By Nur Aimidiyana Zuher
PENANG, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- The homestay holiday programme is nothing new only that each progamme is unique.
The homestays offer a different experience altogether, other than the beautiful panorama of nature and cottage products.
Recently the writer had the opportunity to participate in the homestay programme organised by RM Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, and the Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda) with the cooperation of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) for a three day two night stay in Kampung Jalan Baru, Balik Pulau, in Penang.
Kampung Jalan Baru located not far from seashore is a Malay village that still maintains Malay customs and traditions, and the green environment.
The programme is part of the Rail Tourism promoted by the Tourism Ministry, with 29 media representatives and tour operators in the group starting off from KL Sentral and reaching Butterworth six hours later using Express Rakyat.
Obviously the participants were excited especially on the opportunity to board the 'leisure coach'.
Aboo Hassan Maiden, an officer with the marketing unit of KTMB Inter City noted that: "The leisure coach can accommodate 36 passengers and is equipped with a PA system and a karaoke set where passengers can seek entertainment throughout the journey."
CELEBRATING AIDILAHDA DURING HOMESTAY
As for the writer, getting on the train with the group was nostalgic especially when the last train ride was quite a while ago.
Throughout the journey to Kampung Jalan Baru the green view accompanied the writer and the thought how the group is going to be received appeared repeatedly.
Exactly at 12.30 midnight the group arrived in Kampung Jalan Baru. The grand welcome accompanied by kompang beats and the bunga manggar made the group forget that they were tired. The writer was touched by the villager's gesture to wait for the group late at night though it was the eve of Aidildha.
SACRIFICE
The `takbir' or the chanting of Allah's name at the break of dawn was an unforgettable experience, what more when it was the first time the writer celebrated Aidiladha in a village that she was new to.
By 8 am about 20 villagers were carrying out the sacrifice of eight cattle.
Zainol Ahmad, the coordinator for the Kampung Jalan Baru homestay and the village headman, noted that the sacrifice ritual is carried out collectively.
The meat is then taken to the mosque to be cooked and distributed to the 315 houses in the village.
By the second day, the host family felt like own family and their wonderful hospitality made the writer feel right like at home.
The sumptuous kampung spread for lunch was too tempting to the extent that the writer forgot that she was on a diet. The kampung fare like sour and spicy sting ray (asam pedas ikan pari), chicken curry, mixed vegetables, fried sting ray and soy sauce tasted delicious.
Meanwhile Mahadiah Salleh, 69, or affectionately called Tok Ngah said the menu was prepared using condiments that she ground herself to ensure better taste and aroma.
The group also spent some time visiting the cottage industries in the village, among others the making of kuih bahulu, bedak sejuk (wet facial powder) and paper crafts.
For kuih bahulu entrepreneur Puan Faridah Ali, 42, she has been in the business for the last eight years and records sales between RM1,000 and 1,500 monthly.
"The kuih bahulu in north is different from the ones found elsewhere and it is soft and tastier, and moreover I don't keep them for long and only make them when there are orders," she said.
Have anyone tried wet powder added with sea cucumber, aloe vera, rambai skin extract or goat's milk?. If not Kampung Jalan Baru is the right place to source them.
While watching how the bedak sejuk is made the writer got to know the person behind the venture, Zaimah Jamaluddin, 34.
The idea to make the bedak sejuk cropped up when Zaimah visited her relatives in Kedah.
The Bedak sejuk is sold between RM2 and RM 3.50 and Zaimah is now planning to come up with bedak sejuk using cinammon that can help treat scars and acne.
PAPER CRAFT
Other than this, the writer also had the opportunity to see how old newspapers are used to make beautiful baskets or vases.
According to Penang Tourism Director, Jamie Yeoh, the homestay programme in the village is among the nine in the state.
"The unique offering here is the Balik Pulau durian, which comes into season from May to July," she said.
Jamie said this homestay programme that started in 2007 is expected to see between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors next year.
"We are in the process of encouraging homestay operators to come up with their own website, facebook and blogs to help promote their homestays, apart from the Ministry's official portal www.go2homestay.com," she said to Bernama.
Meanwhile, the advisor to Penang's Homestay Advisor Muhamad Farid Saad noted that the collective participation of the villagers will help boost the homestay offering and put their village in the tourism map.
"They not only can earn income from their home but also from cottage products, including seafood and agriculture," he said.
-- BERNAMA: A Memorable Homestay Experience In Kampung Jalan Baru (20 DEC 2010)
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