Wae Rebo Village
Wae Rebo Village
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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- sc t70 contributionsA lovely, remote villageIt was a long journey getting to the village from Labuan Bajo. A 4 hour drive over roads that are winding, bumpy and some gigantic potholes. Then there was a 15 minutes ride on a bike up a steep, slippery trail. A 2 hour hike from where the bikes drop you off takes you to the remote village. The village was beautiful and clean, residents are friendly. Time was spent taking photos of the unique cone-shaped houses, watching the locals going about their daily activities and simply relaxing though it gets crowded if big tour groups arrive. Meals served were simple and basic, slept on mattresses on the floor with a pillow and blanket provided. It gets quite chilly at night.Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten July 8, 2024
- LouRun181 contributionsMemorable experience for the whole family.One of the highlights of our time in Flores. Yes it’s a full day to get there and the hike is sweaty and all uphill but we’re in our mid 50s & made the trek in just 1 hr 45 mins. The village is in a stunning setting amongst the clouds & there’s amazing photo opportunities everywhere. Food was simple yet tasty & we slept well on the comfy mattress in the hut. We (including the 16 & 18 yo boys) loved the entire experience.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 14, 2024
- AntonellaMilan, Italy2 contributionsOne of the best trip of our livesOur trip to Wae Rebo has been unforgettable!! We left early morning from Labuan Bajo with Irwan and Muss, everything was perfectly planned and the visit to the village has been a great experience. I strongly recommend them to arrange the trip and sharing with them one of the best days of your lives.Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 30, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Julie H
Greater Adelaide, Australia2 contributions
Oct 2022
Our driver Stefan (+62 812 4610 7187) was fantastic - I highly recommend his services. He drove us to Manggarai via a warung for lunch and along the beach. The drive was about 5 hours long including the lunch break and we arrived in the local village and met scooters. We took scooters for about 20 mins to get to the base of the mountain and hiked a few kilometres up to the traditional Wae Rebo Village. The hike was steep and hot but evened out a little bit more about half way. It was well worth the sight upon arrival where we met with the chief of the village and then were free to explore. The boys played volleyball with the local men and we stayed in the visitor hut with about 25 people from all over the world. We had rice and eggs for dinner and a slightly different version for breakfast. The experience was amazing and by boys 14 and 11 thoroughly enjoyed the experience also.
Written November 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eliana Maria
Jakarta, Indonesia514 contributions
Dec 2021
If you come here from Labuan Bajo, you need to drive around 3.5 - 4 hours through bumpy roads to get to Denge. From there you must take ojek (motorcycle) to reach the hiking start point, continue with a 3-hour hike on foot. The hiking path started with smooth pavement for the 1st hour and soil & stones for the next 2 hours. Make sure you are physically fit before you commit to going here because there's nothing else you can find if you decided not to hike. Don't forget to rent a bamboo stick. It's your life saviour for the journey.
In the village, you will stay in a shared house that can fit 30 people. Mats (tikar), blankets, and pillows are provided. The bathroom is very modest and the water is cold. They serve rice and chicken eggs as dinner and breakfast. The coffee is a must try!
In the village, you will stay in a shared house that can fit 30 people. Mats (tikar), blankets, and pillows are provided. The bathroom is very modest and the water is cold. They serve rice and chicken eggs as dinner and breakfast. The coffee is a must try!
Written December 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fuzert
London (UK)50 contributions
Apr 2022 • Solo
It is an interesting traditional village high up in the mountains. Takes quite some effort to get there from Labuan Bajo, with a long, very bumpy ride on the road, a scooter taxi ride from Denge, then a 5 kilometres mostly uphill hike in the forest. When you arrive there you are rewarded with a stunning view of seven, traditional houses.
The people in the village welcome you with a little introduction which then you can follow with a little walk around in the village. This whole thing of exploration doesn’t take more than an hour and half even if you look into the tiniest details. I bet most people would be over it within half an hour. But until this point I actually really enjoyed the tour.
However it’s supposedly an overnight program. And that’s where the challenge starts. I still have no idea what can one do there for 16-18 hours even with sleep and two meals involved. Particularly that the night isn’t exactly convenient. All guests sleep in one of the big traditional houses, in an open hall, with about 25-30 mattresses around. There isn’t much bedding just a straw-mattress and a dirty blanket used by who knows how many people before. You have no option but to use it because the night is very cold and there are hundreds of mosquitoes flying around.
My recommendation is that only stay there for overnight if you are really keen to have this box ticked on your bucket list. There is literally nothing else there than just an inconvenient sleep and a light breakfast. By all mean, visit the village, it’s beautiful. But if you can sleep elsewhere
The people in the village welcome you with a little introduction which then you can follow with a little walk around in the village. This whole thing of exploration doesn’t take more than an hour and half even if you look into the tiniest details. I bet most people would be over it within half an hour. But until this point I actually really enjoyed the tour.
However it’s supposedly an overnight program. And that’s where the challenge starts. I still have no idea what can one do there for 16-18 hours even with sleep and two meals involved. Particularly that the night isn’t exactly convenient. All guests sleep in one of the big traditional houses, in an open hall, with about 25-30 mattresses around. There isn’t much bedding just a straw-mattress and a dirty blanket used by who knows how many people before. You have no option but to use it because the night is very cold and there are hundreds of mosquitoes flying around.
My recommendation is that only stay there for overnight if you are really keen to have this box ticked on your bucket list. There is literally nothing else there than just an inconvenient sleep and a light breakfast. By all mean, visit the village, it’s beautiful. But if you can sleep elsewhere
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ama M
10 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
It is an amazing village located in a beautiful spot. The hike to get here is a bit hard for some people, around 1h30/2h going up, but fortunately it’s in the forest, so it’s not too hot. When you get there they charge you a fee entrance, for which they give you lunch, and they ask for a mandatory “donative”, for which the spiritual chief of the village blesses you and your travels. The people are very welcoming and nice. They have a special house for the tourists who want to spend the night, which seemed comfortable, although we had other plans and didn’t stay.
For me, this was the best experience in Flores.
For me, this was the best experience in Flores.
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sc t
Penang70 contributions
Jun 2024 • Friends
It was a long journey getting to the village from Labuan Bajo. A 4 hour drive over roads that are winding, bumpy and some gigantic potholes. Then there was a 15 minutes ride on a bike up a steep, slippery trail. A 2 hour hike from where the bikes drop you off takes you to the remote village. The village was beautiful and clean, residents are friendly. Time was spent taking photos of the unique cone-shaped houses, watching the locals going about their daily activities and simply relaxing though it gets crowded if big tour groups arrive. Meals served were simple and basic, slept on mattresses on the floor with a pillow and blanket provided. It gets quite chilly at night.
Written July 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LouRun
Perth181 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
One of the highlights of our time in Flores. Yes it’s a full day to get there and the hike is sweaty and all uphill but we’re in our mid 50s & made the trek in just 1 hr 45 mins. The village is in a stunning setting amongst the clouds & there’s amazing photo opportunities everywhere. Food was simple yet tasty & we slept well on the comfy mattress in the hut. We (including the 16 & 18 yo boys) loved the entire experience.
Written July 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Antonella
Milan, Italy2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Our trip to Wae Rebo has been unforgettable!! We left early morning from Labuan Bajo with Irwan and Muss, everything was perfectly planned and the visit to the village has been a great experience.
I strongly recommend them to arrange the trip and sharing with them one of the best days of your lives.
I strongly recommend them to arrange the trip and sharing with them one of the best days of your lives.
Written August 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jaclynteoh
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia152 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
We have read so many reviews on Wae Rebo village that we had high expectations on it and it was in our "must see" list.
I would like to share in detail especially on the trip before the hike as i realized there are so many conflicting details.
We left from Labuan Bajo to Wae Rebo by car and it took approximately 6.5 hours with one breakfast stop in between. The roads are in such bad condition with potholes literally on the entire journey. This really slow down the journey. Roads are narrow, with enough space for a car to maneuver comfortably. However, it is a two-way road. Hence, in between there are other vehicles coming from opposite direction. There are also a few shallow streams to pass through. Be prepared to feel the vibration of the car throughout the entire journey. We heard that going by scooter will be faster as you can graze through the side of the potholes easily.
Our research from other reviewers told us that the journey up covers a distance of 9 km in total and there was a shorter distance (4.5 km) from the first post. Our driver brought us to a home stay (which also serve as a tourist Centre, I think) to look for a guide (locals refer them as pemandu). Our driver told us that it is compulsory for a guide and will cost 250,000. We knew this was untrue as we read from reviews the market rate is 200,000.
Our "Pemandu" was a 16 year old boy. The guide will also carry your bag for you. We have two small daypacks. The driver dropped the 3 of us at a bridge as cars are unable to pass through. There were 3 other local boys on bike whom we recognized from the homestay/tourist Centre waiting for us. They told us that it is 4.5km to the first post and will take us an hour to walk there. They said they can send us there for 25,000 rupiah per person and the journey will take 15 mins by bike. Since it was drizzling and it getting late (1.30 pm), we agreed to 20,000 rupiah each but were told that we need to pay for 3 person including our pemandu (their friend).
We reached the first post by bike in only 6 minutes, no 15 minutes as told at 20km/hr. When we paid, they even tried to cheat us. We gave 100,000 rupiah and was returned 20,000 rupiah instead until we insisted for the right change. What a rip off.
Our guide, Felix told us that the distance is 9km from the first post and will take us 2 hours. This doesn't make sense as we calculated and were rather confused since we read in TA that it is 4.5km from first post.
Throughout our hike, Felix has issue walking up. He had to stop every 10 mins to catch his breath. Initially we thought he was very fit like most guides do as he did not bring anything with him at all apart from a poncho. No water, no bag, just wearing sandal. We were clearly wrong. We had to give him water instead.
We were still doubtful about the 9km distance told by Felix. As we hiked, we saw a villager walking up with a bag of rice and decided to follow him. In total the distance from the first post was only 4.5km.
Apart from the 325,000 rupiah accommodation fee, there is additional 10,000 rupiah per person for the welcoming ceremony. It was a simple 5 minutes hand shake informing their ancestors of the guest coming in.
There is a dedicated cone house for guest to sleep. It's a communal area with a capacity of 35 people sleeping on the mat next to each other. Pillow and blanket are provided. 3 meals were also provided. We had lunch and dinner there. Simple meal. White rice with egg omelette and vegetable and bananas for lunch while for dinner was white rice with fried chicken, vegetable and banana. We didn't manage to taste the breakfast so I can't comment on the food. I have attached pictures of the food
There is no activity to do there. No electricity. They run on generator in the night just for lights and then it will be pitch dark. No lights in the toilet as well. There is a shower room and two toilet (one with toilet bowl, one is the squatting version). Water is icy cold. No flushing system. Just use water to wash. Please bring your own toilet paper and torch as you will find them useful.
If you would like a picture of the entire village, walk up to the library. The library is the cone house located next to a White House. It's slightly above the village. Less than 3 minutes walk.
As we need to drive back to Labuan Bajo to catch a flight in the evening, we told our driver to wait for us at 8 am at the bridge. We were supposed to start hiking down at 6 am. Our guide told us that they will prepare breakfast before we go down. At 6 am, the local people there are still sleeping including Felix!! We had to wake him up and tell him that we are going down now. We hurriedly went down as we were worried we were late since we left at 6.30 instead. We reached the first post an hour later.
As we were doubtful of the bike ride, we decided to walk by foot to measure the time and distance. My watch clocked a distance of 1.5 km (20 minutes) from the first post to the bridge where my driver was waiting.
We had a cold shower and quick breakfast at the homestay/tourist Centre. They tried to rip us off as well for the breakfast. We ordered two fried instant noodles (indomie) with fried eggs and a cup of coffee. They wanted to charge us 75,000 rupiah through my driver. We questioned the price as it was insanely high for instant noodles. We asked to speak to the waitress and at the end she charged us 35,000 instead. We can't help wondering who is the one trying to cheat us. Our driver or the homestay people.
At the end, these are what we concluded:
1. It is not compulsory to have a local guide (Pemandu) as the path is straightforward unless you have a heavy bag which needs to be carried. There are other guests which went up themselves without local guide
2. You don't need a bike service to ferry you from the bridge to the first post. It is a waste of money. Only 1.5 km (20 minutes walk). They will try to mislead you
3. 9km distance is actually from the "Wae Rebo Lodge" ( the first homestay at the entrance of the village located downhill)
4. There are only two homestay (Wae Rebo lodge and the tourist center which we had shower)
5. Don't pay more than 200,000 rupiah if you decided to engage in the Pemandu service. I believe you can bargain. Our local tour agency in Labuan Bajo told us that it can also be 100,000 only if you don't have much things to carry. Depends on how you bargain
6. Use a trekking shoes instead of a running shoes as it can be slippery if it rains.
7. Bring a poncho, torch and toilet paper
8. There are no phone line available
9. Feel free to donate books to fill up the library there
10. The trail is not tough at all. Averagely it takes about 2 hours to maximum 3 hours. Can be shorter. We did it in 1.5 hours.
11. Not many place to hang your clothes
12. Bring some snacks
We hope that this information will help those who are planning to visit. Enjoy your hike like what we did and hopefully nobody get ripped off
I would like to share in detail especially on the trip before the hike as i realized there are so many conflicting details.
We left from Labuan Bajo to Wae Rebo by car and it took approximately 6.5 hours with one breakfast stop in between. The roads are in such bad condition with potholes literally on the entire journey. This really slow down the journey. Roads are narrow, with enough space for a car to maneuver comfortably. However, it is a two-way road. Hence, in between there are other vehicles coming from opposite direction. There are also a few shallow streams to pass through. Be prepared to feel the vibration of the car throughout the entire journey. We heard that going by scooter will be faster as you can graze through the side of the potholes easily.
Our research from other reviewers told us that the journey up covers a distance of 9 km in total and there was a shorter distance (4.5 km) from the first post. Our driver brought us to a home stay (which also serve as a tourist Centre, I think) to look for a guide (locals refer them as pemandu). Our driver told us that it is compulsory for a guide and will cost 250,000. We knew this was untrue as we read from reviews the market rate is 200,000.
Our "Pemandu" was a 16 year old boy. The guide will also carry your bag for you. We have two small daypacks. The driver dropped the 3 of us at a bridge as cars are unable to pass through. There were 3 other local boys on bike whom we recognized from the homestay/tourist Centre waiting for us. They told us that it is 4.5km to the first post and will take us an hour to walk there. They said they can send us there for 25,000 rupiah per person and the journey will take 15 mins by bike. Since it was drizzling and it getting late (1.30 pm), we agreed to 20,000 rupiah each but were told that we need to pay for 3 person including our pemandu (their friend).
We reached the first post by bike in only 6 minutes, no 15 minutes as told at 20km/hr. When we paid, they even tried to cheat us. We gave 100,000 rupiah and was returned 20,000 rupiah instead until we insisted for the right change. What a rip off.
Our guide, Felix told us that the distance is 9km from the first post and will take us 2 hours. This doesn't make sense as we calculated and were rather confused since we read in TA that it is 4.5km from first post.
Throughout our hike, Felix has issue walking up. He had to stop every 10 mins to catch his breath. Initially we thought he was very fit like most guides do as he did not bring anything with him at all apart from a poncho. No water, no bag, just wearing sandal. We were clearly wrong. We had to give him water instead.
We were still doubtful about the 9km distance told by Felix. As we hiked, we saw a villager walking up with a bag of rice and decided to follow him. In total the distance from the first post was only 4.5km.
Apart from the 325,000 rupiah accommodation fee, there is additional 10,000 rupiah per person for the welcoming ceremony. It was a simple 5 minutes hand shake informing their ancestors of the guest coming in.
There is a dedicated cone house for guest to sleep. It's a communal area with a capacity of 35 people sleeping on the mat next to each other. Pillow and blanket are provided. 3 meals were also provided. We had lunch and dinner there. Simple meal. White rice with egg omelette and vegetable and bananas for lunch while for dinner was white rice with fried chicken, vegetable and banana. We didn't manage to taste the breakfast so I can't comment on the food. I have attached pictures of the food
There is no activity to do there. No electricity. They run on generator in the night just for lights and then it will be pitch dark. No lights in the toilet as well. There is a shower room and two toilet (one with toilet bowl, one is the squatting version). Water is icy cold. No flushing system. Just use water to wash. Please bring your own toilet paper and torch as you will find them useful.
If you would like a picture of the entire village, walk up to the library. The library is the cone house located next to a White House. It's slightly above the village. Less than 3 minutes walk.
As we need to drive back to Labuan Bajo to catch a flight in the evening, we told our driver to wait for us at 8 am at the bridge. We were supposed to start hiking down at 6 am. Our guide told us that they will prepare breakfast before we go down. At 6 am, the local people there are still sleeping including Felix!! We had to wake him up and tell him that we are going down now. We hurriedly went down as we were worried we were late since we left at 6.30 instead. We reached the first post an hour later.
As we were doubtful of the bike ride, we decided to walk by foot to measure the time and distance. My watch clocked a distance of 1.5 km (20 minutes) from the first post to the bridge where my driver was waiting.
We had a cold shower and quick breakfast at the homestay/tourist Centre. They tried to rip us off as well for the breakfast. We ordered two fried instant noodles (indomie) with fried eggs and a cup of coffee. They wanted to charge us 75,000 rupiah through my driver. We questioned the price as it was insanely high for instant noodles. We asked to speak to the waitress and at the end she charged us 35,000 instead. We can't help wondering who is the one trying to cheat us. Our driver or the homestay people.
At the end, these are what we concluded:
1. It is not compulsory to have a local guide (Pemandu) as the path is straightforward unless you have a heavy bag which needs to be carried. There are other guests which went up themselves without local guide
2. You don't need a bike service to ferry you from the bridge to the first post. It is a waste of money. Only 1.5 km (20 minutes walk). They will try to mislead you
3. 9km distance is actually from the "Wae Rebo Lodge" ( the first homestay at the entrance of the village located downhill)
4. There are only two homestay (Wae Rebo lodge and the tourist center which we had shower)
5. Don't pay more than 200,000 rupiah if you decided to engage in the Pemandu service. I believe you can bargain. Our local tour agency in Labuan Bajo told us that it can also be 100,000 only if you don't have much things to carry. Depends on how you bargain
6. Use a trekking shoes instead of a running shoes as it can be slippery if it rains.
7. Bring a poncho, torch and toilet paper
8. There are no phone line available
9. Feel free to donate books to fill up the library there
10. The trail is not tough at all. Averagely it takes about 2 hours to maximum 3 hours. Can be shorter. We did it in 1.5 hours.
11. Not many place to hang your clothes
12. Bring some snacks
We hope that this information will help those who are planning to visit. Enjoy your hike like what we did and hopefully nobody get ripped off
Written June 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna F
Vienna, Austria6 contributions
Nov 2016 • Solo
I was in Wae Rebo six months ago during the new harvest year festival and it was absolutely amazing, not least because of my guide. I met Irwan at my accomodation in Ruteng (Kongregasi Santa Maria Berdukacita) and he presented himself as a very professional and honest person. So I booked him for some trips. Although I was travelling lowbudget the experience with a local guide was definitely worth it. The old villagers are very open and kind, but there was still this language barrier. Thanks to Irwan I could speak with the families and I was invited to some clans to have a cup of coffee together. I have seen some tradtional ceremonies, we ve cooked together and played with the kids. Irwan can speak the dialect of them and knows a lot about the history and culture of Flores.
His English is very good, he is reliable and organised also a nice tour to Kelimutu with breakfast during sunrise.
I think I was lucky because of the New Year event and of Irwan, he made my adventures @ Flores unique. You can contact Irwan on facebook "Irwan Flores Tour".
His English is very good, he is reliable and organised also a nice tour to Kelimutu with breakfast during sunrise.
I think I was lucky because of the New Year event and of Irwan, he made my adventures @ Flores unique. You can contact Irwan on facebook "Irwan Flores Tour".
Written June 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thompsl
Manchester, United Kingdom26 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
We wanted to visit Wae Rebo but didn't really have a clue of the best way to get there. We saw that on Trip Advisor reviews, a local guide called Irwan was mentioned with consistently good ratings. We contacted Irwan and were lucky enough that he was available to take us for our requested dates. We chose to do a two night and three day trip, although it is possible to do only one night.
From first contact Irwan was friendly and professional. His English is fantastic as he studied the language in university and so communication before and during the trip was perfect. Irwan called me and explained our options of transport to and from the village. We decided to get a AC four hour bus to Ruteng from Labuan bajo, (which he kindly booked and arranged hotel pick up). The bus picked us up 9am and we arrived just in time for lunch at an inexpensive and very tasty local restaurant recommended by Irwan.
During lunch we learnt more about the Komodo dragons as Irwan has been a guide in the national park. We also found out information about our itinerary and Irwan was kind enough to give us an information pack on Wae Rebo village and it's history. We then set off on our 2-3 hour motorbike ride to Wae Rebo Lodge. The lodge I would highly recommend as it is at the base of where the trek to the village starts and it is in a beautiful setting with panoramic views of the rice paddies and the ocean. We had dinner and breakfast there included in the price to stay. The rooms were basic but very clean and perfect to get a good nights sleep before waking up early to start the trek to Wae Rebo Village.
We have been travelling for almost a year now and we have never booked a guide during our time away. We just felt it was the right thing to do in booking Irwan and we are so so happy that we did. A few tourists did go up without, but we were grateful that we could walk around the village freely, meet the families and even be invited into their homes to have tea and home grown coffee with the family. Irwan translated any questions and we really feel that we gained so much and a much more immersive experience in having him with us.
Unfortunately we could not stay longer in Flores but we plan to come back and do a two week motorbike trip around the country. Irwan has invited us to visit his village and a local school when we come back which we look forward to!
I would highly recommend visiting the village and even more so in contacting Irwan. If you can ride a motorbike or scooter, the roads from Ruteng were beautiful, a few pot holes but not that bad! Being on a bike makes the whole thing better and it was stress free as we just followed Irwan! Otherwise, he can organise a car to the lodge!
Thank you so much Irwan! See you soon! Laura and Natalie
From first contact Irwan was friendly and professional. His English is fantastic as he studied the language in university and so communication before and during the trip was perfect. Irwan called me and explained our options of transport to and from the village. We decided to get a AC four hour bus to Ruteng from Labuan bajo, (which he kindly booked and arranged hotel pick up). The bus picked us up 9am and we arrived just in time for lunch at an inexpensive and very tasty local restaurant recommended by Irwan.
During lunch we learnt more about the Komodo dragons as Irwan has been a guide in the national park. We also found out information about our itinerary and Irwan was kind enough to give us an information pack on Wae Rebo village and it's history. We then set off on our 2-3 hour motorbike ride to Wae Rebo Lodge. The lodge I would highly recommend as it is at the base of where the trek to the village starts and it is in a beautiful setting with panoramic views of the rice paddies and the ocean. We had dinner and breakfast there included in the price to stay. The rooms were basic but very clean and perfect to get a good nights sleep before waking up early to start the trek to Wae Rebo Village.
We have been travelling for almost a year now and we have never booked a guide during our time away. We just felt it was the right thing to do in booking Irwan and we are so so happy that we did. A few tourists did go up without, but we were grateful that we could walk around the village freely, meet the families and even be invited into their homes to have tea and home grown coffee with the family. Irwan translated any questions and we really feel that we gained so much and a much more immersive experience in having him with us.
Unfortunately we could not stay longer in Flores but we plan to come back and do a two week motorbike trip around the country. Irwan has invited us to visit his village and a local school when we come back which we look forward to!
I would highly recommend visiting the village and even more so in contacting Irwan. If you can ride a motorbike or scooter, the roads from Ruteng were beautiful, a few pot holes but not that bad! Being on a bike makes the whole thing better and it was stress free as we just followed Irwan! Otherwise, he can organise a car to the lodge!
Thank you so much Irwan! See you soon! Laura and Natalie
Written July 31, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where do you mean go down to the docks and what time
Written November 22, 2023
Hi! Has anyone done the overnight in the village recently? I'm planning a visit in mid-July. I wonder about the common sleeping grass mats, blankets & pillows with no separation with Covid. I'm concerned about getting sick or eaten alive by mosquitoes. I understand there is a common drop toilet. Are there options for hand-washing? After the long hike, is there drinkable water if I stay overnight? Thanks!
Written June 7, 2022
Hola, Tengo una pregunta, fuisteis hasta ruteng en bus, llegasteis sobre el mediodia imagino, luego como fuisteis hasta denge ? las maletas las dejaste en el hotel de ruteng o como hiciste ?
Written November 8, 2019
You can leave your luggage in the car if you hire car rent..or you can leave it at the Denge home stay at starting point..chat my whatsapp +6282244499249 for more information
Written November 17, 2019
Hello, could you mint to search our website on internet?
Whatsapp to +6281 337 844 648
Written April 17, 2019
Good morning,
how did you book the lodge? I am backpacking with a friend and we really would love to stay at the lodge, yet find no information how to book it. I would very much appreciate any help!
Best.
Iris
Written August 31, 2018
There's no internet conection,just go dirrect to Waerebo.. if you need an overland tour driver chat me +6282244499249. Thanks
Written October 25, 2018
Hi Nicholas,
I will visit Waerebo 1st, if I will go to Ruteng, are there have public bus from Denge to Ruteng ?
Thank you
Written July 11, 2018
Hi Maria,
There’re 2 options of public transports from Denge to Ruteng. But it’s not hourly, one is with big truck and the other one is with a van and they have limited access.
I suggest you to take or share a private car with local guide.
Cheers
Written July 11, 2018
mika5131
Nagoya, Japan
I don't need a guide but I need a bike taxi from Ruteng to the hiking point.
I also need it next morning from hiking point to Ruteng.
Is that easy to find a bike taxi?
How much does it cost?
Thanks
Written June 15, 2018
How do I make a reservation to visit, and how can I find a guide for the hike? Thanks for the help!
Written June 13, 2018
I make my way to Ruteng and then used public transport (oto kayu) to Denge with the help of a local. From where I alighted at Denge, I took an ojek (motorbike taxi) to the start of the trail. There, I met a group of four locals who were going home to Wae Rebo with their groceries from their marketing trip in Denge. I walked up with them. They can help to carry your bag for a fee. (They need the money.)
I did not make any reservation at all. I “walked in” because it was the low season in November last year.
You can easily book a tour to Wae Rebo from Labuan Bajo or ask the staff at the guesthouse/ hotel in Ruteng about tours there. But the tour can be expensive if there isn’t anyone else going that way and u have to bear the cost of transport and guide all by yourself. Happened to me because I was there during the low season and two ladies backed out last minute; so I decided to travel like a local - oto kayu truck and ojek - to the trail head.
It takes about six to seven hours to get to the trail head from Labuan Bajo and so it makes sense to stay overnight at Ruteng and start from there.
However, if u want to be fully guided from Labuan Bajo, u can go to Alexander Tours and speak to Yunita, the agency owner. She can help.
There is no need to make any reservation because all guests sleep in the same guest house - big space without partition - which can accommodate a fairly large number of people.
There are visitors who do it as a day trip but I would highly recommend an overnight stay as u get to see the traditional way of life thatnis still being practised in this village. Standard price for overnight stay: 325,000 Rupiah per visitor (charged by the village) and this includes meals and local coffee, a mattress and a blanket (for overnight stayer)
I learned that it could be noisy during high season because there are travellers who snored. Remember: it is one big hut without partition nor curtain. U must be comfortable sleeping next to strangers during high season. Low season while I was there? There were only three of us in the big hut.
If there is any other info u need, just let me know.
U will like the place and the people. It is one of the most well-organised and sustainable tourist-centered village that I have visited in Flores.
I was lucky that I met many “angels” along the way and I did it the local way because I was running out of cash and credit cards are of no use except for withdrawing expensive cash at ATMs. 🤣🤣🤣IT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE PART of my three week stay on the island.
Written June 13, 2018
We are are a 70 year old couple. We plan a trip to Wae Rebo but would like to know what the sleeping arrangements are. Unfortunately I'm a 'princess' when it comes to sleeping eg. do I need to bring a roll-up sleeping mat for my old bones? What are the 'Bathroom" facilities? I'd like to come prepared.
Written April 8, 2018
Hi Benze,
We stayed in one hut,slept in a mat, blanket and pillow is provided. There are about 40 people in one hut once we slept there. The hut is not attached with private bathroom but it a shared bathroom with all guests. It is located about 15 meters and 60 meters. Dinner and breakfast is provided.
Written May 11, 2018
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