Life after death is possible only in Sulawesi. This tour is from another world! Indonesia’s third largest island Sulawesi is inhabited by the Toraja people. Their lifestyle and culture, especially around death is absolutely unique and quite fascinating. It may seem strange to the outside world but Torajans are completely at home among their dead, literally. It is not uncommon for people to remain in their families’ homes for years after they die. Indeed, it is not until the funeral that a person is considered dead. This sometimes does not happen for years.
Most of Sulawersi’s population is Christian, as oppose to the majority of the country, which is Muslim, however the locals also have animist beliefs known as Aluk To Dolo "Way of the Ancestors". It governs social life, agricultural practices, and ancestral rituals. All this is soaked in Toraja people’s every day’s life, from the way they build their villages to how they leave this world. Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known as tongkonan, and colourful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rituals are attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days, sacrificing water buffalos and holding cock fights. At times of the year, the mummified corpses are removed from their tombs, groomed and dressed in new outfits. They smell mildly but the odor is not foul. The villages has their distinctive Tongkonans which is a traditional ancestral house shaped like a boat where the deceased are often kept and cared for.
We will get to know all that, but also this being the amazingly beautiful Indonesia, we made sure also to include the island’s amazing sceneries, beautiful rice paddies, and of course, some local crafts.
Note: We offer extended tours around Sulawesi. Please write us for more info.
Highlights
♦ Visiting Toraja’s unique houses and villages
♦ Local culture’s embrace of death and its incredible burial rituals and tombs
♦ Tau Tau statues, the hanging graves, rock graves, baby trees
♦ Possibly witnessing bull sacrifice during funeral ritual
Gallery
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