Wae Rebo is a village in Flores, Indonesia. Understand[edit] A traditional village, mostly untouched by technology living in round huts that signify the unity of their village. Their English is not good so consider hiring a guide Rp 200,000 to guide you up to the village and translate. Make sure to wear appropriate clothing covering shoulders and knees. The handshake is important here, shake hands say hi, your name and touch your chest with your right hand. During their traditional new year celebration the village of around 200 inhabitants accept 400 visitors during last celebration, November 2015 and presumably returning family members. Get in[edit] The only way to get to the village is to hike. For a fit person this hike is about 3 hours on small paths through the jungle. Bring lots of water. The path starts in Denge and is very obvious. Follow the largest trail and you will eventually end up in the village. There are numerous shortcuts but if you are unsure just stick to the main path. The first 1/3 of the hike is along a road that is under construction and not covered by trees so best start early before it gets warm. Right where construction ends there is a stream of water, upstream 20 m there is a small basin where you can cool down. To get to Denge follow the Flores highway west from Ruteng about 20 minutes and follow the sign towards Wae Rebo. The road will become progressively worse as you travel further from Ruteng. From the highway to Denge is about 2-3 hours of spectacular views and crappy roads. It is passable by car and scooter but consider being one person per scooter as the road is very bad. Google maps will find the way to "Gereja St. Petrus dan Paulus Denge" which is right below the path to Wae Rebo. There is a second way to get to Denge, following the coast from the west but the roads are even worse. It is however shorter in time if you come from/are going to Labuan Bajo. It is passable by scooter not car but expect to cross rivers without bridges, boulder fields with some semblance of road and other obstacles. 1 person per scooter is recommended. The road is mostly obvious, just follow the largest road along the coast. The path starts at and is clearly marked. There is a homestay Rp 200,000 per person include three meals 50m to the west of the start and a "lodge" further down towards the coast. Get around[edit] See[edit] The village is located at about 1200 m altitude and has a spectacular view. Stay up late and see the most clear night sky you can imagine. Do[edit] When you enter the village start by heading to the biggest hut in the middle for the mandatory welcome ceremony. And a Rp 50,000 donation for a group of 4. After this you can enter pretty much any hut and receive a warm welcome and tea/coffee. Buy[edit] Wae Rebo is known for its coffee production which you can buy here. Eat[edit] Drink[edit] Sleep[edit] Most people hike up in the morning stay a night and hike back down the following morning. Sleeping in the village costs Rp 325,000 per person and includes three meals a day. Connect[edit] There is no cellphone reception in Wae Rebo or the surrounding areas villages. There is a VHF radio in Wae Rebo for emergencies. Go next[edit]

Indonesia, which is rich in natural beauty, never seems to make us stop to be amazed. One of the portraits of Indonesia’s natural beauty can be found in the village of Wae Rebo in West Manggarai, Flores-East Nusa Tenggara. Wae Rebo Village, which is geographically located at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level, has earned it the nickname of the village above the clouds, because this area is always shrouded in a thin white fog with cool air that calms your heart and mind. Wae Rebo Village is a traditional village that is only inhabited by 112 families or around 700 people. It is said that the Wae Rebo people are descendants of the Minangkabau people who came about a thousand years ago. All residents are scattered in seven traditional houses called Mbaru Niang. In Wae Rebo only seven Mbaru Niang are allowed, not more. Mbaru Niang is a traditional Flores traditional house which is the main attraction of this village. In Manggarai language, Mbaru Niang means house because one part of the house is used to store sacred heirloom drums used to communicate with the ancestors. This traditional house is in the form of a cone built in the traditional way with a roof made of palm fiber that almost touches the ground. This cone shape symbolizes the never-ending brotherhood in Wae Rebo while in the middle there is a sturdy pillar to support the house which symbolizes Wae Rebo ancestors as its focal point. Mbaru Niang is about 15 meters high with five stories made of worok wood and bamboo with rattan to tie the construction. At the first level, it is called lutur, which means a tent that functions as a place to live and gather family. Then at the second level it is called lobo which functions as a place to store food and daily necessities. The third level is called lentar, which is used to store the seeds of plants such as corn, rice, and beans. The fourth level is called lempa rae which is used as a place to store food stocks in case of drought. Then the latter is called the hekang code which functions as a place to store offerings for offerings to the ancestors. Its unique shape and preservation have earned Mbaru Niang an award at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award 2012 in the category of Award of Excellence given to conservation buildings that are more than fifty years old. The beauty of Wae Rebo is not only limited to the Mbaru Niang building, but also the surrounding scenery. Wae Rebo is surrounded by green mountains and hills, making this village always shrouded in fog. At night, you can clearly see the Milky Way star cluster if the sky is clear. Meanwhile, in the morning, you can join in pounding coffee or weaving a cloth called cura cloth with brightly colored motifs. Coffee and songket cloth are the advantages of Wae Rebo. For those who want to come to Wae Rebo, you can take a plane from to Labuhan Bajo, from here you can take a detour through Denge village, which is the closest village to Wae Rebo by using a vehicle for eight hours. After arriving at Denge village, then you can walk to Wae Rebo for about four hours. Even though you have to do trekking for a long time, the view of rice fields, green hills, and beautiful beaches can make you fascinated so that without knowing it, you have arrived at Wae Rebo village. When you get there, you must undergo a ritual that aims to ask permission and protection from the ancestral spirits of the guests who come. Before this ritual is finished, you are not allowed to take photos or do other activities. Not only local tourists who come to Wae Rebo, but also foreign tourists from various parts of the world. According to local data, there are around 300 foreign tourists who come every year from the Netherlands, France, Australia, and many more. Since Wae Rebo is a traditional village, there are several rules that you must obey such as dressing modestly and not wearing mini clothes. Apart from being polite, the air here is very cold. You are also prohibited from showing affection, cursing and saying harsh words.

Have you ever wondered somewhere deep in the jungle and on the mountain summit, lies a community living their lives isolated from the spoils of modernization and exploitation. Tucked away in the dense tropical jungles of East Nusa Tenggara Island or more commonly known as Flores Island, there is such a place. Well, almost. Wae Rebo, is a village tucked away on top of a mountain near the town of Denge. It is easily recognizable by its distinct circular, cone shaped structure and thatched roofs, according to the Colony Roofers website. The traditional village is home to about 50 Manggaraian people, still living their normal lives since its first founding a century ago. Wae Rebo is one of the many villages of the Manggaraian people but it is the only one left that is built in the traditional cone shaped Mbraru Niang style. Wae Rebo Traditional Village This small village situated 1,100 meters above sea level where the air is fresh and cool. The picturesque village is completely surrounded by tropical vegetation and dense jungles. One of the more unique sounds you can hear here are the chirping of many types of songbirds. If you are into this kind of unique adventure, then read on. Getting There Getting to Wae Rebo village is no easy task. The first thing you need to know is that the only way to get there, is to hike. The hike starts from the base town of Denge. Since this is a village that is above the clouds, the hike takes about 3 hours and you do require a good deal of stamina to pull this off. Wae Rebo Lodge, Denge Denge is a 5-hour drive away from Labuan Bajo or a 3-hour drive if you are coming from Ruteng. It is a small town also occupied by the humble Maggaraian people. If you want to reach Wae Rebo without missing daylight, I would suggest staying for a night in Denge and start hiking in the early mornings. We stayed at a homestay called Wae Rebo Lodge. They offered us a room and some food. The lodge is strategically placed with views of ricefields and mountains. Just a few minutes walk, you can reach the beach with the sound of the ocean. Staying a night here, allows you to get some fresh air and clean up from the long journey you took to get here. The hiking trail The hiking route to Wae Rebo is easy to recognise. Just follow the route slowly and you will get to Wae Rebo eventually. As you begin your trek, you will be approached by some people on motorcycles offering you a ride for a fee. They said they could get us up to the village on their bikes. A few of the other people got on the bikes with the right gears from this store and off they went. Unfortunately, I turned them down because my Asian instincts raised a few flags but Fann got annoyed at me for refusing these gentlemen’s generous offer. We continued our hike with an angry Fann. We took our sweet time slowly hiking up the mountain. Panting and panting. After a 15 minute hike, we reached a bridge and here we saw the same group of bikers again. The few who paid them now had to get off the bike. The bikers signalled that this is the furthest they could go and then rode off after getting their money. I was relieved I didn’t accept their “too good to be true” offer. Fann then realised the scam and I saw her happy face again. We continued our hike up the village slowly and steadily. We were lucky to have a local guide to lead the way. He helped me to carry my drone and that eased the hike for me. After about 3 hours, we finally saw the hut that welcomes you with a banner that says “Welcome to Wae Rebo”. At the hut, you will see the coned shaped houses and this is when we got extremely excited. Reaching The Village View from the hut Once you reach the “Welcome to Wae Rebo” hut, you have to ring the bamboo bell. After signalling the bell, you have to wait for a response. The villagers will ring back and only if they ring back are you allowed to head down to the village. After that, you need to head to the largest coned shape house and pay a visit to the village chief. Here, the chief will do some prayers to ask the spirits to keep us safe during our stay here and our journey out. After that, you can head out and admire the amazing village. The village chief Food We stayed in one of the cone shaped houses that was catered for tourists. Staying here which I highly recommend costs 325,000IDR. This includes a sleeping mat, a pillow and a blanket. They also offer dinner, breakfast and of course their famous coffee. The common area was in the center and where we had our meals. We all sat around and shared the simple but delicious food that was offered by the villagers. We were allowed to roam around the village. We visited some of the houses and had a good look at how these people lived their lives here. Every house has 8 rooms that houses a different household. They share the common area in the center. Each of the houses has 5 levels and each level is used as a storage for different things as you can see in this image above. The people of Wae Rebo are farmers and they are famous for harvesting coffee beans like Arabica and Robusta. One of the other popular things they grow are cinnamon. That’s where we met an old man who was proudly showing us his cinnamon harvest. As the day gets later by the hour, clouds will slowly move in. That’s where Wae Rebo gets its most amazing picturesque look. We enjoyed our stay in Wae Rebo and we definitely hope that everyone would too. It would be great to visit this place as soon as you can. With the fast development of tourism in Indonesia, in a short few years, once a road is paved and hiking time is cut short to half. Who knows what would happen to the authentic and beautiful Wae Rebo village. Tips Bring tons of water when you are hiking up to Wae Rebo village. The 3 hour hike may be worth every effort but getting there safe and hydrated is most crucial. Respect the village rules and the village good hiking shoes and bring a spare. I broke my shoe halfway hiking up the mountain hereTry their amazing coffeeDon’t forget to take as many pictures as you can.

A public two day tour to Wae Rebo. It is the last remaining traditional Manggaraian ethnic village where still traditional houses exists and where people still live like their ancestors thousands of years ago. Wae Rebo is the last remaining traditional Manggaraian ethnic village where still traditional houses exists and where people still live like their ancestors thousands of years ago. It is located at an altitude of 1,125 meters above sea level in the Nature Conservation Forest. There are seven traditional houses, the so called 'Mbaru Tembong' and each of these houses hosts more than one family. The people live on agricultural products as coffee, taro and vegetables. Day 1 LABUAN BAJO - DENGE - WAE REBOEarly in the morning we leave Labuan Bajo and travel up to the mountains with beautiful panoramic views, villages and rice fields. On a beautiful resting place we take a break and unpack our lunch package. Time to enjoy the beauty of the nature and the tranquility. In the early afternoon we arrive at Denge, a small village on the food of the mountain- our starting point for the four to five hours hike to Wae Rebo. We hike up hill through the rain forest and reach Wae Lomba, a creek. The first stop after about one hour hiking from Denge. Sometimes we can hear the voices of Asian Paradise Flycatchers and other endemic birds. We proceed to Post 2 at Pocoroko with picturesque views towards the Sawu Sea in the south. It is the last place for cellular phone connection services. The last stop is at Nampe Bakok, a place where we have a complete view over the traditional village of Wae Rebo. Breathtaking! Just before sunset we arrive at Wae Rebo. The head of the village - usually the eldest man in the village - welcomes us in his house with open arms. However, we need to ask for a permit first to enter the village and whether we will be welcomed. After our guide getting the permit the villages elderly men hold a welcome ceremony for us in manggaraian language. Don't worry. Our guide will translate it for you. Afterwards we get accompanied by villagers to the traditional manggaraian guest house where we set up our camp for the night possibly with other guests who arrived today. The round house can accommodate up to 25 people. Meanwhile the local women have started to cook with fire wood in the adjacent kitchen. Who like to assist doesn't need a special invitation. Everybody is welcomed! After enjoying our dinner of traditional simple food we sleep on woven gras mattresses arranged in form of a circle. Good night! The ghosts of the ancestors of the village will protect you!Day 2 WAE REBO - LABUAN BAJO or RUTENGAfter an early breakfast which the traditional women prepare for us, we say good bye to the villagers which we have grown fond of in only one day. We leave the village and trek the same way back downhill to Denge. We jump in to the car and depart either to Ruteng or back to Labuan Bajo. Lunch we take on the route. We arrive in Labuan Bajo in the evening or in Ruteng in the afternoon. Transportation We travel by an air conditioned car or van to the starting point of our hiking tour in Denge. Difficulty of the HikeIt is always hard to judge the difficulty of a hike. The hiking trail is in the first part very wide. Stones and fallen trees sometimes block the trail and we have to jump over it. The second part of the trail is a small path, in parts very steep and winding up to the montain. The third trail is much smaller as the second one, but it descends slightly to the village of Waerebo. In rainy season or after a big rain shower in dry season the trails could be very moody. Please wear good trekking shoes. Hike distance apprx. 6 kmHike duration uphill apprx. 4 hours depending on your conditionHike duration downhill apprx. 3 hours Hike classification minimum beginners in a medium and good condition. AccommodationWae Rebo We stay in one of the traditional manggaraian roundhouses together with other guests. Each house consists only of one room and can accommodate around 30 guests. We sleep on natural, thin matrasses. Pillows and blankets are provided. Toiletry is not provided. There is no electricity in Wae Rebo except in the evening when a generator will run. Food The food in Wae Rebo as well as the lunch package are traditional and basic. Water, tea or coffee is provided. Vegeterian food on request Luggage, equipment and clothingWe reccommend to bring a small backpack. If it is possible leave your suitcases in Labuan Bajo. During the hike one porter accompanies us and he can carry some of your sticks are good but not necessary. You can wear trekking shoes or in dry season sandals which are closed behind the foot chop. After a rain shower the trek is always very slippery. Therefore trekking shoes are more reccommended. During the night, especially from June to September, it could be chilly in the mountains 13°C/ F. We reccommend to bring a light pullover or jacket and a light rain forget your toiletry. There is a possibility to wash one self. But there is no shower and only cold water.

Detailed Reviews Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location SBandung, Indonesia2 contributionsMay 2022 • CouplesHappy memories of the climb up the pathway - then the friendly reception and community gathering, enjoyed their own production of coffee, tenun manggarai oleh mama katerina, armbands. Worth the excitement...Written 19 April 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn 2023 • CouplesYou need to take a scooter and then hike for about to 2 hours to get to this well preserved village of Wae Rebo. The hiking path is well paved for the first half of the trail. The remainder of the trail though not paved is pleasantly manageable. Because it rained whilst we were there, we found the trail slightly slippery in certain sections with a lot of leeches. When we arrived at the village, we were escorted to meet the chief whereby a simple ceremony to welcome and bless our short stay here was performed. A brief history about the village was given in English. We spent a night in one of the traditional adat homes with other guests. Dormitory style with blankets and pillows provided. Please bring along some insect repellent as we were all swarmed by mosquitoes throughout the night making sleep almost impossible. According to our guide, it was his first encounter with mosquitoes so far, still good to be prepared. Dinner and breakfast of eggs and rice was provided. A good experience, worth the 13 January 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn HGreater Adelaide, Australia2 contributionsOct 2022Our driver Stefan +62 812 4610 7187 was fantastic - I highly recommend his services. He drove us to Manggarai via a warung for lunch and along the beach. The drive was about 5 hours long including the lunch break and we arrived in the local village and met scooters. We took scooters for about 20 mins to get to the base of the mountain and hiked a few kilometres up to the traditional Wae Rebo Village. The hike was steep and hot but evened out a little bit more about half way. It was well worth the sight upon arrival where we met with the chief of the village and then were free to explore. The boys played volleyball with the local men and we stayed in the visitor hut with about 25 people from all over the world. We had rice and eggs for dinner and a slightly different version for breakfast. The experience was amazing and by boys 14 and 11 thoroughly enjoyed the experience 10 November 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn 2022I was greeted by Ofan, one of the local people who has really good English skills. There are western toilet, you are given a mattress and blanket to sleep with the other guests in one of this amazing "houses" ngurai. At 10pm the electricity cuts so the star gazing starts. It looks like the myst starts early 12pm so it is likely that you will not have the perfect view at first, but the next day 7 to 10 am there were no go with no motorbike solo female travellerYou can take the local bus around rupiahs from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng. In Ruteng I stayed in Cha Cha dorm guesthouse, a real highlight. They have an amazing restaurant too and it is really worth visiting them. They can organize a shared car with local people, rp to Denge, to Blasius Guesthouse. There also are trucks, but I have the feeling it would take much longer. I arrived quite late to Blasius so I spent the night there for a room with cold shower, like a losmen. Blasius and his family are also really lovely. From Blasius you can walk 3km or take the motorbike taxi. I recommend the last as it really is a lot to walk was really worth it. They sell their own coffee and crafts, I also recommend buying from them as it is clearly made by them. For my way back I again stayed at Blasius, who organized a shared car rp to take me to the Transflores highway. From there you can stop a shared car or bus to take you to Labuan Bajo Written 5 August 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn 2022 • FamilyGreat Culture and Nature lige ,and Nice people please keep this place on Natural and do not distroy come back next time .Written 3 July 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn UK49 contributionsApr 2022 • SoloIt is an interesting traditional village high up in the mountains. Takes quite some effort to get there from Labuan Bajo, with a long, very bumpy ride on the road, a scooter taxi ride from Denge, then a 5 kilometres mostly uphill hike in the forest. When you arrive there you are rewarded with a stunning view of seven, traditional houses. The people in the village welcome you with a little introduction which then you can follow with a little walk around in the village. This whole thing of exploration doesn’t take more than an hour and half even if you look into the tiniest details. I bet most people would be over it within half an hour. But until this point I actually really enjoyed the it’s supposedly an overnight program. And that’s where the challenge starts. I still have no idea what can one do there for 16-18 hours even with sleep and two meals involved. Particularly that the night isn’t exactly convenient. All guests sleep in one of the big traditional houses, in an open hall, with about 25-30 mattresses around. There isn’t much bedding just a straw-mattress and a dirty blanket used by who knows how many people before. You have no option but to use it because the night is very cold and there are hundreds of mosquitoes flying recommendation is that only stay there for overnight if you are really keen to have this box ticked on your bucket list. There is literally nothing else there than just an inconvenient sleep and a light breakfast. By all mean, visit the village, it’s beautiful. But if you can sleep elsewhereWritten 30 April 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn 2021If you come here from Labuan Bajo, you need to drive around - 4 hours through bumpy roads to get to Denge. From there you must take ojek motorcycle to reach the hiking start point, continue with a 3-hour hike on foot. The hiking path started with smooth pavement for the 1st hour and soil & stones for the next 2 hours. Make sure you are physically fit before you commit to going here because there's nothing else you can find if you decided not to hike. Don't forget to rent a bamboo stick. It's your life saviour for the the village, you will stay in a shared house that can fit 30 people. Mats tikar, blankets, and pillows are provided. The bathroom is very modest and the water is cold. They serve rice and chicken eggs as dinner and breakfast. The coffee is a must try!Written 25 December 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn 2020Certainly interesting to visit people nominally living a traditional lifestyle, far enough removed from modernity to be refreshing. But that's the operative word - nominally. Despite being off any mobile network for the time being, anyway, locals walking downhill while we were clambering uphill had a mobile phone in their pocket, blasting music. Ah well. Speaking of uphill it's a 450 m vertical ascent and yes, at least a 2-hour hike from the vehicle parking area to the village - don't be misled by locals who don't know a meter from a hole in the ground, and who'll tell you it's only km. It's a hot, sweaty ascent - amazing that the locals shoulder and carry 50-100 kg loads of cinnamon down this trail. There is one stream crossing the trail on the way up to the pass to stop momentarily to cool down, and then 3 more on the downhill leg. Once arriving in the village, you'll be expected to pay 50,000 Rp for a traditional "ceremony" and then 200,000 Rp per person for the visit, which does include lunch. An overnight stay is 325,000 Rp per person, I assume meals included we were day visitors. Overall, well worthwhile, if you can communicate with the locals. I assume the best time to visit would be weekends, when the kids who are during the week away from the village at school return 13 December 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn Stortford, UK385 contributionsApr 2020 • FriendsIt is great that there are still people living in own way, far away from all goods we have. Anyway now it is becoming tourist attraction and it is very close to tourist trap. In one hand you are amazed by the views, architecture and local way of living, in the other hand first impression is "we want your money". I understand that we need to support and pay for service but it is obvious that after that bad road, 4h drive from Labuan and 3h hiking in jungle we not gonna escape after invitation. Situation is like that arriving to village, you are invited to the house exhausted after hiking, a man is asking you for 50k straight away for ceremony, a man sitting in the middle is saying that you are very welcome and now you bacame to Wae Rebo. I don't think it's OK. Or do tickets before or ask for money after and warn tourists that it's obligatory because that way as it is organized now all magic of visiting some native people experiencing heritage etc is views are great, people nice, food delicious. Absolutely worth hikingWritten 4 April 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn 2019 • FamilyWorth staying overnight here, spending time to get to know the people and the environment. Especially those who like photography so much. Lots of things that can be photographed here. It’s such an amazing place. I love 14 January 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn results 1-10 of 190

Dieser Artikel ist auch verfügbar auf DeutschWae Rebo is something special in every way. Not everyone knows the small village in the mountainous hinterland of the Indonesian island of Flores. But Indonesian travel influencers and instagrammers are working on this fact to change. Wae Rebo is already the dream destination of many adventurous Indonesians, whereas foreign tourists still regard it as a small insider Rebo review – is it worth it?The famous traditional houses in the village of Wae ReboFirst a few facts, so that you can imagine where you can find this legendary placeWae Rebo is located on the Indonesian island of Flores, which you can reach with a short flight from Bali or with a longer one from Labuan Bajo, the largest “city” in Flores, it is actually only 70 km to the foot of the mountain on which Wae Rebo is Rebo itself can only be reached on foot, via a 2 or 3 hours hike steeply up the mountain depending on your personal fitness level.The village itself is situated on a plateau surrounded by breathtaking jungle-covered own story with Wae Rebo began with a short trip to Flores in November 2018 – we flew to Labuan Bajo to discover Komodo dragons, manta rays and other marine life in the adjacent national park. Over beer and fried fish at the night market we had a chat with Indonesian travelers who told us about the mystical Wae Rebo. A village that can only be reached on foot? A wild drive into the hinterland of Flores? Indigenous people who lives there undisturbed? We were to get to Wae ReboA few months later we were ready to go from Bali we flew to Flores, rented a motorbike in one of the many shops lining the street after a hearty breakfast in the Bajo Bakery they have Swiss cheese and fantastic Flores coffee and drove Bajo Airport on FloresView from Bajo Bakery to Labuan BajoOne more thing If you decide to go on this adventure, you have to be able to ride scooters very well. Some “roads” are often not paved, very steep, completely made of huge stones with big gaps between them or lead through rivers. Be realistic about your driving skills and don’t drive alone. For many kilometers you will not meet anyone – that means if you are out of petrol, get a flat tire or whatever, it’s much better to drive together with a fellow traveler. And insist on a helmet – many scooter rentals won’t automatically give you one, as police checks in Flores are rare. But since the roads are so bad, wearing a helmet is still a serious life first 20 or 30 km the roads are paved – very curvy and narrow, but paved. When we were on the road in April, there were several landslides – the roads were hardly passable. Fortunately it was dry. If it had rained, it would have been very dangerous. Therefore I recommend a trip in the dry season March to September.On the mountains above Labuan Bajo there are some nice viewpoints from where you can see parts of the Komodo National Park. That could be perhaps a first photo stop, in order to stretch your legs a little, because the way to Wae Rebo is still the hinterland of FloresAfter we had passed the mountains, we arrived in the flat hinterland of Flores, which looks like it has fallen out of time. The further away we were from Labuan Bajo, the fewer cars there were. At a certain point there are no petrol stations, no supermarkets, no Warungs anymore. Only rice fields, farmhouses, cows and a few scooters. The silence was deafening. We were stunned. How could a few kilometers make such a difference?In the hinterland of FloresOur journey took us across makeshift bridges, wobbly wooden footpaths, through rivers, foothills of the sea sometimes it takes a lot of strength to push the scooter up and down at places, because some stretches of the road are not “drivable”.To get to Wae Rebo by scooter, there are several routes – it is best to download an offline map, as there is no cell signal after a certain point and no road signs anyway. I recommend you to enter “Dintor” or “SDK Denge” in Google Maps. Cars usually take the road to Ruteng, which is a bit further. We chose the route to Dintor, which led us along the sea. Long, long distances without meeting anyone except a few goats – the salty wind on our skin – it was a dream come true!Although it is only about 70 km depending on the route, our scooter tour took more than 5 hours because of the sad state of the roads. Don’t underestimate that and start in any case before noon in Labuan Bajo. In the darkness, it is impossible to drive on these kind of roads, and you will very likely get lost as roads along the coast on the way to Wae Rebo LodgeWae Rebo LodgeWe arrived at Wae Rebo Lodge – one of the two accommodation options in the village of Dintor, where you can spend the night before your hike the next morning. The Wae Rebo Lodge is beautifully set in the emerald rice fields, has only a few hours of electricity a day remember this if you want to recharge your phone and serves you 3 meals included in the price of approximately 25 Euro In the evening when you arrive, in the morning before you leave, and after the hike when you return to pick up your scooter/luggage. The food has always been the same rice with vegetables/fish/ Rebo LodgeSince there wasn’t much to do in the lodge, we went to bed early not without taking a good look at the star-studded sky, of course. At we got up, had our rice breakfast and drove the last few kilometers to a kind of parking lot from where all the hikes to Wae Rebo were not sure about whether we should hire a guide, but decided against it. As it turned out, this was not necessary. There is only one path and it leads steeply upwards through dense jungle with orchids, all kinds of plants and on the humidity level, there can also be leeches. My travel partner got bitten by one – even though it is not considered dangerous, it is something to keep in mind. The small snake that crossed our path was also part of the whole jungle adventure package. You don’t necessarily need hiking boots, a pair of good sneakers will do. But I recommend you to wear long linen-pants, because it’s a bit cool up there in the village. After 2 hours of climbing and clambering we reached a point with a view of the mountain valley, where the roofs of the huts of Wae Rebo were already peeking out of the forest. A very sublime moment and after all the sweating and getting up early we had the feeling that all the effort was worth it. But this feeling was not meant to stay…Finally Arrival in the village of Wae ReboIn front of the village itself there is a board with rules which should give orientation no display of affection, no leaving behind of garbage etc. After this board you walk through a solidly built village until you see the famous huts of Wae were told to wait at the entrance until someone from the village picked us up. But since nobody showed up, we went straight to the biggest hut to present ourselves to the village note you are not allowed to take photos until you have been greeted by the village elder. He accepted our mandatory “donation” of 50,000 IDR per person about Euro and welcomed us to Wae Rebo. Theoretically, you can decide by yourself how much you want to “donate”.A young man led us to another hut – there he showed us our sleeping spots 350,000 IDR per person per night, about 22 Euro on the floor of the common room. We were a little surprised about the price – even more when we learned that the huts were not “authentically” old, but were recently rebuilt by a team of architects from Jakarta according to old villagers also didn’t seem to live in the huts at all, but in the more solid concrete houses a little further up. There was no interaction between the villagers and the tourists, but the children tore the wooden crayons we brought for them out of our hands and ran away. In the hut for the tourists there was also a souvenir shop where you could buy woven scarves, coffee and were so surprised by the prices for the overnight stay, the anticipated coldness of the villagers and the generally rather unpleasant mood in the village that we turned back on our heels and started the way down with the hope to arrive back in Labuan Bajo before nightfall spoiler Alert we didn’t quite make it and had to drive through the pitch-black mountain roads. Not to be recommended!.ConclusionIt is a sensitive topic and of course a matter of taste; also a matter of what you are looking for. How much “authenticity” can one expect when traveling to a presumably “remote” place? For me personally, the village of Wae Rebo was a bit too touristic, and not in a nice way. The atmosphere was weird and I had the impression that a show was put on for the tourists. Other friends who had visited the place found it magical, experienced the people as extremely friendly and the prices absolutely reasonable. So it really depends on what your own perspective is. For me, the beautiful motorbike trip back and forth was far more rewarding than the visit of the village the authorLisaIf she’s not doing yoga or racing around Indonesia on a motorcycle, Lisa will be found close to a turquoise beach, preferably a glass of red wine in her hand and sand between her toes. Having lived in Southeast Asia for more than 4 years, she’s fallen deeply for this part of the world – if only there was more real’ Pizza around! You can follow her travels and hunt for Pizza on Instagram lisa_asiaHave you been to Wae Rebo before? How was your experience? Did you like the village? Let us know in the comments!

Wae Rebo Village Wae Rebo is a small and very out of the way village. It is on around 1,100 meters above sea level and approximately 3 -hour trekking from Denge Village. Wae Rebo village is completely in the middle of panoramic mountains and the dense Todo forest. Certainly, this tropical forest is rich in vegetation, where you will find orchids, different types of ferns and hear the chirping of many songbirds. There is also no mobile coverage in this village, and the electricity is only available from 6 to 10 pm. The air is relatively cold, especially in the dry season, so don’t forget to bring your jacket if you’re planning to visit the village. The History of Wae Rebo Village Flores Indonesia The traditional village of Wae Rebo is in the district of Manggarai on the island of Flores. The Village got the Top Award of Excellence from UNESCO in the 2012 and UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards, in Bangkok on 27 August 2012. This small and isolated village was recognized for its rebuilding of the traditional Mbaru Niang. It is traditional house based on the spirit of community cooperation towards a sustainable tradition. while at the same time improving its village welfare. The founder of the village was Empu Maro. Today, the inhabitants are his 18th generation descendants. The Characteristics of the Unique House in Wae Rebo village Wae Rebo’s main characteristics are their unique houses, which they call Mbaru Niang. Those are tall and conical in shape and are completely covered in lontar thatch from its rooftop down to the ground. It appears that at one time such kind of houses were quite common to the region. But today, it is only this village that continues to maintain the typical Manggarai traditional house. The house has five levels. each level designed for a specific purpose. The first level, called lutur or tent, are the living quarters of the extended family. The second level, called lobo, or attic, is set aside to store food and goods. The third level called lentar is to store seeds for the next harvest. The fourth level called lempa rae is reserved for food stocks in case of draught. And the fifth and top level, called hekang kode, which is held most sacred, is to place offerings for the ancestors. One special ceremonial house is the community building where members of the entire clan gather for ceremonies and rituals. They are predominantly Catholic but still adhere to old beliefs. In this house are stored the sacred heirloom of drums and gongs. How the People live there The Wae Rebo village comprises 7 houses with a small population of around 1,200 inhabitants. The staple diet of villagers is cassava and maize. But around the village they plant coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon which they sell in the market around 15 km. away from the village. However, Wae Rebo is popular as a tourist destination for international ecotourism enthusiasts. And it is good for the economic welfare of the village. The people of Wae Rebo warmly welcome visitors who wish to see their village and experience their simple traditional life. Interesting Things you need to know about Wae Rebo Village The village of Wae Rebo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara is like heaven above the clouds. It takes a struggle to reach this village. However, what you will get when you arrive at the location is certainly comparable to the journey taken. It is truly a beauty that is difficult to describe in words, a traditional village with towering thatched roofs in the middle of a stretch of green hills. Well, behind this beauty, it turns out that Wae Rebo Village has many interesting facts and things that you can find in this village. Here are few interesting things you need to know about Wae Rebo. One of the Highest Villages in Indonesia. Wae Rebo Village is in the list of the highest villages in Indonesia. It is at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level masl. Wae Rebo is often decorated with a thin fog every morning that slowly descend from the surrounding hills and cover the entire village. Because of its location at this altitude, it is another challenge to reach Wae Rebo Village. You have to do trekking for two or three hours through quite difficult terrain. We recommend to hire a guide to assist you along the trek path. And it is good to spend a night at Wae Rebo to enjoy its uniqueness longer and also to save energy for return trekking. The Village with Seven Main Houses The traditional Mbaru Niang house in Wae Rebo Village is considered very rare and is located high up in the mountains. It has a fairly unique shape, which is like a cone barn and there are only seven of them. Each house is inhabited by six to eight families. Mbaru Niang consists of five floors with palm leaf roofs and covered by palm fiber. Every visitor who comes will enter a Mbaru Niang which is specially to welcome tourists who come on a trip. You will get a banquet in the form of Flores Coffee as a welcome drink at Mbaru Niang. For those of you who want to spend the night, you can stay at Mbaru Niang. Complementary blankets and pillows are available. Have a special day every November Residents in Wae Rebo Village celebrate the Penti Traditional Ceremony. The celebration to express gratitude for the harvest that is obtained in a year and ask for harmony and protection. During the celebration, the residents will wear traditional clothes complete with accessories. For those of you who are planning to visit this village, you should match your schedule with this traditional ceremony so that the visit is more meaningful because you can see more attractions and values. The people of Wae Rebo are of Minang descent Although Wae Rebo is a village in West Manggarai, NTT, it turns out that the villagers claim that they are of Minang descent from West Sumatra. Empo Maro, Wae Rebo ancestor from Minangkabau who migrated to Flores and moved from place to place until finally settled in the area which is now Wae Rebo Village. Although they are of Minang descent, the names of the inhabitants are not like the names of most Minang people. Flags on Traditional Houses When Independence Day, there is always a ceremony to commemorate it. Uniquely, the residents of Wae Rebo will place the Indonesian flag on top of the cone-shaped traditional house during the flag ceremony. Several people helped each other to make sure the flag was standing firmly. There is no cellphone signal In the Village of Wae Rebo and suroundings, there is no cellphone signal or internet connections. So, never expect to share your moment right away to the world from Wae Rebo village. Those are interesting things about Wae Rebo that you need to know. Being in a remote location doesn’t necessarily make this village empty of visitors. On the other hand, many tourists are willing to travel far away to enjoy the beauty of every corner of Wae Rebo Village. About Author You Might Also Like This

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