I just had words that my host from the party yesterday only just left DARC after an overnight stay and a hefty lunch. They hired a room which Anita used to shower the kids yesterday, a nice a roomy one, complete with the usual mod cons. As for the lunch, they served nasi padang every Sunday afternoon. And the patron were not charged a single sen, but urged to pay for what they thought the meal was worth .... And this novel concept permeate through to all aspects of the place. A strong sense of community.
As I mentioned, we took up membership to the place yesterday. It only cost us RM180 form the whole family forms year. And we would later get discounts for use of the facilities and horse riding lessons which according to my friend, were the most reasonable in town. You would not get the price anywhere near what offered anywhere else.
DARC offer care and training for the horses in their stable. They relied on members to volunteer in terms of time and money to make the place work. Therefore, the members felt that the place belonged to them, and most of the members hang around there regularly. You could even go a step further and sponsor the individual horses. And when it came to riding time, you would be able to ride your horse for free.
They adhere to strict regulations in terms of attire and etiquette. Members were briefed on the safety and precautions when riding and being around these animals. By training, you would gradually master the technique and could even became trainers yourself, or enter tournaments. A bit too early yet for us. We had yet to start any lesson. That would come in the coming weeks.
DARC however was not all about horses. Apart form the room and facilities for parties and events, they have motor cross, archery, gyms and play area for children. Around the rooms, they also had a swimming area for children. They have fencing lessons, and of course the restaurants. We had drinks yesterday while watching a football match at the centre.
Safety first
I don't think we were this good .... yet
I had to convince the boys that swimming during party was not a good idea .....
Of course you can choose to stay here overnightThe main issue would be logistics for us as we had to travel across town to get to Denai Alam. It should be bearable traffic on Sundays via the highway. And fitting that into their swimming lessons and later, sports clubs, their weekend would be full of activities.
As I mentioned, DARC had quite an atmosphere and we felt good signing up for membership. We would start our riding lessons soon, and it would not just be the kids, but for Anita and me as well.
More information about DARC here.
