Sulawesi Expedition: Tana Toraja Trek

Selamat datang! Welcome to Sulawesi, the Indonesian island gem that’s home to vast national parkland, radiant coral reefs and a mountainous centre. Your adventure begins in the city of Makassar – if you have time before your important group meeting this evening, perhaps explore Fort Rotterdam, the city’s most recognised landmark, standing majestically on the western coast. After your meeting, why not head out for a food tour at the local night market and get to know your new travel companions over a traditional dinner on Losari beach.

After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely day’s travel through the picturesque countryside as you journey north to Pare Pare. En route, visit Ramang Ramang village and enjoy the peaceful panoramic vistas of the karst mountains closing in on the rice paddies and surrounding farmland. Experience the relaxing way of daily life as you board a traditional wooden boat and float up the river, stopping off along the way to interact with local people and be welcomed into their village. Afterwards, continue your journey to Pare Pare where you’ll spend the evening.

Today you’ll set off at approximately 8 am and make your way north to Rantepao, a town surrounded by mountains and forests and known for being the cultural centre of the Toraja people. The drive will take 5 hours plus stops, so this is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers! On arrival in Rantepao later this afternoon, ask your leader about activities in the area, or perhaps relax with a good book in preparation for the trekking ahead. This evening, pack a bag to take with you on the trek. You can leave the rest of your belongings at the hotel as you will be returning here after the trek.

It’s an early start as you fuel up on a boxed breakfast while making the 45-minute journey by van to Mariri, the starting point of the Tana Toraja Trek. Your hike begins with a steep decent through lush bamboo forest – in rainy season, the loose soil can become very muddy, so make sure you’ve packed sturdy footwear. Continue to traverse through beautiful scenery as you soak up the sight of coffee and cacao plantations. Stop for a packed lunch along the way and take a moment to appreciate the remoteness of the surrounding landscape. Arrive in Madong this afternoon and enjoy free time to relax or interact with the villagers. Take the opportunity to join in with the locals as they weave traditional floor mats, or get involved with the cooking of tonight’s dinner. Tonight you’ll stay in a local guesthouse run by a family in the village.

Enjoy a simple breakfast of fried bananas and sweet potatoes and try your hand at drying out coffee and rice before beginning the next section of your trek to Kalimbuang. The hike begins weaving a path through bamboo forest and traditional villages. Witness daily life as you pass farmers tending to their gardens and immerse yourself in the picturesque landscape of rice terraces and fertile valleys. Stop by a village for a well-earned rest. Refuel with a packed lunch before descending for the final hour through pine forest, then arrive at tonight’s guesthouse in Kalimbuang.

Begin today’s slightly shorter trek along a flat, downhill path through lush rice paddies to Batutumonga, located on the slopes of Toraja’s highest mountain and considered the perfect place from which to witness the panoramic beauty of Tana Toraja and the city of Rantepao. Choose to ascend to the very peak (an additional 1-hour return hike) and be rewarded with uninterrupted views of the stunning scenery that stretches around you. Enjoy a free afternoon (and perhaps a hot cup of Toraja coffee!) before taking the 1-hour drive back to your hotel in Rantepao.

Today you’ll embark on a full day of eye-opening exploration into the unique beliefs and traditions of the Toraja people. After breakfast, head to the ancient wood-carving village of Ke’te Kesu’ located in the centre of the highlands (approximately a 20-minute drive). Concealed in the mountainous region of south Sulawesi, this traditional Tongkonan complex remains unchanged since its development over 400 years ago and has preserved its ancestral customs as well as its buildings. The people of Ke’te Kesu’ are renowned as highly skilled craftsmen, and evidence of their creations can be found across the settlement – abstract and geometric patterns carved into bamboo and stone to create unique ornaments – seemingly without the use of mathematical tools or calculations. Afterward, drive to Lemo (approximately 45 minutes) and witness a combination of art, ritual and death as you look up to the steep rock facade and see decorated wooden images of the deceased, lined up along a carved, stone balcony to protect the tombs. The cost of a funeral can take decades for a family to save for, so until then the Toraja people see the dead as living beings and preserve them in formalin, continuing to offer them food, water and even cigarettes until they are eventually buried. Then, every three years during Ma’nene (the ceremony of cleaning corpses), this 900-year-old tradition sees the ‘mummified’ bodies dug up, cleaned and dressed in fresh clothing – and presents an opportunity for the young to ‘meet’ their ancestors. This afternoon visit the village of Kambira, home to a special cemetery with a spiritual setting, where the Torajan people have laid their deceased babies to rest inside the trees in the belief that their bodies will be absorbed into the tree and continue to grow with it. Your last stop today is Tampang Allo village. Set among the tranquil rice paddies and maze of cliffs, this village is home to one of the largest burial caves in Toraja. It’s said that the graves reportedly belong to descendants of the mythical divine being Tamborolangiq, who introduced the age-old death rituals into Torajan society.

After breakfast, gain a further understanding into the culture and civilisation of the Tarojan and the surrounding communities on a visit to the bustling Bolu Traditional Market. Watch the sale and exchange of up to 500 buffalo – ranging in size, colour, pattern and price! If you’re lucky, you may see the sale of a superior Tedong Bonga (spotted buffalo) being sold for tens of millions of rupiah, or the very rare albino buffalo which can reach a selling price of hundreds of millions. Next, head to the beautiful village of Palawa, where the facades of the houses are elaborately decorated with buffalo horns. After lunch, travel to Bori, home to a landscape of megalithic stones marking a ceremonial ground of enormous cultural significance to the people of Toraja, as they host traditional feasts and perform rituals as a way of paying homage to the dead. Afterward, transfer to Palopo for the evening.

This morning, take an early transfer to the airport for your flight back to Makassar, then make the 3-hour journey by private minivan to Puntondo. Located on the Bay of Laikang, the village of Puntondo is surrounded by water, with many of its houses elevated on stilts. Today may be a long day of travel, but you’ll arrive at tonight’s accommodation – a community project inspiring environmental change – in time to enjoy a glorious sunset with the local fishermen and feast upon traditional Indonesian cuisine enhanced with local spices. Tonight you will stay in dormitory accommodation with shared bathrooms.

Surrounded by powder-white sand and panoramic countryside, The Puntondo Centre for Environmental Education (PPLH) is a community project, driven by the concern for the environmental damage that’s occurred in the area – from illegal logging in the mangroves to the destruction of coral reefs due to careless fishing. PPLH aims to educate its guests on the importance of the marine and coastal ecosystem through various programs and activities, and today you’ll have the opportunity to meet the local fisherman of Puntondo village. Experience what daily life is like for the fishermen and learn about their economy, education and cultural beliefs as you’re welcomed into their homes. Watch as they repair nets and harvest seaweed then get involved in preparing (and eating!) an Indonesian lunch with the local people. Later this afternoon, transfer back to your hotel in Makassar and perhaps join your group for a final farewell dinner on Losari beach, to reminisce about your shared experiences and toast to your adventure.

There are no planned activities today and you are free to depart at any time.