Explore the hidden Lenggong Valley and get to know rural Malaysia
When I traveled to Malaysia, I really wanted to stay in a homestay in a rural part of the country. Having worked in community tourism in Peru, I was excited to gain more insight into this approach in another destination. So, I went to Rumah Tiang 16 homestay in Lenggong. In the 3 days I spent there, I learned more about Malay culture than in the rest of my trip combined.
Read all about the homestay experience and Lenggong’s UNESCO heritage site, hidden in a stunning rural region of Malaysia.
Here, you can get directly to the videos about the experience.
Arrival at Nash’s homestay in Lenggong
Arriving in Lenggong, I met my local Malay guide, Nash. He welcomed me at his beautiful home in Lenggong, where I spent the following two nights. (Note that shorter stays are possible, but I would recommend the long version.)
Although Nash is originally from the area, he spent a lot of time exploring abroad before eventually returning to his roots. His growing awareness and pride in his region led him back home, and he became a pioneer in developing tourism in the Lenggong Valley. The latter was designated a UNESCO site in 2012 thanks to its archaeological significance.
Next to Nash, I met Daniel, a videographer who filmed parts of my stay, and Kak Mah, a local woman aspiring to become a guide. Not only did she learn from Nash during our stay, but she also played a vital role in balancing the man-woman ratio of our little group. (As a woman, me traveling alone with one or two local men would have been culturally problematic, especially in such a rural part of Malaysia.)
All about locally sourced food
It didn’t take long for the first culinary experience to be on the agenda. Usually, I am not a “foodie” at all when traveling. So it’s even more surprising that I’m bringing the subject up first. But the variety of dishes, vegetables, spices, and cooking methods I learned about at the homestay just really impressed me.
Every time we ate, my companions explained each dish on the table (or on the floor) to me. There were always lots of vegetarian options prepared for me, as I don’t normally eat fish and meat. But I did try a little bit of everything, from veggies to eggs, meat and fish, because food is a significant part of Malay culture and the homestay experience.
As I’m not used to eating with my hands, I ate slowly and not nearly as much as I’d have wanted to. I hope Nash knows that I ate a little less just because I couldn’t keep up with them, not because I didn’t like the dishes. (I loved them.)
What I also loved is the fact that eating wasn’t just a means to an end. Instead, it’s about the people who prepare it, coming together and cherishing local production and a healthy lifestyle. During mealtimes, I learned a lot about Malay culture.
The rural communities of Lenggong
Continuing the tour, we met many local families in the Lenggong Valley. Visibly, Nash cares not only about his region but also about its people. Through his tour, he found a way to include other community members in tourist experiences and generate extra income for them.
Not only is this what community tourism is really about, but it was also the most enjoyable part of the tour. I still don’t find it easy to have genuine, extended interactions with local people on a holiday. That’s why meeting new community members every day was special to me, whether it was having lunch at a local family’s place, learning about Malay traditional games, or going for a boat ride.
The locals were always curious. “Are you married? Why are you not married?” was the typical question I would get from them. In a different context, I’d be offended by such a question, wondering why people care more about my relationship status than my personal interests and talents.
But I understood quickly that in rural Malaysia, family means everything. Being together, caring, and supporting each other is what matters most here. And that is far from being a bad thing.
Lenggong’s UNESCO heritage site and its rural surroundings
As I already admitted, I was all focused on the homestay experience, rural life in Malaysia, and the Malay culture during my stay at Nash’s. Nevertheless, I don’t want to downplay the archaeological significance of Lenggong Valley.
The area became a UNESCO site because it holds one of the oldest records of early human activity outside of Africa and offers an unusually continuous timeline of prehistoric life. The famous Perak Man’s skeleton was found here, Asia’s most complete skeleton from the Paleolithic era, dating back 11.000 years.
During the tour, Nash took us to numerous sites throughout the valley, each one a piece of a puzzle that ultimately forms a bigger picture. I believe his passion and knowledge of the site’s history are enormous, and I could feel how important it was for him to pass that knowledge on to me.
Sometimes, I wandered off a little bit, as I was so amazed by the beautiful surroundings. On our journey through time, we passed caves, rock formations, lakes, forests, and rice fields. Sadly, we spent a significant amount of time in the car to reach all stops on the agenda. As a passionate ‘walker’, I was dreaming of traveling some of the distance on foot.
To this day, I really want to go back and go for a stroll through the peaceful rice fields. Most likely, the locals would never understand why I like the idea of walking around in the unforgiving heat. It was just such a quiet, green place, where the world still seemed intact. If I went back now, I would plan an extra day to explore some of Lenggong’s surrounding nature.
Palm oil plantations as far as the eye can reach
The stark opposite of intact are the abundant palm oil plantations all over the country. As I was studying forests at Wohllebens Waldakademie at the time of visiting Malaysia, I really wanted to see such a plantation. I wanted to feel the humidity of the soil (which turned out to be zero), the temperatures inside the plantations, and see the palm oil fruit.
While Nash was super focused and passionate about his archaeological story, I only had eyes for the palm trees (I am exaggerating, of course). I think he didn’t quite understand my fascination with something so unnatural.
Still, he managed to give me some time to look at the plantations, which finally made me happy. It’s insane to think that these plantations cover 17% of the country. Malaysia and Indonesia have the highest plantation coverage worldwide, largely because of our own consumption back home.
This is not a call for you to stop consuming palm oil. You already know how important it is to consider what we consume. It’s rather an invitation to seize the opportunity when in Malaysia or Indonesia to enter one of these huge plantations, and let the impressions sink in. Then, go into the jungle and do the same. The contrast is shocking.
If you want to find out more about palm oil and why it might not be just as bad, read the excursus at the end of the page.
Daniel and his hometown, Ipoh
The videographer, Daniel, became a good friend of mine, and I’m still in contact with him today. He is very curious about everything and matches my energy perfectly. Daniel is also extremely knowledgeable about his own country (I should take a page from his book, honestly), and Malay culture and religion. So, whenever we had spare time between activities, he explained even more details or shared personal anecdotes with me.
After the homestay experience, Daniel took me to Ipoh, his hometown, where I met his mum and dad. This was where I learned what Malaysian hospitality means. “Come in, feel at home, and have some food” seems to be the motto. Daniel’s mum was so excited about his new European friend, hugged me several times, and didn’t let me leave without taking various pictures with me.
But Daniel was in a hurry because he wanted to show me around the city. We had little time, as I already had another train booked. So I watched Daniel getting stressed, trying to teach me everything about Ipoh in just one hour. This was obviously impossible, and I felt bad that we didn’t have more time together.
What I took from this was that Ipoh is absolutely worth a visit! I learned that most visitors don’t make their way to this city, and even I, traveling somewhat off the beaten path, wasn’t really aware of it before.
But the way Daniel couldn’t hold his breath with historical and cultural stories from his town was the best advertisement for Ipoh. Don’t miss it when you go to Malaysia, and find yourself a Malaysian travel buddy (possibly from a homestay?) who loves their hometown.
Is Rumah Tiang 16 for you?
Malaysia has plenty of destinations to offer, and if you only have a few weeks available, you’ll have to choose. Personally, I skipped some very well-known places like Georgetown, Langkawi and the Perhentian Islands. I am grateful my way took me to Lenggong, Ipoh and Pangkor Island instead.
Here, I had the opportunity to experience rural Malaysian life and learned a lot about the country and its people. If you want to meet some Malaysians, dive deep into their culture, and get answers to your questions about Malaysia, Rumah Tiang 16 homestay is for you.
As mentioned before, I would even have spent extended time in the area of Lenggong if I’d known better. You’ll most likely need to rent a car to do so. Nash will surely be able to advise you on this.
Videos about the homestay experience
My personal experience:
Official advertising video:
(Both videos have been created by Daniel Chew.)
Excursus: How bad is palm oil really?
You probably know that palm oil is a major threat to the environment. In fact, it is the biggest threat to orangutans right now. And we still consume it in large quantities. Palm oil can be found in every second product in our supermarkets, and we can hardly imagine life without it.
Indonesia and Malaysia are the biggest producers of palm oil, providing 85% of the world’s demand. As a result, more and more of their jungles are being converted into plantations.
None of us likes hearing that. So, what can we do? Should we boycott palm oil and give up half the products we buy? The answer is more complicated than you might have thought. The clue is that any alternative to palm oil is even worse. Soy, sunflower oil, and rapeseed plantations can deliver only a fourth of the production that a palm oil plantation can. They use even more space to produce the same amount of oil.
As you can see, the solution is not here yet. But that doesn’t mean we should stay calm and keep buying whatever we want while we wait for a solution. What we can do is cut back on processed foods: Kit Kat, deep-frozen pizza, you name it. These products contain a significant amount of palm oil and, honestly, aren’t really the healthiest choice anyway.
(Note: I’m not affiliated with the homestay mentioned. This mention is entirely unpaid and independent.)