Rainbow village: Indonesian hamlet is Instagram hit with colourful makeover

Kampung Pelangi has become Indonesia’s latest must-visit attraction after unveiling an eye-watering new look

This rainbow-coloured village is taking social media by storm (Instagram/Arief Rakhman)

Everyone needs a new look from time to time – and apparently villages are no exception. Last month Kampung Pelangi in Randusari, Indonesia, unveiled an extreme makeover that has seen it dubbed “Rainbow Village”.

The formerly unassuming village in southern Indonesia was assigned 300,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£17,000) for the facelift by the local council committee, who hoped to attract more tourists to the area with a bold new colour scheme.

The project took just over a month to complete and was revealed at the end of April. A true community venture, even the Mayor of nearby Semarang, Hendrar Prihadi, got involved according to Lonely Planet, painting some of the 232 houses himself. Most of the manpower and material was provided by The Indonesian Builders Association.

From afar the buildings simply appear covered in coloured stripes, but take a closer look and there are pieces of art around every corner. One wall features a pair of angel wings surrounded by rainbow rays; another displays a 3-D shark appearing to try and bite passers-by. One wall is completely covered in bright coloured spots and there are poles with fluttering multi-coloured flags attached. Even the steps are painted. Every inch of the village looks colourful and vibrant – a stark contrast to the “before” picture, when the buildings were grey and rundown-looking.

Slamet Widodo, a 54-year-old teacher, came up with the idea for Rainbow Village after being inspired by other Asian areas which have undergone similar transformations. “The idea to create Kampung Pelango came after we saw the beauty of Kampung Warna-warni and Kampung Tridi in Malang, and later Kampung Kali Code in Yogyakarta,” he told the Jakarta Post.

A makeover has transformed Kampung Pelangi (Instagram/Safir Makki)

“Hopefully Kampung Pelangi will be the biggest one in Indonesia and offer a new tourist attraction in Semarang.”

So far the makeover seems to have done the trick, escalating Kampung Pelangi into a must-see attraction and trending on social media. Visitors have flocked to the village for the potential to capture Instagram-friendly shots of the colourful surroundings.

"Rainbow Village" before its transformation (Anom Harya)

Saffir Makki, an Instagram user based in Jakarta, posted a shot of the new look village with the caption: “The rainbow village in Indonesia, called Kampung Pelangi, is trending on social media after a government-funded project transformed it into a vibrant Instagram hotspot. The once struggling village, originally named Kampung Wonosari, located in Randusari in the South Semarang district, was considered a slum before the local government officials decided to turn things around.”