Learn how to forage for food in the jungle from an Orang Asli guide

Umah Temuan is a community-driven tourism venture in Kampung Serendah, Hulu Langat. — 3M

Looking for a unique travel experience but don’t really want to journey too far away from home? Check out Umah Temuan, a rustic homestay in an Orang Asli village.

Nestled amid the Serendah Forest in Hulu Selangor, Selangor, Umah Temuan is a community-driven tourism venture involving two social enterprises – Epic and Native Discovery – and 3M Malaysia. This homestay initiative was developed and set up by the three organisations to empower the Orang Asli people of Kampung Serendah with sustainable economic opportunities.

The fully furnished homestay is expected to help the Temuan tribe – the largest Orang Asli group in Selangor – generate some income for their community, via tourism activities. Guests will get to learn some basic jungle survival skills from their Orang Asli hosts like building a fire and foraging for food, and other fun skills like weaving bertam leaves for roof thatches.

There are also opportunities to cook some Orang Asli dishes in a traditional kitchen.

Apart from that, guests can also go jungle-trekking, do a bit of bird-watching and swim in the waterfalls. The village, located about 40km from Kuala Lumpur, is near the Serendah Waterfalls, a popular spot for relaxing and picnicking.

“The Temuan village in Kampung Serendah has a lot to offer in terms of culture and experiences.

To spotlight their colourful heritage and way of living, we devised a community-based homestay initiative that will boost the local economy while promoting the local culture, that will ultimately become a self-sustaining ecosystem,” said John-Son Oei, the chief executive officer of Epic, in a statement. Epic is a social enterprise and non-profit organisation that has been involved in many community development projects in Malaysia for more than a decade.

When developing Umah Temuan, Epic made sure to highlight the tribe’s traditions and cultures, by integrating them into the architecture.

For example, high-pitched roofs, locally sourced atap bertam and bamboo wall panel weaving were all used to cultivate an understanding of and appreciation for the Orang Asli’s heritage.

“At Epic, we believe that creating a better world is a shared responsibility. With the combined efforts of a US$50,000 (RM199,000) grant from 3Mgives, Native’s expertise and the invaluable skills of the Temuan people, we are determined to make Umah Temuan Malaysia’s go-to domestic travel destination,” Oei said.

Native, a social enterprise that partners with the Orang Asli to create community-based ventures around the country, takes care of the Umah Temuan bookings via their website. Native also offers homestay experiences in several other indigenous communities in Malaysia.