Toraja history
Tana Toraja is a district in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Tana Toraja has a cold climate, because it is located in a mountainous area. The local people hold very high customary values. Evidenced by the many traditional ceremonies.
Based on the legend spread in the Toraja people, the ancestors of the Toraja tribe came from humans who descended from heaven by using a ladder from heaven to earth. Because of that, people believe that the ladder can function as a medium for self-approach to God Almighty.
And while according to an anthropologist DR. C. Cyrut, who conducted research on the Toraja tribe, concluded that the Tana Toraja people were the result of the acculturation of indigenous people living on the mainland in South Sulawesi with migrants or immigrants from Tongkin Bay or the plains of China.
At first the name Toraja was given by the Bugis Sidendereng people from Luwu. And the people of Sidendreng call the inhabitants of this area as To Riaja which means "people who live in the mountains or the upper country". However, it is different from the Luwu people who call the inhabitants of this area To Riajang which means "People who inhabit or live in the West".
Go to the land of toraja
There are many ways to go on holiday to Toraja. But in general, you can go on vacation to Toraja via one of the nearest big cities, Makassar by plane. After that, proceed with a trip overland to Toraja.
Cheap flight tickets for the Jakarta-Makassar route are widely available. Airlines that offer flights from Jakarta-Makassar, such as Lion Air, Batik Air, Super Air Jet, Citilink and Garuda Indonesia. Flights will be served from Soekarno Hatta International Airport to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport. For the cheapest fare, it is priced at 1.6 million for one way.
As soon as you arrive at the airport, you can go straight to the famous Losari Beach area to fill your stomach which has begun to ask to be filled again.
The easiest way from Sultan Hasanuddin Makassar airport to Losari Beach is to take the Airport Bus. After leaving the airport, bus tickets can be bought at the counter for Rp. 25,000, - then the bus will take us through the independence pioneer road, Urip Sumoharjo, Mount Bawakaraeng, Kartini, Arif Rate, and you have to get off at Jalan Ahmad Yani in front of the RRI office (Radio Republik Indonesia). From there you only need to walk about 15 minutes to arrive at Losari Makassar Beach.
Actually, there are quite a lot of bus options for Makassar to Toraja, they are good and cool. On average all buses are new or at least not really old. In Jakarta, only Transjakarta uses the Scania bus which is as comfortable as the sedan, so here the Makassar-Tana Toraja bus operator has already used it. Usually these buses are used for the premium class at a price of 200,000 Rupiah.
Although the bus runs quite slowly, it's almost a ten hour journey. There is also information from what I got, the journey time from Makassar to Toraja can be reached in 8 hours by bus.
Public Transportation (Angkot), in Tana Toraja for this type of transportation generally in the form of cars like Kijang, Innova, Avanza. And to tell the difference, it's enough to look at the license plate of the car, if the color is yellow it is public transportation, not a private car. This angkot operates from Rantepao to the Terminal in Makale. For rates starting from Rp. 10,000 with the Rantepao – Makale Terminal route.
Rent a car, if you are traveling with a family or group, you can also rent a car. However, in Tana Toraja it is very rare to rent with a lock off system. Must be with the driver at the same time, and car rental prices start from Rp. 350,000 – Rp. 500,000 depending on the type of car.
Motorcycle taxi, in Tana Toraja there are many motorcycle taxis that offer delivery services to destinations that are not passed by public transportation. Before using a motorcycle taxi, ask for the price first.
Hotels in Tana Toraja
There are many hotels and inns you can stay in Toraja. Just choose a cheap hotel in Toraja or a luxury hotel in Toraja. Just adjust to the funds in your pocket. Apart from that, you can also stay in the Rantepao area, which is not far from Toraja.
For non-star hotels and homestays, the price of staying per night is in the range of IDR 100,000 – 300,000. Every hotel or inn in Toraja usually provides single bed, double bed, breakfast, hot water, laundry and other facilities.
There are many choices of hotels in Tana Toraja. There are so many applications on the internet that offer lodging such as traveloka applications, tickets, tripadvisor, agoda and others. You can immediately order it.
Spot tourism
There are many tourist attractions in Toraja that you can visit. Of the many, here are some lists of tourist attractions in Tana Toraja that you must visit.
Pallawa
Pallawa or Tongkonan Pallawa, is a very interesting tongkonan or traditional house. Tongkonan Pallawa is made of bamboo trees on a hill and is decorated with a number of buffalo horns stuck in the front of the traditional house.
Tongkonan Palawa also has a Rante called Rante Pa'padanunan and Liang Tua or Stone Graves at Tiro Allo, and Kamandi. Apart from Tongkonan, a granary or alang sura' is also built for storing rice.
Tongkonan has several functions, namely as a cultural center, a center for family development, fostering family regulations and mutual cooperation, a center for dynamics, motivators, and social stabilizers. Because Tongkonan has social and cultural obligations which are also stratified in society, several types of Tongkonan are known.
Londa
Londa, is a steep rock on the side of a typical Tana Toraja tomb. In this place you can see various kinds of chests arranged according to family lines.
Londa Toraja is a cemetery complex which is now a tourist destination in North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi (South Sulawesi). Even though it gives the impression of horror, this Londa Toraja natural cave burial tour is one of the favorite destinations for tourists who come to North Toraja.
The tourist destination for the Londa cave cemetery is located in Sangbua Village, Kesu' District, North Toraja. Access to the Londa Toraja destination is quite easy because visitors only need to travel 5 kilometers (km) from the center of Rantepao City, North Toraja. Meanwhile, if from the direction of Makale Tana Toraja City, it is approximately 16 Km.
To enter the Londa Toraja tourist area, visitors must pay a ticket fee of IDR 15,000 per person. There are two gates or gates at the Londa Toraja tourist destination. The first gate is the UMKM area and vehicle parking area, while the second gate is the Londa cemetery and cave area.
In the Londa cave one can also find Erong or a corpse in the form of a pig and buffalo filled with skulls and bones, hundreds of years old. Just above the back of the cave there is a fort called Tarangenge.
Batu Tumonga
Batu Tumonga, this tourist spot is served with lots of rocks that are very interesting and beautiful. And you can see the beauty of Rantepau and the surrounding valleys.
Like other tourist attractions in Toraja, Batutumonga is also a city that is at an altitude. This place is about 24 kilometers from Rantepao. Visitors will be presented with stunning natural scenery during the trip. Upon arrival at the location, the expanse of white clouds became the main dish. Apart from that, you can also visit Baik Village with a row of tongkonan traditional houses on the hill.
The view of Rantepao City can be seen clearly from this place. At night, the urban lights look exotic from here. Apart from that, the sunrise in the morning is also worth enjoying. The appearance of the sun from behind the expanse of clouds will be a panorama that should not be missed. Suitable for adding to your photo collection on social media.
Lemo
Lemo Village, which is located in Tana Toraja, is a stunning destination because of its uniqueness. Lemo Village itself has the charm of an ancient cemetery located on a rock cliff with an incredibly beautiful view of the expanse of rice fields. There are more than 70 ancient stone burial pits attached to the walls and there are also tao-tao (wooden statues) as a representation of those who have died and occupy the tomb.
The coffin is placed in a limestone cliff. The method of burial here is by hollowing out the rock, chiseled manually. Usually, one hole is filled by one family and covered with wood. Even though it seems haunted, the Lemo tourist attraction is a tourist spot for ghost houses, because this burial site existed in ancient times. At Lemo, you will be presented with a slightly different view. You will see a corpse that was deliberately stored in an open space, located on a steep hill wall.
There are many more interesting places to visit there. Are you interested in visiting it? If you want to visit Tana Toraja, choose May and October, because in those months the weather is very good. Wear traditional clothes, to respect the customary rules of the Toraja people Don't forget to bring a camera to capture every precious moment.