Blessed with tropical islands and, of course, volcanoes, Indonesia is not the most popular destination for tourists who come to watch the Toraja Highlands on the Sulawesi island.
The area of this territory is inhabited by the indigenous people—Toraja, funeral rites, burial in the Cliffs, the traditional houses with the roof in the form of boats called “tongkonan.”.
The discovery of the Toraja Highlands is culturally and physically engaging. High hills are interspersed by deep valleys, high limestone cliffs, and an undulating green triangle that is formed by processional rice terraces as far as the eye can see. Exploring the highlands, one can make a tour to one of the isolated villages and see the colorful rituals, or climb up some cliffs to get into the mysterious burial caves.
The Toraja territory is amazing as it has remained loyal to its traditions even in the present days; the feeling of spiritual presence is felt throughout the area, and the combination of landscape and the settlements is unique.
Due to the remoteness of the Toraja Highlands, there is no airport, and the roads are long; furthermore, there are no high-standard tourism facilities. However, this helps to create the feeling of the expedition because getting to this part of Indonesia remains rather challenging.
Terraced farms with emerald rice fields along the tall, forested hills adorn the Toraja’s exotic landscape. The spectacular highlands are also the adventure traveler’s paradise with myriad hiking trails, cycling and mountain biking routes. Local rituals like elaborate funeral events are key highlights for the intrepid traveler.
Mark