Living in the village: Escaping from the trap of routine activities

Sat, 28 Sep 2002

For many foreign tourists, their Indonesian trip would not be complete with out a trip to villages where they can see and enjoy not only the beauty of the nature but also the real warmness and friendliness of local people.

The situation in such villages is beyond the imagination of those who are accustomed to living in modern cities. Scenes of vast rice fields, sounds of birds singing and the friendliness of the villagers will make your trip unforgettable.

Sleman, one of the regencies in Yogyakarta, has many attractive and unique places where visitors can enjoy the real village atmosphere and even taste the true color of the Javanese culture and lifestyle. Among them are Tanjung Village, Sambi Village and Brayut Village.

- Tanjung Village

Tanjung Village is located at Donoharjo of the Nggalik district in Sleman regency, about 12 kilometers from Yogyakarta Sultan's palace. The area is also near the Bakalan and Bantarjo hamlets.

The majority of Tanjung village's people are traditional farmers, who mostly grow rice, corn, beans, cassava and tobacco, as well as a wide range of tropical fruits such as banana, papaya, rambutan, manggo and lemon.

In the this area visitors can find;

- Joglo Tanjung. An old building which was built some 200 years ago in old Javanese architectural style. Besides having some unique architecture, the building, which was in the past used as the home of the head of the Tanjung village, also has special interior designs and a unique spatial layout.

- The harmonious lifestyle of Tanjung Village people is complemented by a vast rice field sandwiched between a small river and the great mystical Mount Merapi in the background.

- Ritual food crops. The ceremony is usually conducted during the start of rice planting and harvesting seasons. The villagers do the ritual in hopes that the crops will be free from pests and natural disasters.

- Other ceremonies. Visitors can also witness a traditional wedding and Supitan or circumcision, ceremonies in the village. Besides such events, visitors can also enjoy cultural event such as Angguk, Jathilan, Slawatan, Kethoprak performances.

Commenting on such village tourism activities, Sleman Regent Ibnu Subiyanto said; "Although the future of the village tourism relies on the local community as the stakeholder, the government of the Sleman Regency is committed to supporting such a program especially in promotion activities."

- Facilities. There are no special inns or hotels in the village but visitors can join the community life with the residents. Food served by the owners of the houses with traditional foods. The available transportation facilities are bicycles, motorcycles, buses and cars.

Sambi Village

Another choice to enjoy the natural surrounding and Javanese way of life is in Sambi Village. It is located at Pakembinangun in the Pakem district.

Sambi Village is located about 19.5 kilometers north of Yogyakarta city. Like Tanjung Village, the people in Sambi Village are also farmers, who are mostly engaged in fishing and animal husbandry.

If you want to know how it feels to play the Gamelan musical instrument, you can learn it at Joglo Pamengku in the village. Visitors can stay in the five-room Joglo Varuna which is used as a home-stay facility. If visitors bring their families with them, they can choose to stay at Joglo Intan.

The art performance that you can see in Sambi Village includes a Javanese classical dance, shadow puppet show and Ketoprak, a traditional drama.

Sambi Village has been named as a conservation area in the regency. If the villagers want to build a new house or upgrade the existing ones, they should first consult with the Sambi Tourism Group so that the new houses will be in a harmony with the surroundings.

Brayut Village

It is located at Donohardjo, part of the Ngaglik District in the Sleman regency. Like other villages in Java, Brayut is the reflection of a village where communities still hold their old tradition and culture, although in some aspects, modernization already exists.

Brayut, the home to about 480 people, has a wonderful story, myth and legend which distinguish it from other areas.According to the history, Brayut was a place where many famous landlords stayed. Evidence of their existence can be seen from the large number of large traditional houses in the village.

Brayut also held the history of the Indonesian people's struggle for independence from the Dutch. In 1948, about nine people died in the village. A monument named Palagan Brayut was then built in the village.

Tourists can enjoy packages such as:

- Walking around the village; lunch; rural Javanese night party; living in the village with Javanese family; short courses on painting, cooking and handicrafts; studying Indonesian, Javanese languages and dancing and traditional art performances, such as gamelan.

For those who search for natural and traditional ambience, the three villages -- Sambi, Brayut, Tanjung -- are the right choices. For further information please contact: Tourist Service of Sleman Agency, Yogyakarta, phone: 0274 869613, email: subdinparsleman@yahoo.com, website:http://www.sleman.go.id

Or Mekar Wisata Tours & Travel that offer Yogyakarta Natural & Highlight Package, phone: 0274-486620, 0274-486621, Email: mekarw@indosat.net.id

View JSON | Print