Journey to Wae Rebo, West Manggarai, Flores Indonesia

A short journey to attend the Penti Ceremony in the mountain village of Wae Rebo. This traditional community of West Manggarai people lives up in the mountain, reachable after a 4 hours trekking in the primary and secondary forest. Animistic rituals call the ancestors to witness and protect the new seeding of paddy fields. Animal sacrifice and the night long traditional chorus, sanda, are used to please the ancestors. A total of 7 traditional houses, or Mbaru Niang, of unique architecture profile among all the islands of Indonesia, shelter the small community in multi-familiar groups.
The Wae Rebo people cultivate fruits and vegetables in nearby orchards and rice in lowland paddy fields. They take some produce from the forest, like rottan and wild cinnamon. The coffee grown in their tiny plantation, along mountain trails, is renown together with vanilla. The women make beautiful sarung with colourful embroidery that reflects the starry nights over the rounded roofs of the traditional houses.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Wae Rebo
• Manggarai
• Flores
• Indonesia