Ngapuh Homestead sits by the river with the steep slopes of the Bungo Range National Park rising behind. It is a place for ecotourism and traditional design and building, where we host gatherings with architects, designers and entrepreneurs who come for cultural exchange.
Here modern life meets traditional living. At the heart of our homestead is the Community Lodge, opened in 2023. This is where we welcome guests and hold bamboo craft workshops that carry forward Bidayuh building knowledge, as well as farming, foraging and cooking traditions.
Beside the lodge stands Red River Farmhouse, home to Lelem, a Bidayuh permaculturist, and his wife Lottie, a British architect. The farmhouse combines traditional craft with modern design, embodying both their story and their shared vision. Together they care for the homestead, continuing the kampung way of life through self building, planting and creating in harmony with the land.
Ngapuh Homestead is not just a place to stay. It is a living community, a place to plant trees for the next generation, to forage together and to design and build. When you visit you become part of the community supporting Kampung Rejoi Nyegol.
Come join us. Stay. Learn. Create.
Our Community Lodge has 2 guest rooms and a central space where the community can rest and work. Each room sleeps up to 4 people on single mattresses arranged on the floor, so we can host up to 8 guests in total. Each room has its own private toilet and shower.
We are off grid in the rainforest and only reachable by boat. There are no shops nearby so please bring all the essentials you will need for your stay.
Guests are welcome to use the outdoor kitchenette, which has a sink, hob, basic pots and utensils along with a BBQ area. It is ideal for boiling water, making tea or preparing light snacks.
Enjoy nourishing Bidayuh meals made with fresh local ingredients. Each meal features rice, seasonal vegetables, forest herbs and free range meat dish, all prepared with care by our community.
Breakfast is fried rice or noodles served with bread. Lunch and dinner each include two vegetable dishes and one meat dish, served with rice.
Ngapuh Homestead is a nonprofit community association that supports the local community through training, ecotourism, crafts and cultural exchange. All funds go to these activities and maintenance of the homestead and local village.
The forest around us is shared with many other animals who live here. Many are protected under Sarawak’s Wildlife Protection Ordinance. Most are shy, so every sighting is rare and special.
Below is a list of key animal and plant species we’ve personally come across over time:
Primates:
Long tailed macaque, Pig tailed macaque
Carnivores:
Malay civet cat, Masked palm civet (Kopi Luwak), Leopard cat
Deer:
Sambar deer, Lesser mouse deer
Rodents:
Flying squirrels, Prevost’s squirrel
Other Mammals:
Bearded pig, Porcupine, Pangolin, Slow loris, Otter
Reptiles:
Monitor lizard, Hard shell turtle, Soft shell water turtle, Green trinket snake, Bornean viper, Python
Birds:
Flycatcher, Dwarf kingfisher, Ruddy kingfisher, Stork billed kingfisher, Oriental magpie robin, Rocket tailed drongo, Common hill myna, Black and yellow broadbill, Red throated barbet, Hanging parrot, Swallows, Woodpeckers, Owls, Eagles, Birds of paradise, Oriental darter
Frogs:
Malayan horned frog, Giant river frog, Brown marsh frog, Kuhl’s creek frog
Insects:
Butterflies, Beetles, Cicadas, Fireflies, Stick insect, Praying mantis
Fish:
Semah, Catfish, Sebarau, Bantak, Kepiat, Tilapia
Plants:
Pitcher plant, Orchid
We share our homestead with four cats, they are part of the family. They also play an important role, keeping insects and snakes away.
Su’met, calm father to the others:
Quick’quick, born 1 November 2024 fast, loud and a little wild.
Te’lung, also born 1 November 2024, gentle and very chilled.
Mau’wee, born 7 May 2025, bold and full of character.
Our Red River Farmhouse design and build was inspired by the Bidayuh kampung vernacular. Developed and refined using the latest design technology, it the foundation for an innovative Modular House System MHS101, easy to build, with an open plan layout rooted in both tradition and forward thinking design.
This home stands as a testament to resourcefulness and the beauty of sustainable living. It offers an adaptable blueprint a kit home, available online for those interested in architectural design.