Asik OriginalFrom
$78
Luwuk Banggai, Central Sulawesi
Banggai Islands 1-Day Trip: Snorkel, Island Hop & Dolphins
New experience
1 DaySmall groups
A highland region known for towering boat-shaped tongkonan houses, cliff graves and elaborate multi-day funeral ceremonies. Its rice-terrace villages and living rituals are unlike anywhere else.
3.08°S 119.84°E
The dry season from roughly May to September is best for hiking and is also peak funeral season
3 nights
UPG
$14/night
Tana Toraja is a highland region in the middle of South Sulawesi where the Toraja people build soaring boat-shaped houses called tongkonan and treat death as the biggest event in life. The landscape is green and folded: rice terraces, bamboo, limestone cliffs studded with carved wooden effigies of the dead. It feels remote and a little otherworldly, and the long road in is part of the deal.
This suits travelers who care about culture more than comfort and who want something that feels genuinely unlike Bali or Java. You will likely be invited to a funeral ceremony, which involves the public slaughter of buffalo and pigs. It is moving and important to the Toraja, but it is graphic, so the squeamish should think twice before attending.
These multi-day ceremonies are the heart of Toraja life and are usually held in the dry season, roughly July to September. Guests are genuinely welcome, but you should come with a guide who can explain the etiquette and bring a small gift such as cigarettes or sugar for the host family. Be ready for animal sacrifice: buffalo and pigs are slaughtered in the open, which is confronting if you are not expecting it.
At Londa, you climb into a burial cave lit by oil lamps where coffins and bones rest in the dark, with carved wooden figures called tau tau watching from a balcony in the rock. Lemo is a sheer cliff face lined with rows of these effigies. Bring a small fee for the lamp guide at Londa, and be respectful, these are active graves, not a museum set.
Babies who died before teething were traditionally buried inside a living tree, the idea being that the child would grow with the tree. The trunk at Kambira is pocked with small sealed holes. It is quiet and a little haunting, and it tells you a lot about how the Toraja think about life and death.
This is the most visited traditional village, with a line of tongkonan houses, rice barns, and a hillside of hanging and stacked coffins behind it. Yes it sees tour buses, but the carving and the scale of the roofs are worth it. Go early or late to dodge the crowds, and tip a few thousand rupiah if someone walks you around.
Getting there
Fly into Makassar (UPG) on Sulawesi, which has good links from Jakarta, Bali, and other Indonesian hubs. From there it is a long haul up to Toraja, roughly 8 to 10 hours by road through changing scenery. The easiest options are an overnight sleeper bus (companies like Litha and Bintang Prima run comfortable ones) or a private car with driver, which costs more but lets you stop along the way. There is also a small airport at Buntu Kunik with limited, weather-dependent flights from Makassar if you want to skip the drive.
Best time to visit
The dry season from roughly May to September is best for hiking and is also peak funeral season, especially July and August. Avoid the heavy rains around December to February, when roads and trails get muddy and slippery.
Where to stay
Most travelers base in or near Rantepao, where you will find simple guesthouses for budget travelers and a handful of mid-range hotels and boutique places in converted tongkonan style. Budget rooms run cheap, while the nicer lodges with valley views sit in the mid-range bracket, still very affordable by Western standards.
For the villages and graves you can manage alone with a scooter, but for funerals a guide is close to essential. They handle introductions, explain the etiquette, and make sure you are a respectful guest rather than an awkward spectator.
No, you can attend a ceremony and keep your distance from the slaughter itself, but be aware it happens openly and is hard to avoid entirely. If you are very squeamish about blood, consider focusing on the villages and graves instead.
Given the long journey in, three to four full days is a sensible minimum to make the trip worthwhile. That gives you time for villages, a hike, a market, and a funeral if one is happening while you are there.
Build a route across Indonesia in minutes. We work out the travel time and cost between every stop, then a local turns it into a trip.
Build your tripUp on the slopes of Mount Sesean near Batutumonga, the air is cool and the views over the terraces and valley are the best in the region. You can do a half or full day walk between villages, passing tongkonan, megalith sites, and farmers in the fields. A local guide makes it far richer, both for navigation and for the stories.
Held every six days near Rantepau, this is where Toraja trade the prized buffalo that funerals depend on. A pale-skinned spotted buffalo can change hands for a startling amount, sometimes more than a car. It is loud, muddy, and completely real, a window into the local economy with no tourist polish at all.
Rantepao is the main town and the practical hub for arranging guides, scooters, and trips out to the villages. It has cafes, simple restaurants, and tour operators clustered in the center. Spend a morning here sorting logistics, then head out into the surrounding hills each day.
The sights worth building a day around. Open any one for a full guide.
viewpointMount Sesean viewpoint looking down over Rantepao and a valley of stepped rice fields.
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viewpointHilltop with a giant Jesus statue above Makale and a wide view over the highland town.
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culturalClassic tongkonan village with boat-roofed houses, rice barns, and hanging coffins out back.
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culturalCliff face cut with burial chambers and rows of tau-tau effigies that watch the rice fields.
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caveCliff cave burial where coffins, scattered bones, and skulls sit on natural rock ledges.
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natureSpring-fed natural pool in the forest, clear and cool, with eels living among the rocks.
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