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

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

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

1