from the village.
Surprisingly, some of the villagers, including mak, can communicate in basic Korean, an ability they picked up after welcoming hundreds of South Korean guests to the village as part of the homestay programme.
The second stop for the group was in Sungai Lang, Banting, where the host families included Othman Johari and his wife, Umi Salamah Dalail.
Here, the participants had the opportunity to sample Malay-Javanese cuisine.
Activities planned for the group included All-Terrain Vehicle rides to visit the various SME businesses run by the villagers.
Away from the city: With lots of fresh air and a scenic view, Tanjung Karang is an ideal place for a homestay programme.
To wrap up the expedition, the organisers arranged for the participants to take to the air, with paragliding in Bukit Jugra on the agenda.
While gliding serenely in the sky, the participants witnessed the beauty of Selangor’s coastline set against a scenic panorama of the Straits of Malacca.
To find out more about the Sungai Sireh homestay programme, contact Faez at 019-318 8220 or Selamat at 013-305 1470 while the Sungai Lang homestay programme can be contacted at 03-3180 1021 or 016-341 7539.
Alternatively, visit www.skm.gov.my for more information.
~News courtesy of The Star~
没有评论:
发表评论