Earlier this year my husband and I experienced the real rural life in Central Java. We went to a village called Candi Rego. It is located about half an hour from Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia.
We heard from our partners in Indonesia that Candi Rego has started an environmental and community-based tourism project. We went to find out more about this project. From our point of view, community tourism means tourism that consults, engages and benefits the local community. We wanted to see if that was really the case in this village.
At first, we weren’t really sure what to expect. We bought our tickets from Bali, made arrangements with the village chief, and the next thing we knew we were at the Jogjakarta airport.
Our guide was called IJ (pronounced EE-Jay). She was very friendly and talkative, although her English was limited. She was an interesting lady. She is about 35 years old, and every day she wears a headscarf and a long-sleeved shirt to cover her arms even though the weather was very hot. It is clearly a normal view of Muslim women out there. IJ is a single mother raising two children by herself. She is the only female guide in her village, and she is very proud of that. She said that when there are no visitors to guide her around, she farms just like the rest of the people in her village.
After we met IJ, we drove to the city, which is about 1 hour away from the airport. The view was great. We could see a volcano in the distance as we passed mustard fields, corn fields, tapioca plantations and other types of vegetable farms. We also passed a 9th century Buddhist temple called Bawon. It is dedicated to Kuvera, the god of fortune.
The first thing we did when we got to Candi Rego was to meet the village chief. We thought it would be this older man with a gray mustache just like many other Indonesian government officials. We were surprised when the village chief, Mr. Ian, appeared. A man of about 28, soft-spoken and very elegantly dressed.
Briefly explain the history of ecotourism in Candi Rego. Just a few years ago, an Indonesian NGO approached the village and introduced the concept of community-based ecotourism. After many village meetings, the community in Candi Rego embraced the idea. The village also has the advantage of being very close to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia and one of the wonders of the ancient world. They have a river that can be used for white water rafting, and they also have a beautiful trail called Watu Kendil, which is the way to Kendil Hill. From the top of this hill, one can view 5 volcanoes as well as the complete construction of the Borobudur temple.
The Candi Regu ecotourism project is a pioneering project in Indonesia. The village has a population of about 5,000, with most of its residents being farmers. The main unit that has managed the tourism industry in Candi Regu is that the community runs a co-operative (co-operative), not the government. The head of the co-op still reports to the village head, but the proceeds go directly to the locals.
Local residents voluntarily joined the cooperative. For example, those who have extra rooms in their homes can register as accommodation providers. People with horse-drawn carriages can join the cooperative as one of the transportation service providers in the village. Everyone in the co-op must agree to a roster system, which gives guides, porters, village tours, trekking trail maintenance, and handicraft sales an equal opportunity to make money.
There is no doubt that the ecotourism project has increased the economy of the village. Since Cande Rego obtained official “tourist village” status in 2003, it has developed into a cleaner and wealthier village. The village chief ordered every house in the village to plant a ‘rambutan’, a tropical fruit tree, in front of their houses. The result is that this village has become very green and shady. The weather in central Java can be very hot, so these large trees can protect passers-by from the scorching sun.
When we asked the village chief whether or not he was worried that the tourism industry would one day bring hideous pollution to the village, he said that the co-op limits the number of visitors annually. The tourism programs they developed also focus mainly on green tourism, not tourism programs. So naturally, the majority of visitors who come to Candi Rejo are green-minded travelers. They want to learn about farming or experience real Javanese rural life.
In 2007, the village received around 800-900 visitors. We’ve seen pictures of their previous visitors. Some schools from major cities in Indonesia have sent students to Candi Regu to learn about farming and rural life. It is true that many Indonesian children who have grown up in a big city do not know what the trees and the fruits they eat look like on the ground. These types of educational programs teach them where the food came from in the market. It also raises awareness among students about the importance of preserving your environment.
It is not only students from all over Indonesia who come to Candi Rego. Other village governments in Indonesia visit Candi Reju to learn about village tourism and ecotourism.
We can’t forget how nice the people at Kandy Rego are. Everyone was so friendly and nice. We felt that community tourism really fit their personalities. Their natural eagerness to accommodate their guests made our trip very smooth and memorable.
At Candi Rejo we learned how to play the Javanese Gamelan (their traditional musical instrument). We also played volleyball with the locals, which was so much fun! We took the horse carriage everywhere during our stay there (0 emissions for sure). We were also invited to visit the home of the village chief for a community gathering. It is as if we are visiting our family there.
We left Candi Rego with fond memories of this village. We would go back in a heartbeat. We hope next time we can take our travelers there with us. We are proud that ecotourism and the community tourism movement in Indonesia are developing rapidly. We hope that these projects can alleviate poverty, create more jobs and most importantly preserve the environment in Indonesia.
