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"TANAH TORAJA - Sulawesi" a Rantepao Travel Page by RoyJava

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"TANAH TORAJA - Sulawesi" a Rantepao Travel Page by RoyJava
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RoyJava   
Travelin' is discoverin' without knowing your goal


Real Name: RoyJames
Lives In: The Hague, NL
Member Since: Jul 18, 2004
VT Rank: 354

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Page Views: 3,646            Last Visit to Rantepao: -      

TANAH TORAJA - Sulawesi

by RoyJava - last update: Jul 6, 2008

Living For The Dead

royjava-tanahtoraja
RANTEPAO, the centre for tourists who visit Tanah Toraja (to ri aja in Buginese), is a market place in the rocky area of Sungai Sa'dan, where the Toraja people are living, and get overrun by swarms of tourists for 6 months a year at least.

Visit Rantepao's market, North-east of the bus Terminal Bolu centre and watch the bargaining of buffalos, buy some palm wine, get Tanah Toraja souvenirs and listen to the many chats ... it's funny, amazing, however my best memories were the visits to the "cave-tombs" villages around, which left very deep impressions about peoples "living for the dead"...
thanks for visiting
tanah-toraja-sulawesi

Long Kept Secret

I remember when we entered the Tanah Toraja land. The typical saddle-roofed houses (tongkonan) showed a fabulous tradition kept for so long time. And I got overwhelmed by their myths which claim that their ancestors arrived in a storm from the Northern Sea, pulled their splinter boats ashore, and used them as roofs; the principal attraction of Tanah Toraja and its houses, shaped like ships and, all face North, the direction of their origin ... isn't that a magnificent kept secret ?

Water & Mountains

The Toraja saddle-roofed and Bugi stilt-houses are known from art-paintings on Dongson-drums (500 BC), which show similar houses. South Sulawesi is a special link between Asia and Australia. There are some areas with Pleistocene fossils, dating back until 400.000 - 500.000 years ago! There are lakes everywhere, once part of the sea in prehistoric times. Temperature can be very hot, so maybe this remind you to bring a lot of water with you traveling to the Toraja mountain-land, where its people have never seen the ocean ...
buginese-stilthouse-sulawesi

> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]

Pros:"Impressive - Historical - Ecological - Cultural - Traditional - Ceremonial - Ritual -"
Cons:"Touristy - Cross-Country-Wide - Touristy-Priced"
In A Nutshell:"Tanah Toraja Magnificent Region Fascinating People"
RoyJava's Rantepao Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 12 - Photos: 12
 
RestaurantsHotels & Accommodations
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
 
NightlifeOff The Beaten Path
Tips: 5 - Photos: 5
 
Tourist TrapsWarnings Or Dangers
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
 
Transportation
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Local Customs
Tips: 4 - Photos: 4
 
Packing Lists
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Shopping
Tips: 3 - Photos: 3
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2

Comments for RoyJava about Rantepao
JessH Wed Nov 14, 2007 08:58 UTC
 Hello Roy and thank you for sharing your great detailed info & stories on this unusual destination! I really enjoyed reading your pages, and my ratings are definitely with you. Greetings from the desert :-) Jess in Dubai
mircaskirca Sun Sep 16, 2007 14:52 UTC
 Fascinating page Roy! It called to memory some wonderful stories and images of Toraja. Loved tongkonan and tau-tau and was even lucky enough to attend the funeral ceremony. Toraja kopi tubruk is delicious and durian, mmmmm :))
black_mimi99 Sat Dec 23, 2006 08:44 UTC
 thx for the great info and also great pics u have mas Roy...thx banget yah... it help me much...:) Happy Holiday!!! and wish u the best coming year...:)
go2indo Thu Sep 7, 2006 09:46 UTC
 Emerald Indonesia tours & travel, visit www.GO2INDO.com is the best gateway to Indonesia, why this travel agency? Because they are social and suport serveral projects in Indonesia!
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