Makassar – Toraja (trekking)

You arrive in Makassar where a car will be ready to take you directly to the hotel. If desired, you can stop at Paotere en route; the port where you can view specific Sulawesi boats (Penisi) which are made entirely from teakwood.

Today will be a long day of traveling. We will bring you in around 10 hours to Tanah Toraja. A ride partly along the trans-Sulawesi highway, but where possible the driver will choose 'B-roads' where you drive through villages. Especially striking is the charismatic architecture of the Buginese houses. We will stop in parePare. Here you can have an extensive lunch with an amazing view on the city. Here the driver can also take a rest. After around 1 hour we will continue to Rantepao. In (the area of) Rantepao you will meet your guide for the following days and you will discuss the programme.

Together with a local guide you discover the Toraja and experience this interesting culture. It is difficult to predict in advance whether there is a death ceremony or not but if there is, it is an interesting addition to your journey. Guests are welcome at these ceremonies and are most of the time even the guests of honor. There is however a custom of bringing a gift. The guide will help with buying the gift. These ceremonies are full of traditions and customs (which are not all common to Europeans), once they have been explained to you and you have been able to see something, you will leave with the guide to the next location. There are also several locations where you can see rock tombs and rows of ancestral statues (Tautau) such as Ke'te Kesu, Lemo and Londa.

Today the start of a two-day trek through the remote areas in Tanah Toraja. A beautiful trip with special experiences. The local guide takes you and shows the special places of Torajaland. Every day you walk around 6 to 7 hours along small villages and through a beautiful nature. You spend the night in a small kampung in people's homes.

Also today you walk half a day. At the beginning of the afternoon you will drive back to the hotel in Rantepao. The rest of the afternoon is free for leisure.

Today you will leave Toraja. Meandering through the mountains you will drive towards Palopo. Once arrived in Palopo we will take a coffee break after which we continue to the place where we will have lunch today. On the way you stop at a family's house for a delicious extensive lunch. After lunch we continue to Sengkang. You will usually first visit a small village which is known for their silk production, after which we continue to the hotel for a break. In the afternoon we will go to the tempe lake, where in the cool afternoon a motorized but traditional canoe-like boat is waiting. An relaxed trip over the river and tempe lake follows. We stop at a floating house for a snack and experience the peace and quietness of life in this amazing environment.

(If you did'nt do this yesterday, you will so today.) Today a beautiful trip on the Tempe lake is on the program. The car will take you to the boats (motorized and with bench), from where you will first sail over the river after which you cross the lake. You can see from the water how people around the lake use the water not only for daily use but also for living. On lake Tempe you will visit a house in a floating village where you also get some tea with a snack. A unique experience in a completely different community. The boats bring you back to the car and from here you travel to Bira, where you will arrive in the late afternoon.

Free for leisure. If you want we can organize a snorkel excursion or boat for you (day or half a day). The car is standing standby for short distances to e.g. nearby restaurants. With a private boat you can sail to the islands in the area of Bira where beautiful snorkel areas are located.

After a relaxing morning will the car be ready around noon to drive you the airport in Makassar. Take into account that it will be around a 6-7 hour drive.

Until your flight to the next destination you might still have some time to discover Makassar independently. Fort Rotterdam is easy to get to. At the agreed time a car is ready to take you to the airport.