The most unique village in the world
Wae Rebo Village is a traditional village located in a remote village, precisely in Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. Known as the village above the clouds, Wae Rebo Village is located at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level (masl) surrounded by very beautiful hills.
One of the main destinations for people traveling on Flores Island is to travel to the traditional village of Waerebo. It takes a struggle to reach this village. However, what you will get when you arrive at the location is certainly worth the journey. 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.
behind this beauty, it turns out that Wae Rebo Village stores many interesting facts and things that you can find in this village. Here are 5 facts about Wae Rebo that you need to know.
1. Including One of the Tallest Villages 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 light 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 the services of a guide as a guide and also try to spend the night in Wae Rebo in addition to enjoying its beauty longer, also to save energy for trekking back the next day.
2. Have Seven Main Houses
The uniqeness of Mbaru Niang in Wae Rebo Village is considered very rare and is located high up in the mountains. It has a quite unique shape, which is like a conical barn and there are only seven of them. Each house is inhabited by six to eight families. Mbaru Niang consists of five floors with a palm leaf roof and covered with palm fiber. Every visitor who comes will be entertained in a Mbaru Niang which is specially provided to welcome tourists who come to travel. You will be given a meal 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 this Mbaru Niang. Blankets and pillows have been provided.
3. 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 harvests obtained in a year and ask for harmony and protection. When the celebration is done, the residents will wear traditional clothes complete with accessories. For those of you who are planning to visit this village, it is advisable to match your schedule with this traditional ceremony so that the visit is more meaningful because there are more attractions and values that you can see.
4. Residents of Wae Rebo are Minang Descendants
Even though Wae Rebo is a village in West Manggarai, NTT, it turns out that the villagers claim that they are Minang descendants from West Sumatra. Empo Maro, Wae Rebo’s ancestor came from Minangkabau who migrated to Flores and moved from place to place until he finally settled in the area that is now Wae Rebo Village. Although they are Minang descendants, the names of the residents are not like the names of most Minang people.
5. Flags Are Mounted Above Traditional Houses During the Independence Ceremony
Even though it is remote, Wae Rebo is still part of Indonesia. On Independence Day, there is always a ceremony to commemorate it. Uniquely, the residents of Wae Rebo will put the Indonesian flag above the cone-shaped traditional house during the flag ceremony. Several people helped each other to make sure the flag stood firmly.
Those are 5 facts about Wae Rebo that you may not know. Being in a remote location does not necessarily make this village empty of visitors. On the other hand, many tourists are willing to travel far and wide to enjoy the beauty of every corner of Wae Rebo Village. Are you interested?