.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Prailiu is one of the many traditional and exotic villages in Sumba. It is located in a suburb area of Waingapu, the capital city of East Sumba District about two kilometers away from the city center. Despite rapid development, traditional tall houses with sharp leaf roofs are still apparent here. However, you can now see many zinc roof houses with different designs. The local government, assisted by the World Bank, is currently reconstructing local traditional houses in this village.Although most of the local inhabitants are Christian, they still follow local traditions based on their original religion of Marapu. Tall houses and burial processes, for instance, are closely related with their traditional beliefs. Their traditional houses have three parts, representing local cosmology i.e., underground as the home of the dead, the middle part as the home for the living, and the roof as the home of the Gods.
In addition to traditional houses, Prailiu also has a number of original cemeteries. You can also find the famous traditional woven fabric and its weaving process here.
.jpg "Prailiu village")
Buying various types of woven products is certainly something you should not miss when visiting Prailiu. Each village in Sumba actually has its own special product. Some villages are famous for their woven fabrics, and some others are known for their scarf products. In Prailiu, you can find them all because woven fabrics from various villages in hinterlands .jpg "Prailiu village")
Merpati airlines has a regular flight to Waingapu airport. It provides flights from Kupang via Maumere and from Denpasar four times a week (Merpati Waingapu: 0387-61323). Transnusa also provides this route from Kupang but its schedule is tentative. Merpati flies with the same frequency to Tambolaka in West Sumba, but from there, you have to take a four-hour drive to Waingapu. Al.jpg "Prailiu village")
You can do many things in Prailiu. Local inhabitants are familiar with tourists and researchers. You can see mothers weaving fabrics who can show you how to weave, spin, and make natural colored dies for yarn. Buying fabrics and various types of woven products are certianly what they expect from tourists. You can walk around the village while observing traditional houses an