With year-end travelling coming up, Singaporeans can look no further than Cameron Highlands, located in the Malaysian state of Pahang, for an escape from the bustling city life.

Terra Tree House, run by Malaysian couple Ng Tien Khuan and Woonsing Ho, is a homestay built deep inside the mountain region of Cameron Highlands.

According to the homestay's website, visitors will need to take a 4km journey via "a very narrow and bumpy trail" and hike about 400m through a steep, log-piled trail before they can arrive at the Tree House.

Couple bought the land initially for farming

Speaking to 8world Stories, Ho revealed that initially, she and her husband did not intend to buy the land to build the Tree House.

Instead, they wanted to use the land for farming purposes.

However, after visiting the land in person, the couple realised it was way too steep, so they left it lying idle for a year or two.

They eventually decided to build the Tree House after they noticed that they would naturally forget about the world outside upon walking into the area during their occasional visits.

To ensure the homestay would blend in neatly with the surrounding forest, the couple hired 10 native residents to construct the Tree House, reported 8world.

Serve guests fresh produce from their own farm

The couple also shared that they would use organic vegetables produced at their farm as ingredients when preparing meals for Tree House's guests.

Their farm, named Terra Farm, is situated in Lojing Highlands in the neighbouring state of Kelantan.

According to Ng, many guests would ask the couple why the vegetables were so delicious after finishing their meal, and they would place an order for the couple's produce upon returning home.

These also include Singaporean buyers, who would purchase around a hundred boxes of vegetables and 100kg of fruits from the couple every month, shared Ho.

Unique approach to farming

To maintain the quality of their farmland, the couple adopted the "biodynamic approach" at their farm.

The approach encourages cultivators to take an ecological and ethical approach to farming, including avoiding chemical soil fertilisers and implementing diverse crop rotation on their farmland, according to Biodynamic Association United Kingdom.

To Ng, adopting the "biodynamic approach" provides the crops with an ideal environment to grow.

For example, it helps nurture an "enlivening" soil containing microorganisms and earthworms.

Ng also noted that this approach has produced crops that appear to be more sturdy.

Raising seven children in nature

Together, Ng and Ho have seven children who are currently studying from home.

When naming their children, the couple purposely selected Chinese characters that connotate freedom, such as "飞 (fly)," "海洋(ocean)," and "天空(sky)," said Ho.

She also added that she and her husband chose these characters because they hope their children can grow up freely and find the mission as well as the goals in life.

Ho's wish was echoed by Ng, who believed that the most important thing is to have a good physical and mental state:

"This way, children can grasp things quickly no matter what they want to learn. They do not necessarily need to study very hard to accumulate knowledge. They can also learn by using their bodies and experiencing nature."

Correspondingly, Ng shared that he and his wife rarely preach principles to their children, and they would only institute a bit of discipline in their children's daily lives.

Hope to spread their positive influence worldwide

Besides living their best lives out in the forest, the couple said they would continue learning and making their farm even better moving forward.

"We hope to spread our positive influence around the world so that it will become a better place," said Ng.

Details of Terra Tree House

Rooms at Terra Tree House are priced between RM800 and RM1,380 for bookings for one or two persons, and rates will be higher for larger groups.

The price includes pick-up service in and out from the Tree House at its defined pick-up time and meals throughout the three-day-two-night stay.

You can check the availability of the Tree House by emailing [email protected] or via WhatsApp at +60-012-6613299.

Top images from 8world Stories' Facebook video