Wae Rebo Village

Wae Rebo is an old Manggaraian village, situated in pleasant, isolated mountain scenery. The village
offers visitors a unique opportunity to see authentic Manggarai housing and to experience the everyday
life of the local community. In the village of Wae Rebo, visitors can see mbaru niang – traditional,
circular cone-shaped houses with very unique architecture. Nowadays, it is still a place to hold meetings,
rituals and Sunday-morning prayers together.
The village can only be reached by way of a three-hour hike (depending on your physical condition) from
the lowlands. The hike is definitely worth the effort: the dense rain forest along the narrow path to Wae
Rebo is one of a stunning biological diversity. Not only does it host interesting vegetation, including
orchids, palms, and different ferns, but also an impressive population of singing birds.

Wae Rebo has been supported to become the major culture tourism attraction in West Flores. Together
with a team of Jakarta-based architects and the Indonesian government, the local community renovated
four of their mbaru niang – or ‘drum houses’ in the Manggaraian language.

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The circular, cone-shaped buildings were all rebuilt in a traditional way. In contrast today’s rectangular
buildings, the hearth is situated in the center of the house. The massive roof, made out of palm fiber, is
supported by a central wooden pole. The ceremonial house – differing in size from the other buildings –
is the place where sacred heirloom drums and gongs are stored, and where different ceremonies and
rituals are held. This house is a communal building, gathering eight families who are descended from a
common ancestor under its huge roof. Its structure symbolizes the unity of the clan, with the sacred
drums considered the clan’s medium to communicate with the ancestors.

When you visit Wae Rebo, you will not only see the authentic Manggaraian housing, but also get an
opportunity to experience the daily life of the local people. Most of the people work in their gardens
from early morning until dawn, busy with harvesting coffee and processing the beans. Even though
weaving is not a major activity in Wae Rebo, you may encounter some women weaving traditional
songket cloth. Visitors are welcome to spend the night in the mbaru niang, and to socialize and dine with
the Wae Rebo community. You will sleep on a tikar, a woven mat made out of pandanus leaf, in the
mbaru niang, and get a taste of how life used to be when the extended families still lived their lives
under one roof..

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