Sulawesi & Toraja Adventure

📍 Makassar – Pare Pare (155 km): approximately 4 hours 30 minutes Pare Pare – Rantepao (175 km): approximately 5 hours 30 minutes

Arrive at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar in the morning.

Recommended flights (not included in package and quoted separately – airfares and schedules subject to change without prior notice):

Domestic: Garuda Indonesia from Surabaya to Makasar GA671, departing at 13:45 and arriving at 16:15 or Garuda Indonesia from Denpasar to Makassar GA620 departing at 17:20 and arriving at 18:50.

International: Silk Air from Singapore to Makassar MI142 (Monday and Wednesday), departing at 07:55 and arriving at 11:00 or MI144 (Saturday), departing at 15:05 and arriving at 17:55.

The island of Sulawesi is one of the four larger islands of Indonesia and has been known as Celebes, from the Portuguese, and Ujung Pandang, from the locals. This stunning island is as rich in culture and history, as it is in exceptional experiences.

An airport assistant will bring you to your private car and driver for the drive to Rantepao (7-8 hours) along the Trans Sulawesi road.

Your journey takes you through several villages of the Bugis people whose stilted houses line magnificent mountain passes.

A stop will be made in Pare-Pare, a small port around 155 km north of Makassar for lunch at Asia Restaurant  

Your drive continues through the hills reaching Rantepao in the late afternoon. Rantepao is the small capital of Toraja, with an estimated population of around 450,000. The Toraja ethnic group is renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, traditional houses and spectacular carving and dancing. You will spend the next two days exploring the Toraja villages and learning about their unique culture.

Check in to your hotel in Rantepao. Dinner this evening is at the hotel.

Overnight in Rantepao.

Inclusions:

🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

After breakfast this morning, you will head south of Toraja to visit two traditional villages and their surroundings. Begin with a drive to Lemo and Suaya villages which are surrounded by cliffs pierced with graves and very realistic tau tau (hanging effigies) of decesed noblility. These cliffs are also referred to as ‘the death balconies’ due to their perilious location. Continuing to the village of Sangala where you will see graves dug into the trunks of trees, the traditional burying method for infants.

Lunch is served in a traditional ‘Liong Tongkonan’ (local name for housing structure) where you can hear about the spiritual elements of ancestral Torajan architecture.

This afternoon, visit Londa village where wooden coffins are suspended by ropes and poles extending from the cliffs. Continue to Kete kesu, a village which has one of the finest ensembles of Tongkonan (Toraja traditional houses). These boat-shaped houses have tall roofs made of slender bristles and create strange silhouettes in the sky. The Tongkonan facades boast many carved and painted motifs and a buffalo head wood adorns the wealthiest homes. Kete-kesu village also has a rice granary of the traditional Toraja country style.

If during the stay we have the opportunity to see a ceremony, the family will invite is to assist and we will see the fascinating ritual that is a Toraja funeral. Please let the guide know if you do not wish to participate.

Return to the hotel late this afternoon. Dinner at the hotel

Overnight in Rantepao.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

After breakfast this morning we will travel by private vehicle to the village of Salu, just 12 km from Rantepao where we start a fascinating trek through the southern region of Tana Toraja.

This picturesque traditional village is the starting point for our trek through the Valley of the Mai’ting River. Your local guide will explain to you the various methods of rice and coffee production in the area as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables that occur during the trek. You will also pass remote Toraja villages, learn more about the unique cultures and way of life and have the opportunity to interact with these friendly and curious people.

We will take a picnic for lunch and your evening will be spent in a traditional style Toraja house in the village of Limbong. The trekking program is around 4 hour and consists of 2 hours of steady ascent and 2 hours flat walking. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the view along the way.

Enjoy your evening meeting the people indigenous to this area and trade stories facilitated by your local guide.

Overnight in a local village Toraja house.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

After a hearty breakfast we say goodbye to our hosts and walk around an hour to the rafting launch on the Mai’ting River.

The rafting on this river is at Level 2 - 3 (easy to moderate – subject to rainfall) and is a fascinating way to explore the canyons, waterfalls and riverside villages of the region. During the 4-5 hours of rafting keep a look out for a range of animals such as iguana and tropical birds.

A picnic lunch will be served by the river side.

Emerging from your rafting experience, continue to your Hotel for an afternoon to further explore the town of Rantepao.

Overnight Rantepao.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Rantepao - Sengkang (225 km): approximately seven hours

After breakfast at the Hotel we depart the central Toraja region of Sulawesi and travel to the village of Sengkang. A former capital of the Bugis kingdom which overlooks Lake Tempe; with a bustling market town famous for its fine silk weaving.

The route we take cuts through the lush tropical forest of Sulawesi and Enrekang where on the way a short photo stop is made (basic bathroom facilities) with views of ‘Erotic Mountain’ also known as Gunung Nona. The route we take cuts through the lush tropical forest of Sulawesi and Enrekang.

Late lunch will be served in a local restaurant upon arrival in Sengkang.

Check in to your hotel and then depart for a sunset excursion on Lake Tempe. Take the local motorized canoe and enjoy the cruise along the lake. The Bugis people have a unique housing style where their traditional houses float on the lake. Take this opportunity to travel on a local longboat to enjoy the Bugis hospitality with a cup of tea or coffee, and maybe some fried banana (a favourite snack in Indonesia). There are about 30 houses that remain on the lake and participate in the old traditions of fishing and fish drying.

Return to the village late afternoon for a walk around the market where you see a variety of jungle foods and practice haggling like a local.

Overnight in Sengkang.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Sengkang – Cape Bira (215 km): approximately seven hours (via Watampone)

After breakfast, head south to Cape Bira on the south eastern tip of Sulawesi. This place is  famous for its white powdery sand beaches. The trip to Cape Bira is via Watampone on the east coast of Sulawesi. During the journey, visit rural village of the Bugis people where they you will learn the processes of growing sugar, rice and cacao.

Take lunch at a local restaurant enroute.

Arriving to Bira late in the afternoon. Check in to your accommodation and spend the day at leisure under coconut trees on the beach or snorkelling just off the coast.

Dinner will be served in a local restaurant.

Overnight in Bira.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

After having breakfast, we will take a boat of the local fishermen to go to the nearby island of Liukan where you can snorkel the pristine coral environment around 25 min offshore. You will also visit the fishing village community of Konjo who are renowned for their weaving and design known as ikat. After lunch take some time to further explore the island or the beaches before returning to the mainland where you will visit the village of Tana Beru – famous for its hand built ships – the phinisi.

Returning to the hotel for dinner at hotel and an evening at leisure.

Overnight in Bira.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Cape Bira – Makassar (190km): approximately six hours

After breakfast, depart to Makassar to catch the flight to your next destination.

Recommended flights (not included in package and quoted separately – airfares and schedules subject to change without prior notice): Garuda Indonesia from Makassar to Denpasar GA621 departing at 19:45 and arriving at 21:10 or Garuda Indonesia from Makassar to Surabaya GA630 departing at 19:00 and arriving at 19:30.

Take a late lunch in a local restaurant in Makassar.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch