Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
8 Sep 2025
Reply rate
95.8 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
10
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
I'm Donald Kely, residing in Penampang, Sabah. The place is an old wooden house built in 1959 but now transformed as Homestay. We still do some improvement, refurbishment and maintenance. There are also ecotourism related projects needed to be done within and beyond the house compound as it is located beside the Moyog River and Pan Borneo highway. Currently, the homestay is managed by myself and my wife with 1 carpentering, 1 electrician and 1 cleaner (as part-time contractor to do the maintenance job)
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Videography
Technology
Sustainability
Self development
Movies & TV
Fashion or beauty
Farming
Events & social
Culture
Writing
Plant care
Photography
Music
History
Gardening
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Blogging
Art & design
Architecture
Outdoor activities
Nature
Hiking
Fitness
Dancing
Beach
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
While workaway, our guests could experience these activities/ functions:
1. Experience Kadazan Indigenous cuisine (which occasionally prepared by our family)
2. Participate Kadazan cultural dance (which we attend when there's wedding reception in our village)
3. Composting management around our 1 acre house compound
Help
Assistance in the following fields are required
1. Carpentering work
2. Interior Design work
3. Gardening work
4. Landscaping
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Indonesian: Fluent
Malay: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
Tagalog, Thailand, Korean, Japanese
Accommodation
A wooden house with private bedrooms (3 with air-conditioning + 1 without), shared bathroom and toilet. Long and large living room with kitchen and veranda.
As an Indigenous people in North Borneo (Sabah, East Malaysia), we occasionally prepared our traditional cuisine and if our guests like, they can witness us preparing the dishes. At the same time, if our guests willing, they can share their knowledge and experience in preparing their special cuisine which we normally keen to learning
We have no problem preparing 3 meals a day and our work schedule is flexible which can be reduced to 3 hours a day, 3 days a week (where applicable under Workaway code of ethics.
What else ...
These facilities are also available on request:
1. Karaoke sets
2. BBQ sets
3. Moyog River Bamboo Rafting
4. Mt. Kinabalu (the highest mountain in Southeast Asia) photo shooting from our village
5. Weekly farmers market at Donggongon town (5 minutes away from our house)
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
To develop website
Space for parking camper vans
Within the house compound and at the riverbank
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (5)
American standup comedian / storyteller and bartender. Italian amateur singer, sustainable tourism and traveling enthusiasts.
Hosting Vernon (from New York) and Laura (from Italy) was a truly special experience that felt like a beautiful reunion with parts of the world we love. Laura, from near Venice, has lived in… read more
From the moment we arrived, Donald… read more
Jasmijn stayed with us from January 30th to February 20th, and we couldn’t have asked for a better Workawayer. She is friendly, respectful, and incredibly hardworking —always focused, proactive, and a joy to collaborate with.
TRANSFORMING CHAOS INTO ORDER (ECO-STYLE!)
Her primary mission? Tackling 30 years’… read more
They kindly offered to pick me up from the airport. Even after I told them my flight was delayed until very late in the evening, they still… read more
Dearest Anabela and José,
Reading your incredibly kind review filled our hearts with so much joy and a touch of nostalgia. We are the ones who should be thanking you! You didn't just come as Workawayers; you arrived as curious friends from afar and left as permanent members of our… read more
From the moment we arrived he and his wife made us feel at home, the accommodation is a very comfortable place and Donald took us to buy vegetables, fresh fruit and everything we needed for cooking in a nice local market.
The cultural exchange has been amazing, endless conversations, karaoke nights,… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
American standup comedian / storyteller and bartender. Italian amateur singer, sustainable tourism and traveling enthusiasts.
Hosting Vernon (from New York) and Laura (from Italy) was a truly special experience that felt like a beautiful reunion with parts of the world we love. Laura, from near Venice, has lived in… read more
From the moment we arrived, Donald… read more
Jasmijn stayed with us from January 30th to February 20th, and we couldn’t have asked for a better Workawayer. She is friendly, respectful, and incredibly hardworking —always focused, proactive, and a joy to collaborate with.
TRANSFORMING CHAOS INTO ORDER (ECO-STYLE!)
Her primary mission? Tackling 30 years’… read more
They kindly offered to pick me up from the airport. Even after I told them my flight was delayed until very late in the evening, they still… read more
Dearest Anabela and José,
Reading your incredibly kind review filled our hearts with so much joy and a touch of nostalgia. We are the ones who should be thanking you! You didn't just come as Workawayers; you arrived as curious friends from afar and left as permanent members of our… read more
From the moment we arrived he and his wife made us feel at home, the accommodation is a very comfortable place and Donald took us to buy vegetables, fresh fruit and everything we needed for cooking in a nice local market.
The cultural exchange has been amazing, endless conversations, karaoke nights,… read more
Dear Lucas & Violette,
Your review left us smiling from ear to ear—what a joy it was to host such kindred spirits! You arrived as Workawayers but departed as family, leaving behind not just a transformed garden, but indelible memories we’ll cherish forever.
The Magic You Created:
🍕 Pizza… read more
During these two weeks, we learned so much about their culture, the nature surrounding them, and their everyday way of life. Donald and his wife shared their knowledge with kindness… read more
On the morning of March 19th, just as I woke up, I received a surprising message from Niamh Fussey and Martin Deanne, an Irish couple traveling through Southeast Asia:
"Hi Donald, we have a few free days before our flight to Australia on the 26th. We’d love to spend our last days in Borneo helping with a Workaway… read more
We were treated so well like we were part of his family.
Donald was very approachable and always open to new ideas. He thought us loads about Kadazan culture and local food. He was also very interested in our culture.
The accommodation was basic but very clean comfortable and spacious.
We really enjoyed… read more
