Overview
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 its beauty, it turns out that Wae Rebo Village has many interesting facts and things that you can find in this village. Here are 5 facts about Wae Rebo that you need to know.
- One of the highest village in Indonesia
Wae Rebo Village is included in the list of the highest villages in Indonesia. Located at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level (masl), Wae Rebo is often decorated with a thin fog every morning.
This thin fog will slowly descend from the surrounding hills and cover the entire village with fog. Because of its location at this altitude, to reach Wae Rebo Village you have to do trekking for two to three hours through quite difficult terrain. It is recommended to hire a guide service as a guide and also try to spend the night at Wae Rebo in addition to enjoying its beauty longer, also to save energy for trekking again the next day.
- Owns 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 be treated in a Mbaru Niang which is specially provided to welcome tourists who come on a trip. You will be given 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 have been provided.
- Have a special day
Every November, residents in Wae Rebo Village celebrate the Penti Traditional Ceremony, which is a celebration to express gratitude for the harvest that is obtained in a year and ask for harmony and protection.
When the celebration is held, 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.
- Flag Mounted Above Traditional House During Independence Ceremony
Even though he is remote, Wae Rebo is still part of Indonesia. When Independence Day, there is always a ceremony to commemorate it. Uniquely, the residents of Wae Rebo will install 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.
Those are 5 facts about Wae Rebo that you may not 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.
Are you interested?
Highlights
- Trekking
- Culture
- Traditional Village
