Who are they and what do they do

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Anna Pierrot and Larry Scuccato opened the Flying Rhino guesthouse in September 2008, in Kuala Kubu Bharu (KKB for the locals), in Selangor. Before the Flying Rhino, the husband and wife used to work in China, Anna in Education and Lorenzo in Industrial Engineering. They visited Malaysia several times and appreciated the diversity of the many still unspoilt natural areas. Why did they leave their comfortable expat life in China and open the Flying Rhino guesthouse? “We fell in love with the place, and wanted to make a difference by sharing environmental concerns and a life style with other people” said Anna.

Aware of culture and heritage, and keen to not disturb the forest with another land-consuming lodge, they settled on building the guesthouse in the middle of busy KKB, at the foot of Fraser’s Hill. It took them about two years (to find a house, buy it, renovate it, find a local partner, fill up the administrative papers… the list goes on). A huge amount of energy and determination was required to implement the project that lead to the Flying Rhino guesthouse.The guesthouse is set up in a shop house, probably built around 1930. It is located in the first row of shop houses when you enter KKB old town, next to four other rows of largely well preserved shop-houses.

The Flying Rhino has been revamped but remains respectful of the original architecture and design: original clay tiles (from Marseille, south of France), wooden windows, timber floors and staircases have been restored. They kept the original material as much as possible and found local craftsmen to reproduce some of the components from the original when it could not be preserved. Anna and Lorenzo furnished the house with hand crafted rustic plain-wood beds, cabinets, seats and tables. Handicraft made locally and bamboo woven panels made by neighbouring orang asli add a cosy touch and offer a showcase for local handicraft that they want to promote. The bright and warm colours of the wall paint bring immediate comfort to the guests. Unless you are colour-blind you will feel immediately welcome and relaxed.
There is no air-conditioning, only fans; no bottled water, only water jugs; nicely designed leaflets inside the bedrooms remind the guest about eco-behaviour; and there are plenty of books about nature, bird watching and lots of advice and good tips about nature trails and good places to eat, etc. Anna and Lorenzo do their best to spread awareness about eco-responsibility and to reduce their environmental footprint as well as that of their guests.

Breaking news : The Flying Rhino is currently under renovation. It should be open again in the beginning of July 09. You can still contact them for enquiries and booking and for tours.

What a traveler can experience

  • Stay at the Flying Rhino and RELAX: enjoy the local life and the many restaurants (ask FR staff for their good tips). The FR offers two twin rooms, one single room with shared bathrooms, one master bedroom (with a kingsize bed) and attached bathroom, and a mezzanine dormitory with seven mattresses. The dining room is spacious and there is an open invitation to organize parties. There is no air-conditioning, but there are fans and mosquito coils and nets are provided. Don’t skip the breakfast: as the boss is Italian, you can enjoy a real Italian espresso!
  • Discover or explore the Fraser’s Hill forest and KKB’s hidden gems: The Flying Rhino organizes nature and cultural tours. Many outdoor activities can be arranged for individuals and groups They are currently strengthening contacts with selected nature guides and reliable local partners to be able to offer more activities. 
  • Soon you should be able to eat at the Flying Rhino: will it be the first Italian restaurant of KKB or will they serve French delicacies (did I mentioned that Anna is French?)? Will it be an organic-food restaurant? A hybrid of the three? We will go back there for sure at the beginning of july 2009 for an update and review of the FR restaurant.

Contacts

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Anna Pierrot, (+60) 10 220 3015

Email: theflyingrhino@gmail.com   Tel and Fax: 60-3-60642188 Mobile: 60-128286998 or 60-127129968

Skype: Just click on the icon to access skype (search name “theflyingrhino”)

Facebook: Flyingrhino Malaysia

Location : Flying Rhino Guesthouse & Ecotours, Lot 5, Jalan Dato Tabal 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia

Website : http://www.flyingrhino.com.my

How to get there

By RAIL : A good way (and eco-friendly) to keep stay relax: in KKB you will find a brand new train station, it looks like if you were in the suburb of KL, amazing. There. are two services, one is normal rail, second is Express. From KL SENTRAL railway hub please take a commuter train KTM (Malaysian Railway Co.) to Kuala Kubu Bharu Station via Rawang. You have to change in Rawang ! A second train will bring you to Kuala Kubu Bharu Station. Total journey time is around 2 hours. Check route map, timetables and fare at KTM website : http://www.ktmb.com.my/

By bus from RAWANG you can catch a bus too to KKB, but it is not won’t advised by FR’s team because the journey takes a more tiring way.

By car:

1. from the NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY you exit at the BUKIT BERUNTUNG, GENTING HIGHLANDS signboard. From the exit, head towards KKB, which is about 30 minutes away,going through a vast residential zone. Direction to KKB is often on the direction to FRASER’S HILL sign board.

2. By the old road to the north from KL to KKB via RAWANG, SERENDAH, BATANG KALI heading towards FRASER’S HILL direction. The journey takes about 90minutes.

3. By another old road from BATU CAVES in KL via the BATU DAM to KKB going through ULU YAM and BATANG KALI. This road is less frequented except on weekends because it is very scenic road. The journey takes about 90minutes.

 

Written by C.Bossis, Kuala Lumpur, 12 Dec. 08. updated on the 14 May 09.
Permission granted to reproduce for personal use only.
Commercial use is prohibited. 

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