Malaysia Homestay Programme – Life in the Country

If you want a break away from the hustle and bustle of city life, don't head for the beach immediately. There are many other choices besides sun, sand and sea vacations. To see how locals truly live, you need to know and appreciate their culture and heritage.

By participating in the Malaysia Homestay Programme, visitors will take part in activities such like plucking tropical fruits in an orchard and learn to play a traditional musical instrument or the steps to a cultural dance.Other interesting pursuits include harvesting local crops, visiting a fish farm, and indulging in traditional pastimes such as kite-flying and top spinning. The locals might stage a mock-wedding that showcases the local customs and rituals especially for visitors.

The Malaysia Homestay Programme which won the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2012 Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance enables tourists to experience kampung village lifestyle, culture, agriculture and cuisine. This programme is a good opportunity for children to find out a side of life that they do not get to experience - waking up to the call of birds early in the morning and playing traditional games like top-spinning - things that are different from the city life that they are used to.

Tourists will live with a local family throughout their stay in the programme. There are homestays available in every state of the country.

The Banghuris, Sungai Sireh and Sungai Haji Dorani homestays for instance, are situated only an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city.

Visitors to Kampung Pelegong in Negeri Sembilan can savour tropical fruits freshly plucked from the orchard, while a stay at Kampung Seri Tanjung, Melaka, enables visitors to make a trip to the many Dutch and Portuguese historical landmarks there.

For a taste of island life, visitors can head to the Desa Wang Tok Rendong and Pulau Tuba homestays in Langkawi. Cottage industries such as batik-painting and songket-weaving are commonly found at homestays in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu.

Experience genuine Malaysian warmth and let the homespun hospitality work its charm!

Article from Tourism Malaysia. 2012. For more information about this article, click HERE. All credits to Tourism Malaysia.

Penang

Author: Mellissa Seah

Article written for www.natastravel.com, copyright (c) 2013. 

Looking for a short getaway with your family or friends without burning a hole in your pocket (we know what Bangkok does to your wallet!)? Hop onto a plane (or bus) and head down to Penang, Malaysia! Singaporeans love food, and Penang is known as a food paradise, so why….. not?!

Stay

Book a dormitory bed with a shared bathroom (or a private ensuite room) at Old Penang Guesthouse! Old Penang Guesthouse is a pre-war building that has been restored into a lodging facility. Its old world heritage charm, coupled with modern facilities and top notch service, has earned it’s current ranking of #3 in Tripadvisor(R). Conveniently located on Love Lane, Georgetown, means that it is a walking distance from many attractions. This value for money accommodation for travellers has been tested and proven by yours truly. ;)   

    

A bed in the mixed dormitory with a shared bathroom starts from RM25.

Eat

Assam Laksa; The best Assam Laksa is at Air Itam hawker, which you will pass by on the way up to Kek Lok Si or Penang Hill.

Curry Mee; My favourite is at at Lebuh Chulia night hawker stalls. These hawker stalls are operated on makeshift push carts so you might be a little worried about hygiene. But hey, street stalls always serve the best food! My friend had to have it another time before heading back to Singapore!

Duck Kway Chap; Lebuh Kimberley is home to a famous push cart kway chap stall. Being featured in the media occasionally, this particular stall faces brisk business in the evenings. I’m usually not a fan of kway chap but I enjoyed this. Must try!

Cost of dishes from hawker stalls start from RM3.

Do

Look out for street art; Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharavic gave old walls around Georgetown a new lease of life in conjunction with Penang’s Georgetown Festival. These walls have since become visitors’ focus and top visiting spots. I  had so much fun exploring the streets and hunting down the different murals, and had fun taking photos with them. A pity though, that some of these paintings have faded due to the eratic weather.  Look out for steel sculptures too, made by Sculpture at Work!

Spend an afternoon at Penang Hill; Escape the heat in Penang and proceed to Penang Hill with cooler climate, approximately 833 metres above the capital of Penang. It is accessible by the Penang Hill Railway, costing RM8 for locals and RM30 for foreigners for a 2 way trip. You can chill out at one of the cafes with a book or get in touch with nature by checking out the flora and fauna. A good place to relax, recharge and rejuvenate away from the bustling town!

I spent 4 days 3 nights in Penang, which isn’t sufficient to explore all of Penang, missing out on Batu Ferriangi and  Gurney area. Total cost of the trip, excluding airfare was about RM250, which is a pretty good steal for a short getaway. Check with a NATAS Travel Agent!

The author is a student of University of Las Vegas (UNLV).