Bena Village
A village where the people still maintain their ancestral cultural and traditional heritage until now will become a magnet for tourists to visit. One of the villages that made it a mandatory destination while exploring Flores was the Bena Traditional Village.
Administratively and geographically, Bena is in Tiworiwu Village, Jerebu’u District, Ngada Regency. Calculated the distance from the City of Bajawa about 16 km from the south through Watujaji. To reach the location, a traveler can rent a car or motorcycle that is widely available in Bajawa.
No need to worry about being lost when heading to Bena, because this village is a tourist spot that is very popular with tourists. The government has provided a signpost to Bena. The location is also easy to reach because the Traditional Village of Bena is on the side of the road. To enter the Bena Traditional Village, each visitor must report and fill out the registration book and pay voluntary contributions.
In the registration book you can see the names and countries of origin. Most visitors to Bena village are foreigners from Europe and South America, there is a feeling of pride and sadness when they see this. Proud, because many foreigners come all the way to know and learn about the traditions in this village.
Sad, where have local tourists been? Are they not interested in learning it too? Or aren’t you interested in interacting with each other? I have no idea. Bena village has a longitudinal shape from the front (north-at the same time the entrance) to the back (south). This village is located in the valley. Large boat shaped if viewed from above.
This village consists of 45 houses that stand around the village yard with different levels of height. The house in Bena village is called ‘sao’ which functions as a house. Where for the indigenous people of Bena, it functions as a communication center for families, relatives and receiving guests. Every house that is passed, we are always greeted by the mothers with a friendly smile.
There are mothers who are cool to weave, there are also those who are taking the results of clothesline in the form of candlenut seeds which are dried from the afternoon. To familiarize ourselves, we tried to chat with them. ‘If there is a chance, on December 27th, please come back here because on that day there will be a reba program, ‘said a mother to us. Reba is an important moment for all family members and relatives to meet in the village.
This unity event is important for every tribe / clan in Bena to discuss all their problems or plans in each core house. This ceremony is also to express gratitude to God for harvesting their garden for a year. At the same time, there is a request for blessing for a better gardening process going forward. Almost every house in Bena village always depends on woven cloth that is indeed sold to visitors. The woven fabric motif in Kampung Bena is jara (horse) wa’I manu (chicken claw), ghi’u (dynamic line), ube, ngadu, and bhaga which have meaning. Like jara (horse) which is something that is valuable for the residents of Bena, because horses are used to transportation and dowry. Wa’I manu has a meaning as a sign that they are at the first stage or the level of seeking knowledge to live their lives in the future.
TOURISM TIPS
- Bena village is located approximately 19 km south of the city center Ngada (Bajawa) or precisely located in the village of Tiwuriwu, Aimere District, Ngada Regency. The journey to Bena village can be reached by using two-wheeled vehicles or four-wheeled vehicles. The terrain is quite smooth because it’s hotmix asphalt, but the road is winding and up and down.
- If you depart from Kupang, then after getting off at Soa Airport, you can continue the journey by using travel to the city of Bajawa at a rate of approximately 50 thousand. After arriving in the city of Bajawa, you can continue the trip by using a motorcycle taxi with a travel time of approximately half an hour.
- But if you have just traveled to Lake Kelimutu in Ende city, then you can take a travel or bus majoring in Ende-Bajawa and get off at Mataloko. Then you can use a motorcycle taxi to get to Bena village.
- When giving donations, you should use paper money because coins are not used by the Ngada district community. And give the appropriate donation.
- If you plan to stay in Bajawa city, make sure you bring warm clothes because the temperature in Bajawa is quite cold, especially at night.
- Bena Village is opened for tourists from 8:00 to 17:00 WITA
AMENITIES
- Lodging
- Toilet
- Places to eat
- Souvenir shop
- Parking area
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