Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, has declared Wanurejo Tourism Village in Magelang, Central Java, as the “best tourist village.”
“I declare the Wanurejo Tourism Village as Indonesia’s best tourist village. Hopefully, this will become a world-class tourist destination. We will promote it in the Southeast Asia region and abroad,” he said in a statement released by his office on Friday.
Wanurejo Tourism Village is the entrance to the Borobudur Super-Priority Tourism Destination (DPSP) area. Uno informed that out of the 6,016 tourist villages in Jadesta (tourism village network), Wanurejo Tourism Village has many advantages.
The success of the tourist village has come from strong collaboration between its nine hamlets, which are offering a variety of integrated rural tourist attractions, from lodgings, attractions, culinary, and crafts, to culture, while still prioritizing local wisdom.
The accommodation offered is in the form of homestays. Wanurejo village provides around 63 homestay rooms at a price of around Rp350 thousand to Rp450 thousand per night (US$20–US$26).
The Wanurejo Tourism Village has nine hamlets spanning an area of 470,100 hectares, including Bronjonalan, Tingal Kulon, Tingal Wetan, Bejen, Ngentak, Soropadan, Barepan, Jowahan, and Gedongan.
The village is one of the tourist villages that serve as the gateway to the Borobudur area. It is located at the foot of the Menoreh mountains, between the Progo River and the Sileng River.
The village can be reached by a four-wheeled vehicle from Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) in 1 hour 30 minutes.
Visitors can also visit the Ancient Mosque with the mysterious drum (bedug) left by Prince Diponegoro, the Umbul Tirta holy water, and the tomb of Kyai Wanu.