The highlands of Tana Toraja offer an exciting mix of culture and nature. From hiking to white water rafting on the Sa’dan River and delicious coffee there are lots of things to do in Tana Toraja. While we’ve already covered the best hotels in Tana Toraja for Every Budget (best luxury is The Misiliana Hotel, for mid-range we recommend Luta Resort and budget Hotel Indra) we thought we’d share some ideas with you for things to do.
We’ve shortlisted 14 of the best things to do in Tana Toraja. The activities are in no particular order, so make sure to read all the way to the bottom to ensure you don’t miss anything. Let’s get started!
1. Lemo
Lemo is a cliff funeral site 11km to the south of the provincial capital Rantepao. There are 75 niches carved into the walls of the cliff. Some of the niches are tombs, where Torajan dead are buried. Other niches contain rows of large tau-tau statues dressed in colourful clothing.
The wooden statues are effigies of the dead and represent dead nobles from the area. If you walk a little bit up from the cliff and you will find the house of a Tau Tau makers.
The Lemo funeral site dates back to the 16th century. To reach Lemo you need to walk along a small path from the main road between paddy fields. This site is just outside the village of Lemo in the sub district of Mengkendek.
2. Londa
Londa is another Torajan burial ground, though there are actually two funeral sites at Londa. It is similar to both Lemo and Ke’te Kesu. The first site has cliff burials, where tombs have been dug out of the cliff face. The second site has two caves where corpses are buried.
If you want to enter the caves you can do. Be warned there are bones everywhere and it is a bit creepy. You need a light to visit the caves. You can rent a gas lantern if you want, but you can also just use the light on your phone. Most tourists visit Londa as part of an organised Tana Toraja day tour from Rantepao.
3. Bori Parinding
Bori Parinding is a megalithic funeral site that is a combination of burial site and ceremonial ground. You can see the ceremonial ground from the main road. There are more than 100 menhirs (standing stone pillars) at the site. The pillars are supposed to celebrate an action by the dead nobles who are buried at the site.
Immediately to the left of the ceremonial ground is the burial ground where tombs are still carved out of rock. Behind the site away from the road is a modern cemetery. Bori Parinding has cultural significance for Torajans. Ceremonies and rituals for the Torajan dead are held at the site.
Bori Parinding is a 15 minute drive outside of Rantepao along clear open roads. It is close to Ke’te Kesu. You can visit both the sites in one afternoon. The countryside in this part of Tana Toraja is very beautiful and you will pass a lot of Tongkonan, traditional buildings with saddleback roofs on the way here.
4. Kambira
Kambira is one of the most famous funeral sites in Tana Toraja. The village is the site of a forest where infants are entombed in the trees. Locals believed that this was a way of returning the babies to the spirit world, though it is more than 50 years since the last baby was buried in a tree.
To give you a quick history and cultural lesson; the people of Kambira believed that babies who died before they grew their milk teeth were sacred. The people from Kambira would carve a hole into the trunk of a Jackfruit tree and place the baby in it. Over time the living tree would grow around the hole sealing the baby into the trunk.
5. Ke’te Kesu’
Ke’te Kesu is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Tana Toraja. It is one of the best examples of a traditional Torajan village. The village is more than 300 years old and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village has 6 Tongonan, which are the traditional buildings owned by Torajan nobles where the dead ancestors are kept.
The Tongonan have traditional saddleback roof. The design is supposed to represent the horns of a buffalo. There are also 12 traditional granaries where rice was stored. All of the buildings at Ke’te Kesu are beautifully decorated in the traditional Torajan style with stylised designs and geometric patters in red, yellow, black and white painted on the walls.
Even though Ke’te Kesu is very touristy site (you can see many souvenir stores in front of the site), I really liked visiting here. The countryside surrounding the grave site is beautiful with a view of paddy fields and buffaloes wallowing in the mud.
6. Sillanan
Another example of a traditional Torajan village that you can visit is Sillanan. The village is located in the isolated highlands of Tana Tora and unlike Ke’te Kesu it’s still very much lived in. The village has some beautiful examples of traditional Tongkonan, granaries and houses.
The Tongkonan in the village are beautifully decorated. When you pass the houses you will notice that in front of each one there is a post where buffalo horns have been nailed. These are the horns of buffalo that were sacrificed at the traditional Torajan funerals.
Sillanan is 35km South of Rantepao. If you want to sample village life there are home stays in the village where you can stay. It’s definitely something to experience. There is the local food to try, Torajan coffee to taste and the burial cliffs and megalithic monuments to explore.
7. Bolu Market
From Rantepao you can get public transportation to Bolu Market (Rp 3,000 = $ 0.3). The market is held every six days. There are hundreds of people trying to sell their buffaloes and pigs at the Bolu market. You should look out for the ‘Tedong Salego,’ which are buffalo worth more than $38,000. They usually have white colour on their head and back near the tail; and also have black skin colour around the eyes.
8. Gunung Sesean
If you enjoy hiking and beautiful views then you have to visit Gunung Sesean. The hill is the highest point in the highlands. It’s a 6-hour climb to the top of the hill. Most people start the hike to the top in the afternoon and then overnight on the peak. If you don’t feel like camping overnight you can always hike up and down again in a day. There are some great viewpoints over the valley on the hillside and the journey from Rantepao is picturesque.
9. Batutumonga
In a deep valley surrounded by hills with breathtaking views over the terrace rice fields Batutumonga is one of the best viewpoints in Tana Toraja. It’s 22 km out of Rantepao, which is a bit out of the way. There’s a nice cafe/ restaurant nearby where you can get some tasty food while taking in the view. Plus it makes a nice stopping point on a day trip from the city.
10. White Water Rafting
There are two rivers where you can do white water rafting in the highlands of Tana Toraja. They are the Sa’dan and the Mai’ting. Local tour operators offer custom white water rafting packages to both rivers. The packages normally last 3 days 2 nights and are for people who really want an adventure.
If you are looking for family friendly rafting then you should go to the Sa’san river. The Mai’ting is not for the faint of heart. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to go rafting on the river and the rapids here are level 4 and 5. Definitely a lot of fun, but quite scary at the same time.
11. Hiking Tours
Hiking is one of the most popular activities for tourists visiting Tana Toraja and it’s easy to understand why. The highlands are mostly countryside dotted with villages that are linked by well worn paths. The countryside around Tana Toraja is also exceptionally beautiful. The rice paddies ripple in the wind and the traditional Torajan buildings look truly unique.
If you want to go on a serious hiking trip then the most popular ones last 3 days and 2 nights. The routes vary depending on your interests, but they generally offer the chance to visit isolated villages and famous Torajan funeral sites. It’s also a great opportunity to try the local coffee.
12. Drink Tana Toraja Coffee
Coffee from Tana Toraja is justifiably famous. The highlands offer the perfect environment to grow arabica plants and the crop offers some of the tastiest beans from the whole of Indonesia. Nice coffee from Tana Toraja has a distinct rich caramelised flavour. Most of the crops are still grown by local farmers with hand picked beans that are sorted in the traditional way.
13. Attend a Funeral
The way Torajan’s view death is one of the things that fascinates outsiders. For example the way Torajan corpses can be preserved for months and even up to a year until a proper funeral ceremony is held. The way and the sheer number of animals that can be sacrificed at one persons funeral. A chance to attend a Torajan funeral is to come face to face with these customs.
Hints from me: Go visit Tana Toraja on December, they will have a big ceremony. You will have a chance to see the mummies as they are walked in a liter around the village.
14. Talk to The Locals
The best way to learn about local culture and customs is to talk with the locals. You can find out about the caste system used in Toraja, the meaning of the wood carvings in Tongkonan, the history, the culture, where you can get nice coffee and other facts that will make you smile. It’s one of the most fun things to do in Tana Toraja.
Final Thoughts
The highlands of Sulawesi are one of the cultural highlights of Indonesia. They offer a mix of culture, adventure, beautiful landscapes and of course the delicious coffee. I hope this article has given you a few ideas and inspiration for things do in Tana Toraja. For more information about the region you can read our guide to Tana Toraja.
Have you ever been to Tana Toraja? What was your favorite place? Share your thoughts in the comment below (we’ll update the article if you recommend somewhere good).
I enjoyed reading this post
great photos..
Thanks Ato! Toraja is such a beautiful place. Easy to get great photos up there. 🙂
Hi Firsta,
I’m going to visit Toraja on December 1st until 4th. I hope i will have enough time to explore Toraja as u’ve been done. Can you give me a hand for sharing with me your itinerary?
Thanks,
Ayu
Hi Ayu!
Yes for sure I can send you the details. I’ll email it to you.
Hello, I want to visit Tana Toraja on the 19th of January. My time is very limited so unfortunately I can stay there only one day. I am looking for a night bus to and from Rontepao. Any suggestions?
I took Litha bus (which is also good), but Batutumonga bus looks a lot fancier.
[…] places that you should visit in Tana Toraja on my next post and I will not forget the highlight, Londa, the natural grave site that made me goosebumps. Have you ever been to Tana Toraja? What was the favorite place you […]
How much is the overnight bus? And from where i can take it? Thank you
Hi Sandra,
The bus ticket around Rp. 120,000 ($12) one way. You can take the bus from their bus stop/terminal in Makassar (to Rantepao, Tana Toraja) or . There are several choices of busses; Batutumonga, Litha, Bintang Prima, Liman, etc.
Hi Firsta,
This is really nice post. But there is a little missed: Bolu market is held every 6th day instead of every sunday. So if you came on sunday, in the next week would be held on saturday.
Can I please write as contributor in this lovely blog about Toraja? It would be like a guide from the local girl.
Thanks.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for the correction 🙂
About contributor, sure why not? Read here for more info about it: http://discoveryourindonesia.com/give-me-a-hand/
[…] Firsta’s articles about Tana Toraja, you can find the introduction to Tana Toraja here, and some things to do there and best restaurants in the highlands here. On top of that I would like to share more information […]
Sebage anak Makassar, aku merasa ada yang kurang karena belon ke toraja. Haha.. kapan2 aku ke sini nyontek itinerarymu ya kaak..
Boleh dong Kak Tiw.. Emang rada perjuangan sih 10 jam naik bis nya tapi Toraja unik sekali 🙂
Halo sis. can I also get a handful of your itinerary for yogyakarta or this itinerary. Thank you so much!
Hi! I’m planning to go to Toraja this month for a few days, boleh minta itinerarynya ngga? 🙂
Hi Tata,
Saya tidak punya itinerary 😀
Cuma tinggal di sana aja selama 4 hari (atau 5 hari ya). Dua hari keliling Rantepao, satu hari ke Batutumonga, satu hari ke Makale. Kurang lebih seperti itu.
Toraja can be reached via numerous bus companies from Makassar. It takes the whole day to reach Rantepao the city where tours can begin from. In rantepao there are numerous hotels and guesthouses to choose from.
There are several western restaurants and excellent local markets to walk around and explore. You can rent a motorbike or car.
Hi Randal,
Please get in touch through email if you would like to partner up for tours in Tana Toraja. 🙂
Hello Firsta,
I am doing my thesis at the moment, it would be a video based advertisment, title is “Visit Toraja, the land of kings to increase local tourism”. I’d be flying this december from 12th to 18th, and it would be appriciated if you could help me out by giving foresight about what to visit there. My main focuses are in culture and adrenaline-based activity to be later combined together.
Any ideas or tips are greatly appriciated
Thank you
Hi Yudhi. Sounds like a really interesting project. I’ll email you regarding recommendations.
With regard to the weather and rainy season what tome of the year is best to visit Tanah Toraja?
Thank you
Hi Jack, sorry for the late reply. Rainy season usually at the end of the year November-December and continues until March.
I think it is better to avoid to visit the area during rainy season. I would recommend to go there around July-August or check the tourism calendar to see if there is any events that you can attend.
Hi Firsta,
Great post! It’s beautiful what you do.
I am interested particularly in the Mount Sesean hike. Would you have any recommendations on the local tour guides that arrange such trips for tourists?
Highly appreciated.
Hi Lawrence,
Sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately I don’t have any recommendation 🙁
I hope you have a great time in Indonesia.
Rainy season until March?? Oh noooo i’m flying there tomorrow.
Hahaha. Hope the weather is good at the moment. Let me know.
Have a great time in Toraja. 🙂 Happy New Year, Mas Anes.
I am proud to be A Torajan, Tana Toraja is a promised Land.
A guy I have met on the bus told me to go to “From palopo Negeri Di atas awan toraja”. Have you ever heard about it? Is it worthed to go? From makassarHe also told me to sleep in palopo before reaching toraja.
Hi Joe,
I never been to Palopo. The famous area for for view “negeri di atas awan” is Lolai. You can easily access Lolai from Tana Toraja by motorbike taxi or car rental (around 1,5 hours journey). Should be a super easy day trip and can be combined with other destinations in Tana Toraja, but you have to start early. Alternatively you can stay overnight nearby Lolai, then you can walk in the morning to see the view. Hope you have a great trip!