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Wae Rebo is one thing particular in each manner. Not everybody is aware of the small village within the mountainous hinterland of the Indonesian island of Flores. However Indonesian journey influencers and instagrammers are engaged on this reality to alter. Wae Rebo is already the dream vacation spot of many adventurous Indonesians, whereas overseas vacationers nonetheless regard it as a small insider tip.
Wae Rebo evaluation – is it price it?
First just a few details, in an effort to think about the place you could find this legendary place:
- Wae Rebo is situated on the Indonesian island of Flores, which you’ll be able to attain with a brief flight from Bali or with an extended one from Jakarta.
- From Labuan Bajo, the biggest “metropolis” in Flores, it’s truly solely 70 km to the foot of the mountain on which Wae Rebo is located.
- Wae Rebo itself can solely be reached on foot, through a 2 or 3 hours hike steeply up the mountain (relying in your private health degree).
- The village itself is located on a plateau surrounded by breathtaking jungle-covered mountains.
Our personal story with Wae Rebo started with a brief journey to Flores in November 2018 – we flew to Labuan Bajo to find Komodo dragons, manta rays and different marine life within the adjoining nationwide park. Over beer and fried fish on the evening market we had a chat with Indonesian vacationers who instructed us concerning the mystical Wae Rebo. A village that may solely be reached on foot? A wild drive into the hinterland of Flores? Indigenous individuals who lives there undisturbed? We had been hooked.
Learn how to get to Wae Rebo
A number of months later we had been able to go: from Bali we flew to Flores, rented a bike in one of many many retailers lining the road after a hearty breakfast within the Bajo Bakery (they’ve Swiss cheese and incredible Flores espresso) and drove off.
Yet another factor: In the event you determine to go on this journey, you have got to have the ability to trip scooters very effectively. Some “roads” are sometimes not paved, very steep, utterly made of big stones with large gaps between them or lead by rivers. Be reasonable about your driving expertise and don’t drive alone. For a lot of kilometers you’ll not meet anybody – which means if you’re out of petrol, get a flat tire or no matter, it’s a lot better to drive along with a fellow traveler. And demand on a helmet – many scooter leases gained’t robotically offer you one, as police checks in Flores are uncommon. However because the roads are so dangerous, sporting a helmet remains to be a critical life insurance coverage.
The primary 20 or 30 km the roads are paved – very curvy and slender, however paved. After we had been on the street in April, there have been a number of landslides – i.e. the roads had been hardly satisfactory. Thankfully it was dry. If it had rained, it might have been very harmful. Due to this fact I like to recommend a visit within the dry season (March to September).
On the mountains above Labuan Bajo there are some good viewpoints from the place you may see components of the Komodo Nationwide Park. That could possibly be maybe a primary picture cease, as a way to stretch your legs a bit of, as a result of the way in which to Wae Rebo remains to be lengthy.
Within the hinterland of Flores
After we had handed the mountains, we arrived within the flat hinterland of Flores, which seems to be prefer it has fallen out of time. The additional away we had been from Labuan Bajo, the less automobiles there have been. At a sure level there are not any petrol stations, no supermarkets, no Warungs anymore. Solely rice fields, farmhouses, cows and some scooters. The silence was deafening. We had been surprised. How might just a few kilometers make such a distinction?
Our journey took us throughout makeshift bridges, wobbly picket footpaths, by rivers, foothills of the ocean (generally it takes numerous energy to push the scooter up and down at locations, as a result of some stretches of the street will not be “drivable”).
To get to Wae Rebo by scooter, there are a number of routes – it’s best to obtain an offline map, as there isn’t a cell sign after a sure level and no street indicators anyway. I like to recommend you to enter “Dintor” or “SDK Denge” in Google Maps. Automobiles normally take the street to Ruteng, which is a bit additional. We selected the path to Dintor, which led us alongside the ocean. Lengthy, lengthy distances with out assembly anybody (besides just a few goats) – the salty wind on our pores and skin – it was a dream come true!
Though it’s only about 70 km (relying on the route), our scooter tour took greater than 5 hours due to the unhappy state of the roads. Don’t underestimate that and begin in any case earlier than midday in Labuan Bajo. Within the darkness, it’s unattainable to drive on these sort of roads, and you’ll very doubtless get misplaced as effectively.
Wae Rebo Lodge
We arrived at Wae Rebo Lodge – one of many two lodging choices within the village of Dintor, the place you may spend the evening earlier than your hike the subsequent morning. The Wae Rebo Lodge is superbly set within the emerald rice fields, has just a few hours of electrical energy a day (keep in mind this if you wish to recharge your telephone) and serves you 3 meals (included within the worth of roughly 25 Euro): Within the night if you arrive, within the morning earlier than you allow, and after the hike if you return to select up your scooter/baggage. The meals has all the time been the identical: rice with greens/fish/meat.
Since there wasn’t a lot to do within the lodge, we went to mattress early (not with out taking take a look at the star-studded sky, after all). At 5.00 A.M. we obtained up, had our rice breakfast and drove the previous couple of kilometers to a sort of car parking zone from the place all of the hikes to Wae Rebo begin.
We weren’t certain about whether or not we must always rent a information, however determined towards it. Because it turned out, this was not essential. There is just one path and it leads steeply upwards by dense jungle with orchids, all types of crops and animals.
Relying on the humidity degree, there can be leeches. My journey accomplice obtained bitten by one – regardless that it isn’t thought of harmful, it’s one thing to bear in mind. The (small) snake that crossed our path was additionally a part of the entire jungle journey bundle. You don’t essentially want mountain climbing boots, a pair of fine sneakers will do. However I like to recommend you to put on lengthy (linen-)pants, as a result of it’s a bit cool up there (within the village). After 2 hours of climbing and clambering we reached a degree with a view of the mountain valley, the place the roofs of the huts of Wae Rebo had been already peeking out of the forest. A really elegant second and after all of the sweating and getting up early we had the sensation that each one the hassle was price it. However this sense was not meant to remain…
Lastly: Arrival within the village of Wae Rebo
In entrance of the village itself there’s a board with guidelines which ought to give orientation: e.g. no show of affection, no forsaking of rubbish and so forth. After this board you stroll by a solidly constructed village till you see the well-known huts of Wae Rebo.
We had been instructed to attend on the entrance till somebody from the village picked us up. However since no one confirmed up, we went straight to the largest hut to current ourselves to the village elder.
Vital notice: you aren’t allowed to take pictures till you have got been greeted by the village elder. He accepted our obligatory “donation” of fifty,000 IDR per particular person (about 3.50 Euro) and welcomed us to Wae Rebo. Theoretically, you may determine by your self how a lot you wish to “donate”.
A younger man led us to a different hut – there he confirmed us our sleeping spots (350,000 IDR per particular person per evening, about 22 Euro) on the ground of the frequent room. We had been a bit of stunned concerning the worth – much more once we discovered that the huts weren’t “authentically” previous, however had been just lately rebuilt by a staff of architects from Jakarta in response to previous fashions.
The villagers additionally didn’t appear to dwell within the huts in any respect, however within the extra strong concrete homes a bit of additional up. There was no interplay between the villagers and the vacationers, however the kids tore the picket crayons we introduced for them out of our fingers and ran away. Within the hut for the vacationers there was additionally a memento store the place you possibly can purchase woven scarves, espresso and honey.
We had been so stunned by the costs for the in a single day keep, the anticipated coldness of the villagers and the widely quite disagreeable temper within the village that we turned again on our heels and began the way in which down with the hope to reach again in Labuan Bajo earlier than dusk (spoiler Alert: we didn’t fairly make it and needed to drive by the pitch-black mountain roads. To not be really useful!).
Conclusion
It’s a delicate matter and naturally a matter of style; additionally a matter of what you might be in search of. How a lot “authenticity” can one count on when touring to a presumably “distant” place? For me personally, the village of Wae Rebo was a bit too touristic, and never in a pleasant manner. The ambiance was bizarre and I had the impression {that a} present was placed on for the vacationers. Different pals who had visited the place discovered it magical, skilled the individuals as extraordinarily pleasant and the costs completely affordable. So it actually relies on what your individual perspective is. For me, the attractive motorcycle journey forwards and backwards was much more rewarding than the go to of the village itself.
In regards to the writer
If she’s not doing yoga or racing round Indonesia on a bike, Lisa might be discovered near a turquoise seaside, ideally a glass of purple wine in her hand and sand between her toes. Having lived in Southeast Asia for greater than 4 years, she’s fallen deeply for this a part of the world – if solely there was extra ‘actual’ Pizza round! You may comply with her travels and hunt for Pizza on Instagram: @lisa_asia
