for an utterly charming and quaint experience in a traditional Malay kampung
For many of us, accommodation while travelling would unquestionably be at a hotel. For others, a motel, inn, travel lodge or hostel would be acceptable. Whatever you fancy, these types of accommodation have one thing in common – uniformity in décor and furnishings and a standard commercial approach. So why then do some people these days choose to stay in home based accommodation? In essence, it is a stay in someone’s house. Perhaps they appreciate the personal touch that comes with spending a night in someone’s house. Undeniably, that is obviously a different experience from the usual hotel room.
Well, for some people, staying in a home, even if it isn’t your own home, is miles better than staying in a hotel room. More so if you are the type of traveller who is looking for an experience worth remembering, worth documenting and worth telling your friends and family once you get back home.
With this in mind, Puan Fauzilah binti Khamis established her business which she has named Sri Pinang KampungStay. For those who don’t know, “Kampung” means “village” in Bahasa Melayu. Sri Pinang takes its name after the kampong in which it is located. For the traveller looking for something different, this probably is your answer. Have you seen a rice paddy field or walked along the dividers in the field known in Malay as “batas”? Would you like to stay in a house smack in the middle of a paddy field which looks like a lush giant green carpet? Gotten up, close and personal with a flock of geese, ducks and free range chickens? Caught your own fish in a pond filled with floating lotus flowers and lily pads?
If all that appeals to you, then look no further. Sri Pinang KampungStay promises you a unique, unforgettable and exciting experience. It is a modern Malay house in a traditional Malay village. Locating it would probably be easier with a GPS device as it is about 1.5km off the Tanjung Kling main road in Malacca. The house boasts all the comforts of modern living and is extremely clean, inviting and prettily decorated. There is no air-conditioning in any of the 3 spacious bedrooms simply because no air-conditioning is necessary. Cool, fresh air blows in from the paddy fields and temperatures can dip at night. That is the true kampong experience. At dawn, prepare to be woken up by chirping birds and crowing cockerels. The geese would also contribute to the general cacophony.
Some of you may be wondering now….. so what is there to do then? Well, the answer is PLENTY! Have a home cooked traditional Malay breakfast and then venture out to explore the outdoors. Make sure you take lots of pictures and pose like Bollywood movie stars in the middle of the vast paddy fields. If the weather is bright and sunny, you can be guaranteed stunning pictures. (By the way, that is one of the reasons why wedding photography at this location is popular). After that, rent a bicycle or motorbike from the local villagers and go exploring. Cycling or biking around the village is relatively safe. There are few cars and almost no heavy vehicles. The villagers are friendly and if you ask nicely, very obliging with tourists. Eating shacks, or what we call “warung” are aplenty so if you feel hungry or thirsty mid-way, just stop and take a break. Have a glass of pulled tea (tehtarik) and savour the fragrant, rich and milky brew while watching the world go by at a slower pace. Most warung sell local cakes and sweets known as “kuih” and also local favourites like fried noodles, curry noodles, laksa, nasilemak and other mouth -watering delicacies.
If you have a car, venture out on the main road and explore the areas around there like Tanjung Kling, Klebang, Bukit Rambai, Tanjung Bidara and Pengkalan Balak. My tip is to Google these places and check out the attractions at each of these places. For starters, Tanjung Kling is famous for the long stretch of beach named Pantai Puteri, the weekly night market, the Hailam Fishing Village and Hang Tuah’s Tomb.
This area is by the coast and the sea is always nearby. On your way, you’ll come across small stalls selling local foodstuff like belacan, cencalok, gula Melaka, keropok and salted fish. Make sure you buy some as gifts for your friends and family. These are food that Melaka is famous for and form the key ingredients in many of Melaka’s signature dishes.
In the evenings and at night, you can either watch TV (Sri Pinang KampungStay has a brand new flat screen LED TV for those who take their TV seriously) and satellite TV is also available offering many channel choices. Alternatively, you can venture outside for some entertainment, kampong style, of course. Night activities in the Kampung Sri Pinang would probably include a silat practice or sparring session and if you are lucky, perhaps a local wedding may be taking place. Silat, for the uninitiated, is a Malay form of self-defence and is traditionally practiced by young Malay men and even women. Weddings are often elaborate affairs and can run for several days when full traditions are observed.
However, tourists’ attractions, facilities and amenities form only part of a traveller’s experience and not the whole experience. When choosing home based accommodation, the operator plays a major role in ensuring the happiness, enjoyment and satisfaction of the traveller. We asked the operator and owner of Sri Pinang KampungStay on what made her decide to start this business and her reply was her own love of travel. Hospitality comes naturally to PuanFauzilah and one can see that she takes great pride in making her guests feel welcome and comfortable. PuanFauzilah is assisted by her friendly mother and these 2 charming ladies waste no time in making one feel at home. Home cooked traditional Malay cuisine can be arranged upon request at additional charges and we have been informed that the cook, Puan Fauzilah’s mother, is perfectly capable of cooking up a storm and feeding her guests well. We don’t doubt that for an instance! If you aren’t familiar with Malacca’s roads, guided tours to famous historical sites and tourist attractions can also be arranged. Just be sure to check with the operator for more details.
So, take a detour from the ordinary and book a stay at Sri Pinang KampungStay. For more pictures, rates, list of amenities and payment policy, please visit this (link).
contributed by
Linda Phua Sue Lin,
Chief Executive Officer,
Perbadanan Hang Tuah Jaya