Become part of our creative community in Ulu Dong, Pahang, Malaysia

Infos

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  Description

  Hello adventurers!
  
  Selamat Datang! ( That’s Malay for Welcome! )

  
  Welcome to an art based community, tucked away at the very end of a winding network of tiny villages in the lush, remote countryside of Ulu Dong, Raub, Pahang, Malaysia.

  This residence in the village of Peruas (Kampung Peruas) was created by a renowned Malaysian artist, Mohamad Ismadi Sallehudin as his art studio and gallery in the begining and later on developed into something more. Known to us all as “Madi”… ,he’s a wildly talented painter, a sculptor and an art educator who happens to be incredibly humble, generous, and possessed by a great sense of humor. (Okay, maybe a little strange and eccentric too sometimes—to some, at least ;)
  
  It is a sanctuary to let your creative spirit run wild while experiencing genuine, authentic heartbeat of rural Malaysia life. We live a beautifully simple life right on the edge of the jungle. Picture this: waterfalls, rushing rivers, ancient tropical trees, and an incredible menagerie of local wildlife and plants right on our doorstep! The surrounding mountain range here are also a fantastic spot for recreational and agricultural activities. This means that we breath clean air and the temperature is relatively cool here during the night. 
Nature is our co-founder, so we set a value on sustainable living as much as we can to preserve our natural home. We reduce plastic usage as much as possible and compost our organic trash which is unfortunately not common in Malaysia yet. We also grow local fruits, veggies, and herbs for our nutrition and health.

Since 2018, we’ve been buzzing with activity! We have welcomed over 600 guests and volunteers from absolutely everywhere and every walk of life. Sure, we have a lot of art lovers, but we also host engineers, doctors, athletes, nutritionists, builders, scientists, writers and many more. We even have university students flying in from across the globe to find their hidden potential and swap stories, research and studies. Thanks to this dynamic energy, the National Art Gallery alongside the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia have officially recognized our mission. We aren't just a place to visit; we're a movement of *'Traveling While Creating'* in action! Heck, our community even crafted two giant public sculptures commissioned by the local governments of Raub and Jerantut!
  
  Now, let’s keep it real for a second: this isn't a slick, ultra-modern city studio or a luxury hotel. We’re a work in progress! That’s exactly why we are so incredibly grateful for our amazing volunteers who arrive knowing we don't have 5-star comfort. You’ll be rolling up your sleeves to help us build, develop, and sustain our growing facilities. The work can get gritty sometimes—you might find yourself doing heavy construction alongside our muscle-bound male volunteers, or joining our wildly adventurous, competitive female volunteers who love a good physical challenge maneuvering power tools and picking up some mad new skills! Regardless of your age, gender, or background, we all share one massive goal: leaving something beautiful behind for the next generation. What started as Madi’s little rustic painting studio has blossomed into a vibrant meeting point for students, global travelers, researchers, educators, and professionals.
  
  A quick heads-up: you cook your own food here! Everything is basic, and we’re always working on upgrading the digs. If you're lucky, you might snag a home-cooked meal from a fellow community member. Otherwise, you can pop down to the nearby stalls for some mouth-watering local cuisine. We’ve never had a food complaint yet, and it’s hilarious watching everyone swap crazy cooking styles and dietary habits from around the world—it’s always a tasty adventure!
  
  We are totally obsessed with the idea of sharing and expanding knowledge. Art isn't just about knowing how to hold a paintbrush. Even if you have zero crafting skills, there is always something to learn! We’ve had people teach us many amazing new knowledge, like how to make drawing paper from banana leaves and wild mushrooms (check out our YouTube—just ask for the link!).
  
  Got a cool skill? We want it! Whether you’re a yoga guru, a dance machine, a musical maestro, a massage wizard, a farming fanatic, or just a person who loves a good game or workshop—if you’ve got knowledge to share from your travels and life experiences, we are ready to learn.
  
  *Bring your biggest, wildest ideas!*
  
  We could always use a few more hands, so hit us up!
  Drop us a line and ask for our contact details (emails/phone numbers on WhatsApp).
  
  *MAIN MISSIONS RIGHT NOW (2026):*
  1. *Building a Giant Public Sculpture:* If you're a pro, teach us your ways! If you're a newbie, come learn with us! 😉
  2. **Maintenance and renovations of existing living spaces and structures on the property.

  3. *Crafting Traditional Roof Shingles:* Master the ancient art of making “Atap Singgora”

  4. **Mural Painting (Kampung Peruas).

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Bénévolat

  Projets artistiques

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Compagnie pour pers. âgée

  Enseignement

  Jardinage d'entretien

  Projets DIY créatifs

  Aide dans une ferme

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Accueil / tourisme

  Petits travaux d'entretien

  Aide informatique/internet
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Culture

  

  Photographie

  

  Arts du spectacle

  

  Musique

  

  Langues

  

  Histoire

  

  Jardinage

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Art et design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animaux

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Danse

  

  Cyclisme

  

  Camping

  

  Nature
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  What you can learn here:
  
  - We provide an opportunity to learn about Malaysian culture through interaction with the locals.
  
  - to share new knowledge among the travelers and host.
  
  - Exploring ideas in different creative ways using various kinds of materials. Especially in doing a new innovative product from nature such as bamboo and wood.
  
  - Our project aims to be the education center of art and culture. Travelers are encouraged to
  creating an art project, workshop, languages, class even arts performance which is beneficial to
  communities, students and among the volunteers.
  
  - Here, the travelers also can be practice in various kinds of culinary skills such as cooking food by
  various countries.
  
  - As a 'place to meet' of multi-language, cultural from different countries, travelers are encouraged
  to exchange and learn a different kind of language while here.
  
  -Travelers are also encouraged to organize research, projects even classes on various fields of their
  expert which will be beneficial to the others.
  
  - In other conditions, travelers will be exposed to various kinds of local activities nearby such as
  agricultural activities, local food, local attraction, jungle tracking, health activities, heritage and
  historical places.
  
  - Travelers also are encouraged to learn and share knowledge and experience in gardening, machinery
  landscaping and farming.
  
  - Our management really appreciates and thankfully the travelers to your kind cooperation to
  maintaining and keeping this place to be clean and green, respect, working together as a team and
  sharing the ideas which will be beneficial to all members in this place.
  
  -The familiar and most extreme words here...WHY NOT ??, BECAUSEeee and NO
  PROBLEM....always keep in your minds and always use this:)
  
  Always Remember us when u in Malaysia......

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  Aide

  What participants are doing:
  
  - As a place of education and art, suggestions to improve this place with good ideas are always welcome.
  
  - Our home is open to the wilds and we appreciate that we keep this environment clean, because it too is our home.
  
  - We have a kitchen here for volunteers to prepare all sorts of foods, and we encourage everyone to cook your own traditional foods to be shared with others.
  
  - We are practicing to be more green and live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
  
  - As an art practitioner, Ismadi's artworks are displayed everywhere, so try to get his permission before moving the artworks or equipment to somewhere else.
  
  - We have a workshop with many tools, machines and equipment available to volunteers. You are welcome to use anything and make your ideas a reality. Those using the tools, try to return the tools you have used and clean up afterward as someone else might want to use them afterward.
  
  - Some of the houses and huts are still in progress. The management crew would really appreciate it if someone with build experience could contribute to the construction.
  
  - No need to hesitate if you have any good ideas to share with us like yoga, dance, art and languages.
  
  Recently (April to June 2019) we have organized a project which relates to Bamboo research. If you would like to help then you are most welcome to join this project together with the various other members. Through their research, innovative thoughts and technical skills to implement it! If you have any ideas on other uses of natural materials, then put it on the board and watch it come forth.
  
  - If you find the weather difficult to get used to (average 27 to 32 degrees Celsius), then take a dip in the nearby river, or ask Ismadi and we will take a ride to the waterfall and really have some fun.
  
  - Here we are surrounded by nature, so why not do some exploration. Trekking through the jungles, fishing the original way, living the wild life. Seek the elusive Rafflesia Flower, crawl through caves, seek medicinal flora.
  
  If you find yourself in any sort of trouble, just say the word and heroes will rise to the occasion.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Malay: Courant
  Anglais: Intermédiaire
  Indonesian: Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  I'm teaching Malay language for visitors to stay here before. some of them can speak fluently in Malay. what I'm teaching is more to daily communication
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  Hébergement

  We are an art studio in Ulu Dong, Raub, Pahang, Malaysia. It is situated in two jungles. Accommodation for visitors and tourists leans more towards a 'jungle style' which is open and encourages camping.
  - Open spaces for tents, we have tents available if you haven't brought your own.
  -Tents are equipped with mattress and pillows.
  - Shared toilet and shower.
  - An equipped kitchen
  - Clear mountain water and electricity are available for the residency.
  - We don't provide wi-fi unfortunately but the connection is still good if you are within the local area. Only certain phone line providers will be okay- Celcom, Maxis, and Digi are recommended.
  otherwise,in case of emergency you can always ask for to connect to personal hotspots.

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  Autres infos...

  We do have the transport to the certain places. As allocated in forestry area, the phone internet coverage sometimes slow. Different kind of activities that we can share with like, performance, hiking, waterfall, local sight, cave, jungles and local market and local festival.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  only one at one time

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Mes animaux

  Marhsey

  Jul

Sécurité du site

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