Tana Toraja Rituals

This morning after breakfast, you’ll be collected by our driver for the transfer to Rantepao, a 5 or 6 hour drive by private car. An hour later into the drive, the noisy traffic of the morning rush will make way for a quiet coast road, where you'll see fishing boats on black volcanic beaches and children playing around their wooden stilted houses.

After about 3 hours, you’ll stop for lunch at a family restaurant by the sea where you can tuck into some fresh watermelon and a plate of gado gado (typical Indonesian dish of vegetables, egg and prawn crackers), washed down with a glass of pineapple juice as you look out across the sea, the cool breeze blowing in your face. Turning off the coastal road, you’ll then head inland into the hills along a winding road, passing several small villages and beautiful viewpoints. In the valley of Rantepao, you'll suddenly be surrounded by green rice paddies and waving palm trees. It’s an oasis of tranquility compared to the mayhem of Makassar. You’ll stay in a cosy Toraja-style hotel in the centre of Rantepao, and your spacious room will overlook the garden filled with exotic flowers. The riverside restaurants are just 5 minutes walk from the hotel.



 

Today, you'll pull on your hiking boots and head into the countryside to learn more about the Tana Toraja culture with our guide. Torajas have lived in this area for centuries according to their traditional culture. Families live together in traditional saddle houses, their distinctive pointed roofs sticking out above the trees. The rituals surrounding weddings, funerals and new buildings are always colourful and fascinating, as villagers come together and bring offerings of live chickens, pigs and cows, accompanied by lots of music and dance.

You’ll also travel by private car to the cave graves where the Toraja bury their loved ones. Wooden dolls lwill ook down on you from the caves with eerie vacant stares, although they won't seem so scary once your guide has explained their background and significance. As you continue on foot, the guide will tell you more about the Toraja culture before you visit a local family in their home. In the afternoon, you’ll return to Rantepao where you can visit the local market and wander among the stalls of fresh fish and tropical fruits.
 

Today, it's time to leave the rice paddies behind you as you travel back to Makassar, or fly to North Sulawesi for our Timid tarsiers among fiery volcanoes tour. If you want to experience more of the Toraja culture, try some trekking with our Sulawesi homestay.