
Itinerary :
D/1: Makassar – Rantepao / Toraja Country
Airport reception. Makassar is the capital of the province of South Sulawesi and provides access to the center of the island where the Toraja Country is located. The day is devoted to the transfer to Rantepao. On the way, we stop to visit a Bugis village and the shipyard where the men make local boats. We follow the west coast and stop near Para Pare, for lunch by the sea. After following the coast, dotted with fishing villages, houses on stilts and coffee plantations, we arrive in the capital of the Toraja Country, Rantepao, at the end of the day. Night at the hotel.
D/2: Toraja Country
Full day of exploration "Architecture and Traditions" of the fascinating Toraja Country (south of Rantepao). The Torajas live in “tongkonan” houses whose shape is reminiscent of the hull of a boat. They worship the water buffalo, which they believe is the only animal capable of transporting the souls of the deceased on the path of their ancestors. The Torajas are also known for the importance of their funeral ceremonies which last several days, and their systems of hanging tombs installed in the cliffs. During the day, we discover several sites: the cliffs of Lemo and its dolls with the effigy of the deceased (Tau-Tau), the cliff of Londa with its mortuary niches located in the middle of rice fields and clove trees, the royal tombs de Suaya and the Tampangallo site (less frequented) then the village of Kete Kesu with its traditional houses and rice granaries. Night in the same hotel.
D/3: Toraja Country
Second day of discovery "Daily life" of the Toraja Country. After breakfast, we visit the colorful Bolu market. Then we head north to Rantepao to admire the sumptuous panoramas. Visit of a coffee plantation, short walk (about 1h30) through rice fields, forests and villages. In the afternoon, we reach Bori, a village where there is an old “rante” (small space strewn with wild grass and curious slender megaliths devoted to funeral ceremonies). Return to Rantepao then visit a traditional ikat weaving workshop. Night in the same hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
D/4: Rantepao – Makassar – Manado
After breakfast, departure for Makassar. Lunch at the restaurant overlooking the bay, Arrival in the afternoon, and flight to Manado (North Sulawesi) on the regular Garuda flight at 6:00 p.m., Arrival in Manado, transfer to Tomohon, the city of volcanoes and the capital of the Minahasa country. Installation at your hotel. The rest of the day is free. The Minahasa country, a volcanic land, is one of the most prosperous in Indonesia.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
D/5: Tomohon – Mahawu Volcano
After breakfast, departure for the easy ascent of the Mahawu volcano. We appreciate the breathtaking view of the Lokon-Empung volcano, the tip of the island of Sulawesi, the islands of Bunaken and the Minahasa Country. Then, we descend to a terrace which overlooks the crater and allows us to observe boiling mud pots and a small lake of pale green acid. We then reach the lake of the Tandano caldera. On the way back we will visit the Minahasa house construction sites. then return to the hotel.
D/6: Tomohon – Bunaken Underwater Park
Breakfast, then at the port to embark for the island of Bunaken, renowned throughout Asia for the beauty and exceptional richness of its seabed. The 75,000 hectares of the park are home to one of the most important marine biodiversity in the world, which makes it a renowned place for diving and snorkeling. Arrival on the island, installation at the hotel. The rest of the day is free
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
D/7: Bunaken Islands
Free day. Bunaken is also five islands of paradise where the turquoise waters compete in brilliance with the whiteness of the sand. This spectacle that nature offers us can only dazzle us! This may be an opportunity to be tempted by a diving trip... Possibility of boarding a boat to discover other little corners of paradise such as Siladen Island. Night in the same hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
D/8: Bunaken – Manado
Free morning then transfer to the airport.