Tuaran Kampung Villa | Private Family Homestay in Tuaran, Sabah
A private 3-bedroom family homestay in Tuaran, Sabah for up to 8 guests, with BBQ, karaoke and kampung warmth. Read the story behind Tuaran Kampung Villa.
Viannie Undikai
10/5/20265 min read
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tuaran Kampung Villa: A Private Family Homestay in Tuaran, Sabah, Where Memories Live
Don't just visit Tuaran. Live it. Taste it. Come home.
In short: Tuaran Kampung Villa is a private three-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday home in Tuaran, Sabah, for families and small groups of up to eight guests. You get the whole house to yourselves, with a kitchen for cooking together, indoor and outdoor spaces, a BBQ and karaoke. It was created by owner Viannie Undikai, who spent part of her childhood in Tuaran, to share the warmth of kampung life with today's families.
My Childhood in Tuaran, Sabah
When I was seven, I started Primary One at St. John's School, Tuaran. My parents were planning to move our family from Sandakan to Tuaran, so my sister and I were sent ahead while we were still very young.
Our grandmother looked after us. Looking back, I still wonder how she kept up with two adventurous, curious and, I must admit, quite naughty little girls!
My sister was my companion and my strength. Together we learned to find our way in a new place, and those years taught me independence long before I knew the word.
Paddy Fields, Cousins and Kampung Adventures
Tuaran opened my world to cousins, aunties, uncles and a whole kampung of children. There was always something to explore.
We even helped plant paddy. Once we arranged everything so nicely, or so we thought, and ended up flooding the whole field because we didn't know how to manage the water!
We tried. We made mistakes. We laughed. And we tried again.
Life doesn't always give you instructions first. Sometimes you learn by trying, and trying again.
Photo: Michelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Swimming Pool Was a Drain
We had no swimming pool. We had a big, clean irrigation drain that carried water to the fields, and to us it was enormous. We jumped in, splashed and laughed, and yes, we screamed at the leeches too.
Muddy feet, cold water and very big imaginations. Our surroundings were our playground, and we were happy.
Cold Water From the Perigi
We had no piped water, only a perigi, a well whose water was icy cold and never seemed to run dry. We didn't have much convenience, but we had abundance of another kind: family, cousins, the fields, the kampung and one another.
Rice With Vinegar
Some of my happiest food memories are of hot rice with a little vinegar. That was all, and it tasted like the best meal in the world. A bowl of rice, cold well water, children playing, a grandmother nearby and my sister beside me. Sometimes happiness really is that simple.
Why Tuaran Stayed in My Heart
Life took me to many places, but Tuaran stayed with me. It taught me to adapt, to make the most of what I had and, most of all, to value people.
In a kampung, people show up for one another. At a wedding or a funeral, the women rise early to cook, neighbours arrive with something in hand, and everyone knows what needs doing. There is noise, laughter and a little chaos, and somehow everything comes together. That spirit has stayed with me all my life.
How Tuaran Kampung Villa Began
Many years later, I came back to Tuaran in a very different chapter of my life. I bought land from the Bajau community with an old house on it, which I first planned to renovate for my brother.
Plans changed, and for a while I wasn't sure what the house would become. Then I thought about my childhood: the paddy fields, the well, my cousins, the simple food and that wonderful feeling of belonging. And I asked myself:
What if other families could feel a little of that here?
That question became Tuaran Kampung Villa.
Things to Do in Tuaran, Sabah
Tuaran is full of things to discover:
Taste Tuaran mee, the town's famous local noodles
Spend a day at the beach, including nearby Dalit Beach
Enjoy the river and the green countryside
Try golf, water activities or horse riding nearby
And at the end of the day, come home. Make breakfast, sit outside, have a BBQ, let the children play and just be together. Sometimes we travel not to do more, but to reconnect with the people who matter most.
From My Childhood to Your Memories
I sometimes wonder what that little girl in the paddy fields would say if she could see the villa today. She would never believe that the girl who bathed in a drain, ran from leeches and ate rice with vinegar would one day come back to Tuaran and build a home for other families!
Tuaran Kampung Villa connects every chapter of my life: my childhood, my family, the sister who stood beside me, my cousins, the people of Tuaran, the land, and now the guests who walk through our doors.
Come with your family. Come with your friends. Come hungry. Come curious. Come ready to slow down and make memories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tuaran Kampung Villa?
It is in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia, near Dalit Beach and the Tuaran river.
How many guests can stay at Tuaran Kampung Villa?
Up to eight guests. The private house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Is Tuaran Kampung Villa good for families?
Yes. It is a whole private home made for families and small groups, with a kitchen, indoor and outdoor spaces, a BBQ and karaoke.
Can we cook at the villa?
Yes. There is a kitchen so you can cook and share meals together, plus a BBQ for evenings outside.
What is there to do in Tuaran?
Try Tuaran mee, visit Dalit Beach, enjoy the river and countryside, or go golfing, horse riding or try water activities nearby.
How do I book Tuaran Kampung Villa?
You can book directly on our website at stayswellglobal.com.
Welcome to Tuaran Kampung Villa. Welcome to Tuaran. Welcome home.
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What Families Can Enjoy at Tuaran Kampung Villa
The whole private house, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms
Room for up to eight guests, ideal for families and small groups of friends
A kitchen for cooking and sharing meals together
Indoor and outdoor spaces to relax
A BBQ for evenings outside
Karaoke for family fun
Friendly neighbours and local people who help care for the home
But more than the facilities, I hope guests feel at home. Home is belonging. It is sharing food, hearing laughter from the next room, watching children play and sitting together without rushing.
A Home That Grows With the Community
The people of Tuaran are part of this story too. Local people help look after the villa, and neighbours often greet guests with a wave and a smile. I believe that when a business grows, the community around it should grow with it, and that is a big part of why this home exists.
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Creating unforgettable memories in Sabah's beauty.
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