Sulawesi and Toraja Highlands Expedition

Allow INTOSOL to take you on a five day expedition of the beautiful island Sulawesi. Visit the most fascinating attractions and discover the magic of the quaintly authentic and supremely scenic Toraja Highlands. On the first day of your trip, you fly from Bali to the Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar, located in Sulawesi’s Southwest. You have touched down in the capital of the charming province South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Your highly comfortable accommodation is a short, thirty minutes’ drive away. Rest in fine style and in eager anticipation of the exciting days to come! Day two starts with a scenic drive up towards the famed and fabled Toraja Highlands, which are also known by their mythical name “land of heavenly kings”. The drive up to the highlands is an attraction in its own right. Admire the striking mountain scenery, breathtaking mountain passes and traditional Bugi villages constructed atop stilted platforms. The road takes you through some of the most charming regions of Sulawesi before you arrive at the gorgeous harbour city Parepare for a seafood lunch at one of the superb local restaurants. In the late afternoon, you arrive at your destination: the unique Tana Toraja Highlands. Tana Toraja is celebrated for its active traditions and unique culture of the Toraja people. The city Rantepao is the region’s cultural hub. Moreover, it offers a number of comfortable hotels. You will be up and down, around and all over the Toraja Highlands on a full day tour on day three of your Sulawesi expedition. First, you will visit the traditional graves at Lemo, many of which are guarded by carved Tau-Tau figures representing the deceased. Later, you continue to Sangalla, where you will be stopping at the royal graves dating back to the Sangalla Kingdom. Again, you will encounter the peculiar Tau Tau figures that symbolise the seven kings of the kingdom complete with their respective families. In the afternoon, you will see the Londa burial cave and the traditional village Kete Kesu, famous for its sophisticated wood carvings. As a long and exciting day slowly draws to an end, you return to you hotel in Rantepao. After breakfast on the forth day, you will be picked up for another full-day excursion filled with new impressions. The first stop of the day is Palawa, Toraja’s oldest village. The village houses are almost exclusively designed in the island’s traditional style and adorned with a crowning buffalo horn. The next village along the road is Sa’dan, which is well known for its weaving tradition. Afterwards, you visit Bori Village and its megalithic tombs and finally the quaint village Marante. A full day of culture and countryside! Those with an unquenchable thirst for Sulawesian attractions may dedicate the afternoon hours to additional discoveries. The fifth and last day of your round-trip takes you back to Makassar. The long drive is the perfect opportunity to revisit the past days’ experiences in your mind and to examine the countless pictures you will surely have taken. Admire the exotic landscapes all around you! A short stop in Parepare allows you to savour the Sulawesi cuisine one last time before arriving at the Hasanuddin Airport for your flight back to Bali. Time to say goodbye to beautiful Sulawesi! Hopefully, you have more adventures or a relaxing time on the beach lined up! It will be a pleasure for the INTOSOL team to assist you with the planning!