According to Good Travel Guide, the village was nominated for several awards, including the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism 2017. Cultural uniqueness, a friendly community, and local wisdom for traditional farming techniques and local food processing are offered by the Nglanggeran. For culture enthusiasts, the village is a perfect place to learn traditional art performances with local troupes. The village was voted as one of the best tourism villages in southeast Asia in the ASEAN awards.

Located below a 60-million-year-old volcano, needless to say, this village in Indonesia is truly one of a kind. Nglanggeran’s uniqueness also comes from this ‘ancient volcano’ that stands 48-hectare with an astonishing natural panorama: Mt. Api Purba.

‘Nglanggeran’ comes from the word ‘Planggaran’, which means ‘every evil deed has its punishment’. It is also derived from the word ‘Langgeng’, which means peace and serenity.

Read further to discover all about the green trip to Nglanggeran Village!

Super friendly locals

Within the Gunungkidul Regency in Yogyakarta Province lies the charming Desa Wisata Gunung Api Purba Nglanggeran, or simply Desa Wisata Nglanggeran (Nglanggeran Tourism Village). Once you step foot in the area, super friendly locals will welcome you and speak of their cultures and traditions. Is there any better way to delve deeper into the heart of another culture?

Api Purba Volcano

First stop? Gunung Api Purba Nglanggeran, or the Api Purba Volcano. The 1.5 to 2-hour climb is highly worth it once you reach the top of this volcano. Here is where you take a deep refreshing breath of fresh air and admire the view from above. Located 700 meters above sea level, the dazzling view is like no other. And then, it is time to travel back to the real world down below.

Another journey to paradise

The next adventure? It is away from the hustle and bustle of reality. Once upon a time, there was a little hill that sat comfortably in the Nglanggeran area. However, one day, the locals decided to transform this simple hill into one of the most alluring ponds in the nation and named it Embung Nglanggeran (Nglanggeran Pond).

It is best to climb to this pond and cherish the view during sunrise or sunset, but we recommend seeing the sunrise. The glorious view of the yellowing sun slowly enveloping the pond and the surrounding hills is worth waking up before the break of dawn.

Nglanggeleran Tourism Village has to offer

Now, it is time to get wet! The Terjun Kedung Kandang, or Kedung Kandang Waterfall, lies hidden deep in the village of Nglanggeran. This is a quaint little waterfall where water trickles down a jagged hill surrounded by lush green paddies. Locals say that if rain falls the night before, the beauty of this site will be magnified the day after. For those who choose to remain dry, there is an artificial bamboo bridge where you can enjoy the charming streams of water traveling to the bottom of the waterfall.

Who doesn't love chocolate? 

Well, this village offers its visitors a glimpse of how the locals tend to their chocolate gardens. They also produce their rice. Here is where you can observe all the steps to farm for rice until harvest and then cook your meal. As for sweet tooths, this is also where you can not only see how people grow cacao seeds but also create some delicious chocolate treats.

Learn Javanese culture here

For culture enthusiasts, the village is rich in Javanese culture. People will not hesitate to teach tourists, especially foreigners with no inkling about Javanese culture, how the inhabitants uphold their traditions and rituals. You will be taught unggah-ungguh, or local manners, how to greet others, communicate gestures and many other things. The way Javanese treat and communicate with their elders is different from how they treat and communicate with those of the same age or younger. Here, you will also learn to play the karawitan, a musical instrument set that produces dreamy and enchanting traditional music.

If you crave some more action, you can also learn about Jatilan, also known as Kuda Lumping. This is a traditional magical dance often performed by the locals using horses woven from bamboo known as kepang. In the days of old, aside from entertaining locals, this traditional dance was performed to lift the people's spirits to fight against invaders.

The villagers here will not only give you a chance to see this hypnotizing performance. Still, they will also allow you to prepare for the performance, starting from the costumes to the music.