Spider Web Rice Fields in Flores

Part of the Flores travel guide — see every topic in All Flores Guides.

Near Ruteng, at the village of Cancar, the rice fields are laid out in a pattern found nowhere else: circular, divided into segments radiating from a central point like a spider's web or a cut cake. This is lingko, the traditional Manggarai system of communal land distribution. A central post marks the origin, and plots are allocated outward from it, with each family's share widening as it goes — so the size of a holding is set by the width of its segment at the boundary.

How lingko works

Land is held communally by the clan and distributed by the tu'a teno, the land elder, who stands at the central post — the lodok — and allocates each family a segment measured outward. The unit of measurement is traditionally taken from the elder's own body, and the width of the segment at the outer edge determines the area. The result is a radial pattern of fields separated by low bunds, which from above resembles a web. The system is a land-tenure arrangement first and a visual phenomenon second.

Seeing them

The viewpoint is a hill above Cancar, about fifteen kilometres west of Ruteng, reached by a short steep walk from the road through a village; a small contribution is collected and local children usually guide you up. From the top several lingko fields are visible at once. The pattern reads best when the fields are flooded or newly planted and the bunds stand out; after harvest it is much less distinct. Morning light is better than afternoon, and the whole stop takes under an hour.

Ruteng

The Manggarai highland capital at around 1,200 metres, cool and often wet, with a Catholic cathedral, a market and a handful of guesthouses. It is the usual first overnight stop from Labuan Bajo on the Trans-Flores road. Nearby are Liang Bua — the cave where the remains of Homo floresiensis, the small-bodied hominin nicknamed the hobbit, were found in 2003, a genuinely significant archaeological site with a small display — and Golo Cador and the rice terraces around Cara.

Caci and Manggarai culture

Caci is the Manggarai whip duel: two men fight in turn, one attacking with a rawhide whip and the other defending with a shield and a bamboo rod, in ceremonial dress with bells, accompanied by drums, gongs and singing. It is performed at harvests, weddings and other ceremonies and is a genuine contest — scars on the back and chest are expected and are worn without complaint. It is arranged for visitors at times, and it is far better seen at an actual village event if you can time one.

Spider Web Rice Fields at a glance

More in Flores

All 15 Flores guides·Indonesia tourist maps

Featured Videos