In the course of online research for my trip to Semarang I had read about, and seen photos of, this fantastic multi-coloured Kampung colloquially known as rainbow village. Given how beautiful and unusual the neighbourhood appeared this was quickly added to my ever growing itinerary of places to visit.

Frustratingly, my travel list keeps on growing as there’s always more to see than I initially expected/realised with every destination that I visit. That’s the trouble with Indonesia: too many islands and far too much to see!

Situated near to Domenico Savio junior high school the rainbow village settlement is reached by any number of small bridges from the main road and, in my experience at least, the locals are very friendly. It, of course, doesn’t hurt to smile and greet people that you see in Bahasa Indonesia when walking around their neighbourhood (treating others with courtesy and displaying respect doesn’t hurt right?)

I assume there are multiple entry points for the kampung due to the number of bridges linking the settlement to the main road but I entered via the bridge displayed in the photograph below.

To my left, after crossing the bridge, was a steep path/road winding steadily upwards into the heart of the kampung.  This was a tougher climb than I expected but gifted me with many interesting sights of the settlement; multi-coloured walls and steps in the pathway, various murals featuring Indonesian and foreign characters, logos and symbols along with the small houses lining the route.

The architecture of the houses was basic and the materials very simple; they didn’t look like much but these were people’s homes, families lived here. Maybe entire generations of the same family had passed through such households. This wasn’t such a fanciful notion when I unexpectedly came across the kampung graveyard and saw hundreds of grave markers and stones stretching out across the top of the settlement.

This was not a sight I expected to see and I presume that the people buried there actually had lived in that kampung. The graveyard was far larger than I expected and I didn’t know whether I really should have been walking through that part of the settlement. Nobody stopped me nor signalled that I shouldn’t be there so I proceeded with caution and respect. No taking photographs nor venturing into the actual graveyard; just simply looking over the grave markers from the roadside perimeter.

It was sobering to see how young some of the interred were, particularly when I realised from the dates displayed on the grave markers how some of those would have been my age had they lived.

Sad that it takes sights such as that to remind us just how blessed we are isn’t it?

Along my journey through the kampung I met a number of small children who appeared fascinated by the presence of this bule walking through their neighbourhood. Their curious nature and eager greetings was met with the best responses that my limited knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia could muster. This seemed to delight them although I do wonder if they were simply laughing as I answered with something so obviously wrong. More than likely knowing my language skills but it was a fun interaction all the same.

I wasn’t too sure which way to go after entering the perimeter of the graveyard, as there really didn’t seem to be much that I could, or probably should, visit beyond this area (and I was starting to feel uncomfortable as a stranger visiting that part of their neighbourhood), but one old woman sat at a nearby grave pointed to a nearby descending road/pathway.

I thanked her and took this similarly steep and winding route down through the kampung to the nearby main road. As with the ascent the sights of that part of the settlement provided lots of photographic opportunities and I can honestly say that I never expected to see the Teletubbies making an appearance in Semarang…or anywhere else in Indonesia for that matter!

It was interesting to see how the route was divided into steps on one side and roadway on the other (as was the case when ascending into the kampung). Seeing nearby scooter drivers manoeuvring their vehicles from the very tiny yards of their houses and directing them into the roadway made me appreciate every inch of available space. Tight was not the word! As is often the case though with Indonesians they were good natured and, unlike many of my own countrymen under similar circumstances, very polite and respectful with negotiating passage in that walkway.

This was greatly appreciated (particularly with my presence there as a stranger) and not too long afterwards I exited the kampung thankful to take the pressure off my knees from the steep descent (be warned: those winding paths can be brutal on the joints).

What a delightful location and unusual, in my experiences at least, to see such a multi-coloured neighbourhood (and you definitely won’t be short of photographic opportunities throughout the visit). If you happen to be visiting Semarang then adding the rainbow village to your itinerary will provide a delightful splash of colour to your visit (but do be a good tourist and treat the locals with respect - this is their neighbourhood after all and good manners really don’t cost anything at all).