Rantepao - At the heart of Toraja rituals

Rantepao is the main gateway to the Toraja region. it is only 310km from Makassar but takes 8-9 hours by bus due to terrain and lack of highway. I arrived there by night bus (IDR170-230k depending on bus type) from Terminal Daya in Makassar. I rented a bike (typical price IDR100k/day) to explore the villages and sites around Rantepao. Some people also go on a (informal) tour to local funeral, which has rich culture and rituals. Toraja is famous for quality coffee bean. There are many decent cafes and roasteries for you to try it and buy some bean to bring back home. Scenery is paddy field mixed with hills and tongkonans (Toraja ancestral house with uniquely curved roof). There are a limited choice of accommodation bookable in trip.com. I booked one hotel in the middle of paddy field. #rantepao #toraja