Road of “Suffering” to Wae Rebo

Kompas/Lucky Pransiska

A Wae Rebo traditional house in West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The traditional village, which is situated 1,200 meters above sea level, is now resided by its 20th generation, who still maintains the authenticity of the village and its traditions.

It has been 10 hours since Doni, 48, and 22 of his peers set off from Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. However, their destination of the traditional kampong of Wae Rebo in Manggarai, Flores Island, is yet to appear on the horizon.

Wae Rebo is a famous tourist destination on the island of Flores and is located 160 kilometers from Labuan Bajo. About eight hours of the 11-hour journey to get there is spent traversing the hilly road that stretches 150 km from Labuan Bajo to Denge, the closest village to Wae Rebo. “It is really hard to get there, despite the widespread promotion,” said Doni, who is from Surabaya.