Lovely December in Toraja

This year, may be Lovely December in Toraja.

Toraja is known as high-land area and has a lot of beautiful panorama views/sceneries arround mountains. Usual high season for tourism is August and many foreign tourists (especially the French and other Europeans) to go arround unique tombs and funeral ceremonies using many buffalows as sacrifice animals. However, except August, Toraja is very quiet. It is very easy for you to look for any hotels or inns after arriving at Toraja. It means that tourism in Toraja faces decreasing of visitors.

Every year, Toraja had conducted the Toraja Festival in September but failed to get big attention from international market because that was event-origin and no sustainable strategies to next step. Toraja needs new concept and strategy to be more famous at international tourism market, not enough just waiting for coming tourists.

I had seen Toraja since 1987. During these 20 years, the behaviour of Toraja people had changed drastically. Many people do not hesitate any more to ask money to visitors. Most of them or their parent generation had kept their sincere attitude and hospitality to visitors and I feel very much like Toraja because of them not scenery or facilities. School children called me "Hello, welcome to Toraja" 20 years ago.

South Sulawesi Provincial Government is now considering to conduct new program named "Lovely December in Toraja". Toraja, majority of the people are christian, celebrates Christmas and New Year in good atmosphere. With this new program, Toraja people should revive their original hospitality and sincereness to visitors to give good memory of Toraja to them. I sincerely hope it.

Short Distance Flight from Makassar

After the previous operator (PT Dirgantara Air Service) was banned because of safety problem, now short distance flight from Makassar has just operated again since May 1, 2008 by new operator, PT Avia Star Mandiri, using turbo-prop Cassa 212-200 (20 passengers).

Makassar to Toraja
- Start from Makassar at 10:00 am on Tuesday and Friday
- Airfare: Rp. 204,000 (oneway)

Makassar to Selayar
- Start from Makassar at 7:00 am on Monday, 1:00 pm on Friday
- Airfare: Rp. 204,000.- (one way)

Makassar to Mamuju (Capital City of West Sulawesi Province) and Balikpapan
- Start from Makassar at 10:00 am on Monday, and 09:00 am on Wednesday
- Start from Mamuju to Balikpapan at 11:40 am on Monday, and 10:00 am on Wednesday
- Airfare: Makassar-Mamuju Rp. 218,300 (oneway)
- Airfare: Mamuju-Balikpapan Rp. 229,300 (oneway)

Makassar to Bua, Masamba, Seko and Rampi (North Luwu District, South Sulawesi)
- Thursday and Saturday
- Start from Makassar Hasanuddin Airport, at 7:00 am
- Arrive at Makassar at arround 12:30 pm.

Welcome to My New English Page

First of all, I want to introduce myself. I am now staying in Makassar, capital city of South Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

As you know, Makssar is located at west-south part of the Sulawesi island, which has very strange shape as "K" or like orchid flower or a starfish. They say that this shape had been created as the result of continental drift. I do not know whether this is true or not.

Anyway, I had been in Makassar in April 1996 to October 1998, March 1999 to March 2001, September 2006 to February 2008, and now has just started again since May 2008 for at least two years. In this regard, I want to introduce Sulawesi to you as my most favorite place in the world.