Explore an ancient pyramid-shaped village isolated in the mountains and forests of Indonesia

INDONESIA Tai spent a night in the more than 100-year-old Wae Rebo village, the only place that still has traditional Indonesian pyramid-shaped houses.

The traditional village of Wae Rebo in the Manggarai district on the island of Flores, east of Nusatenggara, received the UNESCO Top Award of Excellence in the 2012 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards. The village recreates Mbaru houses Niang is traditional and is currently the only village that still retains this architecture in Indonesia.

Wae Rebo Village is the only place in Indonesia that still has traditional pyramid-shaped houses.

According to the website of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, the village was built by a man named Empu Maro more than 100 years ago. Today's residents are his descendants.

Arriving in the village on September 13, travel blogger Tai Pham (28 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) was impressed with "the difference, uniqueness and tranquility of the village". Even though he had seen the pictures sent by an Indonesian friend, he was still surprised to see and experience life here with his own eyes for two days.

A small village located at an altitude of about 1,100 m above sea level, Wae Rebo is surrounded by mountains and dense Todo forest, completely separate from outside life. The village has no phone signal or wifi and electricity is only distributed from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. In return, Tai gets to enjoy the freshness, listen to the sounds of wild birds singing and immerse himself in the slow, simple rhythm of life of the indigenous people.

The first thing tourists like Tai have to do is to greet the village elder so that the village elder can perform a welcoming ceremony and receive blessings. Then he enjoyed a cup of coffee made from coffee beans grown around the village. At the end of the ceremony, he is free to visit, sightsee and take pictures.

Tai was welcomed in the main and largest house in the village. This is a community house, where villagers gather to perform rituals and festivals. In the house, family heirlooms such as gongs and drums are kept. Most people in the village are Catholic but still follow old beliefs.

Tai walked in the village after greeting the village elders and performing the welcoming ceremony for guests.

The houses in Wae Rebo are called Mbaru Niang, cone-shaped, have high peaks and are covered with lontar leaves, a palm species that grows commonly in Indonesia. The house has 5 floors, each floor is designed for a specific purpose. The first floor, called the lutur or tent, is where the extended family lives. The second floor, called the lobo, or attic, was reserved for storing food and goods. The third floor is the lentar to store seeds for the next harvest. The 4th floor is lempa rae, used to store food in case of drought. The 5th floor is the hekang kode, considered the most sacred place, used to worship ancestors.

Overall, the pyramid-shaped houses are arranged in a V shape, the space in the middle is a common yard for people to live. "At dawn, the sun slowly rose behind the cliff and shone the first rays of light, covering the village in a golden color," Tai described as "the most beautiful moment" here.

People here said there used to be more than 1,000 people living in the village but now there are only about 100 people. Young people went down to the mountains to settle down, and most of the villages were left with only children and the elderly.

In the community house, there are 8 households living, each household living in one room. "Like other regions, the people are friendly, welcoming and warm to tourists," Tai commented.

People in the village grow coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, and some fruits and sell them at the market about 15 km from the village. About 20 years ago, the local government supported the development of Wae Rebo village as a tourist destination and now tourism has become the main source of income for the people.

Because it is isolated and surrounded by mountains and forests, Wae Rebo has colder air than outside. Visitors should bring warm clothes because the temperature drops sharply at night. Most people's food is only rice and eggs. Tourists should prepare some snacks such as chocolate, cakes, and candies to eat on the road or in case the food doesn't suit them, Tai shared. He especially noted that near the village elder's house, there is a rock that has sacred significance to the villagers. Visitors absolutely do not climb or sit on it.

Traditional costumes of people living in the village.

Villagers play in the common yard in the middle of the village.

Tai enjoys food with local people in front of a house in the village.

The village has only 7 pyramid-shaped houses.

Dawn moment at Wae Rebo village.

The entire roof is covered with palm leaves (lontar).

Traditional costumes of people living in the village.

Villagers play in the common yard in the middle of the village.
To reach the village, Tai traveled from Bali to LaBuan Bajo airport. From here, visitors can ride a motorbike or car, but it is recommended to use a motorbike for convenience, which takes about 15 - 20 minutes more. After the motorbike route ended, Tai continued trekking for about 2 - 2.5 hours to reach the village. "The climbing path is not too difficult, just prepare appropriate clothing and wear shoes with good adhesion," Tai said.

Because of the village's isolation, visitors must stay here overnight. This is a factor that limits the number of tourists, however, "sunrise at Wae Rebo will not disappoint," Tai said. The cost for Tai's trip is about 2,700,000 VND, including transportation from Labuan Bajo to Wae Rebo village, meals and accommodation during the journey. If you travel on your own, the entrance fee, overnight accommodation and dinner and breakfast are 300 IDR (about 470,000 VND).

Tourists should visit Wae Rebo village in the dry season, around April - October, to enjoy the lush green landscape of the Manggarai high mountains and avoid the heavy thunderstorms that often occur in mountainous areas around the end of the year.

At Wae Rebo, during the day, visitors can explore the valley and interact with villagers. At night, "the starry sky makes the scene here more sparkling and magical," Tai said.