From Malay Mail · · 2m
A rainforest stay in Kelantan for RM40 a night
Deep in Gua Musang, an Orang Asli village is betting that clear rivers and cheap chalets can turn its forest into a living.
In brief
Deep in Gua Musang, an Orang Asli village is betting that clear rivers and cheap chalets can turn its forest into a living. Dakoh's pitch is a rainforest holiday almost anyone can afford, but it only pays off for the Orang Asli if the agencies build skills and access without sanding down the culture. Originally…
A village with a view
Dakoh sits in Pos Balar, Gua Musang, ringed by rainforest and a clear, rocky river. Officials think the whole package is strong enough to pull visitors from outside Malaysia.
Built for mud and engines
The terrain is the draw for extreme motorsports and 4x4 off-roading crowds, the kind of tourists who travel for a hard route rather than a soft one.
Culture as income
Kelantan JKKN director Rohaniza Abdullah says heritage and traditional arts can pay, with the Orang Asli turning what is already theirs into earnings.
“They (the Orang Asli) can turn these natural resources into a source of income.”
Training without dilution
Rohaniza's condition is that skills support must keep coming, and that none of it waters down the authenticity of the community's traditional arts.
“efforts by the authorities to enhance their expertise must be continuous, without compromising the authenticity”
RM40 a night
Traditional chalets go for as little as RM40 a night beside the river. Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim wants infrastructure upgraded first, for comfort and safety.
Who pays for it
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture sets policy and hands out the grants for facility upgrades, tying Dakoh to a national push for Orang Asli to earn from domestic tourism.
Get permission first
The route crosses a Permanent Forest Reserve, so visitors need prior approval from the authorities. Wildlife encounters are a real risk on the way in.
“the route traverses a Permanent Forest Reserve area where there is a risk of wildlife encounters”
Not left behind
JPNIN deputy director Mohd Anuari Mohd Yusof frames Dakoh as a unity project, keeping the Orang Asli inside the mainstream agenda rather than outside it.
“this minority cultural heritage is recognised, preserved, and promoted as part of the Madani society's identity”
What a visitor found
Mohd Halim Mohamed Zaid, 47, came from Kuala Lumpur for extreme sports and got parking, a hall, cooking facilities and a playing field with his chalet.
Rushing water, no traffic
Halim says sleeping inside the rainforest is nothing like city life, and that better facilities would make more people pick Dakoh over the usual destinations.
“we can truly appreciate the beauty of nature and listen to the soothing sounds of rushing water”
What to remember
Dakoh's pitch is a rainforest holiday almost anyone can afford, but it only pays off for the Orang Asli if the agencies build skills and access without sanding down the culture.
