Baduy, the Last Children of the Earth
The Indonesian tribe who lives devoid of technology with no contact to the outside world may just be the more advanced civilization after all
The Baduy way of life can be summed up by this proverb: lojor heunteu beunang dipotong, pèndèk heunteu beunang disambung (What’s long cannot be shortened, and what’s short cannot be lengthened) — that they live simply, without altering the environment and leaving as little imprint as possible.
Inner and Outer Baduy
The people of Baduy are distinctly separated into Baduy Dalam (Inner) and Baduy Luar (Outer). They both adhere to the same traditions such as sleeping with no mattress or living with no electricity.
They can easily be distinguished by their clothing: Inner Baduy only black or white clothing; while Outer Baduy community wear this beautiful dark blue Baduy Batik.
Technology
Overall, the Outer Baduy community is imposed with less stringent restrictions. This means they are able to use soap, ride on motorcycles and have some contact with the outside world through the trading of their local produce.
Nowadays, the Outer Baduy even use mobile phones to sell wild honey, palm sugar, durians, timber more conveniently. In contrast, the Inner Baduy only trade among the Baduy communities. This explains how the Inner Baduy is seen as the pillars of tradition and have the authority to perform ‘cultural raid’ on the Outer Baduy to ensure their adherence to tradition.
The most notable difference between the two villages is Inner Baduy’s prohibition of any documentation (photo or video) and foreigners.
Experiencing Baduy Way of Life
Getting here is no picnic
Train/Car: From Jakarta, we made our way to Rangkas Bitung station in Banten province, which is the meeting point for most tour groups. The station is 1.5–2 hour by car or KLR commuting train (tickets can be purchased on the same day at the station).
Shuttle Bus: From Rangkas Bitung, we continued the journey on an open-air van (no aircon) for an hour until we reached Ciboleger bus terminal. At the terminal, we had a quick lunch before the walk.
On Foot: The 15km trek takes about 4–5 hours to complete. Be prepared and pack your raincoat, flashlight and sleeping bag.
For convenience, I booked my trip with Bantam Travel for 250k IDR per person. You can also trek on your own but Bantam organises an overnight stay with an Inner Baduy family.
The family cooked up a sumptuous dinner and breakfast (their sambal, pan-fried melinjo nut shell and stinky bean petai were delicious). In return, it is customary for visitors to bring the family some oleh oleh (Indonesian word, lit: gift; souvenir) like coffee, tea and salt.
Self-Sufficient Barefoot People
The Baduy community actually refused the Indonesian government’s offer of 4 billion IDR development subsidy. Instead, they have been building and maintaining the paths that lead to their villages on their own.
These paths may get slippery in times of rain, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes with good grip. One of many Baduy’s traditions is that footwear is prohibited so you’ll see them in their black and white clothing trekking barefoot.
One Night Only
As a guest, you are only allowed to stay for one night in the Inner Baduy village. This also applies to Inner Baduy individuals who decide to leave and see what’s out there in the world or marry outside the Inner Baduy communities. These people will have to leave their village, perhaps reside in one of the Outer Baduy villages and only return occasionally as guests to stay for one to two nights.
No Toilet
While there is no toilet in our traditional sense (an enclosed room complete with plumbing), there are designated areas to ‘do your business’.
For water quality and safety, the community distinctly assign different points on the river. There’s a specific spot to shower, do #1 or #2 —and all locations are separated for males and females. So make sure you do the right business in the right places.
No School, but Marrying Age is Pretty Healthy
There is no formal schooling in the community. Instead, the children are taught to farm.
Most marriages are arranged by the parents, and surprisingly the marrying age is acceptably healthy at around 22–25. Surprising because villagers in many rural areas around the world often marry at such a young age. Some cultures really do hide sexism behind the veil of tradition.
Home-Grown Diet
Except for tea, salt and other food items that we bring from outside, the Baduy diet consists of food they grow and cultivate themselves. Grown on hills without fertilizers or ‘modern’ tools, the Baduy rice is as organic as it gets.
Instead of the scope, they use pickaxe called kujang or patik to work the land. You won’t encounter any rice paddies or terraces in Baduy villages since those wet agriculture farming techniques actually manipulate the contour of the land, which goes against the Baduy’s way of life.
They also grow stinky bean called petai in Indonesian, a widely popular dish all across South East Asia. Strangely, the bean which is widely known for its stink is actually not smelly here.
Since they are not allowed to keep large domestic animals, the only livestock around is chicken. Wandering around the Baduy villages, hiding under houses or inside baskets woven from palm leaves, they could very well be the healthiest chickens we had ever seen. Apparently, while Outer Baduy people consume root crops like cassava, taro and sweet potato, Inner Baduy people often feed these crops to the chicken. That’s probably what gives them the shiny, lustrous feathers. Even chickens eat better here.
Apart from these crops, the Baduy also make their own palm sugar and wild honey (sweet and bitter varieties), which you can purchase and bring home.
As I was leaving the village, I could easily distinguish which community the area belongs to.
All Baduy villages strictly prohibit littering so the villages, the paths and the river are free of garbage. Especially in the Inner Baduy area, the river is spotless since soap, shampoo or toothpaste are prohibited. Once I reached the Outer Baduy area, I noticed some coagulation in certain corners of the rivers where the water doesn’t quite flow. Once you have left the Baduy community, you will definitely notice the difference as concrete houses appear here and there, and sadly trash covers up almost every surface of the path.
While the Baduy may not have electricity, they are far from being impoverished. In fact, they have a much better quality of lives than most people in urban areas all over the world who don’t have access to clean water and sanitation. Some Baduy people even live well up to the age of 100.
The Baduy is a living proof that a society can choose to remain unmodernized and yet, thrive as a civilized society.
This post is part of the See Indonesia series.1. The Island Paradise of Gili Air
With beautiful sand beaches and island lifestyle, the Gilis are just a heaven of idyllic paradise
2. The Little Lombok
Get the most out of this much-less-traveled cousin of Bali.
3. How to Legalise Document in Indonesia
Step-by-step guide on legalising document in IndonesiaI hope they will help you see this country's ineffable beauty and culture beyond imagination.
