Besides being famous for its enchanting natural wealth, Flores is also inseparable from the culture that is inherent in them. Cultural practices are one of the components that are interesting in tourism products. Tourism in practice has had many positive impacts on cultural preservation.  Just like Wae Rebo, a traditional village located in the hidden jungle which has been opened for tourism since the early 2000s, this traditional village is crowded with travelers from all over the world. The significant positive impact was felt not only by the Wae Rebo community itself but also by the surrounding community including homestay business, food and drink business, guide business, transportation business, etc. The impacts are significantly affect to economic improvement, nature conservation, and cultural preservation.

Visitors in Todo should wear traditional outfits during the visit in the village

However, the practice of tourism is also inseparable from negative things which of course have an impact on culture or so called as cultural shock. According to Anggun, Asiah Simah Bengi quoted from Lingkarsuara.com, tourism activities can cause negative impacts on social change, globalization and destruction of preservation and heritage, Standardization and commercialization, increased crime, gambling and moral behavior, and so on.

For these reasons, we provide “Do’s and Don’ts” so that travelers who want to visit the Wae Rebo Traditional Village or other traditional villages in Flores have basic guidelines in implementing tourism activities that are environmentally friendly and can be accepted by the community in social and cultural life.

Apart from Wae Rebo, in this post, we also provide additional information regarding “Do’s and Don’ts” when travelers visiting Komodo National Park.

The basic thing that made us take this into consideration, of course, is started with a series of unfortunate events that happened to a traveler who was visiting several tourist attractions in the Komodo National Park.

In 2022 alone, approximately two people died on Padar Island due to heart disease. In addition to the case of the death of tourists, another case that disturbs the environment around Komodo National Park has occurred on Gili Lawa Island in 1st of August 2018 where the island caught fire, allegedly due to the negligence of tourists.

Ranger in Padar Island delivered brief information before trekking to the top of the island

Most recently, in April 2022, on Kalong Island, one of the small islands in the Komodo National Park area, another incident was carried out by tourists found playing fireworks on the boat which caused disturbance to other tourists who were still on holiday and and most importantly this also had an impact on ecosystems and habitats of flora and fauna in the island.

Based on of the important notes above, as a travel service provider, we consider that those things happened “must” be addressed to the tourism service providers themselves. We are the ones who have to provide as much information as possible for the needs of travelers. Therefore, “Do’s and Don’ts” below are made for anyone, especially travelers who want to travel to Flores and Komodo.

This information is far from perfect. For this reason, we welcome comments and suggestions from readers. Hopefully this information can be useful so that our tourism remains dignified and sustainable.

Do’ and Dont’s in Wae Rebo Traditional Village

1. When arriving in the village, Visitors must go to the main house of the village (Mbaru Gendang) for Wae Lu’u ceremony. Before the ceremony, the visitors are not allowed to take pictures. When entering the house, visitors must take off their shoes.
2. Visitors register in the village guest book upon arrival and may donate for Wae Lu’u ceremony.
3. Visitors may not stand on Altar (Compang) located in the middle of the village as it is a sacred place of the village.
4. Visitors should cover up appropriately during their stay by wearing proper cloths or long sleeved clothes. Romantic activities in form of kiss in public area must be avoided.
5. If visitors want to participate in traditional ceremonies, they must wear traditional outfit available or sarong.
6. Visitors should not give children money or mints.
7. Visitors must throw their rubbish in waste bins.
8. Visitors should behave quietly while walking through the village after 10 pm.
9. Visitors should always be friendly and open toward the locals and respect the local traditions.

Nadine Candrawinata (Indonesian artist), Wae rebo kids, and I playing cici-banca for hide and seek.

Do’s and Don’ts while you are in Komodo National Park

1. If you have heart disease, asthma, or other serious illnesses, you are not allowed to do this tour because it is a type of tour that has a lot of physical activities which include trekking and snorkeling.
2. Travelers are not allowed to play drones without permission from the Komodo National Park authorization.
3. Travelers are not allowed to play fireworks or the like that cause disturbance to the natural habitat of the Komodo National Park.
4. Travelers can only observe animal activities on Komodo Island after officially registering at the ticketing service office at Loh Liang on Komodo Island and Loh Buaya on Rinca Island.
5. Travelers are prohibited from taking anything from the park except pictures.

 Yulianus Irwan