Orahili Fau Village in Fanayama Sub-District, Nias Regency - Indonesia

It is true that Nias Regency is famous for beautiful beaches and other natural attractions. Still, tourists can also find interesting culture and unique villages there. For instance, it is Orahili Fau Village. This unique local settlement belongs to Fanayama Sub-District and it resides near to Bawomataluo Village. Actually, both of them share similar characteristics but Orahili Fau is, in fact, older. According to the history, the village was founded by brothers of Fau clan. The village is also popular for its traditions, especially the stone jumping event.

The Nuance
It is easy to find Orahili Fau Village as it resides near to the crossroad between villages. The gate can be seen once visitors pass through the stairs, as well. Once entering the village, visitors might feel a unique nuance of megalithic settlement. Several relics are seen in front of the houses, having a different size and shape. It is said these stones were used for sitting back then. The next important feature of the village is the formation of traditional houses, which become one of the charms of the settlement.

Exploring Orahili Fau Village
The most common reason to visit Orahili Fau Village is to explore such unique local settlement. First, it is to witness the local houses called Omo Hada. In the past, all of the houses feature sago palm leaves on their roof but, today, some of them have applied tin roof in order to prevent the threat of the fire. The unique part of the room is called “Lawa-Lawa”, which is a hole where the residents use for monitoring the surrounding and let the sun ray enters. Aside from this hole, another unique part of the house is the alley that connects to other houses.

The next interesting attraction offered by Orahili Fau Village is called Omo Oahua, which is actually a meeting hall. Near to this structure, tourists can see a Hombo Batu (the stone used for jumping tradition). Some villagers are also seen on the site and they are quite friendly to visitors. These people even might tell tourists regarding the history of the village and other information related to it. For instance, it is said Orahili Fau is the second oldest village after Gomo Village. According to the locals, in fact, the ancestors came from Himalaya Mountains! This explains why their appearance is similar to Tibetans.

As for another recommendation, tourists should consider trying local foods especially Gowi Nifufu. If they are lucky, the villagers would provide it to them freely. The food is made of yams mixed with grated coconut! The taste is unique and it is filling too.

Nearby Attractions

• Baloho Beach
• Hiliaurifa Village
• Tuindrao Village
• Bawomataluo Village

How to Get There
The fact is that Orahili Fau Village is located near to Bawomataluo. That means travelers can head to those locations at once during the trip. From Gunungsitoli City, it takes approximately 3 hours and the distance is 113 km. The best route to take is Raya Pelud Binaka Street.

Where to Stay

• Keitaro Hotel