A Review By Our Former Guest - KDU Penang

DIPLOMA and degree students from the KDU College’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts will remember fondly their cultural experiences in Terengganu following their participation in a homestay programme. College student Christin Jane Scully said the east coast state has a rich culture and it was an insightful experience to see it up close. “I had the chance to understand more about the beautiful culture,” she said. Scully, 19, said words could not express the way she felt when she stepped foot on Teluk Ketapang and was warmly greeted by her foster parents during the homestay programme. The three-day, two-night domestic culture tourism trip to Teluk Ketapang had drawn 34 students and a lecturer. “The beach was beautiful and we even had a picnic by the beach during our second day,” she said. “Most of us shed tears when we needed to part ways with our foster parents after the whole trip was over.” Travel adviser Chin Poh-Chin said it was important for the students to learn about the different cultures in Malaysia. “The students had the chance to engage in activities such as the weaving of floor mats, making grasshoppers from coconut leaves and cooking roti jala and lempeng nyiur,” she said. “In addition to that, the students were also taught to play traditional games such as congkak and batu tujuh by their foster parents. “The students were also brought to witness the majestic Crystal Mosque which is located in the Islamic Civilisation Park (Taman Tamadun Islam) in Kuala Terengganu.” College lecturer Chuah Lay Yen, 29, said the trip was held to allow the students to experience how things were done in another state compared to Penang. “The students were required to write a report on their research after the trip,” she said.

Another Review From Our Guest - Timothy Tye

A review from a friend...... Homestay Teluk Ketapang is a homestay programme developed by the villagers of Kampung Teluk Ketapang, on the northern part of Kuala Terengganu. The homestay offers visitors an opportunity to get to know the lifestyle of the locals in Teluk Ketapang, being received into their homes as "foster children", and enjoying activities of the locals. Upon arrival, visitors to Homestay Teluk Ketapang are often welcomed with the beating of the kompang. Silat demonstrations and gamelan performance are also often staged, especially for large groups. Mock wedding ceremonies are also often staged for the benefit and education of visitors. Want to Read More ? Click HERE

Living with Islam: Malaysian Homestay program - Matt Payne

MALAYSIA —  It is just after five in the morning and there is a monsoon outside my bedroom window, pounding on an aluminum roof.  Jerry, a yellow tabby is one of four resident felines. He,creeps along the thin partition separating my room from the rest of the house. In a few minutes, just before sunrise, my host father will knock on the wall next to the floral cloth draped across the entrance to my room.   It is time to get up for Mosque. I am not a Muslim.  I am however in the Islamic country of Malaysia participating in the Malaysian Homestay, sponsored by Tourism Malaysia.  My temporary home and family is located in a Kampong, or village, called Teluk Katapang in the state of Kuala Terengganu.  Kampongs are enclosed agrarian villages common across Malaysia and like Teluk Ketapang, they are mostly well kept, family-oriented, and self-sufficient. The Malaysian Homestay Program, offered across this culturally and ecologically diverse country is designed to give tourists the opportunity to live with the Malay while participating in traditional Malaysian lifestyle. Want to read MORE ? Click Here  ( Thanks Matt, For the review )

Sejarah Homestay Teluk Ketapang

Selamat Datang Ke Blog Homestay Teluk Ketapang.
Homestay Teluk Ketapang di tubuhkan secara rasminya pada Oktober 2007.
Seramai 40 peserta memohon untuk menjadi peserta homestay, tetapi hanya 31 sahaja yang berjaya lulus untuk mendapat Lesen Homestay.
Penubuhan Homestay ini adalah dari hasil buah fikiran ahli-ahli veteran Belia MAYC Teluk Ketapang yang pada ketika itu sedang memikirkan cara bagaimana untuk mempelbagaikan aktiviti di kampung dan juga bagaimana untuk mengubah taraf ekonomi penduduk kampung.
Setelah berbincang, mereka bersepakat untuk melawat ke Kampung Pelegong, Negeri Sembilan, untuk melihat dan mempelajari rahsia-rahsia untuk memajukan kampung. Kampung Pelegong atau Homestay Pelegong adalah merupakan tempat kami menimba ilmu dan juga mendapat tunjuk ajar khas dalam ilmu homestay.
Kini, 2012, setelah 4 tahun berjinak dalam industri homestay ini, Teluk Ketapang telah menjadi salah sebuah destinasi yang paling ramai dikunjungi samada oleh pelancong tempatan dan juga luar negara.