Green Tourism: Sade Village, the Charm of Central Lombok

Sade Village, Lombok – Most people associate Lombok with beaches and small islands, but, do you know that Lombok is also rich in cultural heritage? One of Indonesia’s Green Tourism Village, Sasak Sade Village, will show you how culturally fascinating Lombok is!

Located at Rambitan, Central Lombok, you can reach Sasak Sade village with only a 20-minute car ride from Lombok International Airport. The villagers, the Sasak Tribe, are used to having people coming over so they know how to welcome tourists well. 

Despite being exposed to global tourists, the villagers keep a strong connection to their traditional values, architecture, and rituals.

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Get Lost in the Culturally Rich Sade Village

Sasak Sade Village is a place where you can experience more than a tour since some villagers offer their houses for homestay. By doing this, you can closely feel what it’s like to live in such a traditional setting, do what the traditional tribe is doing, eat what they eat, and even wear what they wear. Such a unique vacation plan, don’t you think?

1. Entering Sade Village

You’ll know you made it to Sade Village when you see the gate that shares a similar look to the traditional houses in the village; made of bamboo with a pyramid-shaped roof. 

Usually, you will find a guide that will accompany your journey of exploring Sasak Sade Village. As you walk through the village, you will be enlightened about the history, daily life, and uniqueness of Sasak Sade Village. 

Every tour in Sasak Sade village is organized and well-thought-out. So, it’s better to not wander around on your own because there are rules to follow, t-mates!

2. Houses of Sade Village

Bale Tani is the traditional house of the Sasak tribe. The roof is made of dry sedge grass while the walls are made of bamboo weave, making it a unique spectacle. Another distinctive feature of this house, other than its shape, is its floor. The floor is made of soil, but once in a while, the villagers mop the floor with cow or buffalo waste.

We know you would think it smells! Surprisingly, you won’t even notice the smell once it’s dried out. The villager claims that the use of feces on the floor helps the floor in keeping its warms, strength, and longevity. Who would’ve thought?

Another unique thing about Bale Tani is the low and small door for visitors. Apparently, it was designed that way so that visitors enter the house bowing, respecting the owner of the house. The house itself is divided into Bale Dalam and Bale Luar. Bale Luar is meant for welcoming guests while Bale Dalam is the area for the women of the house. 

Bale Dalam includes a place to cook and give birth. To reach Bale Dalam, we have to go through a three-stepped stair. Each step has a philosophical meaning reflecting the cycle which is birth, growth, and death.

3. Sade Village Wedding Tradition

Making your way down the tiny pathways between these houses will make you feel like you’re visiting the past and everything seems simpler, more natural, and intriguing. You will find yourself feeling curious about their cultures and traditions. 

To satisfy this curiosity, the village has something that one may never even think of like a tradition. One of the unique traditions in this village is their marriage procession, where the bride is being ‘kidnapped’ by the groom’s family.

Although it may come as a shock, the soon-to-be bride sees it coming since this tradition has been around for a long while. Following the kidnap, the groom’s parents will inform the bride’s parents about where their daughter is and how she’s doing, followed by a proposal to make them the bride’s guardian for the wedding.

The groom’s side will then keep the bride until the Nyongkolan procession takes place. In this ritual, the bride and groom are dressed up in Sasak traditional clothing and paraded around the village accompanied by the sound of gendang beleq. 

4. Woven and Handmade Crafts to Bring Back Home

The women of Sade village devote their lives to weaving. In fact, waving is mandatory since it determines whether a Sasak Woman is eligible for marriage or not.

When visiting Sasak Sade Village, it is very common to see woven crafts sold by the locals. By selling many kinds of woven or handmade goods from small handicrafts to fabrics, the prices vary starting from as low as 10,000 IDR to hundreds of thousands of IDR*.

Spare yourself the worries of not knowing what to buy, you will have plenty of choices of woven goods that make you wanna open your purse! Remember to spend wisely and buy their products for your friend and family 🙂

5. Hypnotizing Natural Scenery

As a green tourism village, there is no doubt that Sade village has exceptional scenery suitable for those looking for an escape from stress and a way to rejuvenate themselves. Surrounding the village, you will find big and well-kept green areas where you can lose yourself in. 

The locals pay great attention to these green areas because farming is their main money maker. Now that the natural beauty of the village has been a tourist attraction in itself, they have even more reason to keep their land in its prime. Our task as visitors is to maintain its great condition. We know you can do it, t-mates!

Where to Stay

If staying at a local’s house is not for you, we have a solution for a place to stay! Grand Kuta Hotel Lombok, only 10 minutes away from Sade Village, is great for backpackers or even families that are traveling on a budget.

Grand Kuta Hotel Lombok will happily welcome you to rest after a long day exploring Sade Village. Freshen yourself up in its pool, or tuck yourself into its bed and blanket? Your choice!

Experience Rural Life at Sade Village with tiket.com

Ready to support #DiIndonesiaAja movement by traveling to Lombok and keeping its tourist attractions in the best condition? tiket.com is ready to be your travel companion. 🙂

Brace yourselves to witness a balanced mix of modern and traditional life in Sasak Sade Village before you plan your flight to Lombok and rent a car for a more comfortable Lombok trip at tiket.com

Also, remember to implement health protocols everywhere you go. Stay fit and healthy, t-mates!

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*Prices are valid at the time of writing