Indonesia Expedition: Sulawesi & Toraja Tribes





Trek through hill tribe villages and learn about their rich culture and history
Lace up your hiking boots and embark on a 12-day adventure through Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. Meet members of the local Sulawesi and Torajan tribes, hike through rice terraces and bamboo forests and explore the large Torajan burial sites and caves in Rantepao. Cruise along Danau Tempe Lake, visit a floating village and learn about the conservation efforts of fishermen in Puntondo. Discover the megalithic stones marking a ceremonial ground in Bori, stay in traditional Tongkonan houses and maybe search for a delicious Toraja coffee in your free time.
Start: Makassar, Indonesia
End: Makassar, Indonesia
- Duration
- 12 days
- Group size
- 1 to 12
- Minimum age
- 15 years old
- Style
Basix: Simple accommodation, local transport and lots of free time
Original: Tourist-class hotels, some meals included and a great mix of included activities and free time
Comfort: Comfortable accommodation, with a relaxed pace of travel and many included meals and activities
Premium: Our best accommodation, exclusive inclusions and our most experienced leaders
- Original
- Theme
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- Expeditions
- Physical rating
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Why you'll love this trip
- Trek through central Sulawesi and Torajan villages. Take in the beautiful landscape of rice terraces, cacao plantations and bamboo forests as you walk, and chat with Torajan locals along the way.
- Step inside Toraja’s Tongkonan houses, with boat-shaped roofs and intricate carvings, then sit down to a traditional home-cooked meal.
- Explore Rantepao, where you’ll see some of the largest Torajan burial sites and caves in Indonesia. Meet members of the local tribe and gain an insight into their cultural views on life, death, family and ancestral connections.
- Take a boat tour on the Danau Tempe Lake and discover the life of those who call the floating village home.
- Learn about the Puntondo community’s environmental conservation efforts. Visit the fishing village and take part in their programs, from mangrove conservation to seaweed harvesting.
Itinerary
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 starts in Makassar with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early maybe join a food tour at the local night market, explore the 14th-century Fort Rotterdam or visit the 99-Dome Mosque. After your meeting, maybe get to know your new travel companions over a traditional dinner on Losari beach.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
This morning, travel through the countryside to Pare Pare – a port town on the coast of Sulawesi. Along the way, visit Ramang Ramang village and take in the panoramic views of the karst mountains closing in on the rice paddies and surrounding farmland. Then, board a traditional wooden boat and float up the river, stopping along the way to meet locals and be welcomed into their village. After, continue your journey to Pare Pare where you’ll spend the evening.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Ramang Ramang - Boat Trip & Village Visit
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Today, you’ll travel north to Rantepao – a town surrounded by mountains and forest, known as the cultural centre of the Toraja people. Today is a bit of a long travel day, so it's a good idea to get stuck into your book or favourite podcasts. Along the way, stop at the Gunung Nona viewpoint for panoramic views over the region. When you arrive in Rantepao later this afternoon, maybe visit a local coffee roastery and try a Toraja coffee or relax with a good book in preparation for the trekking adventure ahead.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.
You’ll need to pack an overnight bag for your trekking for the next two days. Please take your valuables and essentials as your other luggage will be stored at the hotel.
For your trekking, please make sure you have sturdy footwear with good grip and comfortable light weight clothes as the trek can get muddy and slippery.
Wake up early and set out for the starting point of today’s Tana Toraja trek in Mariri. Your hike begins with a steep descent through lush bamboo forest, then traverses beautiful scenery as you soak up the sight of coffee and cacao plantations, pass villages, rice terraces and pine forests, and chat with local Toraja people along the way. Stop for a packed lunch and take a moment to appreciate the remoteness of the surrounding landscape. This afternoon, you’ll arrive in Madong. Enjoy a free afternoon and maybe join the locals as they weave traditional floor mats or make dinner. Tonight, you’ll stay in a local Tongkonan guesthouse run by a family in the village. Tongkonan houses are the traditional homes of the Toraja people, with boat-shaped roofs and intricate carvings.
- Tongkonan Guesthouse (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Tana Toraja - Hill Tribe Trek
Your trekking distance today will be approximately 13 km or 7 hours with an elevation gain of 300 m.
The guesthouse tonight will be basic. You’ll be sleeping on mattresses on the floor with basic bedding provided. There may be mixed genders using shared facilities on the property depending on the group composition. Only cold showers are available. The conditions might be basic, but this is a great opportunity to take a close-up look at Toraja people’s life.
After a traditional breakfast, lace up your hiking boots and set off on the next section of your trek to Kalimbuang. Your hike begins by weaving through bamboo forest and traditional villages. Pass farmers tending to their gardens and immerse yourself in the beautiful landscape of rice terraces and fertile valleys. Stop by a village for a well-earned rest and refuel with a packed lunch before descending through pine forest. When you arrive at the Kalimbuang Rice Terrace, drive to Batutumonga, where you’ll spend a second night in a Tongkonan guesthouse.
- Tongkonan guesthouse (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Tana Toraja - Hill Tribe Trek
Your trekking distance today will be approximately 16 km or 8 hours with an elevation gain of 800 m.
Enjoy a free morning to explore at your own pace. Maybe go in search of a delicious Toraja hot coffee or hike to Mount Sesean for uninterrupted views over the region. Later today, visit Ke’te Kesu’ in the centre of the highlands. Nestled in the mountainous region of South Sulawesi, this Tongkonan complex has remained 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 known as highly skilled craftsmen, and evidence of their creations can be found across the settlement. Discover the abstract and geometric patterns carved into bamboo and stone, then continue to Rantepao.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Ke’te Kesu' Village - Tongkonan Complex
Your travel time today will be approximately 1 hour.
Spend a full day immersing yourself in Toraja culture. Begin in Lemo, where artful cliffside tombs tell centuries-old stories. Learn about Ma’nene, the ritual held every three years when ‘mummified’ bodies are exhumed, cleaned and redressed in fresh clothing. Continue to Palawa, where traditional houses display buffalo horns as symbols of status. After lunch, travel to Bori and discover the striking landscape of megalithic stones marking a ceremonial ground where the Toraja gather for feasts and rituals to honour the dead. Conclude at Tampang Allo – a serene village surrounded by rice paddies, home to one of the largest burial caves in the region. Along the way, see the giant trees where Torajan families once placed deceased infants, believing their souls would grow with the tree.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Tana Toraja - Tampang Allo
- Tana Toraja - Palawa Village
- Tana Toraja - Bori Megalithic Standing Stones
- Tana Toraja - Lemo Burial Site
Today is a free day for you to explore at your own pace. Depending on the time of year, maybe see the Rambu Solo burial ceremony, wander through the bustling Bolu Buffalo Market or simply relax at your accommodation. Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
After breakfast, travel to Sengkang. Danau Tempe is the second biggest lake on Sulawesi Island. When you arrive, meet the locals from the nearby tribe who live on the water. Visit the floating village, situated on this shallow lake fed by over 20 rivers and home to about 30 families living in simple floating houses. After your visit, travel back to town. Tonight, maybe head out for dinner at a local restaurant – your local leader will have the best recommendations!
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Sengkang - Tempe Lake Floating Village
Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.
Travel to Puntondo this morning. Located on the Bay of Laikang, this village is surrounded by water, with many of its houses elevated on stilts. When you arrive, learn about the community’s efforts in environmental conservation through their project – the Puntondo Centre for Environmental Education. This project is driven by concern over the environmental damage that has occurred in the area, including illegal logging in the mangroves and the destruction of coral reefs due to careless fishing. The Puntondo Centre for Environmental Education aims to educate its guests on the importance of the marine and coastal ecosystem through various programs and activities.
- Bungalow (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Your travel time today will be approximately 6 to 7 hours.
Your accommodation tonight is in basic bungalows, with very simple shared bathroom facilities.
This morning, meet the local fishermen at Puntondo Village. Here, you’ll be welcomed into their homes and learn about their daily life, education, sustainable practices and cultural beliefs. Then visit the mangrove nursery plantation and plant mangroves on the coastal farm. After that, join the fishermen as they harvest seaweed, make sea salt and fix their fishing nets. After lunch, travel back to Makassar city. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore at your own pace. Tonight, maybe join your group for dinner at a local restaurant – a great way to celebrate a trip well-travelled!
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Puntondo - Fisherman Village Conservation Activity
Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.
As there are no further activities today, your trip will come to an end this morning. This doesn’t mean your Indonesian trip has to come to an end! If you’d like to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
- Breakfast
Inclusions and activities
11 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Private Minivan, Boat
Hotel (8 nights), Tongkonan Guesthouse (2 nights), Bungalow ( 1 night)
- Ramang Ramang - Boat Trip & Village Visit
- Tana Toraja - Hill Tribe Trek
- Ke’te Kesu' Village - Tongkonan Complex
- Tana Toraja - Tampang Allo
- Tana Toraja - Palawa Village
- Tana Toraja - Bori Megalithic Standing Stones
- Tana Toraja - Lemo Burial Site
- Sengkang - Tempe Lake Floating Village
- Puntondo - Fisherman Village Conservation Activity
This trip generates 120 kg of CO2-e per person per day
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Before you book you should know
- This trip is an expedition trip and involves a two-day trek. Although you’ll mostly be trekking on established trails, you’ll need to have a good level of fitness to make the most of the trip.
- There are a few nights where you’ll stay in basic local Tongkonan houses. The facilities will be shared with only cold showers, and you’ll sleep on mattresses on the floor with other group members. Although the conditions will be basic, the experience of staying with local Torajan families will be rewarding. In general, the tourism infrastructure in Sulawesi is still developing and the service standards and accommodation conditions can be lower than other popular destinations in Indonesia. However, this is also the charm of adventure to visit such less visited destinations.
Aryaduta Makassar Hotel
Jalan, Somba Opu, No 297
Makassar
90111
INDONESIA
Dates and prices
Important notes
1. A single supplement is bookable for this trip, excluding Day 4, 5&10, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent if you are interested.
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