Via Via connects tourists to Javanese tradition

Cynthia Webb, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Nestled in Yogyakarta's popular tourist district of Prawirotaman, the Via Via Travellers' Cafe distinguishes itself from other cafes and restaurants with its character, history and reason for existence.

Like many other dining places, one can order food and beverages at the cafe while enjoying a good collection of diverse music.

However, it offers more than just an "oasis" at which to stop for food and rest. Friendly and helpful staff are ready to serve up dishes from traditional Javanese cuisines.

The place is also designed to encourage interaction between locals and travellers, as one can make arrangements for budget- priced cultural explorations and activities, accompanied by an especially trained local person.

One can also arrange for a short course in Bahasa Indonesia and it is a place where travellers can get a quick update on the upcoming art exhibitions and performances in the city. Young local artists also often hold exhibitions at the cafe.

In a corner of Via Via there is a useful library of folders filled with cultural information cut from local newspapers and magazines, giving visitors ideas about places and activities of interest in the city.

How did all this come to be? The story begins with the Belgian Karavaan tour leader training organization, which contributes some of its profits to cultural and training programs in different parts of the world and has links with various non- governmental groups.

The first Via Via cafe opened in Louvain, Belgium, in June 1995. At the same time, a business plan for the cafe in Yogyakarta was being prepared by one of the cofounders of Via Via, Mie Cornoedus.

Cornoedus says, "Why Yogya? I had traveled quite a bit through Asia and I thought that Yogya would be the perfect city in which to locate a Via Via cafe. It has lots of travellers passing through who are interested in culture or in something more than only sun and the beach."

"It also has many travellers who are coming to Asia for the first time. So there I saw a role for our cafe -- to offer them a view on tourism that was different than what they usually find in the brochures."

The cafe in Yogyakarta was founded in December 1995 as the first overseas Via Via cafe. There are now other Via Via cafes in Senegal (Dakar), Spain (Barcelona), Honduras (Copan), Tanzania (Arusha and Zanzibar), Argentina, Nepal, Mali, Nicaragua and a second one in Belgium (Antwerp).

In Yogyakarta, the beautiful and ancient traditions of old Java are still thriving behind the busy facade.

However, it can be difficult for a traveler who has only a short time in the city to gain any depth of understanding without good guidance.

By the time visitors have been to the Yogyakarta palace, Borobodur and Prambanan temples, and done a bit of shopping on Jl. Malioboro, they are often running out of time and, sadly, leave without getting beneath the surface -- never really understanding Javanese culture.

This is where Via Via cafe steps in -- providing a contact place where visitors can meet people who will help them begin to discover the heart of Java.

For some visitors, it is a relief to escape the fast-talking "guides" who accost them on Jl. Malioboro, angling for commissions, quoting exorbitant prices and making all sorts of dubious claims about their knowledge and ability to help them find just what they are looking for.

Via Via's list of tours shows affordable fixed prices and they offer experiences that visitors could not find elsewhere. The Via Via staff are trained according to the philosophy of the parent organization.

They are carefully chosen local people who speak enough English (and sometimes other languages) to communicate well with their guests. Advice is given about what to wear, as many of the tours involve visits and activities in traditional villages, and meeting local people.

Cornoedus, who acts as a consultant to the Via Via staff, is also a writer and photographer and herself a keen observer of Indonesian culture.

Under her mentoring, the staff are encouraged to take part in discussions and planning. She says this Western-style workplace concept is sometimes difficult to achieve in Javanese culture, where a hierarchical structure has always been the way of life.

Via Via is clearly achieving its aims, because there is definitely a friendly atmosphere of harmony, respect and equality among the staff and guests -- a feeling of belonging to a friendship group.

Here are some of the activities on offer by Via Via: a bicycle trip to a village; a visit to Ceremai Cave; a religious tour to sites of worship of five different religions; a tour of Prambanan temple by motorbike (via small rural roads and village paths); a visit to the hidden temples in the Prambanan area; a jamu (herbal medicine) and massage excursion; a silver-making course in Kota Gede; a visit to Candi Sukuh, which includes the Ceto walk through forest, tea plantations and fields; an overland drive to East Java; an Indonesian cooking course; and an introduction to the Indonesian language course.