Tana Toraja

These rice fields are near Makassar (Ujung Pandang). During the 10-hour trip to Toraja land you'll pass a stunning mountainous area. If you're on a budget, don't believe the men at the airport trying to sell you complete packages to Toraja. Just go to the Toraja terminal and save your dollars.
Makassar is the Muslim dominated capital of South Sulawesi.
This Ke'te' Kesu' near Rantepao in Toraja land. This village is completely in old Toraja style. In front of the village one of the rice fields including the common water buffalos.
This one of the traditional Torajan houses (tongkonan). Above the porch you can see the horns of sacrificed water buffalos for one of the family's deceased.
I've been told they keep all kinds of food and stocks in these small 'tongkonans'.
This is a funeral ceremony we were invited for by a local. After a 45 minutes drive with a motorbike on a 4 wheel drive road we finally arrived in a small village. We were guest of the family. Of course we had to present them a small gift.... a package of cigarettes.
Another family comes to show respect and present some gifts to the family of the deceased.
Depending on the importance of the deceased, animals are being offered, sometimes more than a 100 water buffalos. Mainly water buffalos and pigs are the unlucky funeral attendees.
Don't think these animals are cheap! One buffalo can cost up to 8000 dollars! Some of the families literally go bankrupt..

On the waiting list...
A Torajan funeral attendee in traditional funeral clothing.
There is also the possibility to drink Tuak (palm wine) for the men. The man on the right side is the head of the village.
The Torajan people have various ways for burying their death. The most common one is the burial in coffins in caves. Every puppet represents and looks like one of the deceased. All the coffins are filled with the skeletons of one family.
Of course the wooden coffins rot and skeletons are spread out all over the place.
If a baby dies in the Torajan world it is buried in a tree. The Torajans believe that the baby will continue to grow, the same way the tree will continue to grow.		ndonesia consists of 18.108 islands and has got more than 200 million citizens. It's roughly situated between Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. It's got a hot and humid climate throughout the year. Indonesia is one of the most beautiful and interesting countries I have visited. The scenery and wildlife is just breathtaking, volcanos, jungles, clear waters and tons of other things to mention. What makes it even more diverse is the mix of different religious groups and the dedication to its original culture. Even though most of the Indonesians are Muslims nowadays, it has not always been like that. The majority of people was Hindu once and ruled by the Dutch for a few hundred years. The interesting part is that even though there is an immense diversity of cultures and ethnic groups, you can still find that 'authentic' Indonesian culture floating above. Indonesia is huge; travel is not that easy and will consume a lot of time. However you will be rewarded greatly for it. Once you get tired of one island, you just go to another and will find a world of differences. The first page is about Bali. The following pages are from South to North Sulawesi.   Bali The Westernized Hindu island of Indonesia. There is more than partying in Kuta and Sanur..   South Sulawesi - Bira The most southern tip of West Sulawesi. Very quiet..     South Sulawesi - Makassar (Ujung Pandang) A modern and fairly big city in South Sulawesi.     South Sulawesi - Makassar & Tana Toraja The Toraja people devote a great deal of their lives to the death. They have fascinating burial rituals and ceremonies.     Central Sulawesi - around Tentena Near Tentena you can find some beautiful scenery.     Central Sulawesi - Poso, Ampana & Pagimana Another beautiful area, but still unstable (mid 2003) after the 2000 massacres. The abundance of military force and the tension are noticable.     Central Sulawesi - Togian Islands The laidback islands from the bounty commercials. Although not easy to get to, a must do, if you have the time and can bare the hassle of getting there.     North Sulawesi - Tomohon Near the "big" city of North-Sulawesi lies Tomohon, In the shade of volcano 'Lokon'. Try the Minahasa kitchen, visit some of the interesting markets and explore the thermal activity.   North Sulawesi - Manado Probably one of the dirtiest cities on this planet, but it's definitely got some character. Conveniently situated for exploring North Sulawesi.     North Sulawesi - Bunaken Absolutely superb diving and relaxing on Bunaken and surrounding islands. North Sulawesi - Tangkoko One of the National Parks around volcano Tangkoko. You can find e.g. the Tarsius primate, many tropical birds, monkeys and pristine beaches.

Funeral Rites in Tana Toraja

From Makassar we move on to Rantepao, in the mountains of Tana Toraja. This is the area of the Toraja people, known for their funeral rituals and typical houses. Although they are converted to Christianity, their traditional animist beliefs are still part of everyday life.

To Rantepao

The first part of bus drive to Rantepao is in flat terrain, along the coast heading north. The views are nice, with simple yet typical malay houses in the rice fields with mountains in the backdrop. After the harbor city of Pare Pare, we move up into the mountains. This means heavy winding roads, roaring engines going up, and squeaking breakes going down. Sabine takes a pill against car sickness, which makes her very sleepy. After a while the first Tongkonan houses appear, and at the end of the afternoon we arrive in Rantepao.

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Rantepao is a town grown out of proportions because of tourism. We decide to stay just outside the town, and are dropped off at Sella's homestay. We are hardly checked in when a lot of information is poured over us, from someone who appears to be a guide. He tells us we are lucky, there is a funeral tomorrow in a village nearby, and we can take a look there. Although we assume there is a funeral somewhere every day, we decide to book the trip with him.

Tongkonan houses

We agreed to meet our guide in the city, where we first stop at a supermarket to buy cigarettes and other gifts for the family we will visit. Then we take a bemo, which brings us as far as the paved road goes. After that, it's still a long walk to the village. Underway we admire the typical Tongkonan houses. They have a huge roof shaped like either buffalo horns or a boat, the experts aren't sure which they represent. We also see a few megaliths, large upright stones into which a face is cut. And all in a landscape of rice fields and mountains.
When we nearly arrive we pass a few men carrying pieces of meat in between them. According to our guide, they come from the funeral. Every guest gets some of the meat from the sacrificed and slaughtered buffaloes.

Funeral rites

A funeral in Tana Toraja takes several days, depending on the importance of the deceased. The first day(s) is for the killing of the buffaloes. The more important the deceased, the more buffaloes are killed. The next day(s), the guests arrive. They often bring along pigs, who are also slaughtered. The last day, finally, is the actual funeral. At the funeral we are visiting, the killing of the buffaloes is on the same day as the arrival of the guests. This is not because of the importance of the deceased (8 buffaloes are killed, so he was important), but because of the guests from Irian Jaya, who have to return after a few days.
We are welcomed by the family in one of the specially made bamboo huts. Outside, on the compound, we can see a dead buffalo, skinned but otherwise intact. While we are offered tea and biscuits, we hear a lot of chopping noises outside, and we wonder what is going on. But a little later, we can see for ourselves. On a bed of leaves the dead buffaloes are slaughtered and divided into huge piles of meat. The chest and other parts are chopped with an axe, which was the sound we heard. Five men are working on it all day, and the rest is watching.
Then we are taken to take a look in the open air kitchen. Here the women are busy preparing food and drinks for the guests. We also get some rice, pork and hot peppers to eat. Meanwhile children are running around, some of them with a buffalo hoof they obtained from the slaughtering men. As a new group of guests arrive, the women line up to deliver food and drinks to them.

Pigs

The new guests are received in a central bamboo hut. The pigs they brought are lying next to it. After a while, when they finished their drinks and meal, the people are moved to one of the other bamboo huts on the terrain. The pigs are then transported to a small field behind the huts. And we can take a look there to see how they are slaughtered as well, nice�.
The pigs are killed by a stab in the heart with a dagger, while a man holds them with his foot. After a scream, the pig shudders for a moment until it passes out. Immediately, the animal is cut open to remove the stomach and guts. Then the hair is burned off above a fire. Finally, the pig is cut into pieces and divided.
After this ritual we head back to the bamboo hut of the family. We pass the compounds, where the buffalo heads are staring at us, the bodies get thinner and the piles of meat higher. Not a pleasant sight, so we go quickly back inside, where we are offered a drink and some food. The palm wine tastes bad, however, and we don't empty our glass. Later we learn from our guide that he needed to apologize for that.
On our walk back to the bemo, our guide leads us into the ricefields. Nice, but he doesn't know the route, and we end up in the mud. We use some bamboo sticks to prevent being sucked into it. But the views are great and it's nice to pass the harvesting people and the children playing in the water.

Kete Kesu

When we reach the paved road it doesn't take long before a bemo picks us up, in order to drop us off at the traditional village of Kete Kesu. Here are the Tongkonan houses nicely lined up in a row, and we are allowed to take a look inside one of the houses. Nobody lives in this one anymore, but we get an idea of the small interior. Opposite to the houses is a similar row of rice storage houses. They are built in the same style, but are smaller and have an extra platform between the ground and the storage. This is where the population meets to drink tea, play cards, and socialize.
Behind the village a path leads to the rock fa�ade, where the graves are located. Climbing up, we see a large variety of graves. Complete houses, hanging graves, nicely decorated coffins, and decayed ones, full of bones and skulls. Halfway is a locked cave with Tau Tau. These are effigies diseased. Old dolls are rigid and simple, newer are created more to resemble the diseased. The cave is locked to prevent robbery.
Back at our homestay we decide to go into Rantepao for a meal. We are offered a ride by someone from the homestay. A special service, or does he get commission from the restaurant? Either way, we're fine with it. In the restaurant we meet Kris and Paulien again, who made a detour before they came to Rantepao. We chat and they decide to join us the next day to the actual funeral.

Back to the Funeral Rites

The next morning, the bemo brings us all the way to the village. We are just in time to see the coffin being carried to the church, under loud cheering. The people are catholic, so a church ceremony is part of the rituals. We are offered tea and biscuits in the meantime. The bamboo huts are still there, but the guests and all the meat is gone. The 8 horns of the buffaloes are still lined up, and a proud men shows us which 3 he killed. After tea, we take a look at the church.
The church is small and packed. We stay outside and hear the singing through the open door. A girl is walking around the church with a incensory, and there are several people taking pictures. Taking pictures of the coffin is a sign that the deceased is still part of the community, so we are also encouraged to take pictures. After the mass there is a complete session in which different groups are photographed with the coffin.

Procession

And then the coffin is carried in a procession to the burial site. Again, there is loud cheering and the many carriers stop regularly to jump up and down with the coffin. The coffin is also pushed to all sides, under loud laughter and cheering. It is all meant to scare away the bad ghosts and spirits. Eventually the coffin is pushed and pulled into the verge and uphill through the bush to a rocky cliff. Suddenly, on an open space, the coffin is put on the ground and several women are diving on top of it crying load. Apparently, this is the last goodbye and it seems as if actresses are hired to change the joy into grief. One of the women even faints from the emotion.
We follow the men to the rocky cliff. A long bamboo ladder is put against the rock fa�ade and one of the graves cut into the rocks is made open. There is not much space down below, so we move as far to the side as we can, so we are in nobodies way. Kris is asked to climb the ladder and look into the grave. He reports that it's full of coffins already, and that there is not much room to add one.

Grave pushing

After a while the coffin arrives. With 3 men it is pulled up the ladder and pushed into the grave. Put that is not easy, one man climbs into the grave first to make room, while the others push. It takes half an hour before both man and coffin are in the grave. It is amazing to see how the man crawls through the coffins to get out of the grave, but when he is out, the grave can finally be closed.
When we descend, people are eating in the open space. Here, a pig was killed this morning and traditionally prepared in bamboo. It needs to be eaten on the spot, and cannot be brought back to the village. We are offered some, but kindly decline and say goodbye to return to Rantepao.

Tau Tau skybox

Our last day in Tana Toraja we take the bemo and a long walk to the village of Londa. Here are rock graves as well, guarded by a skybox of Tau Tau. We are allowed to take a look into the caves, where many coffins are piled up in every corner. There are also many skulls and skeletons. One of the skulls still has hair, which is a scary sight. But there is no stench, which we would expect.

In Tana Toraja there is a difference in the classes. As mentioned before, the size of the funeral depends on the importance of the deceased. But there is also a division into a lower, middle and noble classes. People from the lower class are put in the caves. The middle class people get separate places, often as a hanging grave. And the noble class people get a grave high in the rocks, which we can see from a viewpoint. And those noble class people are the only ones for which Tau Tau are made.

Londa is a village where a lot of Tau Tau dolls are made. There are some souvenir stalls here, where they are offered for sale. We look around, but are not keen to buy one. Instead, we buy a cup of tea which we drink together with the family.

Back in Rantepao we have lunch at a fancy restaurant along the river. We have a mighty view on a few buffaloes swimming and being washed in the river, and an eagle circling above. The food is a bit more expensive, but still cheap. And there are little or no other tourists here either.

Riots

In the evening we eat in town with Kris and Paulien. Around 10 PM suddenly the jeep of our homestay arrives to pick us up. It appears that there are some riots on the road to the homestay. When we pass, we see two groups of youngsters with rocks in their hands. It doesn't look like a serious fight, but still.

Tana Toraja left a huge impression on us. Despite advancing modernisation people hang on to their traditions here, especially the funeral rites. We were lucky especially to see the roch funeral, although we think all guides tell their clients they were lucky to attend a funeral. Yet, we hear from some others that they needed to wait half a week for a ceremony. Anyway, the funeral rites at Tana Toraja were an amazing experience.

Little background about TORAJA LAND

Tana Toraja or Toraja Land is situated 310 kms north of Makassar ( UjungPandang ), the capital city of South Sulawesi ( Celebes ). Tana Toraja is a mountainous area.The slope of the limestone mountains are covered with various kindsof bamboo, pine trees, coffee and many other kinds of tropical plants. The wet rice terraces and clove bushes also beautify the area.

The total area of Toraja land is 3,205.77  kms. According to the 1995 cencus, the population of the regency numbered 367,371 people living in two towns ( Makale and Rantepao ), and in 65 villages. It is important to note that a million of
Torajans live outside Toraja Land. Most of them comprise job seekers, University students, soldiers and business people.

The long drive from the lowlands to the mountain stronghold of TANA TORAJA opens up a breath-taking new world. The rugged mountains and verdant valleys are home to a  people  who  love  of  religious spectacle is equaled only  by  their  hospitality. With majestic panoramas, captivting villages and dramatic ceremonies, Tana Toraja is the undisputed highlight of any journey to Sulawesi ( Celebes ) - Indonesia.

Upgraded  roads, an  airport  and  several  star-rated  hotels have opened the Toraja high-lands  to  visitors of  all  interests,  budgets  and  schedules. The  essence of the Toraja  beliefs  and  way  of  life  can be  experienced without  undue effort, as  many interesting sites are clustered around the town of Rantepao,easily accesible by road.

A  few  minutes from Rantepao, artisans at  Kete Kesu, a  model Toraja settelments, produce  bamboo  carvings  and other  traditional  handicrafts. The village itself has several well-maintained Tongkonan houses and rice barns. Visitors unsure about the propriety  of  tramping  around  someone's  village  will  be relieved to know that Kete Kesu  has  been  converted  into  a  living  museum  with  the  express  purpose  of displaying Toraja  architecture and  daily life. Other villages  within sight of the roads, often sitting in an emerald sea of ricefields, display the Toraja penchant for baroque architectural adornment.

If the Toraja way of life is interesting, the way of death is a fascinating mix of rituals custom and spectacle. For the Toraja, the dead are as much a part of society as the living. At Lemo, cliffs  rise  precipitously  from  the  ricefields  like  stonework condominiums. crypts carved with prodigious manual labor high into the solid rock  house the mortal remains of Toraja nobility. Set amongst the crypts, the striking tau-tau, wooden effigies representing the deceased, look impassively on the world below.

At Londa, a network of coffin-filled caves reaches deep into the limestone hills. Visitors expecting a solemn, well-kept grotto are often shocked and disturbed by skeletons tumbling out of wooden coffins, skulls and bones arranged , to western eyes, according to some gruesome aesthetic. But the Toraja feels that since their  ancestor's souls are residing in heaven, ensuring continued fertility in farm and field, it is appropriate that their earthly ramains be on display for the pleasure of honored foreign guests.

While the valley between Rantepao and Makale provides a glimpse of Toraja life, the real Toraja lies in the surrounding mountains, accesible only on foot. In treks ranging from an easy day to a strenuous week, those with a moderate capacity for adventurecan experience authentic Toraja village life in charming mountain hamlets. Even in the most remote mountain villages, visitors are welcomed openly. Long accustomed to foreigners stumbling unannounced into their settlements, village leaders will generally allow anobody to take a look the interior part of their houses.

TONGKONAN

The dramatic saddle-shaped roofs of Toraja Tongkonan houses are popularly considered to represent the prows of the ships that brought the original TORAJA across the sea and up to Sa'dan river to a new moutain homeland. Tongkonan houses remain centers of TORAJA ritual and community life. The size and style of arnamentation of these houses indicate the family's social status, though increasingly the family and surrounding communicty perceive that status differently.

TORAJA MARKET

Toraja Weekly market is one of the most unique traditional market in Indonesia. It held once in every six days in several place in Toraja. The most colorful and biggest one is Rantepao weekly market. There are hundreds of water buffaloes and pigs are on sale.

Toraja boast the only place in the world where people give water buffulo highest value. The price of the best water buffalo in Toraja is now  about 15.000 US Dollar.

Market is the real place to know Indonesian in their daily life. The costume, the products for sale and the interaction among people.

10 acres of Land in Kg Gemi, Hulu Langat

There are around 10 acres of Agri land in Kg Gemi, Sg Lui of Hulu Langat district.

Way in towards the Orang Asli residents.

Land is just next to this Orang Asli residents.

Its a flat land, beautiful & already planted with durian & some fruit trees.

You can drive in into the land by car or best possible is by using 4 wheel drive. 

The road inwards have been paved with gravel & some have been tarred. You can see that the orang asli kampong have been quite upgraded with Balai Raya, Futsal Court, etc.

Owner is willing to sell cheap compared to some areas where owners like to sell between RM150K to RM160K.

Owner's selling Price RM120K per acres.

Total selling Price is at RM1.2 million nego.

Please call En Putra

012-2140156

010-3056823

Land for Housing beside Resort in Janda Baik

Area: Sg Kuali, Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang
Size: 6.5 acres
Lot: 2
Shape: Flat from Resort, slight hilly towards behind
Condition: Swampy in certain area because of water stream
Distance from Resort: only 200ft away with river reserved land
Owners have planted durian & fruit trees, but not well taken care


Resort available: 
- Sg Kuali Resort
- Available with dozens of chalets
- This Resort is used for NGO activities all times


To reach here:
- Must bypass the Sg Kuali Resort
- A bridge with resort stream before reaching land
- Few houses available nearby beside Resort
- Even a Dato's breed horses with nice stable 300ft away


Why its good to invest?
- The resort is an attraction towards future development
- Most of Janda Baik land with Resort nearby was sold very expensive here
- Some sold land may reach up to RM450,000 per acre near Resort area
- Land can be Converted as Bungalow Residents by creating Bungalow Lots here
- This area can be a Future demanding Residential Area for Vacation Factors


Asking Price from Owner: 
- RM 350,000 per acre
- RM 2,275,000 in total for 6.5 acres

View thru appointment only
En Putra
012-2140156
010-3056823