facebook
myspace
youtube
blog
flickr
twitter
Kampung Kipouvo
Quick Links
Location
Accommodation Style
Food & Drink
Communications
Culture
Overview
This is the first of our Homestay projects with PACOS Trust and is therefore a very special location for us. You will stay within a house which is within the community itself. The house has been adapted slightly to ensure your comfort but otherwise is part of the make up of the village. This will enable you to become part of the community during your stay as opposed to purely a tourist and outsider.
Kampung (community) Kipouvo is approximately 20 km east of the Sabah state capital of Kota Kinabalu. This is usually a 30 minute drive from the airport with the road tarmaced most of the way! Once off the main road it is only several kilometres to the village itself – even though it is only a few kilometres it feels like you are in the middle of no-where, in a small beautiful valley in the foothills of the Crocker Range National Park.
You will be living and sleeping in a locally built house which has been specially adapted for your comfort. The house is within the community itself and therefore you will be within the village right from the start. The house has a small communal area and front porch for sitting around and talking with the locals. The bedrooms are arranged for twin sharing purposes and the house also has a small kitchen area if you need to prepare a drink or snack.
The kitchen is small but well equipped if you need to prepare anything yourself. Members of the community will prepare your meals for you in this kitchen. It will be fresh produce and traditional styles of cooking so you are very welcome to get involved in learning to cook the food yourself. They are responsible for providing three healthy, well balanced and tasty meals a day. There will be a mix of local menus and a sprinkling of western food, hopefully catering to all tastes and requirements.
The community support team are very accommodating and will insist that you relax, sit back and enjoy all they can offer. There will undoubtedly be special occasions in the village which you will be invited along to – weddings, public holidays or festivals – generally Sabahans don’t need an excuse to lay on a good feast and do some dancing. If you are there for a wedding then you will get the chance to eat Water Buffalo which is usually served up on such occasions.
As in all our camps unlimited drinking water is supplied as standard: the water is purified through European standard filters and chemical purification, which reduces risk of waterborne diseases. Soft drinks and snacks can be provided at your expense.
There is limited mobile phone reception in and around the village and all key management carry mobile phones. If you have 'international roaming' activated on your phone you will be able to make and receive calls. We suggest you purchase a local SIM card if you intend to use your phone in order to avoid the horribly high roaming bills. However we also encourage you to minimise on phone use – you can catch up with everything back home when you get back – don’t let the phone interrupt your experience.
The Kadazan Dusun ethnic group is the largest in Sabah and it has one of its main heartlands in and around the Moyog river. They have their own dialect and language but also mainly speak mainstream Malay. As with all other ethnic groups in Sabah they are proud of their roots and celebrate this in dance and song. You will get the chance to join in and dress up in traditional costumes so if you have any particular traditions you want to share with your hosts come prepared.
An amazing experience being welcomed into the Kipouvo community. A real treat to see beyond the tourist trap and live life as a villager. I built a strong relationship with some of the locals and will keep in touch with my new sisters and hopefully one day return to see them.
Joe Bridge
