KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Book a stay in any hotel — yes, even five-star ones — and you know exactly what to expect: I like to call it the chain hotel feeling.
Penang has excelled in its boutique hotel offerings — everything from the magnificent Seven Terraces which is furnished with authentic Peranakan treasures to the casual chic dormitory-style Sekeping Victoria — but Kuala Lumpur has lagged quite far behind.
Apart from the wonderful Sekepings by Ng Sek San, what else have we got in the city?
But about six months back, a guesthouse opened quietly in — of all places — Kampung Baru.
Nestled among the real kampung houses in Kampung Baru is Bagasta. The name means “our home” in the Mandailing language.
(The Mandailings are a traditional group found usually in Sumatra and in Malaysia, they are found in Perak and Selangor. While they are Muslims, they are not Malays and have their own distinctive language and cultural practices.)
Guests not only get to live in a kampung-style place but they get to experience true kampung living because the guesthouse is located at the centre of Kampung Baru. Look out of the window and you can see an old makcik in a sarong having her lunch in her wooden house across the road.
We waved at the makcik and she waved back at us, smiling. That’s true hospitality you can only get in kampungs.
Bagasta was officially opened on June 5, 2014 and to celebrate the roots of the owner who is a Mandailing, they invited a group of Gerdang Sembilan, a traditional Mandailing drum troupe, to perform.
What makes Bagasta stand out from other kampung themed homestays and guesthouses is that they have a rooftop open area where you can see the entire city skyline. During festivities, you can see fireworks from KLCC, KL Tower and Dataran Merdeka.
“My boss used to live in Cemur, Ipoh and he is a medical doctor. He wanted to start a kampung style guesthouse because he likes to reminisce about the days when he used to live in his kampung.
“Kampung Baru is the right location because it is a real kampung and it is also located in the middle of the city so tourists can visit local attractions while living in a kampung,” said Intan Razak, CEO of Bagasta.
Bagasta has three storeys housing 30 rooms and five different room types such as Superior, Deluxe, Family, Family Suite and Master Suite.
Originally, the place was a hostel for a nearby university but the place has been renovated and redesigned to reflect a modern kampung.
Some of the rooms are decorated with authentic vintage doors and windows from old kampung houses. These recycled pieces are hard to source and they come from different states in Malaysia.
“We wanted to decorate all the rooms with the vintage kampung doors and windows but there were not enough pieces available.
“Some of our rooms are decorated with a more modern feel,” said Intan. There is also a challenge trying to make the place look weathered and old. It’s easy to decorate something to make it more modern but giving it a vintage touch is a different story entirely.
The rooms also have two batik sarongs with instructions on how to wear them and the history behind them. These items add to the authentic kampung feel that foreigners look for. Surprisingly, there are a number of locals who stay in Bagasta too and most of them are from Gen-Y.
“These young people would come for a short stay and they really enjoy hanging out in our rooftop area. They would take selfies of themselves with our decor and upload it on social media. I think for them it’s about being seen doing something cool and hip,” said Intan.
The guesthouse currently has five full-time staff and part-time housekeeping staff. Usually on regular days, you will be greeted by a pakcik wearing a kain pelikat when you visit Bagasta. He is the supervisor of the place but when we were there, it was his day off so we missed him.
You can book a room at Bagasta from RM180 per night but during promotion period you can get it for as low as RM120. There are also promo rates for locals and special packages that include a tour of Kampung Baru and a food tour. There are also special promotional prices from booking sites such as Agoda, Expedia and so on.
Intan would bring guests for local favourites such as goreng pisang and goreng cempedak during tea time and during the night, the tour would include a visit to the night market for fruits.
In the morning, she will bring guests to the best nasi lemak restaurant in the area and they would visit kampung houses around the area as well as the temple nearby.
Bagasta partners with local travel agents to provide the tour as well. For small groups below 20 pax, Bagasta also has event facilities.
“So far, the response has been encouraging for Bagasta. We are trying to get neighbours in Kampung Baru to open up their kampung houses for our guests to visit,” said Intan.
There are a number of guests that come from China. One memorable guest was this petite but strong woman from China who came with her young daughter. She could not even speak a word of English but through sign language, the woman got a map and ventured out on her own.
Check out Bagasta at:
56, Jalan Raja Alang,
Kampung Baru,
Kuala Lumpur
and www.bagasta.com.my
For reservations:
Telephone: +603-26989988
Fax: +603-26989688
E-mail: [email protected]
