Have you stayed in an authentic kampong house? Growing up in a metropolis like Singapore, I’ve only heard stories of kampong life from my parents, grandparents and older neighbours who lived or were raised in Singapore prior to the 1970s.

Even in Malaysia today, kampong stays have become a novelty to tourists so I felt privilege to be able to experience my very first Kampong Staycation in Farmstay Relau in Kedah, Northern Malaysia.

Why you should stay at Farmstay Relau?

Located 44 km from Batu Ferringhi and 48km from Sungai Petani, Farmstay Relau is located away from the hustle and bustle of the city where you can truly immerse in the kampong way of life. Farmstay Relau is surrounded by a vast forest with an abundance of fruits, primarily durians. It makes for a great getaway for you and the family to savour the organic home-grown flavours, lush landscapes, fresh air and experience a space for healing and reflection in an authentic Malaysian farm stay.

Accommodations

Here are the Kampong Houses that are available in Farmstay Relau.

Huts	Breakfast	Bed	Air-Con	Rooms
Chalet Superior	2 pax	1 King 2 Super Single	✓	–
Teratak Penang	4 pax	1 King 2 Super Single	✓	–
Teratak Kedah	4 pax	4 Super Single	✓	1
Teratak Perak	4 pax	6 Super Single	✓	2
Teratak Perlis	4 pax	5 Super Single	✓	2
Cottage A (1 Level)	4 pax	6 Super Single	✓	–
Cottage B (2 Level)	4 pax	8 Super Single	✓	–

I stayed in the Chalet Superior House facing the pool. The structure of this house has the distinctive features of the kampong houses of old similarly with most of the other houses available in Farmstay Relau. It features the high sloping roof and raised floor to protect it against rain.

Note: Please be reminded to remove your footwear before entering the premises for sanitary reasons and as per local beliefs.

The interior reminded me of old movies from Malaya’s Golden Age of Cinema that I fondly remembered watching with my late grandmother as a child. It has a nostalgic ambience, like I was transported back into the past, if not for a few modern luxuries like air-con and the television.

I was exhausted from the day’s activities so I fell asleep almost instantly and woke up bright and early at 5am. There is water heater while you shower so you don’t have to worry about water being cold. Do take note that this is an authentic farm stay, so you have to keep an open mind and leave your city mindset behind.

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Dining

We had our breakfast and dinner at the dining space which was sheltered with wash basins so you can easily wash up after yourselves. One of the highlights of this trip was the delicious food here – from the fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish and all the traditional kueh-kueh. Everything was fresh and organic from the land around Farmstay Relau. The food may not look aesthetic but every dish served was so sooo good, I took multiple servings!

You must have durians at Farmstay Relau.

Relau is well-known for the durians. Big fleshy pieces, not the small cute ones. They were so good, we all just gathered and nicely whacked them by the buckets. Advisable to open the durians one by one, so as not to contaminate them, the flies were attracted to them too since they are super fresh and organic. Have rambutans (which are also delicious and are known for in Relau) on stand-by to cool down as durians are very heaty. Watch the Instagram Stories to see our durian-feast in Farmstay Relau.

Activities

Because Farmstay Relau is located amidst the lush forest of Relau, most of the activities are nature-bound. Frankly, I was not expecting any physical activities here so I was curious to learn that we can take the ATV up to the top of the hill to have a bird’s eye view of Farmstay Relau and gladly went along with the group as a pillion to our tour guide, Melvin.

I anticipated the ride to be quite bumpy but the dirt tracks were narrow too! We were accompanied by one of the Farmstay Relau uncle who was clearly very experienced. Our ATVs got stuck numerous times and he helped to carry our ATVs out of the mud. All our riders were brave and skilled to take on the challenge and have to commend them for their effort as we pillions clung on to the ATV while they navigated the tough terrain.

Check out the amazing view. Be advised to take the ATV ride only with an experienced Farmstay Relau crew member. It was an experience I don’t think I’ll forget easily.

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Things to Note

• Farmstay Relau does not accommodate Hen’s, Stag or similar parties.
• Reminder to remove shoes before entering your hut.
• Refrain from wearing anything revealing such as bikinis and exposed sports attire to be respectful to the local customs.
• No non-halal food, alcohol, smoking/vaping and drugs are allowed.
• Lights around the area will turn off at midnight so be advised not to wander off too late.
• Be advised that the dirt paths uphill are narrow so only ride the ATV if you are experienced and be accompanied by a crew member.

Getting to Farmstay Relau

Address:
Farmstay Relau, Lot 1014 Kampung Paya Semambu Relau, Bandar Bahru, Kedah, 14290 Malaysia
Tel: +60 17 495 8465

We took a vintage school bus as we were a big group and our tour bus was not able to fit through the narrow road leading to Farmstay Relau. We had a scenic ride as we drove pass villages, lush forest and even stalls selling traditional snacks like Goreng Pisang (fried banana), sights that I won’t be able to see back home today. It truly was a nostalgic experience and I went home with a handful of stories and memories from my stay in Farmstay Relau.

Watch Behind the Scenes of the Tourism Malaysia Press Trip>>>

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Reference:
Farmstay Relau
Tourism Malaysia

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