Paya Paya: River Cottage Langkawi-style!

The greenhouse at Paya Paya

For those of you who missed my posts on them on our Facebook page, here are some snippets on Paya Paya - a mission of love for two individuals who truly believe in what they are doing.  I've met several people now who, inspired by the River Cottage series on television, have aspired to live the country lifestyle and cultivate their own farm.

Well folks, there are people here in Malaysia already beginning to live the dream :-)

Elain and I were first acquainted in high school.  Since then, we've kept in touch over the years and even worked together on several projects in our professional capacities.

Over time, I've discovered that we are actually fairly like-minded, in our frustrations with KL corporate life and its shenannigans, the politics and wheeling and dealing.  So much that she, like I, decided to pursue a personal passion that coincidentally takes root in Langkawi.

Chances are, you've never heard about Paya Paya.  The project, a labour of love for Elain and her husband Kyri is just off a quiet road in Langkawi.  Spread over a couple of acres of ex-paddy fields, Paya Paya in its current initial phase is an experiment in sustainable farming.

I had the privilege of visiting them recently and Kyri very graciously showed us around.  The extent of progress they have made is testament to how much individuals can achieve on their own volition - without the help of Government or big businesses.

Walking around the property, Kyri pointed out how they have incorporated several ecologically-oriented elements into their cultivation process.  Compost made from waste materials that are collected from various sources around the island (including a famous coffee chain!), harvested rain water for irrigating their vegetable beds, and solar panels for some of their power needs.

Although their current yield is small, what I saw was attractive!  At the moment, according to Kyri, most of the produce is sold locally on the island, with proceeds going to charity.  So if you ever stop by there, do buy their vegetables.

Just look at the size of them chillies!

And if you DO visit, here's a small piece of trivia for those of us who harbour Coyote Ugly-esque ambitions - the lovely, long wooden benches scattered around the property used to be bar tops!  So if like me, you've always wondered what it felt to dance on one....

Photo courtesy of Mia Farriza (www.miafarrizza.com)

To learn more about Paya Paya, visit their Facebook page.