Founded in 1916, Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani is steeped in history. The irrigation canals built by the British for the rice fields about 100 years ago are still in good condition and lend a rustic look to the lush yellow-green village of wooden houses amid rice fields.

Some 40 families are involved in the homestay program in Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani since its inception eight years ago. The villagers are mostly of Malay, Javanese and Banjar descent. To date, the village has become a preferred destination for tourists from Europe, Japan, Korea, Middle East and Singapore.

The villagers normally welcome their homestay guests with a fresh green coconut drink and teach them the Javanese word “kabare-kabare“ which means “how are you“ in English. As part of the welcome gesture, guests are given the opportunity to colour the pieces of near completed batik (wax and dye) material, which they will then keep as a memento of their visit.

There is never a boring moment for guests are kept busy with a myriad of activities, especially during the harvesting season (between July and early August).

Many visitors get a first-hand experience of harvesting and fishing in the traditional way. It is fascinating to catch fresh water fish like puyu and eel in the paddy field using a bamboo trap called bubu. At the kite-making session, guests are taught how to make and fly kites.

More adventurous visitors who catch their own crabs and cockle by the sea, just two miles from the village, can also grill and eat their catch there.

A popular agricultural activity in the village is mango farming. Traditional wooden houses are surrounded by more than 400 mango trees. Visitors get to taste the freshly cut and juicy mangoes served by their host.

If they wish to buy the mangoes, they can pluck them from the trees heavy with fruits. Mango is sold at RM3.50 (C$1.08) per kilogram.

Guests also learn how to make bahulu (a small traditional sponge cake) and banana chips in the homes. The village is famous for its delicious local snacks such as bahulu, banana chips and “love letters”(a wafer biscuit).

At night, the gamelan (a traditional musical instrument) is played and homestay guests can learn to dance the kuda kepang (a traditional Javanese dance) and the silat (a traditional Malay martial art).

In the dark hours after sunset, hundreds of owls come out looking for prey and most homes there have their own owls to help protect their rice fields from rats.

The Firefly Park Resort at Kampung Bukit Belimbing is about an hour away from the village. The glow of hundreds of fireflies at night is a sight to behold.

Visitors willing to cruise along the river in total darkness and eerie silence are rewarded with a dazzling view of fireflies decorating trees with their synchronised twinkling lights. It is an enchanting and unforgettable experience.

The Firefly Park Resort has chalets and a seafood restaurant. It also offers activities such as fishing and boat rides to visitors.

The Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani villagers do not receive guests during the fasting month and Hari Raya. But they often do not have the heart to refuse requests made by tourists, especially Singaporean Muslims to experience the fasting month and Hari Raya at their village.

How To Get There

Hop on the Sabak Bernam express bus at Puduraya Bus Station in Kuala Lumpur and get off when you arrive at the Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani junction. A representative from the village will be there to pick you up.