Though largely covered with palm-oil plantations, this island’s Orang Asli village at Kampung Sungai Bumbon is worth a visit for the Mah Meri Cultural Village . If you don’t have your own wheels, check out the tour packages available on the website (minimum two people) or hire a taxi to Pulau Carey from Klang (return with a couple of hours on the island RM120 to RM150).
The Mah Meri (also spelled Hma’ Meri) are a subgroup of the Senoi people and live along the coast of Selangor. They are renowned for their masterful woodcarving, and comically expressive oversized masks. Drop by the village museum for excellent displays of their art with accompanying text explaining the local legends informing each piece (such as the story of a tiger trapped in a cage that inspired one of the people’s most iconic wood sculptures).
You can order wood carvings at the village centre, or pick up less expensive but still beautiful palm-leaf origami or woven baskets and mats made from pandanus leaves. You can also rent rickety bikes (RM15 per hour) to explore the rest of the island. Up the main road from the turnoff for Kampung Sungai Bumbon look for a sign for Kampung Sungai Rambai and turn left. At the sign for Balai Origami turn right for the Pusat Origami (Origami Centre), where you might be lucky to see displays of live origami making.
