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South Sulawesi
Covering 82,768 sq km, an area the size of England, the Province of South Sulawesi is geographically and culturally diverse. South Sulawesi posses a fertile lowland rice bowl – the most densely populated region of Indonesia outside Java and Bali – as well as towering mountains, an arid southern zone, and an unusually long coast line dotted with fishing villages, where thousands of boats and ingeniously designed traps of rattan and bamboo line the shore.
Souther Sulaand known locally by a host of other names. The best known of these people, the Sa’dan Toraja, derive their name of thwesi is home to four major ethnic groups and several minor ones. In the northern reaches of the peninsula, fecund plains and rolling hills give way to 3,000 meters mountains, a region inhabited by some 550,000 people collectively designated as Toraja, e great brown river that courses through the mountains.
Nearly three million Bugis live along South Sulawesi’s extensive coastal areas and throughout much of the fertile central lowlands. One and a half million Makasarese are concentrated in the southern part of the province and around the Port of Ujungpandang, the largest city in Easthern Indonesia.
Along the peninsula’s northwestern coastal strip live a half million Mandarese, said to be the finest sailors in all Sulawesi. The Makasarese, Bugis and Mandarese are renowned throughout the archipelago for their skill and fearlessness as seafarers and (in the case of the Bugis) as colonizers of distant coasts.
The people of South Sulawesi draw their life from the land as well as the sea. Rice abound in the well irrigated paddies of lowland plains, while the province’s gently rolling hills yield important crops, including maize, cassava, sesame, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, coffee, cacao, coconut and bananas. Silk weaving, lake fishing and trade provide additional cash income for many inland farming families.
The Bugis numbering about 3,200,000 are the most populous of the four people of South Sulawesi. Most Bugis occupy the central area of the peninsula including the broad, fertile plains between Pinrang and Watampone. Although counted among the most staunchly Islamic population in Indonesia, the great majority of Bugis, like their Makasarese and Mandarese Muslim brothers and sisters, continue to observe some older, pro Islamic customs.
The Makasarese, who number about 1,500,000 share close cultural ties with the Bugis. The land they occupy are generally less fertile 9with the exception of very productive land in the vicinity of Maros) and they depend to a greater extent than do the Bugis on the sea for their livelihood. The Mandarese are also culturally close to the Bugis. About 400,000 Mandarese occupy the most hospitable northwestern part of the peninsula as far north as Mamuju. Unlike the more prosperous who occupy better land, the Mandarese never developed extensive and centralized kingdoms, but lived in loosely united and relatively autonomous villages.
The Torajanese occupy the northern part of the peninsula, where they are distributed over a large and difficult terrain. They are divided into the number of sub-groups, including the Sa’dan, Ronglong, Seko, Mamasa and Mangki. About 330,000 Torajanese live in the central highlands known today as Tana Toraja, while another 200,000 live in the lowland towns and cities of South Sulawesi.
Because they inhabit a mountainous area, the Torajanese have insufficient wet rice land to feed their population, and many make a living by growing coffee, rice and sago.
The city’s original name, Makassar (or Mangkasara), is at least as old as the 14th century. In the 16th century it had become Sulawesi’s mayor port and political power, due to the rising influence of the Goa and Tallo kingdoms, as well as the maritime and might of the Bajau ‘sea nomads.’
Malay traders made their home in the city in 1330s, and the first mosque was reportedly built for them two decades later. The city grew rapidly between 1600 and 1630, by which time it was one of the great trade enter-ports of Southeast Asia. Tallo and Gowa had their own original centers where kings were crowned and buried. The trading city and kingdom of Makassar developed between these two semi sacred centers and was defended by a series efforts and a long sea wall stretching along the coast.
The most important fort was Sobaopu (homage to the lord) at the mouth of the Jeneberang, which has now been partially restored. Sombaopu contained the elevated wooden palaces of the king and leading nobles, around mosque and various warehouses and living quarters. Just to the north of Sombaopu were the Portuguese and Gujerati quarters; to the south of the fort were the market, a large residential area including Ternatan and Makassarese kampongs, and the major post area.
After defeats by a combined Dutch, Bugis military force, Makassar was forced in 1667 to surrender the fort of Ujungpandang about 7 km north of Sombaopu. The Dutch renamed it Fort Rotterdam and made it the base of their operations against the Makassarese. In 1669 Sombaopu was reized , and the sultan of Gowa was forced to live on the outskirts of the new Dutch town where he could be controlled.
During the 19th century the economy of Makassar changed from one base largely on the fort and slave trade, back to its previous role as a collecting point for all the produce of Eastern Indonesia – pearls, sea slugs, rattan, sandalwood, copra and the famous Makassar oil from the nuts of Badotree which Western gentlemen of the time used to pomade their hair.
With its increasingly dynamic economy, Makassar grew rapidly. Estimated at around 15,000 in the early 19th century. Makassar population reached 84,855 in 1930, and shot up to 708,465 by 1980. in 1938 Makassar had become the capital of a new Dutch super province called the Great East embracing all of Eastern Indonesia.
After national independence, the rapid growth of Makassar in the 1930s, swelled by multitudes of refugees from fighting in the interior of the province, brought about many physical changes to the city. The former moat and parkland behind the fort was filled in to make room for a post office and other public buildings. The swamps and saltpans, which had bounded the city to the northeast, were drained to provide a site for Hasanuddin University, officially founded in 1956.
The eastward expansion of the urban kampongs continued. In the early 1970s many streets in the oldest parts of the city were widened, sacrificing the traditional old storefront to the freer movement to the traffic.
Daeng Potompo, the city’s mayor during this period of tremendous group, also increased the area of Makassar by legislation in 1971. Makassar’s growth, however, was the loss of neiboring regions like Maros and Gowa. As a consession, perhaps the name of the city was changed to Ujung Pandang, the name customarily used by the Bugis and Makassarese of the interior.
On one level Ujung Pandang in a typical Indonesian city, with its government offices, Chinese and Indonesian shops and markets, Muslim and Christian places of worship, and a public life conducted in ‘bahasa Indonesia. But you will soon discover that Ujung Pandang is also a microcosm of the eastern seas, and the dozens of languages spoken in its surrounding kampongs.
At latest count, in addition to the large proportion of Indonesia, Makassarese and Bugis speakers, there were 2,000 speakers of Javanese, 300 of Sundanese, 380 of Bataks, 130 of Minagkabau, and 100 of Banjarese, but tens of thousands in the other category which comprises most eastern Indonesia’s myriad of languages.
The temple of the Chinese and Balinese are the most obvious signs of Ujung Pandang’s cultural diversity, but there are also churches for the Ambonese, Minahasan, Torajan, Batak and Sangirese communities, and mosques favored by Gorontalese, Javanese, Madurese, or Ambonese. Cluster of people from the islands of Selayar, Buton, Tanimbar, Kei, Alor, Bonerate and Banda live in kampongs near the city.
In the tourist shops of Jalan Sombaopu you will find carvings from Irian Jaya and eastern Kalimantan, mask from Tanimbar and Bali, bronze drums of Alor, ikat weavings from Flores, wooden canes from Central Sulawesi, clove ships from Ambon, betel set and metal ware from the Bugis Makassar area, Chinese ceramics and old Dutch, British and coins brought in from all over the archipelago.
The name Ujung Pandang first appeared as one of several forts protecting the heart of the Makassar kingdom. The first fort on this site, with earth walls, was built about 1550 under king Tunipallangga of Gowa. This fort was rebuilt in brick in 1634 by sultan Alauddin to protect the northern suburb of the city as it then was.
Most of the buildings inside the fort were constructed in the late 17th or 18th century to house the Dutch garrison and the offices of governor of Celebes.
There are three prahu ports in Ujung Pandang, all accessable only by becak or private transport. The busiest and most colorful of these is Paotere, to the north of town along rough narrow street. The maze of masts, rigging and brightly painted prahus is picturesque, particularly at dawn or sunset. The scene is particularly lively with fishermen unloading their catch in the early morning and mild afternoon. Fish caught in Bamboo fish traps (Bagang) far out at sea are collected each day in the early hours of the morning and brought into the city markets.
The biggest prahu moor in the harbor lies between the port of Hatta and Soekarno, off Jalan Martadinata. They carry goods to ports such as Donggala (Central Sulawesi), Ambon, Banjarmasin, Samarinda, Surabaya, and Jakarta. Some will take passengers, but facilities are basic, and passengers and crew often remain on deck for duration of the trip. The best time for sailing off Ujung Pandang is during the eastern monsoon, between May and October.
Among the places of interest in Ujung Pandang, probably the most popular among the locals, is Diponegoro’s tomb.
Prince Diponegoro was born in 1785, son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III of Jogjakarta. He led the last great Javanese resistance against the Dutch, in the Java war of 1823-1830. he was captured through treachery and deported to Manado and then to Makassar, where he died in 1855. he has been declared a national hero. His tomb built in the Javanese style is in a small but well kept cemetery on Jalan Diponegoro. The family tree displayed on the wall of the town indicates that his descendants remained in Ujung Pandang. The custodian, his great grandson, lives at Jl. Irian no.83
There are four public Chinese temples in Ujung Pandang. The most important is Tian Hou Gong, or temple of The Heavenly Queen, on the corner of Jl. Sulawesi and Jl. Serui. It was built in early 18th century, and was restored in 1738, 1803 and 1867.
The statue of the Heavenly Queen, Tina Hou, to whom it is dedicated, stands at the back of the main altar, behind a wooden partition.
The long Xian Gong, or Temple of the Apparition of the dragon, at Jl. Sulawesi and Jl.Bali was built in 1868. the central altar is dedicated to Cian Mu, mother of the immortals that on the right to Mi Lo Fo, patrons of jewelers, that on the left to Tu Di Gong, god of the soil and wealth.
The Temple of the association of merchants of Guangdong, near the Long Xian Gong, was damaged when the road was recently aligned. It is dedicated to Guan Di, who is the patron of the Guangdong association. The Chinese used to come here to swear oaths before testifying in court. On the left of Guan Di stand a horse and rider to whom mothers prayed that their children would be obedient.
The fourth temple, located on Jl. Lombok is relatively new. It was built after 1933 to replace an older one on Jl. Sulawesi, which had been destroyed during the Japanese occupation of the island.
Silk Weaving
Silk spun from cocoons grown near Soppeng is dyed and woven at Tenunan Sutera Alam on Jl. Ontah. The raw fiber is boiled for six and a half hours, when it becomes soft and glossy. It is then dyed in brilliant colors somewhat like the dyes for Thai Silks and then hung out to dry.
The skeins when dry are taken to a nearby room to be wound onto spools ready for weaving. In other rooms, on a number of large frames, silks in a variety of gorgeous clors are interwoven and blended rich blue and purples, yellows, goals, greens, pinks and reads. Some are woven in intricate designs, for others, the attraction lies in pure color and fine texture.
The factory management has opened a shop on the premises where silk is sold by the meter as well as in sarong lengths. Shoes may be ordered covered in the some fabric, with bags and hats to match.
Another place to snorkel and dive is Kudingarang keke, an uninhabited sandbar that provides no shade other than a single wooden house. The sand here is white and dazzling, and the coral largely undamaged.
Experienced divers with a sense of adventure (and a feeling of security around sharks) can venture out to the edge of the continental shelf. The reef at Kapopasang fortunately offers some protection from the fearsome hammerhead shark. This is deep water : wthin less than 10 meters the reef plunges to a breathtaking 800 meters – a truly awesome sight.
The islands of Lanjukang and Langkai offer no protection from sharks : at the end of a 100 meter shelf, a sharp drop of some 600 meters takes you into the heart of hammer head territory. The diving here, certainly a stimulating experience, is not recommended for the faint hearted.
A short distance to the north of Ujung Pandang lie the extraordinary limestone formations of the cordillera, which stretches between Maros and Pangkajene. This is an area of great natural beauty, with rushing waterfalls and brightly bedizened but terflies.
The limestone hills are also famous for their prehistoric caves, in which the remains of Neolithic man have bee found. Some of these caves are open to visitors, and a visit to the caves can be combined with a trip to the waterfalls of Bantimurung.
Thanks to what has been written by Alfred Wallace in the last century in his book, the Malay archipelago, many archeologists, pre-historians and lepidopterists including Vladimir Nabokov who store a scientific article on the butterflies he discovered here, have studies this area.
The road to Malino was completed in 1927, after which the town was developed as the hill resort of the Makassar area. In the colonial period, this was a hill station where Dutch officials and their families could escape from the heat of the plains. Market day in Manilo is Sunday morning and this is when the quiet town comes alive. The area is famous for its fruits and vegetables, tree tomatoes (tamarillos), passion fruit (markisa), and avocados, which are a bargain. Orchids, birds and woven baskets are among the wares to be found here. Its greatest moment came in July 1946, when the Malino Conference laid the foundation for the ill-fated Dutch strategy of federalism for post war Indonesia.
Twice a year, in May and November, Malino is ablaze with flowers from the tall red tulip trees, which border the roads and parks. The cool mountain air is conducive to long walks among the pine forests and surrounding hills.
Gowa and Tallo each had their own centers of spiritual power, where kings were both crowned and buried, and where a large wooden palace on stilts housed members of the royal family.
The royal tombs, graves, palace and treasures of Gowa can be visited by catching a bemo from the central terminal. Just before the portals of Kabupaten Gowa, 8 km out of the city, a road leads off to the left of a complex of graves in the center of the old Gowa Kingdom (Kale Gowa).
Further up the main road at Sungguminasa is the royal palace of Gowa. The palace was built in 1936, in traditional style on stilts, with an imposing rofed flight of steps leading up to a large reception room. The rank of the occupant is shown in the gable of the roof. Other than the architecture, the main points of interests are the treasure and royal regalia (pusaka) kept locked in a room on the left.
The Tallo dynasty reportedly began with Karaeng Loe, a 15th century prince of Gowa who sought to establish a new kingdom at the strategic point of land formed between the sea and the Tallo River. In the early 16th century this dynasty formed an alliance with the expanding power of Gowa, to make the Makassar State ‘one people with two kings.’ Although, Gowa provided the senior monarch, Tallo frequently provided the court chancellor (pabicara butta) who exercise day to day control of the affairs of state.
The dualism was especially marked during the heyday of Makassar between 1590 and 1654. the great King Tallo, paraeng Matoaya or Sultan Awal-ul-Islamd (r. 1593 and 1636), as chancellor of Makassar was largely responsible for the Islamization of South Sulawesi.
Sombaoupu (homage to the lord), 7 km south of Ujung Pandang, was the mightiest of eleven great fortresses than once lined the coast of Makassar as far north as Tallo.
The origin of Sombaopu appears to lie in a Malay settlement just south of the Jeneberang. Here in the mid 16th century, a small group of Malay traders were encouraged to settled by Tunipalangga, the 10th ruler Gowa.
Since June 1989 a team of Indonesian archeologists has been working to preserve and protect this historic site. The restoration has been guided by two maps. One is a Dutch map of Makassar dated 1638, discovered recently in a European library. The other is an 18th century palm leaf map written in the Makassarese script by an unknown author, showing the layout of the city and plan of the royal palace.
Alongside Sombaopu, four cultural villages are being built. They will be living villages aimed at preserving the traditional way of life and customs of South Sulawesi’s four main ethnic groups : Bugis, Makassarese, Toraja, and Mandarese. It is hoped these cultures will be able to maintain their identity in the face of today’s rapidly changing world.
Parepare (population 86,000) has a relatively short history. It was formerly part of the kingdom of Suppa, which played an important role in the history of the area. The Portuguese claimed that the Raja of Suppa and some of his nobles were converted to Christianity in 1543, more than 60 years before Makassar became Islam.
Parepare the second largest port in South Sulawesi after Unjung Pandang is now known chiefly as an important trade center and a stopping place for travelers between Ujung Pandang and Toraja. The main animal export harbor in the province, it has a regular boat service (now reckoned for its safety) to Donggala, Kalimantan and Surabaya. Passengers travel above, and cattle below. There is also a freight service, mainly for cattle, to Singapore and Hong Kong. Boats are built and repaired in the port.
There are views of the town and the bay from the hills to the north. The bay can also be appreciated from the waterfront. There are magnificent sunsets and lively night market here. At the harbor you can see the Bago, a local type of Prahu.
The southern coast of peninsula is the Makassarese heartland . boat buildings and many other traditional crafts can best be seen here.
By road, the trip from Ujung Pandang all around the south coast to Sinjai through Takalar, Jeneponto, Bulukumba and Kajang is 221 km long. The return journey can be made either by passing over the hills via Malino, or farther north via Watampone (Bone). Side trips to the boat building center village of Bira invoble a bad road and no accommodations, but from here there is a daily ferry to Selayar.
The long highway heading north from Ujungpandang, after 130 km of bugging the coastline of South Sulawesi, begins its fantastic, winding ascent to the mountains. Passing the gateway arch of Tana Toraja, the road leads through the small market village of Mebali.
A visitor is not likely to see this furtive ritual, which is performed quietly in house yards, fields and springs – wherever the spirits, or dead, reside.
The funeral rite is so important in Toraja that it is held even when a person dies at sea or in a distant land. In an aluk rite known as capturing the wind family members climb to a mountaintop, where they call the wind to fill a sarong. When it billows out, the sarong is closed for a moment, then released. A length of bamboo representing the corpse is then brought home and given a proper funeral.
All funerals in Toraja, however, grand or simple, are intended to transport the soul safely to the next world, whether to the aluk Puya or to a Christian heaven. All funerals are also intended to free survivors from their attachments to the deceased, and to reintegrate them into the world of the living through some form of sacrifice. For poor people, a symbolic sacrifice will do a chicken egg, or even just the striking of a chicken basket or a pigpen. But although a symbolic sacrifice may satisfy the spirits, genuine animal sacrifice is at the heart of the socially acceptable ceremony in Toraja.
Karasik is the first village south of Rantepao on the road to Makale. As you reach the edge of town, watch for the Karasik marker indicating a trail up to the hillside to the left of the road. Karasik consists of a number of colorfully painted bamboo houses fringing a large ritual field (rante) with several stone menhirs.
Another 5 km down the main road is Londa, one of the most frequently visited cave burial sites in Tana Toraja. Catch a bemo headed for Makale and ask to be let off at the entrance of Londa, then walk one kilometer east ; the road is clearly sign posted.
Adjacent to caves is a balcony filled with tau tau gazing out over a lush rice field. Traditionally, only certain nobles were allowed to have taut au. Today, Christian religious officials are ambivalent about this practice and some ministers from the Toraja Church have been known to refuse to officiate at funeral ceremonies where taut au is present. The Catolic Church, however, has proven itself much more tolerant as to the use of taut au.
A trail to the east of Londa brings you to Pabaisenan (Liang Pia). Here you will find a hearty old tree where infants who died before teething are laid to rest. The corpse are placed in cavities cut into the trunk, and are then sealed, so that the tree eventually grows around the infant’s remains. Returning to the main road, a further 3 km, will bring you to the turn off for the pool at Tilanga, turn left at the signpost and follow a somewhat bumpy road for another 5 km to this clear natural swimming hole lodged in a bamboo forest. The water is cool and refreshing, although the pool is to be avoided on Sundays when the local crowds come out in full force. From here you can head on south 2.5 km to Lemo, a nice walk through rice fields.
Lemo, 12 km south Rantepao, is one of the most impressive Cliffside gravesites in the entire region. To get here, turn left at the marked signpost and head east a few hundred meters.
Dozen of effigies stand solemnly in niches overlooking the valley below. Adjacent to them are carved wooden doors, which seal the remains of the deceased in tombs hewn out of the cliff. Sadly, most of the original taut au here were stolen in 1980s – only the few effigies in the upper rows are original.
Two kilometers south of Rantepao on the road to Makale is a left turn, which leads into a parallel valley with many interesting villages and ritual sites. The turn off is clearly marked ‘To Ke’te Kesu.’
Buntupune, one kilometer from the junction, has two turn of the century traditional houses or tongkonan and six rice barns. The Tongkonan on the western side was erected by Pong Maramba, a nobleman who was the first district head during Dutch colonial items. When his plan to revolt against the Dutch was discovered, he was exiled to Ambon. After his death his body was carried back to Tana Toraja and buried in the mountain just north of Buntupune.
Another 2 km brings you to Ke’Te Kesu, one of the regions oldest and most visited traditional villages idyllically located in a virtual sea of rice fields.
On the little hill at the turn off the village, you can watch carvers at work. The village itself has four well-kept tongkonan and a long row of rice barns. The residents of the village sell handicrafts, and the bottom floor of Tongkonan Kesu (in the middle) has been converted into a small museum.
The path at the far end of the village leads to several mossy menhirs, reminders of the funerals of important aristocrats. To see the village’s ancestral burial cliffs, take the trail behind the museum. The large cement tomb adorned with a strikingly realistic taut au belongs to F.K Sarungallo, a charismatic tongkonan leader, church figure and politician who died in 1986.
A little further on from Ke’Te Kesu, off the side of the main road, is the village of Sullukang, where there are several large menhirs installed on the rante. A group of taut au was once housed under the over grown shack on the rocky platform, but have now also been removed for safekeeping.
Palatokke (also known as Mengke’pe) is a seldom visited village and gravesite, which can be reached via an idyllic path from Sullukang. As the path wanders through terraced rice fields and quiet villages, you will need to ask directions, or you can hire a guide.
The metalworking village of La’Bo which can be reached by continuing southeast from Palatokke, or by returning to the main road from Sullukang and continuing on for 3 km. Here you will find black smiths forging scrap iron into fine knives (parang). Their impressive billows are made from hollowed logs with feather lined air pumps the name of the area, La’Bo, is a Torajan term meaning large knife.
Leaving La’Bo, the road splits, with the right fork leading to another black smith’s village called Randanbatu. Another 12 km down the road lies Sanggala, the site of a bamboo palace constructed on top of a leveled off hill and a few graves. Some of the most attractive and lest visited places of interest in this area are north of Rantepao.
The first village of interest is Pangli, 8 km from Rantepao, where you see the house grave of a noted Toraja, Pong Massangka, who fought against the first Dutch missionaries , but who was later converted to Christianity.
You can reach Pangli on foot from Rantepao along a paralleled trail. Take the road running north out of town, then turn right at the next fork in the road. A pleasans, leisurely 7 km walk brings you to Parinding, a traditional village with impressive tongkonan houses and rice barns. Bori, another kilometer down the road, has a large Rante. A short walk will bring you to a T-junction, where you turn right for Pangli.
From Pangli, the trails continue north along the Sa’dan River to Palawa, on the left. A rice barn and a few bogus taut au welcome visitors to the villages, where rather splendid tongkonans double as kiosks selling souvenirs items from all over Indonesia.
Another 4 km down the track, a left hand fork 300 meters before a bridge leads uphill to Sa’dan Sangkombang, a relaxed, friendly village. Here women can be seen weaving traditional textiles beneath their houses. Continuing along the main road 400 meters, a left turn just before the bridge brings you into Sa’dam To barana. At the back of the village are for rice barns set on a manicured lawn. Alongside them are some kiosks selling textiles, the village is worth visiting for the splendid views of terraced rice fields and distant mountains to the west.
A pleasant walk southwest of Rantepao along the western bank of the Sa’dan River leads to Singki, set on a hill overlooking the town. The summit of the hill offers an excellent view of the surrounding countryside. From the center of Rantepao go south on the road that parallels the river, then go right over the bridge.
Some 50 meters up the road takes the trail leading off to the right. Although it is a short walk from here to the peak, the trail is overgrown and slippery in the wet season.
The road to Singki continues on the Siguntu, a traditional village 5 km southwest of Rantepao. To get to Siguntu, go beyond Singki village and follow the road until you spot a road branching off to the right up the hill. Siguntu offers three elaborately carved tongkonans, rice barns and pleasant sunset views of the valley.
Souther Sulaand known locally by a host of other names. The best known of these people, the Sa’dan Toraja, derive their name of thwesi is home to four major ethnic groups and several minor ones. In the northern reaches of the peninsula, fecund plains and rolling hills give way to 3,000 meters mountains, a region inhabited by some 550,000 people collectively designated as Toraja, e great brown river that courses through the mountains.
Nearly three million Bugis live along South Sulawesi’s extensive coastal areas and throughout much of the fertile central lowlands. One and a half million Makasarese are concentrated in the southern part of the province and around the Port of Ujungpandang, the largest city in Easthern Indonesia.
Along the peninsula’s northwestern coastal strip live a half million Mandarese, said to be the finest sailors in all Sulawesi. The Makasarese, Bugis and Mandarese are renowned throughout the archipelago for their skill and fearlessness as seafarers and (in the case of the Bugis) as colonizers of distant coasts.
The people of South Sulawesi draw their life from the land as well as the sea. Rice abound in the well irrigated paddies of lowland plains, while the province’s gently rolling hills yield important crops, including maize, cassava, sesame, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, coffee, cacao, coconut and bananas. Silk weaving, lake fishing and trade provide additional cash income for many inland farming families.
The Bugis numbering about 3,200,000 are the most populous of the four people of South Sulawesi. Most Bugis occupy the central area of the peninsula including the broad, fertile plains between Pinrang and Watampone. Although counted among the most staunchly Islamic population in Indonesia, the great majority of Bugis, like their Makasarese and Mandarese Muslim brothers and sisters, continue to observe some older, pro Islamic customs.
The Makasarese, who number about 1,500,000 share close cultural ties with the Bugis. The land they occupy are generally less fertile 9with the exception of very productive land in the vicinity of Maros) and they depend to a greater extent than do the Bugis on the sea for their livelihood. The Mandarese are also culturally close to the Bugis. About 400,000 Mandarese occupy the most hospitable northwestern part of the peninsula as far north as Mamuju. Unlike the more prosperous who occupy better land, the Mandarese never developed extensive and centralized kingdoms, but lived in loosely united and relatively autonomous villages.
The Torajanese occupy the northern part of the peninsula, where they are distributed over a large and difficult terrain. They are divided into the number of sub-groups, including the Sa’dan, Ronglong, Seko, Mamasa and Mangki. About 330,000 Torajanese live in the central highlands known today as Tana Toraja, while another 200,000 live in the lowland towns and cities of South Sulawesi.
Because they inhabit a mountainous area, the Torajanese have insufficient wet rice land to feed their population, and many make a living by growing coffee, rice and sago.
- Old Makassar
The city’s original name, Makassar (or Mangkasara), is at least as old as the 14th century. In the 16th century it had become Sulawesi’s mayor port and political power, due to the rising influence of the Goa and Tallo kingdoms, as well as the maritime and might of the Bajau ‘sea nomads.’
Malay traders made their home in the city in 1330s, and the first mosque was reportedly built for them two decades later. The city grew rapidly between 1600 and 1630, by which time it was one of the great trade enter-ports of Southeast Asia. Tallo and Gowa had their own original centers where kings were crowned and buried. The trading city and kingdom of Makassar developed between these two semi sacred centers and was defended by a series efforts and a long sea wall stretching along the coast.
The most important fort was Sobaopu (homage to the lord) at the mouth of the Jeneberang, which has now been partially restored. Sombaopu contained the elevated wooden palaces of the king and leading nobles, around mosque and various warehouses and living quarters. Just to the north of Sombaopu were the Portuguese and Gujerati quarters; to the south of the fort were the market, a large residential area including Ternatan and Makassarese kampongs, and the major post area.
After defeats by a combined Dutch, Bugis military force, Makassar was forced in 1667 to surrender the fort of Ujungpandang about 7 km north of Sombaopu. The Dutch renamed it Fort Rotterdam and made it the base of their operations against the Makassarese. In 1669 Sombaopu was reized , and the sultan of Gowa was forced to live on the outskirts of the new Dutch town where he could be controlled.
During the 19th century the economy of Makassar changed from one base largely on the fort and slave trade, back to its previous role as a collecting point for all the produce of Eastern Indonesia – pearls, sea slugs, rattan, sandalwood, copra and the famous Makassar oil from the nuts of Badotree which Western gentlemen of the time used to pomade their hair.
With its increasingly dynamic economy, Makassar grew rapidly. Estimated at around 15,000 in the early 19th century. Makassar population reached 84,855 in 1930, and shot up to 708,465 by 1980. in 1938 Makassar had become the capital of a new Dutch super province called the Great East embracing all of Eastern Indonesia.
After national independence, the rapid growth of Makassar in the 1930s, swelled by multitudes of refugees from fighting in the interior of the province, brought about many physical changes to the city. The former moat and parkland behind the fort was filled in to make room for a post office and other public buildings. The swamps and saltpans, which had bounded the city to the northeast, were drained to provide a site for Hasanuddin University, officially founded in 1956.
The eastward expansion of the urban kampongs continued. In the early 1970s many streets in the oldest parts of the city were widened, sacrificing the traditional old storefront to the freer movement to the traffic.
Daeng Potompo, the city’s mayor during this period of tremendous group, also increased the area of Makassar by legislation in 1971. Makassar’s growth, however, was the loss of neiboring regions like Maros and Gowa. As a consession, perhaps the name of the city was changed to Ujung Pandang, the name customarily used by the Bugis and Makassarese of the interior.
- Ujung Pandang
On one level Ujung Pandang in a typical Indonesian city, with its government offices, Chinese and Indonesian shops and markets, Muslim and Christian places of worship, and a public life conducted in ‘bahasa Indonesia. But you will soon discover that Ujung Pandang is also a microcosm of the eastern seas, and the dozens of languages spoken in its surrounding kampongs.
At latest count, in addition to the large proportion of Indonesia, Makassarese and Bugis speakers, there were 2,000 speakers of Javanese, 300 of Sundanese, 380 of Bataks, 130 of Minagkabau, and 100 of Banjarese, but tens of thousands in the other category which comprises most eastern Indonesia’s myriad of languages.
The temple of the Chinese and Balinese are the most obvious signs of Ujung Pandang’s cultural diversity, but there are also churches for the Ambonese, Minahasan, Torajan, Batak and Sangirese communities, and mosques favored by Gorontalese, Javanese, Madurese, or Ambonese. Cluster of people from the islands of Selayar, Buton, Tanimbar, Kei, Alor, Bonerate and Banda live in kampongs near the city.
In the tourist shops of Jalan Sombaopu you will find carvings from Irian Jaya and eastern Kalimantan, mask from Tanimbar and Bali, bronze drums of Alor, ikat weavings from Flores, wooden canes from Central Sulawesi, clove ships from Ambon, betel set and metal ware from the Bugis Makassar area, Chinese ceramics and old Dutch, British and coins brought in from all over the archipelago.
- Fort Rotterdam
The name Ujung Pandang first appeared as one of several forts protecting the heart of the Makassar kingdom. The first fort on this site, with earth walls, was built about 1550 under king Tunipallangga of Gowa. This fort was rebuilt in brick in 1634 by sultan Alauddin to protect the northern suburb of the city as it then was.
Most of the buildings inside the fort were constructed in the late 17th or 18th century to house the Dutch garrison and the offices of governor of Celebes.
There are three prahu ports in Ujung Pandang, all accessable only by becak or private transport. The busiest and most colorful of these is Paotere, to the north of town along rough narrow street. The maze of masts, rigging and brightly painted prahus is picturesque, particularly at dawn or sunset. The scene is particularly lively with fishermen unloading their catch in the early morning and mild afternoon. Fish caught in Bamboo fish traps (Bagang) far out at sea are collected each day in the early hours of the morning and brought into the city markets.
The biggest prahu moor in the harbor lies between the port of Hatta and Soekarno, off Jalan Martadinata. They carry goods to ports such as Donggala (Central Sulawesi), Ambon, Banjarmasin, Samarinda, Surabaya, and Jakarta. Some will take passengers, but facilities are basic, and passengers and crew often remain on deck for duration of the trip. The best time for sailing off Ujung Pandang is during the eastern monsoon, between May and October.
Among the places of interest in Ujung Pandang, probably the most popular among the locals, is Diponegoro’s tomb.
Prince Diponegoro was born in 1785, son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III of Jogjakarta. He led the last great Javanese resistance against the Dutch, in the Java war of 1823-1830. he was captured through treachery and deported to Manado and then to Makassar, where he died in 1855. he has been declared a national hero. His tomb built in the Javanese style is in a small but well kept cemetery on Jalan Diponegoro. The family tree displayed on the wall of the town indicates that his descendants remained in Ujung Pandang. The custodian, his great grandson, lives at Jl. Irian no.83
There are four public Chinese temples in Ujung Pandang. The most important is Tian Hou Gong, or temple of The Heavenly Queen, on the corner of Jl. Sulawesi and Jl. Serui. It was built in early 18th century, and was restored in 1738, 1803 and 1867.
The statue of the Heavenly Queen, Tina Hou, to whom it is dedicated, stands at the back of the main altar, behind a wooden partition.
The long Xian Gong, or Temple of the Apparition of the dragon, at Jl. Sulawesi and Jl.Bali was built in 1868. the central altar is dedicated to Cian Mu, mother of the immortals that on the right to Mi Lo Fo, patrons of jewelers, that on the left to Tu Di Gong, god of the soil and wealth.
The Temple of the association of merchants of Guangdong, near the Long Xian Gong, was damaged when the road was recently aligned. It is dedicated to Guan Di, who is the patron of the Guangdong association. The Chinese used to come here to swear oaths before testifying in court. On the left of Guan Di stand a horse and rider to whom mothers prayed that their children would be obedient.
The fourth temple, located on Jl. Lombok is relatively new. It was built after 1933 to replace an older one on Jl. Sulawesi, which had been destroyed during the Japanese occupation of the island.
- Orchid Breeding
Silk Weaving
Silk spun from cocoons grown near Soppeng is dyed and woven at Tenunan Sutera Alam on Jl. Ontah. The raw fiber is boiled for six and a half hours, when it becomes soft and glossy. It is then dyed in brilliant colors somewhat like the dyes for Thai Silks and then hung out to dry.
The skeins when dry are taken to a nearby room to be wound onto spools ready for weaving. In other rooms, on a number of large frames, silks in a variety of gorgeous clors are interwoven and blended rich blue and purples, yellows, goals, greens, pinks and reads. Some are woven in intricate designs, for others, the attraction lies in pure color and fine texture.
The factory management has opened a shop on the premises where silk is sold by the meter as well as in sarong lengths. Shoes may be ordered covered in the some fabric, with bags and hats to match.
- Coral Reefs
- Swimming and Diving
Another place to snorkel and dive is Kudingarang keke, an uninhabited sandbar that provides no shade other than a single wooden house. The sand here is white and dazzling, and the coral largely undamaged.
Experienced divers with a sense of adventure (and a feeling of security around sharks) can venture out to the edge of the continental shelf. The reef at Kapopasang fortunately offers some protection from the fearsome hammerhead shark. This is deep water : wthin less than 10 meters the reef plunges to a breathtaking 800 meters – a truly awesome sight.
The islands of Lanjukang and Langkai offer no protection from sharks : at the end of a 100 meter shelf, a sharp drop of some 600 meters takes you into the heart of hammer head territory. The diving here, certainly a stimulating experience, is not recommended for the faint hearted.
A short distance to the north of Ujung Pandang lie the extraordinary limestone formations of the cordillera, which stretches between Maros and Pangkajene. This is an area of great natural beauty, with rushing waterfalls and brightly bedizened but terflies.
The limestone hills are also famous for their prehistoric caves, in which the remains of Neolithic man have bee found. Some of these caves are open to visitors, and a visit to the caves can be combined with a trip to the waterfalls of Bantimurung.
- Bantimurung
Thanks to what has been written by Alfred Wallace in the last century in his book, the Malay archipelago, many archeologists, pre-historians and lepidopterists including Vladimir Nabokov who store a scientific article on the butterflies he discovered here, have studies this area.
- Malino
The road to Malino was completed in 1927, after which the town was developed as the hill resort of the Makassar area. In the colonial period, this was a hill station where Dutch officials and their families could escape from the heat of the plains. Market day in Manilo is Sunday morning and this is when the quiet town comes alive. The area is famous for its fruits and vegetables, tree tomatoes (tamarillos), passion fruit (markisa), and avocados, which are a bargain. Orchids, birds and woven baskets are among the wares to be found here. Its greatest moment came in July 1946, when the Malino Conference laid the foundation for the ill-fated Dutch strategy of federalism for post war Indonesia.
Twice a year, in May and November, Malino is ablaze with flowers from the tall red tulip trees, which border the roads and parks. The cool mountain air is conducive to long walks among the pine forests and surrounding hills.
- Historical Sites
Gowa and Tallo each had their own centers of spiritual power, where kings were both crowned and buried, and where a large wooden palace on stilts housed members of the royal family.
The royal tombs, graves, palace and treasures of Gowa can be visited by catching a bemo from the central terminal. Just before the portals of Kabupaten Gowa, 8 km out of the city, a road leads off to the left of a complex of graves in the center of the old Gowa Kingdom (Kale Gowa).
- Gowa Palace
Further up the main road at Sungguminasa is the royal palace of Gowa. The palace was built in 1936, in traditional style on stilts, with an imposing rofed flight of steps leading up to a large reception room. The rank of the occupant is shown in the gable of the roof. Other than the architecture, the main points of interests are the treasure and royal regalia (pusaka) kept locked in a room on the left.The Tallo dynasty reportedly began with Karaeng Loe, a 15th century prince of Gowa who sought to establish a new kingdom at the strategic point of land formed between the sea and the Tallo River. In the early 16th century this dynasty formed an alliance with the expanding power of Gowa, to make the Makassar State ‘one people with two kings.’ Although, Gowa provided the senior monarch, Tallo frequently provided the court chancellor (pabicara butta) who exercise day to day control of the affairs of state.
The dualism was especially marked during the heyday of Makassar between 1590 and 1654. the great King Tallo, paraeng Matoaya or Sultan Awal-ul-Islamd (r. 1593 and 1636), as chancellor of Makassar was largely responsible for the Islamization of South Sulawesi.
Sombaoupu (homage to the lord), 7 km south of Ujung Pandang, was the mightiest of eleven great fortresses than once lined the coast of Makassar as far north as Tallo.
The origin of Sombaopu appears to lie in a Malay settlement just south of the Jeneberang. Here in the mid 16th century, a small group of Malay traders were encouraged to settled by Tunipalangga, the 10th ruler Gowa.
Since June 1989 a team of Indonesian archeologists has been working to preserve and protect this historic site. The restoration has been guided by two maps. One is a Dutch map of Makassar dated 1638, discovered recently in a European library. The other is an 18th century palm leaf map written in the Makassarese script by an unknown author, showing the layout of the city and plan of the royal palace.
Alongside Sombaopu, four cultural villages are being built. They will be living villages aimed at preserving the traditional way of life and customs of South Sulawesi’s four main ethnic groups : Bugis, Makassarese, Toraja, and Mandarese. It is hoped these cultures will be able to maintain their identity in the face of today’s rapidly changing world.
- North of Ujung Pandang
Parepare (population 86,000) has a relatively short history. It was formerly part of the kingdom of Suppa, which played an important role in the history of the area. The Portuguese claimed that the Raja of Suppa and some of his nobles were converted to Christianity in 1543, more than 60 years before Makassar became Islam.
Parepare the second largest port in South Sulawesi after Unjung Pandang is now known chiefly as an important trade center and a stopping place for travelers between Ujung Pandang and Toraja. The main animal export harbor in the province, it has a regular boat service (now reckoned for its safety) to Donggala, Kalimantan and Surabaya. Passengers travel above, and cattle below. There is also a freight service, mainly for cattle, to Singapore and Hong Kong. Boats are built and repaired in the port.
There are views of the town and the bay from the hills to the north. The bay can also be appreciated from the waterfront. There are magnificent sunsets and lively night market here. At the harbor you can see the Bago, a local type of Prahu.
The southern coast of peninsula is the Makassarese heartland . boat buildings and many other traditional crafts can best be seen here.
By road, the trip from Ujung Pandang all around the south coast to Sinjai through Takalar, Jeneponto, Bulukumba and Kajang is 221 km long. The return journey can be made either by passing over the hills via Malino, or farther north via Watampone (Bone). Side trips to the boat building center village of Bira invoble a bad road and no accommodations, but from here there is a daily ferry to Selayar.
- Tana Toraja
The long highway heading north from Ujungpandang, after 130 km of bugging the coastline of South Sulawesi, begins its fantastic, winding ascent to the mountains. Passing the gateway arch of Tana Toraja, the road leads through the small market village of Mebali.
Tana Toraja unquestionably is one of the most beautiful regions of Indonesia. There are about 330,000 inhabitants of Kabupaten Tana Toraja, also known as Toraja Land.
Before the Dutch conquest of the highlands in the early 20th century, there was no word in the Toraja language for religion and no conception among the Torajanese of a separate domain of thought and action directed toward the spiritual world. Instead, there was aluk – a word which refers to the way in which both rituals and daily life are to be conducted – how houses are to be built, rice cooked (or avoided), children or village heads addressed. Aluk contains the rules for the number of buffalo to be sacrificed at funeral as well as the position of the stars when planting should begin. One of its basic tenets is that a constant exchange of gifts, blessing and even curses must occur between the living and the spirits of their ancestors.
Missionaries who followed on the heels of the first Dutch colonial administrators on Sulawesi in 1906 could not help but notice that the Torajanese inhabit a world populated by spirits and ancestors whom required feeding and frequent sacrifice. In fact many Torajanese today still refer to their religion as feeding the ancestors or Pa’ kandean Nene.
The first representative of the Dutch reformed Church was a certain A.A van de Lookdrecht, who tried to win over converts but ultimately failed in his attempts to put a stop to the elaborate Toraja death feasts. He observed correctly and many people pawned and lost their land as a result of ritual obligations, but in 1917 his intrusion upon Toraja traditions culminated in an outburst of violence, during which van de Loosdrecht died of a stab wound to the chest.
The Dutch reformed Hurch eventually refined its tactics and carved out a workable separation between custom (adapt) and religion (aluk, or agama in Indonesia). To sacrifice a water buffalow was acceptable, provided that the meat was distributed to the living – a customary social act – and not offered to the spirits. It was definitely unacceptable however, to carve pagan images of the dead.
The national government declared in 1969 that the traditional religion of the Toraja, now labeled aluk to dolo, ‘ the aluk of the ancentors,’ was officially recognized as a brand of Hinduism. This is interesting development came at a time when Tana Toraja was being promoted as an alternative tourist attraction to Bali, and a Protestant Toraja land would appeal less to tourist than a pagan one.
Before the Dutch conquest of the highlands in the early 20th century, there was no word in the Toraja language for religion and no conception among the Torajanese of a separate domain of thought and action directed toward the spiritual world. Instead, there was aluk – a word which refers to the way in which both rituals and daily life are to be conducted – how houses are to be built, rice cooked (or avoided), children or village heads addressed. Aluk contains the rules for the number of buffalo to be sacrificed at funeral as well as the position of the stars when planting should begin. One of its basic tenets is that a constant exchange of gifts, blessing and even curses must occur between the living and the spirits of their ancestors.
Missionaries who followed on the heels of the first Dutch colonial administrators on Sulawesi in 1906 could not help but notice that the Torajanese inhabit a world populated by spirits and ancestors whom required feeding and frequent sacrifice. In fact many Torajanese today still refer to their religion as feeding the ancestors or Pa’ kandean Nene.
The first representative of the Dutch reformed Church was a certain A.A van de Lookdrecht, who tried to win over converts but ultimately failed in his attempts to put a stop to the elaborate Toraja death feasts. He observed correctly and many people pawned and lost their land as a result of ritual obligations, but in 1917 his intrusion upon Toraja traditions culminated in an outburst of violence, during which van de Loosdrecht died of a stab wound to the chest.
The Dutch reformed Hurch eventually refined its tactics and carved out a workable separation between custom (adapt) and religion (aluk, or agama in Indonesia). To sacrifice a water buffalow was acceptable, provided that the meat was distributed to the living – a customary social act – and not offered to the spirits. It was definitely unacceptable however, to carve pagan images of the dead.
The national government declared in 1969 that the traditional religion of the Toraja, now labeled aluk to dolo, ‘ the aluk of the ancentors,’ was officially recognized as a brand of Hinduism. This is interesting development came at a time when Tana Toraja was being promoted as an alternative tourist attraction to Bali, and a Protestant Toraja land would appeal less to tourist than a pagan one.
- Me’Datu
A visitor is not likely to see this furtive ritual, which is performed quietly in house yards, fields and springs – wherever the spirits, or dead, reside.
The funeral rite is so important in Toraja that it is held even when a person dies at sea or in a distant land. In an aluk rite known as capturing the wind family members climb to a mountaintop, where they call the wind to fill a sarong. When it billows out, the sarong is closed for a moment, then released. A length of bamboo representing the corpse is then brought home and given a proper funeral.
All funerals in Toraja, however, grand or simple, are intended to transport the soul safely to the next world, whether to the aluk Puya or to a Christian heaven. All funerals are also intended to free survivors from their attachments to the deceased, and to reintegrate them into the world of the living through some form of sacrifice. For poor people, a symbolic sacrifice will do a chicken egg, or even just the striking of a chicken basket or a pigpen. But although a symbolic sacrifice may satisfy the spirits, genuine animal sacrifice is at the heart of the socially acceptable ceremony in Toraja.
- Rantepao
Karasik is the first village south of Rantepao on the road to Makale. As you reach the edge of town, watch for the Karasik marker indicating a trail up to the hillside to the left of the road. Karasik consists of a number of colorfully painted bamboo houses fringing a large ritual field (rante) with several stone menhirs.
Another 5 km down the main road is Londa, one of the most frequently visited cave burial sites in Tana Toraja. Catch a bemo headed for Makale and ask to be let off at the entrance of Londa, then walk one kilometer east ; the road is clearly sign posted.
Adjacent to caves is a balcony filled with tau tau gazing out over a lush rice field. Traditionally, only certain nobles were allowed to have taut au. Today, Christian religious officials are ambivalent about this practice and some ministers from the Toraja Church have been known to refuse to officiate at funeral ceremonies where taut au is present. The Catolic Church, however, has proven itself much more tolerant as to the use of taut au.
A trail to the east of Londa brings you to Pabaisenan (Liang Pia). Here you will find a hearty old tree where infants who died before teething are laid to rest. The corpse are placed in cavities cut into the trunk, and are then sealed, so that the tree eventually grows around the infant’s remains. Returning to the main road, a further 3 km, will bring you to the turn off for the pool at Tilanga, turn left at the signpost and follow a somewhat bumpy road for another 5 km to this clear natural swimming hole lodged in a bamboo forest. The water is cool and refreshing, although the pool is to be avoided on Sundays when the local crowds come out in full force. From here you can head on south 2.5 km to Lemo, a nice walk through rice fields.
Lemo, 12 km south Rantepao, is one of the most impressive Cliffside gravesites in the entire region. To get here, turn left at the marked signpost and head east a few hundred meters.
Dozen of effigies stand solemnly in niches overlooking the valley below. Adjacent to them are carved wooden doors, which seal the remains of the deceased in tombs hewn out of the cliff. Sadly, most of the original taut au here were stolen in 1980s – only the few effigies in the upper rows are original.
Two kilometers south of Rantepao on the road to Makale is a left turn, which leads into a parallel valley with many interesting villages and ritual sites. The turn off is clearly marked ‘To Ke’te Kesu.’
Buntupune, one kilometer from the junction, has two turn of the century traditional houses or tongkonan and six rice barns. The Tongkonan on the western side was erected by Pong Maramba, a nobleman who was the first district head during Dutch colonial items. When his plan to revolt against the Dutch was discovered, he was exiled to Ambon. After his death his body was carried back to Tana Toraja and buried in the mountain just north of Buntupune.
Another 2 km brings you to Ke’Te Kesu, one of the regions oldest and most visited traditional villages idyllically located in a virtual sea of rice fields.
On the little hill at the turn off the village, you can watch carvers at work. The village itself has four well-kept tongkonan and a long row of rice barns. The residents of the village sell handicrafts, and the bottom floor of Tongkonan Kesu (in the middle) has been converted into a small museum.
The path at the far end of the village leads to several mossy menhirs, reminders of the funerals of important aristocrats. To see the village’s ancestral burial cliffs, take the trail behind the museum. The large cement tomb adorned with a strikingly realistic taut au belongs to F.K Sarungallo, a charismatic tongkonan leader, church figure and politician who died in 1986.
A little further on from Ke’Te Kesu, off the side of the main road, is the village of Sullukang, where there are several large menhirs installed on the rante. A group of taut au was once housed under the over grown shack on the rocky platform, but have now also been removed for safekeeping.
Palatokke (also known as Mengke’pe) is a seldom visited village and gravesite, which can be reached via an idyllic path from Sullukang. As the path wanders through terraced rice fields and quiet villages, you will need to ask directions, or you can hire a guide.
The metalworking village of La’Bo which can be reached by continuing southeast from Palatokke, or by returning to the main road from Sullukang and continuing on for 3 km. Here you will find black smiths forging scrap iron into fine knives (parang). Their impressive billows are made from hollowed logs with feather lined air pumps the name of the area, La’Bo, is a Torajan term meaning large knife.
Leaving La’Bo, the road splits, with the right fork leading to another black smith’s village called Randanbatu. Another 12 km down the road lies Sanggala, the site of a bamboo palace constructed on top of a leveled off hill and a few graves. Some of the most attractive and lest visited places of interest in this area are north of Rantepao.
The first village of interest is Pangli, 8 km from Rantepao, where you see the house grave of a noted Toraja, Pong Massangka, who fought against the first Dutch missionaries , but who was later converted to Christianity.
You can reach Pangli on foot from Rantepao along a paralleled trail. Take the road running north out of town, then turn right at the next fork in the road. A pleasans, leisurely 7 km walk brings you to Parinding, a traditional village with impressive tongkonan houses and rice barns. Bori, another kilometer down the road, has a large Rante. A short walk will bring you to a T-junction, where you turn right for Pangli.
From Pangli, the trails continue north along the Sa’dan River to Palawa, on the left. A rice barn and a few bogus taut au welcome visitors to the villages, where rather splendid tongkonans double as kiosks selling souvenirs items from all over Indonesia.
Another 4 km down the track, a left hand fork 300 meters before a bridge leads uphill to Sa’dan Sangkombang, a relaxed, friendly village. Here women can be seen weaving traditional textiles beneath their houses. Continuing along the main road 400 meters, a left turn just before the bridge brings you into Sa’dam To barana. At the back of the village are for rice barns set on a manicured lawn. Alongside them are some kiosks selling textiles, the village is worth visiting for the splendid views of terraced rice fields and distant mountains to the west.
A pleasant walk southwest of Rantepao along the western bank of the Sa’dan River leads to Singki, set on a hill overlooking the town. The summit of the hill offers an excellent view of the surrounding countryside. From the center of Rantepao go south on the road that parallels the river, then go right over the bridge.
Some 50 meters up the road takes the trail leading off to the right. Although it is a short walk from here to the peak, the trail is overgrown and slippery in the wet season.
The road to Singki continues on the Siguntu, a traditional village 5 km southwest of Rantepao. To get to Siguntu, go beyond Singki village and follow the road until you spot a road branching off to the right up the hill. Siguntu offers three elaborately carved tongkonans, rice barns and pleasant sunset views of the valley.