Wae Rebo Traditional Village is a remote traditional village in Satar Lenda Village, Satarmese District, Southwest of Ruteng City, with its capital, West Manggarai Regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara. It is famous for its Mbaru Niang house. The village is surrounded by mountains and dense tropical forest, located around the slopes of Mount Ranaka and directly adjacent to Komodo National Park.
Activities and Attractions In Wae Rebo
Here are the activities and attractions In Wae Rebo Traditional Village that you can enjoy:
1. Enjoying the Welcoming Ceremony
When we arrive at this traditional village, we will be welcomed by a welcoming ceremony and pray together. Of course, this will increase our knowledge and encourage a sense of tolerance for our diversity of cultures. The head of the tribal will welcome you with pleasure.
2. Taking Pictures in Front of the Traditional House
Taking a photo in front of Wae Rebo's traditional village, Mbaru Niang is the dream of all tourists in this place. The uniqueness of this house, of which there are only 7, makes it a photo sport that tourists are waiting for.
3. Listening to the History of the Wae Rebo Traditional Village
In the evening, after finishing dinner, we will chat and listen to stories about this traditional village with the owner of the house, the history of its establishment, and its development until it becomes a tourist destination and gets many world-class awards.
4. Mashing and Savoring Wae Rebo's Traditional Coffee
In my opinion, enjoying the coffee made directly by the women of this village is one of the unique things. Trying to pound coffee with traditional tools is also something fun. Then we can enjoy the coffee directly from the first hand, something we rarely do in the city.
5. Bird Watching
Dense and tall forests surround Wae Rebo, so many animals remain, such as monkeys, civets, wild boars, and birds. One of the tourist attractions developed in Wae Rebo is bird watching, which is observing birds that live in the Wae Rebo area. But you cannot enjoy this attraction every time.
6. Playing with Wae Rebo's children
Another activity that you can enjoy and that will make you happy is playing with Wae Rebo's children. Through games and songs, you can share anything about school lessons, the village's culture, and traditions with them.
7. Cunca Neweng Waterfall
It turns out that this traditional village has a 15-meter-high waterfall in the middle of the forest called Cunca Neweng Waterfall, which is approximately forty-five minutes from this village.
8. Enjoying the traditional ceremony
Several rituals are also performed in this ceremony. The tourist can enjoy the traditional ceremony below:
- Caci and Mbata Dance
- Kasawiang Traditional Ceremony.
- Ronda Traditional Art.
- Caci Traditional Art.
- Ancam or Bobong Racket Ceremony.
- We'e Mbaru Ceremony.
- Mbata Traditional Arts.
- Dende or Nggejang Traditional Arts.
- Tuak Curuk Manuk Kapu Traditional Art.
- Sanda Traditional Art. Indonesian culture is endless.
9. Enjoying the beautiful starry sky
At night, if the weather is clear, tourists can enjoy the beautiful star-studded sky in the open courtyard, and tourists who have a hobby of photography can take a moment of the Milky Way of the country above the clouds. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit and enjoy all that beauty because the weather was not possible, and it was very cold then.
10. Processing coffee with Wae Rebo's Women
Coffee is the main cash crop for the Wae Rebo people. The village produces Arabica and Robusta coffee, which have unique aromas and tastes. Wae Rebo women process coffee beans by shaking them on a woven tray to cool them and remove debris. This is part of a traditional coffee-making process passed down through generations. It was terrific, and I can see the process.
If you have never tried to process coffee, you can try in Wae Rebo. Many women process coffee beans. The tourists can experience the daily life of the local people, including the coffee processing. They can also visit the coffee plantation and learn about different types of coffee.
11. Enjoying the view of Wae Rebo Traditional Village
The location is in the middle of a valley-shaped forest, making the traditional village of Wae Rebo surrounded by tall green forests. We can take some photos with a view of the forest.
Before entering this village, tourists will also pass through the Poco Roko and Ponto Nao forests, which are surrounded by mountains, so the air is very cool. In addition, this village is shaped like a green valley before entering the village gate.
Access to the Wae Rebo
Access to this traditional village can be traveled by land and sea. At that time, I used the land route. If you intend to use public transportation, you can use a mode of transportation in the form of a truck, or there is a term called Oto Kayu or Oto Kol, with the upper frame and seat base made of wooden assemblies.
In 2016, there were only two Oto Kayu, and they departed from Ruteng City to Denge Village in the afternoon and returned in the morning. The truck departs from the Mena bus terminal in Ruteng City, passing through Cancar, Pela, Todo, Dintor, and Denge villages.
Denge Village is the last village that vehicles can pass before trekking to Wae Rebo Traditional Village. Travel time from the Mena bus terminal to Denge Village is about 4 - 5 hours. The distance is ± 80 km from Ruteng city center.
In addition, if you come from Labuan Bajo, you can rent a four-wheeled vehicle, travel bus, or two-wheeled vehicle directly to Denge Village or until Ruteng and then continue with the truck. The journey from Labuan Bajo to Denge Village takes approximately 8-10 hours, depending on the vehicle used and the speed.
If you want to use the sea route by boat, you can depart from Labuan Bajo to Nangalili and continue to Dintor Village for about three hours. From Dintor, you can continue to Denge Village by using an ojek or waiting for a truck. At that time, I used the land route.
My Experience Visiting The Wae Rebo
At 08.00 WITA we departed from Labuan Bajo. The route we passed was Ruteng. Along the way, we were treated to a beautiful stretch of green rice fields, a vast stretch of beach, and fresh air that I never felt in the capital. For the first three hours, the road to Ruteng Village was paved.
From Ruteng, the journey begins to be a little tricky, the road starts to deteriorate and is narrow enough for only one car, and on the right and left are many ravines, so if there are vehicles from the opposite flow, they must take turns.
Plus, some spots in the form of rocks that form climbs and descents made the car we were riding unable to go up because the stones were too big, so we had to push the vehicle.
After seven hours of traveling, precisely at 15.00 WITA, we arrived at Denge, the last village, before heading to Wae Rebo. The driver stopped at a local house to find a local guide for us.
Because this village has implemented a community-based tourism (CBT) system, tourists visiting Wae Rebo Traditional Village must use a guide as a form of community empowerment for IDR 100,000 per group, a maximum of five people.
From Denge Village, we started trekking to the Wae Rebo Traditional Village. It takes 1 - 3 hours, depending on the speed of the feet, with a distance of approximately 9 km with many uphill road conditions and only wet soil-shaped paths during the rainy season. There are many leeches, and there is info from the guide who escorted us. In addition, some roads are also made of stairs made of rocks.
To get to Wae Rebo, my friends and I had to pass several posts, starting from post 1, which is called Wae Lomba near Denge Village, and then heading to post 2, Poco Roko. As a result of the National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM in Bahasa) at this post, a safety fence was built on the side of the cliff because this road is prone to landslides.
Towards post 3, the most challenging route, we passed through a suspension bridge prone to breaking, so we had to take turns walking. After passing this bridge, we were treated to a coffee plantation owned by residents, one of their income commodities.
After passing through the coffee plantation, we found post 3, the Ponto Nao post or the Mother's Love House post. All guests will stop at this place before entering the Wae Rebo Traditional Village.
This post contains several regulations regarding what visitors can and cannot do while visiting Wae Rebo Traditional Village, and the guide also explains these regulations. The building is shaped like a saung on stilts, with conical roofs.
From this post, which is located higher than the Wae Rebo Traditional Village, we can see the shape of the Mbaru Niang house. There is a unique elongated kentongan in this place.
The guests must hit the drum in a way or rule that already exists. The sound will be heard up to the Wae Rebo Traditional Village, which is located below this post, by hitting it as a sign that guests are present to visit.
If you hear the sound of the Kentongan, the residents of Wae Rebo Traditional Village will prepare a guest reception ceremony. The rule for visiting this village is no later than 17.00 WITA because the reception ceremony cannot be held at night.
Because several groups were in front of us, we had to queue to get into this traditional village. It was our turn to go down to Wae Rebo Traditional Village. After we arrived at the entrance gate, the guide immediately took us to the main house to hold a guest welcoming ritual.
The ritual is complete, meaning we are also officially considered Wae Rebo Traditional Village residents. Then we started to walk around to see this place. The beauty of the Mbaru Niang house is like a fairy tale.
As a form of respect for guests, we were treated to a welcome drink of typical Wae Rebo coffee. After that, we continued with dinner, fried rice with typical Wae Rebo chili sauce.
The seven sturdy houses stand surrounded by mountains, just like in a valley. Alex Ngadus of Wae Rebo Traditional Village It was getting dark, and our guide directed us to enter and gather with other visitors in this unique stilt house.
As it was getting dark, our guide began to direct us to enter and gather with other visitors into this unique stilt house. As a form of respect for guests, we were treated to a welcome drink of typical Wae Rebo coffee. After that, we continued with dinner: fried rice with typical Wae Rebo chili sauce.
In 2016, tourists who did not stay overnight were charged IDR 100,000 and received one meal. Now, for those who stay at this place, it costs IDR 325,000 per person and includes dinner and breakfast. Also, don't worry, the villagers have provided mattresses, blankets, and pillows for sleep.
Because the number of visitors increases every year, it was decided to add two houses specifically to accommodate the number of guests who come to this place. The inside shape is slightly different, in the form of an open area like a barracks. In addition to domestic tourists, several foreign tourists visit this place.
In the morning, if the weather is clear, tourists can enjoy the beautiful sunrise while enjoying typical Wae Rebo Traditional Village coffee. In the afternoon, you can enjoy the golden sunset over the green mountains and see the birds flying around.
Tips and Tricks For Visiting Wae Rebo
1. Tips and tricks
- Because the cost of getting to this place is relatively high, finding a friend to go with you is advisable.
- For those who have never trekked, exercise before trekking to get to this place.
- Friends can bring books to share with the children in Wae Rebo and learn with them. They are pleased if we teach them, whether reading, counting, dancing, or something else.
- Because the air in this place is quite cold, it is advisable to bring a jacket or a sleeping bag.
- Bring food for yourself, because no one is selling food in this village.
- We will use the extra money to buy souvenirs from the residents here, such as typical Wae Rebo coffee, woven fabrics, or cinnamon, as our contribution to community empowerment.
2. Best time to visit
Visit this traditional village in the summer because you will see the clear sky and beautiful views of the Wae Rebo. You can enjoy the starry sky at night in the summer. If you go in the rainy season, the road to Wae Rebo from Denge Village will be slippery because it is still in the form of soil. Wear safe footwear, such as trekking shoes, if you visit in the rainy season.
3. Come before 17.00
The guest reception is only open until 17:00, so depart early from Labuan Bajo if you want to trek on the same day. Alternatively, you can stay overnight in Denge Village and then do the trekking the next day.
4. Vehicle rental price
According to information from innkeepers in Labuan Bajo, the price offered to get to this village ranges from 2.5 million - to 3 million per car, depending on the type of car to be rented if the system is shared cost, the more people, the cheaper.
Three friends and I met in Labuan Bajo and tried to bargain the price until we finally reached an agreement on the cost of 2.1 million, including gasoline and a driver.
I also met someone renting a motorcycle from Labuan Bajo for Rp75,000/motorcycle. Gasoline is around Rp100,000 pp, and the trip takes 7-8 hours. It is more economical, but the road conditions make the body more tired than using a car.
5. Respect the culture
Respect the culture and customs and obey the rules in this place, such as dressing politely, speaking politely, not shouting at others, and mingling with the residents there; they will be pleased.
Here is my experience of traveling to Labuan Bajo. Have you been there? If so, please share your experience in a comment below.
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