Down on the Farm With Ambong-Ambong

Sustainability is more than just a checkbox item at Ambong-Ambong, a rainforest resort. It is a guiding principle for everything the resort does.

The family has been coming to Langkawi since the '70s, and their business has been founded on their love for the island. A sale of some family-owned land was promptly dismissed as an option during a heated discussion in the early 2000s. Both Ahmad and Joan were lifelong environmentalists who believed that any construction should take place only under their watchful eye.

Both Ambong Pool Villas and Ambong Rainforest Retreat were developed as low-density, boutique resorts with Ambong Rainforest Retreat specialising in holistic health programmes; both were built on the principles of sustainability and respect for the local natural environment. Both resorts are pleased with their efforts to reduce food imports from mainland peninsular Malaysia by giving preference to locally grown and sourced produce, and they have eliminated single-use plastics and optimised resort operations.

Buluh & Tebing, Ambong-organic Ambong's farm, is home to a fish pond, fruit orchard, vegetable farm, flower and orchid nursery, and bamboo grove, all of which find their way into many of the restaurant's meals. Ambong-Ambong benefits from the eggs laid by the farm's free-range hens, while the farm's three cows act as natural fertilisers. The resort and spa receive flowers and orchids from the flower and orchid nursery.

Commenting on Ambong-Ambong's sustainable operations, Amran Ahmed, Owner and Managing Director said: “We know that we want our own operations to be locally sustainable, especially when it comes to food supplies, but we are now working towards expanding the scope of our organic farm so we are able to supply others on the island with local organic produce. It's a personal goal of mine to be able to make the island more self-sufficient, as currently over 70% of vegetables on Langkawi are imported.”

“The farm's bamboo grove is being developed to showcase bamboo as one of the most sustainable plants on the planet. We are building a bamboo café at the farm to highlight bamboo's natural properties and multiple uses, especially as a green building material. Bamboo is known for being one of the fastest-growing plants, a huge carbon sink for the planet, and producing up to 35% more oxygen than trees while absorbing up to five times more carbon dioxide than the rainforest. I hope we can promote bamboo as a sustainable material and further demonstrate its multiple uses to support our sustainability efforts in tourism.”

Visits to the farm, situated 45 minutes away in the foothills of Gunung Raya, Langkawi's tallest peak, can be organised in advance for visitors staying at Ambong-Ambong. Guests will also take part in a traditional cooking session and see where their food comes from throughout their stay. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone curious about organic farming or Malaysian cuisine to immerse themselves in these topics.

Ambong-Ambong is encouraging visitors to Buluh & Tebing to plant a bamboo tree while there and educate themselves on the sustainable qualities of bamboo.

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