Wooden furniture is always attractive. The natural color of wood with beautiful grains is always the most sought after material in furniture industry.
Tincep Village
There is a village in Indonesia that is famous for its furniture products. Its name is Leilem. Located in Minahasa regency, the province of North Sulawesi, Leilem can easily be reached by car for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hours from Manado city depending on traffic condition. When entering the village, visitors will be able to see boards that are arranged in inclined position in front of the villagers houses. These wooden planks, and blocks, facing the sun, are being dried before undergoing further treatment.
When the wooden planks have reach the desirable dryness, they will be planed and sewn in particular sizes. Then they will be assembled and nailed or pinned to form a cabinet or table. Majority of the buyers come from the surrounding towns and villages in Minahasa but in recent years, through the promotion on the internet, the number of national and international customers is increasing. Here, people can buy tables, beds, desk and bookshelves. The furniture can be sent overseas using containers. The same thing also happen to wooden houses in the nearby Woloan village that are sold to foreign buyers. The types of wood that the carpenters like to use are linggua, cempaka, and nangka (jackfruit). Customers from such countries as the United States and the Netherlands prefer knock-down tables or chairs that are made of teakwood.
The manufacturers in Leilem village realize that they cannot rely on wood that is directly cut from forests in Minahasa. The supply of wood is dwindling now. Most of them are going to the southern region of Minahasa to find wood. With the price of teak and linggua wood is extremely high, farmers in Minahasa are now considering of planting trees to meet the market demand. It will take at least 30 years before trees can reach a minimum diameter for cutting.
Woloan Village
Another interesting destination for tourists is Woloan village in Minahasa highland of Indonesia. It is only 10 to 15 minutes drive from the nearby Tomohon town. It is the site where visitors could see various sizes and forms of knock-down wooden houses that are built by local villagers. The houses are bought by buyers from all corners of the world. The types of wood which carpenters use to build the houses are cempaka (also locally called wasian), and lingua.
If you are interested in taking a tour in Minahasa highland to see how local people make furniture and build knock-down wooden houses, as well as see nature and watch wildlife, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp through this contact link.
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