With tailor made holidays we create a unique itinerary for the trip to suit your style, taste and budget. They are sometimes called ‘bespoke holidays’. We arrange your accommodation, tours and vehicle hire to match your individual requirements. The Sulawesi Toraja Discovery tour below is just the starting point.
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From $983 AUD pp
Tana Toraja, is a highland region of Southern Sulawesi in Indonesia. Tana Toraja, the famed “Land of The Heavenly Kings”, lies about 328 km north of Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province,in the central highlands of South Sulawesi.
For the Torajan people of Indonesia, death is part of a spiritual journey: families keep the mummified remains of their deceased relatives in their homes for years – and traditionally invite them to join for lunch on a daily basis – before they are eventually buried.
Wrapped corpses are kept in the southernmost room of the tongkonan, the traditional Torajan house, because puya (heaven) lies in that direction, while to the north is where life is found. “The sick” must face west, though, because they are in transition.
Not until the first day of rambu solo, the funeral, will the family allow a body to face south, but that could be several months, in some cases even decades, after a person has breathed their last, when the family has saved enough money for a respectable send-off. Until then, the odour of the formalin used to preserve the corpse will be neutralised with dried plants placed near the body.
The land of the Toraja people with their spectacular burial rites. During the festival, ritual dances and buffalo fights are held, and buffaloes and pigs are slaughtered to ferry the soul of the deceased to the afterlife. The deceased is then finally buried either in a small cave, often with a tau-tau effigy placed in front, inside a hollow tree or even left exposed to the elements in a bamboo frame hanging from a cliff.
Sulawesi is home to the Minahasans in the north, the seafaring Bugis and the Tana Torajans and many natural attractions such as national parks, volcanoes and lakes, plus world-class diving and snorkelling.
Day 1 – Makassar – Toraja
Start with the picturesque drive to Toraja.
Day 2 – Toraja
Traditional Buffalo & Pig market, Tau Tau statues & Hanging graves, Graveyard of the Kings of Sangalla, Ancestral houses of the Torajan people
Day 3 – Toraja
A full day trip to Batutumonga where you can enjoy superb views of Rantepao and the surrounding valleys, Weaving centre
Day 4 – Toraja
Drive back to Makassar
Day 1 – Makassar – Toraja
Upon arrival at Hasanuddin Airport Makassar you are picked up by the private driver and tour guide and start with the picturesque drive to Toraja. The drive to Rantepao, the capital of Tana Toraja, takes appr. 8 hours. Drive through traditional Bugisnese villages with their typical houses and enjoy the local people going on with their daily lives. Lunch is served in a local seafood restaurant in Pare Pare. After lunch continue your drive through spectacular landscapes on to Puncak Lakawan with its stunning views, with opportunities for photo stops. Arrive in Rantepao in the late afternoon and check in to your hotel. Overnight in your hotel. Note: During the dry season (from July to September) many funerals take place and during this period many Toraja migrants return home for the holidays. Your programme will be tailored to allow you to attend a ceremony if you wish during your stay in Toraja. Overnight in Toraja
Meals included: Lunch
Day 2 – Toraja
After breakfast you are picked up by your driver and tour guide for a full day of exploring Toraja Land. If it fits your schedule, you will have the chance to immerse yourself in the bustling life of the Torajans with a visit to their scheduled traditional buffalo & pig market in Bolu. This market is important to the local community as buffalos and pigs are an essential part of the intricate funeral ceremony. Note: Bolu Market for buffalo & pig depends on the schedule and is only held 2x per week. You will visit Lemo to see rows of Tau Tau statues and the hanging graves. Continue to discover the secrets of baby grave trees in Kambira. Onwards to Suaya to the graveyard of the Kings of Sangalla which lie on the hillsides and then proceed to Londa to see ancient tombs in which the deceased was not buried, but placed among the rocks. Lunch is served in a local restaurant. At Kete Kesu one of the oldest Torajan villages you can see Tongkonan (the traditional ancestral house of the Torajan people(Rumah Adat) and also the old traditional rice barns with colourful woodcarving. Return to your hotel. Overnight in Toraja
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 – Toraja
After breakfast in your hotel your tour guide and driver are waiting to take you out for a full day trip to Batutumonga where you can enjoy superb views of Rantepao and the surrounding valleys. You will enjoy a walk along the rice fields where you can see the daily life of Torajan people. Lunch is served in a local restaurant in Rantepao. Following lunch you will visit Pallawa and Sadan, known as the weaving centre of Rantepao. Overnight in Toraja
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 – Toraja
After breakfast check out and drive back to Makassar *No local guide*. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Pare Pare. From there transfer back directly to Hasanuddin Airport Makassar to catch the flight for your next destination
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
INCLUDED SERVICES:
– Program is based on English speaking guide. For other languages a supplement charge will apply.
– accommodation as mentioned above or equivalent.
– meals according to itinerary / Breakfast box in lieu of ABF when early morning flight.
EXCLUDED SERVICES:
– visa fees, drinks, personal expenses. ** Visa Procedures:
For bookings of round-trip or module packages,we will confirm one of the hotels mentioned above according to the selected category.Please note that compulsory gala dinners and peak season surcharges may apply during peak periods surrounding the public holidays of Christmas and New Year- these surcharges will be confirmed at the time of booking.
