SOUTH SULAWESI TEXTILE TOUR

Destination: MAKASSAR, TORAJA & SENGKANG

Duration: 6 DAYS/5 NIGHTS

Start: MAKASSAR AIRPORT

End: MAKASSAR AIRPORT

 

DAY 01: MAKASSAR (A.K.A. UJUNGPANDANG) ARRIVAL (D)

Upon arrival at Makassar (Ujungpandang) on the island of Sulawesi, we will be picked up and transferred to our hotel.

 

DAY 02: MAKASSAR AIRPORT – PALOPO AIRPORT – TORAJA LAND (B,L,D).

 After breakfast transfer back to the airport.

Depart at 09:40 by flight for about 1 hour to Palopo airport.

Upon arrival at Palopo airport at 10:30AM, drive to Toraja for around 2 – 2.5 hours.

Arrive at Toraja Heritage hotel for check in and lunch at the hotel.

Free program in the afternoon.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 03: TORAJA CULTURAL TOUR (B,L,D).

Today we explore Tana Toraja, the land of the Toraja, who have a unique culture, characterized by traditional Tongkonan houses sitting amongst bright green rice terraces that are set against a stunning backdrop of tall limestone outcrops and blue misty mountains. Torajans bury their dead in a carved stone cliffs or caves, however before the corpse is placed in such a "tomb", it is laid to rest for a short period in the Tongkonan (the clan house) before a very elaborate and costly funeral ceremony. Torajans are famous for their spectacular, expensive and rather gruesome burial rites. After a person's death, the body is kept, often for several years, while money is saved to pay for the actual funeral ceremony, known as tomate. During the funeral, which may last up to a week, ritual dances and buffaloes and pigs are slaughtered to ferry the soul of the deceased to the afterlife. Should there be a funeral ceremony taking place, we will attempt to attend one.

Our tour includes a visits to the royal family tombs at Suaya, a cliff-side gravesite guarded by wood-carved painted effigies, called ‘tau tau’, followed by a visit to the site of a huge burial tree in Kambira, a place where Torajans bury babies and small children in the belief that they will continue to grow along with the tree.

We will enjoy our lunch at a local restaurant, enjoying lovely views of the rice fields.

In the afternoon, we visit Londa, a natural cave grave filled with wooden coffins and Kete Kesu village, which is famous for its traditional woodcarving craftsmen and “hanging coffins” located on nearby cliffs and caves.

Back to the hotel for dinner and overnight

 

DAY 03: TORAJA TEXTILE TOUR (B,L,D)

Our discovery of Tana Toraja’s textiles begins with a visit to Palawa, a village with beautiful Torajan traditional clan houses, called 'Tongkonan'. Each house is decorated with elaborate paintings and several buffalo horns on their front.

We then head to the Sa'dan Toraja village of To Barana to observe traditional cotton weaving techniques. Highland Toraja people weave with cotton on a back strap loom using a continuous warp, cross sticks or coil rods, and a two part cloth beam. They use the same design motifs and patterns regardless of the decorative technique. However, the loom components vary according to the decorative technique being used.

Back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

 

DAY 04: TORAJA – SENGKANG LONG SCNEIC DRIVE (B,L,D).

Today we head to Sengkang for around 6-7 hours including stops at beautiful beaches and interesting places, traditional villages.

Having our lunch at Enrekang, enjoying views of Buntu

Kebobong, a mountain with a unique-looking formation

Sengkang, the capital of a former Bugis kingdom, is a historic and bustling market town. The town is located by Lake Tempe and retains its old cultural traditions, including silk weaving. We will be cruising on shallow Lake Tempe on a Lopee Bugis motorized boat to see the floating houses of the Wajo fisherman, freshwater fish ponds and a large population of birdlife that inhabits these wetlands.

At sunset we relax on a floating house and enjoy a serene evening.

Check in at small but comfortable hotel

 

DAY 05: SENGKANG SILK WEAVING

After breakfast we take a silk weaving tour. Sengkang is the center of Buginese Silk, a great amount of multi-colored silk for clothing and sarong.

·        Our visits will includes the workshops and the silkworm farms

·        Lunch will be at local restaurant.

After lunch having a scenic drive for around 6 hours to Makassar city

·        In the early evening arrive at Makassar city

·        Check in at 4* hotel for dinner and overnight  

 

DAY 06: MAKASSAR SIGHTSEEING – MAKASSAR AIPORT.

After breakfast we take a short sightseeing in Makassar city. Since the Portuguese landed in Makassar in 1511, the city has been a major cosmopolitan trade centre with Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Siamese, Javanese and Malays merchants trading in manufactured metal goods, textiles, pearls, copper, camphor and spices.

In the morning we visit the Paotere Harbour, which is filled with Pinisi, the traditional Buginese sailing boats. Bustling with men carrying loads of cargo across narrow wooden planks that act as bridges from the boats to the dock, the harbour is always a lively and fascinating place.

We then visit Fort Rotterdam, which was rebuilt by the Dutch on the ruins of an old fort in the 17th century.

Lunch at local restaurant.

Transfer to the airport for flight to your next destination or back to Japan .

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