While visiting the north-eastern coast of Malaysia last summer we stumbled upon Awi's Yellow House in Kuala Terengganu. Located in a kampong on an island (Pulau Duyung Besar) that is surrounded by a murky tidal river, this homestay has to be one of the oddest and most memorable places we've ever stayed.
The tiny basic chalets are swarming with insect life and the humidity on the river is stifling...
The surroundings are solitude at its finest, languid afternoons spent melting under the sun.
The river at high tide.
River otters can be seen sometimes around dusk, their incessant, high-pitched chattering announcing their arrival. We just got the camera in time to snap a barely visible shot of this little round head.
The view from the house. Located on the outskirts of Kuala Terengganu, modernity is encroaching as the city is experiencing a construction boom fueled by oil money.
Making toast in the kitchen.
The sweltering nights and river otter sightings were exciting, but the true belle of the ball at Awi's Yellow House is Mr. Tony. He runs the show and is one hell of a conversationalist.
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| One of Tony's famous Christmas cards |
An anachronistic and booze-pickled holdover from the days of English colonialism, Tony is an unabashed Royalist, cross-dresser, and defender of all things British.
An unforgettable individual and decidedly sweet man with a distinctive blend of cantankerous jocularity, may his days on the island be lined with fruitful outings to the local supermarket and warm tidings from the myriad guests.
We visited Awi's Yellow House in July 2012.
2 comments:
Nice post !
May i know how you book the pak awi's chalet? Got any email? or contact?
Thanks.
We happened upon it randomly and after combing through our travel notes it appears that we neglected to take a card or any contact info! You can risk it and just show up - even if the chalets are booked the town proper is only a 5 minute taxi away.
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