Homestay is a designation for rooms in ordinary homes that are rented to local and foreign tourists when they need accommodation for some time, and they live in one house with their owners. The facilities offered are only in the form of bedrooms and other equipment such as drinking water and breakfast with a simple menu. The homestay concept is to combine affordable accommodation with an authentic local cultural experience.

Indonesia, which has 34 provincial capitals, certainly has an excellent opportunity to provide homestay facilities to develop rural tourism in tourist areas with the concept of low-cost tourism (LCT). Tourism development in the region is the target of the government through the Ministry of Tourism to improve the welfare of the community, through contributing in contributing foreign exchange, creating employment, and preserving natural and cultural resources. Homestay development can be done by mobilising local communities in the village, as part of tourism village development.

In supporting the program and government targets, Pacific Paint presents “Kampung Ragam Warna” in Mranggen area, Kutoharjo village, Kendal regency as a form of appreciation and support for the creativity of citizens in developing local culture and arts, including the idea of providing homestays for tourists visiting. Kampung Ragam Warna (means colourful village) was inaugurated through painting 100 houses and public facilities that spent more than 3,000 litres of paint using brilliant colours of wall paint or wall paint Metrolite, Jatilux and Finatex, and Glotex (wood and iron paint), a superior product of Pacific Paint.

During the painting process, Pacific Paint collaborated with artists who are members of the Kaliwungu Cartoonist Group (Kokang), local painters and residents to work to produce a variety of creative murals ranging from natural landscapes, animated characters to abstracts. The village streets have now turned into colours which are also complemented by traditional paper umbrella decorations, local characteristics.

Entering the Kampung Ragam Warna, tourists will be welcomed with colourful streets and rows of houses that have been decorated with murals. Five senses, of course, will be very spoiled when you see the cheerfulness of colours on walls, fences and roofs that are exposed to sunshine. Also, there is paper umbrellas decoration on the streets of the village. The motifs range from flowers, batik, to contemporary painting creations.

Very friendly residents in this village will be happy to allow tourists to take pictures and capture holiday moments with friends and family with their home backgrounds. No need to worry when night falls, streetlights and light from the residents’ homes will reflect and produce different effects on various colours in this village. Of course, it’s a pity to miss it.

Art Activities in the Kampung Ragam Warna

Located in the contour of the terraced village demographics, as many as 98 houses (RW) in two neighbourhood units (RTs) are known as a friendly neighbourhood, cultured and have a high artistic spirit. The creativity of the residents is contained in a variety of artistic activities that have been known in several countries in the world, including the Drumblek Festival which is a musical performance using used items such as buckets, barrels and zinc, the 5th Mountain Festival which presents various traditional dance, cultural carnival attractions, exhibitions visual arts, as well as the Indonesian Umbrella Festival, a people’s festival based on the role of community participation by placing paper umbrellas painted with a variety of motifs and colors as a source of artwork.

Not only watching the local arts and cultural activities, but the tourists were also invited to be creative in painting paper umbrellas. Paper umbrellas here are not just decorative umbrellas, but also contribute to building umbrella civilisation as a protective body from various weather conditions. Historically, umbrellas have wide diameters, so protect the traders and are used by officials in areas such as kings and sultans.

Travellers who want to have paper umbrellas with their artwork can visit the Mranggen Gallery to study and paint directly. Of course, there will be representatives of citizens who provide training and explain the philosophy and history of umbrella creation.

A large number of Central Javanese arts and cultural activities owned by the residents of Mranggen and the homestay owner offers a contemporary concept to every tourist who visits to explore Kampung Ragam Warna. They can witness the variety of local cultures and arts so that in addition to enjoying the beauty of nature, of course, they have a different and unforgettable experience.

The presence of this Kampung Ragam Warna is expected to have a broad positive impact concerning tourist attractions, namely the appeal of local culture as well as aspects of attractions, safe and comfortable dwellings for indigenous people and tourists. Besides that, the potential for increasing local economic opportunities will be even higher so that the welfare of the citizens will improve. Let us together strengthen national identity through diversity and cultural wealth.

Don’t forget to enter Kampung Ragam Warna in Mranggen, Kendal as one of the tourist destinations in your holiday plan with friends and family.

Congratulations on visiting and Salam Warna Warni!