Living Off-The-Grid in Lenggong Valley, Malaysia
Dear friends around the world,
In recent years, it is common to hear stories of people or families who choose to live off-the-grid with limited modern facilities, especially in Western countries. These people adopt this unique lifestyle for various reasons. Some of them do so to maintain their financial freedom, while others opt to be closer to nature. Some are tired of the unhealthy lifestyle of urban living and many other reasons that vary.
While this lifestyle is more common in the West, it is very rare to encounter such a lifestyle in Asia, let alone Malaysia. Therefore, it is a pleasant surprise to read about a family who renounced the urban lifestyle and opted to live off-the-grid on a farm in the state of Perak, Malaysia. I was very happy to see this as it takes one person or family to start this and then others will follow. I really do hope many will follow this lifestyle in Malaysia.
After years of working as a structural engineer in a stressful corporate environment in the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, Ladia Kuta found his peace on a farm in Lenggong Valley, Perak. Several years later, he met his wife, Amy Tan, a like-minded lady who shares and supports his vision. Although “deprived” of many modern conveniences, the family enjoys and experiences the benefits of living close to nature. Here is their interesting story to share with you.
There is an incredible couple in Indonesia doing similar work on a much bigger scale by creating an eco-awareness school to educate our young people. This school is revolutionary in which it will help literally save our planet as well as our minds and please have a look.
I wanted to share this story to bring awareness to the pioneering spirit of this family and in the process bring awareness to this type of living which might eventually be the source of our individual sanity as well as the method to save our planet. I am hoping the courses they will give will grow and become something that spreads this type of lifestyle in Malaysia. I do thank Susan Tam and Coconuts KL for bringing this wonderful story to our Malaysian public. It is something I have been looking for. I do send this family my good wishes and good energy for success.
Sincerely, Tsem Rinpoche
Off-The-Grid: A Family Lives off a Farm in Lenggong and You Can Join Them
By Susan Tam | May 19, 2016
Lenggong Valley is well-known for its archaeological history, like the all-important Perak Man. But there is one other attraction: Permaculture Perak, a farmstay hidden in the lush jungle that offers a unique perspective of off-the-grid living.
Two-year-old Yanka Ladia perks up when she looks up to the sky, pointing out to her mum, Amy Tan that she’s heard an eagle.
The bright-eyed daughter of Tan and Ladia Kuta live on their farm in Lenggong, and has had a rather unique upbringing in this off-the-grid farmstay.
“It has given them (Yanka and her younger brother, Tadeus, one) a sense of great freedom, to explore and to have a very rich environment to stimulate their senses as well,” Tan told us after our visit to their rural home in Lenggong.
“Being in nature is like being in the best classroom, and there is no other better classroom that I can think of,” Tan said.
Tan was the founder and director of Zentrum, a somatic-based healing centre in Kuala Lumpur where she worked as a movement therapist and educator. Tan had been teaching and educating people afflicted with illnesses and injuries since 2004.
Since moving to Lenggong, the 36-year-old Pilates instructor has sold off her business in order to focus more on educating children and enriching others in the same environment Yanka and Tadeus are growing up in.
Amy Tan working on the farm. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Kuta and Tan have plans to run an informal school — or a series of courses — for not only children, but adults too.
“These programmes will be based on nature and its elements as well as practices that promote sustainable living.”
Tan feels that getting children comfortable in a natural environment, such as the jungle, is a “vitamin” to counter the lack of nature and outdoor stimulation that children have somewhat lost in the city.
Coconuts KL discovered that Kuta and Tan’s farm resemble the romantic narratives that we often hear or read of; how urbanites yearn for a stress-free and meaningful retreat and seek such spaces as a getaway from the smoky city and demanding environments of urban living.
An open plan kitchen where hosts and visitors help in preparing daily meals. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
A closer look at the wading pool. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Ladia Kuta and his daughter Yanka cutting tempe for dinner. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
But they warn, as they did on their website, that facilities at Permaculture Perak are pretty basic — without the usual comforts of city life — so as to allow visitors the chance to appreciate earth’s resources.
The farm is located on land that used to be a tea plantation, and they use the existing warehouses to host larger groups — professionals or college students — keen on learning about farm life and living closer to nature.
In a separate building, there are five rooms for guests who come as couples, friends or for families with young children. Kuta and Tan’s house is located just next to the guesthouse. Amidst the farm, there is a small wading pool in which guests and hosts can enjoy a dip on a sunny day.
All meals are provided at the farmstay, and guests and hosts can prepare these meals together. This usually involves making omelettes and bread, depending on the dietary requirements of the visitors.
They also offer tours of the land, where they house chickens and cows, getting a daily supply of eggs. Cows offer them a consistent supply of fertiliser to enrich the soil on the farm. This tour is part of a farmstay feature, which can be booked in advanced.
They grow their own vegetables and have a wide range of herbs, lime, tomatoes, nutmeg and eucalyptus, winter melon and turmeric – the blue and white kinds included.
“Growing our own food is a matter of prestige. Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others, I say,” 44-year-old Kuta explained. They make nutmeg candy, along with a refreshing nutmeg juice.
Nutmeg candy by Kuta and Amy. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Banana and nutmeg jam made by Amy Tan. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Ladia explains how a beehive works, while his daughter Yanka, observes. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Guests can choose any of the five rooms at the farmstay. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
They also prepare homes for bees in order to harvest fresh honey.
The former structural engineer retreated to the countryside after spending years working in corporate Kuala Lumpur.
His past job involved scaling buildings to check on safety aspects for the infrastructure industry. But he longed for something more meaningful.
Kuta is from a town called Pilsen in the Czech Republic. He saw an opportunity to practice farm-styled living in Lenggong in 2008. He met Tan a few years later when she was a guest at the farmstay.
Eggs being incubated. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Families or couples can stay at the farm. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Ladia Kuta picking turmeric along the drive up to their farm. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
The couple is currently leasing the land from the Perak state government, and they are in the midst of sorting out their permanent status to reside and use the land.
“Living off-the-grid is enjoyable but it has its challenges. The farmstay that we run, helps provide us some income, “ he adds.
The farm is located about 7 km from Lenggong town in UNESCO heritage site Lenggong Valley, but it is far from being connected to the usual utilities that we may be used to.
Kuta built his own solar system to supply a low voltage of 24W of electricity to the house. This supply is used only to power lights at night, a refrigerator and charge phones but this homemade power source teaches the family to use this resource more efficiently.
Permaculture Perak source their water from the mountain. All waste is recycled, reused and kitchen waste is made into a compost that will go into fertilising the vegetables.
Lenggong town. Photo: Susan Tam/Coconuts KL
Visitors can get to Lenggong by car, and will be picked up by the couple in their 4WD to be able to travel on the mountainous road and tackle the jungle setting.
The family’s relationship with nature is indeed a unique one as Tan summarises their lifestyle by stating that being on this farm had shown the family that it was possible to live well with very little and in simplicity.
“I would not have done anything differently since living here, because it would take the learning experience away and the experience of living (like this ) is very rich.”
The above information and pictures are extracted from: Coconuts KL (2016, May 19). Retrieved from: https://coconuts.co/kl/features/off-grid-nature-family-farm-retreat-lenggong-just/
Click here to learn more about Ladia Kuta and Permaculture Perak.
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- Scientists Have Discovered That Living Near Trees Is Good For Your Health
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Hi..I am 56 yrs old man and I live in Malacca which is a state in the west peninsular of Malaysia. Currently I trying to live a self sustainable life style as much as I can in a village just outside the city for almost 10yrs now.
I am doing goat farming to earn some income as to support myself also I’m living a very simple lifesyle and doing the best I can in providing my own food.
My intention is to live off the grid here in Malaysia
as soon as possible and hope to meet someone to join me together and be my companion.
Those you out there out there if you read this and having the same thoughts and ideas as mine just make your first step that is by corresponding to me at yasinhamzah025gmail
Thank you for the sharing, an inspiring article of a family growing up their kids and Living Off-The Grid in Lenggong Valley of Perak. I believe this is the positive mind set of the couples living closer to nature, explore to new ideas, being creativity, to live simple and happy with farming activities .
There are number of people who are attracted to mother nature, they love the breezing air, greenery environment, and healthy living. Not many love to do this in this modern era where technology are vast growing where people are looking for more comfort and luxury homes.
I loved the concept and the wonderful ideas of Tan and Ladia Kuta, being innovative, to facilitate, improve and to expend their living style. Thanks to The Coconut KL to introduce the Lenggong Valley and helping the couples to expend. Hope to get an opportunity to visit and enjoy the nature environment stay.
It’s really rare to encounter such a living off-the-grid lifestyle in Malaysia. Interesting there is a family that lives off a farm in Lenggong, Malaysia. First time coming across this news. A loving couple Ladia Kuta from the Czech Republic and his wife, Amy Tan found a place away from city life call home to them . Would love to visit them if i have the chance one day. ????????Thank you Rinpoche and the blog team to for sharing with us the story of this couple who chose to live in the forest of Lenggong Perak, Malaysia.????
This article is an attempt to understand what motivates people to choose adventure. A fantastic exploring of the couples Ladia Kunta and Amy Tan was absolutely amazing. This living off the grid in Lenggong Valley, in Ipoh Perak would be a place for those who a seeking to escape from their busy and hectic life style. Being well found that, Lenggong Valley is well-known for its archaeological history.
It is the site of the oldest known place of human activity in the Peninsula. Today it is still a rural area, with small kampongs surrounded by green vegetation and limestone hills. Another hidden in the lush jungle and has an attractions of Permaculture Perak, a farmstay is exclusive and very unique. The founder had converted and carried the abandoned tea plantation into home and shelter.
Interestingly, they build their own solar system supply for electricity usage and a pure spring water is supplied from the mountain nearby. Their main source of income are from the rich fertilized soil where they are their own vegetable gardening and farm animals. What I discovered here is, sometimes adventures give us a fresh and a different perspective to look at things.
Wow its really rare to encounter such a living off-the-grid lifestyle in Malaysia. Interesting there is a family that lives off a farm in Lenggong, Malaysia. First time coming across this news. A loving couple Ladia Kuta from the Czech Republic and his wife, Amy Tan found a place away from city life call home to them . Where they started off from zero to a place of nature environment, living with very little and in simplicity. Having a farm ,growing vegetables, have a wide range of herbs, lime, tomatoes, nutmeg and so forth for their daily use. Such a wonderful idea, they house chickens and cows as well. On top of that they have a permaculture farm stay in the lush jungle offering those adventurous people and nature-loving families to experience their off grid living.
Thank you Rinpoche for this interesting sharing.
Thank you, Rinpoche and the blog team to for sharing with us the story of this couple who chose to live in the forest of Lenggong Perak, Malaysia. They were living in the city and decided to switch their lifestyle because they wanted a more simple life that is closer to nature. Hence, they went to this small town in Perak and set up their little paradise there.
Many people are going for an off-the-grid living nowadays. This way of life has been getting more popular over the years, and many people shared their journey of transformation and also their current progress online. The common goal that I can see from these people to engage this type of lifestyle is to relieve themselves of the stress they get from city life and also to have a healthier lifestyle.
Many of them talked about the negative impact of living in the city on our lives and how it can ruin our lives without us knowing. Who knows that in this age of materialism where everyone is driven to gain instead of losing, more people choose to lose their material things to attain peace in their lives.
Many people moved to stay in the City to find a better job and better education for children. In the City we can also find hospitals every where and they kept expanding due to our demand. So i think it’s time to think, what are we actually chasing after? We seems extremely busy and successful but deep down inside we are so so poor in spirituality, family love, true friends and health. We seems to forgot how to live.
Ladia and Amy have found what they truly want for their lives. They also want their children to have the privilege to live in the nature and let them learn from the nature, which is amazing. I think their programs and classes are interesting, exciting and got so much to learn! Instead of spending lots of money going for those overseas vacation, which you ended up even more stress, why not visit Ladia and Amy? I am sure we will find lots of surprise there.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for letting us know about Ladia and Amy. Their story and the way they live is truly inspirational.
Listed below is some information about Permaculture Perak, Ladia and Amy’s farm, that may be of interest.
Their farm is located in the Lenggong Valley in Northern Perak.
Lenggong Valley is Malaysia’s fourth Unesco Heritage Site, an archaeological heritage site with several important caves where important prehistoric artefacts were found including the mysterious Perak Man, Southeast Asia’s oldest, most complete human skeleton.
WHERE
Lenggong Valley is in the north of Perak state, 2 hours by car from Penang.
From Bentong, by car, the journey to Lenggong town is 331 km, and about 4 hours drive.
To get to their farm, visitors park their cars in Lenggong Rest House, a council owned motel just outside Lenggong town and the couple will come pick us in their 4WD.
The farm is slightly over half a kilometer away from Lenggong Rest House, less than 5 mins by car.
ECO SUSTAINABLE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Eco-sustainable Music Festival is fully solar powered!
Come for a 3D/2N off-grid experience in the jungles of Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve, camp-out, enjoy nightly live music featuring Indonesian bamboo musician, Rizal & The Rasendriya live reggae music, Balok People and indie band, Endee & Co!
Not to be missed epic river baths, outdoor BBQ under the stars, drumming and sustainable living workshops.
Price for 3D/2N including all meals, transport to/from Lenggong town to the farm and activities :
Adults : RM330 / Children : RM180 (4 years and above)
Plus 10% discounts for families and/or early booking before 15 September.
*This is a camping event so you will bring your own tents and sleeping bags. Our campsite is on the first floor of a roofed building with open windows.
ACTIVITIES
The couple run a
JUNGLE FARMSTAY EXPERIENCE
RM225 (ADULTS) RM165 (CHILDREN 3-12 YEARS OLD) per night, per person
includes comfortable kampung-style private double rooms, daily wholesome meals and a variety of activities listed below:
• jungle + waterfall excursions,
• hands-on learning about medicinal & wild herbs
• starting your own organic garden
• mushroom foraging
• designing your own solar power system
• learning to make our famous no-oven bread
• and more depending on your interests
• exploring local Lenggong archaelogical caves and waterfall
They also have a
SUSTAINABLE LIVING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
The cost of this program is RM900 per week including all meals, accommodation in a private tent within covered building, access to our library and video resources, surrounded by jungle streams and pristine rainforests.
Designed to be an experiential learning program with hands-on introduction into the skills and elements that will empower you to take charge of your sustainable way of life.
You will get your hands dirty and learn about :
• how to grow your own organic food
• seed-saving, propagation and growing
• how to create your own food garden
• methods of composting for soil fertility
• designing water supply system
• designing solar power system
• introduction to growing mushrooms and tropical mycology
• tropical and medicinal herbs
• incorporating animals into your homestead / farm
A typical day will involve morning and afternoon work / learning sessions plus some time to read, watch related educational videos and relax on the hammock.
Their recommended duration of stay is minimum of one week, and ideally two weeks for deeper immersion and learning.
Other activities, they have are:
NATURE SCHOOL FOR KIDS
Our 4 days, 3 nights nature school weekend is designed for parents and children to just be in nature and nothing else! Little but meaningful adventures bring the best learning experiences and memories.
There will be half day activities in the mornings, jungle trekking, exploring streams, gardening, making your own herbal medicines, batik art painting and feeding the farm animals.
Afternoons and evenings are unstructured free play time – the most missed experience in our urban lifes now. This is when sticks, stones and anything available become a game for children.
Not forgetting bonfires and bbq under the stars!
ACCOMMODATION. You will be camping so bring your own tents and sleeping bags. Camping area is covered on the first floor with jungle breeze and views.
MEALS. All meals are included. Dinner is a communal activity daily so everyone will participate in cooking together!
PRICES : Adults RM645 , Children RM540 (3-12 Years old)
(4D/3N accommodation including meals, transport from Lenggong town and all activities)