Wae Rebo
Flores, July 2016
The traditional village of Wae Rebo lies in the hills of the Manggarai district on the island of Flores, East Indonesia. This small and isolated village was built more than a century ago and is recognized for its rebuilding of the traditional Mbaru Niang traditional thatched houses, based on the spirit of community and cooperation.
These conical houses have five floors, each with a specific purpose. The first floor called lutur or tent is the living quarter of the family.
The second one is called lobo or attic, and it is used as storage for food and goods. The third floor called lentar contains seeds for the next harvest while the fourth floor called lempa rae contains food stocks in case of drought. Finally, the fifth and the most sacred floor called hekang kode is to present offerings for the ancestors.
The village has received the Top Award of Excellence from UNESCO in the 2012 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards. Today the people in the village are still traditional farmers and the village is surrounded by coffee and other plantations.
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