Rotinese Culture

Rote is a predominantly Christian island, and the church is at the heart of the local communities here. They worship every Sunday, and each village takes great pride in having its own church.  Our village, Tunggaoen, has even built a church resembling a ship!

Easter is a time of great celebration here and the villages go all out with lights and displays.

The Christian ethos of the island makes it a very safe place to travel.

There is  a strong trade in Ikat production here.  These beautiful textiles are handwoven and (most of them) are coloured using natural dyes.  You can stop by at any of the Ikat shops to watch the process taking place.  It's pretty incredible.  

Many of the locals make good money from farming and selling Agar Agar, a seaweed that is used in  products world-wide.  You will see people out at low tide collecting the seaweed, and can often see it in various places laid out to dry.