# 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.
- Title: A rainforest stay in Kelantan for RM40 a night · Malay Mail
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: ecotourism, orang asli, kelantan, travel, community tourism, news, world, rainforest, stay, RM40, night, Malay Mail
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/life/2026/09/13/dakoh-rainforest-chalets-and-crystal-rivers-anchor-kelantans-orang-asli-tourism-ambitions/235050
- Published: 2026-09-13T21:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: ecotourism, orang asli, kelantan, travel, community tourism, news, world
## 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
## Key takeaway

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.