Waerebo or Wae Rebo is a village situated in the Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

Located at 1,200 meters above sea level, the village is composed of 7 main houses, known as mbaru niang.

[8] Apart from Wae Rebo's beauty and nature, the village attracts tourists for its lifestyle and social life.

[10] The seven houses are set in an open circle centered on the village compang, a round altar platform made of rammed earth and stone.

The fourth level, called lempa rae, is where extra food stocks are kept in case of drought.

[16] Wae Rebo residents still maintain a lifestyle in accordance with the culture and traditions handed down by their ancestors.

Coffee (two types: arabica and robusta) is the main cash crop, as the 1200 m altitude means that it gets the right temperature for proper growth.

[14] Raising chickens has been stepped up to meet the high demand for eggs to be served to visitors.

[12] The women' activities are cooking, childcare, weaving, assisting men in the fields,[9] and these days they also take care of the visitors' lodgings and food (see "Tourism administration and organisation" below).

[10] The last location is in the backyard, where the community prays for prosperity and health for the whole village,[5] and for good crops.

This is because tourism depends on external factors such as natural disasters, climate change, social conflicts, and infectious diseases.

Two goals are thus met: maintaining the economic resilience of the village, increasing the number of people who receive benefits from tourism.

[18] New arrivals are announced from outside the village by ‘clacking’ two halves of a bamboo pole together[14] (pentungan)[5] that hang from a rope next to the path a few times.

Once this done, the visitors are allowed to visit people's homes and take photos[18] interact and share stories.

[19] Tourists stay overnight at one of the two guest houses, and the daily manager arranges where they will sleep.

[18] These houses, which can each accommodate around 50 people, are set up as dormitories in a communal bedroom with mattresses, handwoven pandanus covers and blankets.

The women groups are in charge of maintaining them clean, including washing blankets, pillowcases, etc.

[8] Then in 2012 Waerebo was listed by UNESCO as World heritage, a very serious push marketing-wise,[a] and shortly after by the mid-2010s national television coverage started in earnest.

[22] But the most efficient marketing tool of all has been the online reviews from previous visitors in travelers sites such as TripAdvisor and in social media.

[b] This does not include the income from the sales of souvenirs and food-based products to tourists by the members of the coffee, weaving and chips group, which reached Rp.

[24] Wae Rebo's success also spills out unto its surroundings, such as accommodation owners in other villages, motorcycle taxis, market traders, farmers, etc.

[27] That same year, Rumah Asuh Foundation, which aims at preserving and rehabilitating traditional Indonesian houses, also got involved.

[27] The rehabilitation works were carried out by a group of 15 architects from Jakarta in 2008, with the participation of the community and the local government.

[17] In 2024 the Spectator Index has classed Wae Rebo second smallest and most beautiful town in the world.