Kampung Style Homestay Tourism Houses

130 kampung houses for tourists

Sunday November 19, 2006

BALIK PULAU: A total of 130 houses in traditional villages in Penang will be made available for homestay programmes for Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

Penang bumiputra tourism chairman Muhamad Farid Saad said the programme would start as soon as the Tourism Ministry gave out licences to homestay operators.

“The demand from foreign tourists to stay in real kampung surroundings is encouraging,” he said after launching the Kampung Jalan Baru homestay programme and also a recycling campaign yesterday.

Some 80 foreign tourists, who were invited to the opening ceremony, were treated to a Malay-style kenduri (feast) complete with traditional dance performances.

PICTURE PERFECT: A foreign tourist posing in front of a typical stilt Malay house in Kampung Jalan Baru in Balik Pulau after the launch of the homestay programme on Saturday. Cooking demonstrations were also held to show the tourists how to prepare rendang, lemang and traditional cakes.

Muhamad Farid, who is also Pulau Betong assemblyman, said there were plans to include villages in Pulau Betong in Balik Pulau, Penang island, as well as Sungai Semilang and Kampung Juru in Juru, Pulau Aman and Mengkuang Titi, all in Seberang Prai, in the programme.

“We are making arrangements with hotels to include a 2-day/1-nightstay in villages as a package,” he said.

“We want the tourists to experience living in a kampung for at least one night.”

Muhamad Farid said the council had adopted Kampung Jalan Baru to promote the programme and had allocated RM60,000 to develop and beautify the village.

“The Drainage and Irrigation Department, Kemas and the Agriculture Department also contributed RM35,000 to upgrade the infrastructure in Kampung Jalan Baru,” he said.

He said the Tourism Ministry had allocated RM200,000 to plant 147 varieties of palm trees in the district.

“We will beautify the 20km tourism belt in Sungai Pinang, Sungai Rusa and Permatang Pasir areas,” he said.
- The Star

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