$60 Village Homestay in Toraja, Indonesia 🇮🇩

I travelled from Makassar to the land of the Toraja people to stay with a local family.
The Torajans are a tribe who live in Central Sulawesi and are famous for their interesting rituals.
Ordinarily, travelling from Makassar to the Toraja regency would take a whole day of travel. The guide books will tell you it's a 9 hour bus ride on mostly bumpy roads. Thankfully, I learned that a new airport had been built in Tana Toraja and there were a few flights per week to there, directly from Makassar.
A 35 minute flight beats a 9 hour bus journey, without doubt.
The flight with Lion Air cost 1,100,000 rupiah ($75 USD) and to check 20Kg of luggage cost an extra 500,000 ($34 USD). Definitely more expensive than the bus option, but totally worth it to save a whole day of travelling.
The new Toraja airport was really nice. Super clean and surrounded by the beautiful landscape of Tana Toraja. Since there's only a maximum of 1 flight per day, it's a hassle free experience. No long waits to collect the baggage or anything like that.
I arranged with my homestay to be picked up in a car. Apparently there used to be an airport shuttle bus but due to lack of demand it doesn't run any more. So private transport is the only way.
It cost 250,000 rupiah ($17 USD) for the 45 minute private taxi ride, which is pretty expensive compared to taxi and Grab app prices in Indonesian cities. In this part of Sulawesi there's no metered taxi's or ride hailing apps, unfortunately.
I did rent a motorbike for my entire Toraja trip, though, so no more hassle or expense with transport. This was also arranged through my homestay at the cost of 100,000 rupiah ($6.80 USD) per day, which is quite reasonable.
At my homestay, which is called Rura Raya, I was greeted by the lovely lady who runs it with her brother. She was so friendly and gave the type of personal welcome to the accommodation that you can only get in a homestay, not in a commercial hotel.
The homestay is in Rantepao, the main city of the Toraja Utara regency. It's a separate regency from the Tana Toraja regency where the airport is located, but both these regencies are home to th Toraja people.
The Rura Raya homestay is in a western style home, surrounded by Tongkonans, which are traditional Torajan buildings. There were many small Tongkonans which are used to store rice, and a big Tongkonan that was formally the family home, before they moved into the more modern building they built next to it.
My room was simple, but very comfortable, with attached bathroom with hot shower. There was no AC but it wasn't needed as the climate in North Toraja is very cool, being at a high altitude.
The room cost 855,000 rupiah ($58 USD) per night and I felt like it was good value compared to other options in the area. There are a few actual hotels in the Toraja area but they all looked pretty terrible, so homestays are definitely the way to go if you visit this place.
After getting settled in to my new home, I took the motorbike out for a little bit of an adventure. I found a village called 'Ke'te Kesu' where they have a traditional Toraja cemetery. At this burial place, Toraja people are buried above ground, with coffins attached to the side of a cliff.
It was an incredible sight, and like nothing I'd ever seen before.
0:00 Toraja Flight
2:52 Toraja Airport
7:28 Road Trip to North Toraja
10:15 Toraja Homestay
31:04 Toraja Motorbike Adventure
36:51 Ke'te Kesu Village
40:58 Toraja Cemetery
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[@Dale_Philip]

What an awesome are of Indonesia to visit and rent a motorbike, with well maintained roads, light traffic and beautiful scenery. 😎👍

[@TheHazzaaHD]

Excited for this one.

[@siuupeeed]

Nive bro

[@johnny_banger45]

What a beautiful scenery from the homestay.

[@arthurtuju7394]

Next to manado

[@yunicoardianpradana7288]

Dale if you are still in indonesia, I hope you can visit banyuwangi .... It is beside of bali and has plenty of beautiful place such as tabuhan island, baluran national park, alas purwo national park, plengkung beach which has one of the biggest wave in the world, osing tribe with their unique tradition, etc. I guarantee you will not regret it and want to visit again ....

[@mjstc7893]

Gosh this place looks so beautiful. Dale you've been to more places in Indonesia than many of us Indonesians 😂

[@b2r725]

bangsa eropa itu emg basic nya nomaden jadi suka keliling explore kemana aja, beda ama bngsa2 asia gitu alamnya berlimpah banget jadi udah kemanja sumber daya alamnya jadi gaperlu explore lagi buat nyari2 wkwkwk

[@uwucioo8932]

kapan2 coba ke Toraja kak, emg sebagus ituuuu apalagi kesana langsung. ✨

[@meonggaming1764]

@@uwucioo8932 saya sudah perna kesana tepat hotel yang di tempati sam dale ini itu hotel kenangan saya pas zaman masi smk waktu study tour dulu viaw darat pakai bus jalan nya bikin pusing

[@lainmahashima8211]

​@@b2r725 lebih ke explorer daripada nomaden, nomaden mah kaya orang di asia tengah kaya mongol, kazakhstan krn terlihat dan tercermin dari budaya mereka yang rumahnya kaya tenda dan sgt suka berkuda, mereka juga gapunya budaya cocok tanam. orang eropa kalo dari kulturnya ttp suka menetap dan membangun sesuatu ttp mereka juga suka explore tempat lain yang akan dibawa ke tempat mereka menetap.

[@josephfisher9043]

I love how the homestead actually feels like a home welcoming you bringing you drinks and sitting on the stairs talking to you so wholesome

[@lemonbread6029]

When the boy is saying 10-10-10 in 44:55, he's trying to say the price to rent the lamp is Rp30.000 basically, and "Pemandu = Guide, seikhlasnya = Pay as you like", which you pay for the guide as the donation. He's asking his friends to look for the English word for "Seikhlasnya" using Google Translate 😅 Hope it helps and enjoy Toraja Dale!

[@deidresable]

Pay as you like

[@lemonbread6029]

@@deidresable yes, I corrected it, thanks for letting me know :)

[@_dah_bocah]

Masalahnya lampunya aja kagak terang akwoakoskao

[@adhivaluable]

​​@@_dah_bocahgak punya duit nonton aja, bule kaya gak kebanyakan cingcong, menurutnya dia butuh harga masuk akal dan dia punya duit kenapa tidak, beda dengan mental kere, sewa 2000 jg masih nawar

[@ferdiikhsani5038]

47:38 Kids : "Hati-hati, mr" Dale : "Oh, yes" Kids : "Nice to meet you" Dale : "Nice to meet you too" Oooo man i love it the vibes 😂

[@Carolinaayyy]

🤣🤣 aku juga ngakak,anak kecilnya pinter bangett

[@tridji7844]

😂😂

[@snowyday19th]

😂😂😂

[@dweeble1710]

@@Carolinaayyy Iya pinter ngerokok....

[@Carolinaayyy]

@@dweeble1710 :v ambil sisi baiknya aja dulu

[@BagsPackedFamily]

We absolutely loved our trip to Tana Toraja last year! I hope you have the opportunity to visit the water buffalo market and funeral.

[@Dale_Philip]

Sure did. What an amazingly unique culture they have in this part of Sulawesi.

[@15_muhamadrizal64]

@@Aakpakkariyepak indonesia is better

[@oxNth]

​@@Dale_Philip taiwan is better choice dale 😊

[@imaginebeingindian]

​@@oxNth china owns your country lol

[@ferdiikhsani5038]

Yeah, its cool

[@giannishen]

That Homestay really feels like a home, and the hostess is very kind! I really don't understand why they want to turn the cemetery into a tourist attraction? Watching this video feels like time flies, thank you very much for sharing! 👍😃🙏

[@TheOnaru]

the reason like pyramid in Egypt I think 🙂

[@giannishen]

@@TheOnaru Thanks a lot for letting me know! You are very nice!

[@greedisbad9890]

It's because their views on death is way different than most of the people in the world

[@giannishen]

@@greedisbad9890 Okay, thanks a lot for letting me know! You are very nice, too!

[@uwucioo8932]

the land of Toraja ( Tana Toraja) has a very strong culture, Toraja visitors mostly visit cemeteries because it is one of the uniqueness of Toraja culture.

[@jacquelineb4375]

The boy in the blue t shirt was quite funny, no wonder his mates were laughing. How lovely it is to meet people like him & the nice family at your home stay Dale. Travel is so much fun, plus travelling alone is not boring or anti social. Speaking for myself, you experience more & see more when travelling alone. Hello from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🖐️

[@smithyc2051]

That woman showing you around the house was an amazing human being.

[@saidalarif-yh3dq]

What a friendly hostess😂

[@Glisteningyuhhhh]

Ya she was so cute

[@dimaswahyuas7437]

I laughed by myself because of ur interaction with the children

[@mikokittenuwu4820]

One of em was smoking and blowing circles lmfao

[@HYPERBOREA_TMG]

​@@mikokittenuwu4820typical Indonesian kids activities, and usual culture shock for foreigners when visiting rural villages.

[@GoodLifeInSpain]

I had the good fortune of having lived in Southeast Asia for a year and people are so welcoming and friendly.

[@metaphysgaming7406]

those kids don't seem to be afraid of anything , and the kid tries to communicate even though his english is very bad , i like his courage

[@eggwitheyez]

You know it's a good Sunday when Dale uploads!

[@Hellothere-dj9ky]

Damn true

[@elkedge8880]

True

[@itsjohnelkhoury]

So good to watch while eating.

[@elkedge8880]

@@itsjohnelkhoury eating a toenail

[@mrpullups6859]

​@@elkedge8880 bruh 💀🤣

[@aakhbaf4921]

Indonesia is awesome! thanks for sharing your experience with us. I hope some day I can visit it there. Very beautiful country and friendly locals

[@italian-]

Im so happy when dale posts,it puts a smile on my face and his commentary is next level,keep going dale!❤

[@sharvari87]

Hey Dale. What an amazing and refreshing video. Such unique and entirely new stuff -Torajian houses, the coffins which we normally never see.. And a place very close to nature away from city hussle. Thanks for putting in so much effort to make your videos so interesting to watch.

[@stephenwilson298]

The brother and sister who own the place you are staying seem very very nice people and always smiling.

[@faisalsyahreza4377]

Thanks dale to give me a feeling being a traveler while watching your vlogs, I wish I can be a traveler like you someday

[@aku_mado]

mr Dale, you're so respectful and positive, ive been watching nothing but your channel these past days, keep it up

[@wesmedley3771]

Great video! Looking forward to many more from Toraja. I especially enjoy the videos of the more rural and quiet village areas and motorbike exploring like this and the Lake Toba videos.

[@rthrslp_]

​@Risman Somary ga bersyukur

[@rthrslp_]

@Risman Somary ywdh sih 😂

[@angelinecyy5868]

I hope you get to meet my aunt Judith in Toraja. She is British and moved herself from UK to Toraja .

[@Zoey505]

I was in Makassar last week and I loved it. The people are the kindest and most humble I have met. They are honest and friendly. I loved my trip. I hope to visit again and try tana toraja. Your video has been very very helpful in my plans . Thank you.

[@yuspan_kombong365]

Terimaksih Mr Dale telah mengunjungi kota kami Toraja, semogah dengan kedatangan dan video mu ini bisa segera memulihkan kembali pariwisata toraja paska wabah covid dan khusus nya touris seperti anda semogah semakin berdatangan 😇🙏

[@marisstella300]

Wah Dale ..aku senang melihat kamu ke Toraja,itu kampung saya yang sangat indah ,sejuk dan unik..selamat berlibur 🙏🙏👍👍

[@iandeschene6263]

Love the videos dale, always brings enjoyment to my day and i couldn't appreciate that more! Wish you Well!

[@yl1438]

Dale, as an Indonesian, I also often experience awkward moments between 10 and 12 o'clock, I greet someone selamat pagi/good morning, sometimes they are answered selamat siang/good afternoon, or vice versa, I greet selamat siang/good afternoon and the answer is selamat pagi, ini kan masih pagi (good morning, it's still morning). awkward moments , no big problem at all.

[@twiraarjuna1172]

😂😂 yang orang indo aja bingung

[@CalvinRC]

love you dale, you are a huge inspiration. i'm starting my travels to indonesia and india this winter, you really inspire me

[@juleisha123]

This is going to be one amazing series! Looking forward to the rest of the videos.

[@juleisha123]

@Risman Somary kenapa dong

[@17MAJI]

The vibes there are so peaceful and the people that run the place are just lovely. I MUST visit one day 😎 Another Great video Dale!

[@tubester4567]

Its kind of sad how smoking children are allowed to rip off tourists though,

[@Farsting]

Your Video is The BEST i Ever Seen Greetings From Indonesia 🇮🇩🤝🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@jacquelinecote271]

Wonderful to see you Dale.. This is a fun adventure. Can't wait for more!! Thank you 😊

[@ekenfatmasari3868]

Toraja is breathtaking, i'm proud to be Indonesian. So many beautiful scenery in Indonesia. And welcome to Indonesia guys

[@milasaid]

went there 8 years ago, so much progress since then, more accessible

[@intandewi8862]

I've more enjoyed your adventure in the place like this more than big city.. with less people and authentic place Thanks for sharing this amazing experience..

[@kendagoatt]

Hey Dale, I just discovered your channel and wanted to thank you for all these amazing vlogs! I've always shied away from wanting to travel to countries like India or Indonesia because of bad stereotypes like being robbed and scammed there all the time and such. And while some of those may be true to a certain extent, I've learned, that you just gotta be aware of what your buying, and have a certain idea of the normal price of what you're buying, like shown in your videos. But thanks to you, I've discovered that the street shops and the nature in India or Indonesia is what I've always been craving for. Seeing the honest working street shops making honest money with their handicraft or self-harvested fresh fruits just warms my heart and makes me really want to go there. These fascinating Buddha temples and extraordinary views are exactly what I've been dreaming of seeing, and you surely helped me confirm that. I wanna travel to Asia! Please keep entertaining people and representing these beautiful countries, you are one of the greatest vloggers in my eyes, thank you!

[@luckyjobs1176]

sorry, dale's video is not in india but indonesia. interesting, we are waiting for you to come to our beautiful country. 

[@tipattahu_U]

Great adventure Dale !!! Really enjoyed it, thanks 👍👍

[@Smarty9300]

What brilliant places you go to !!! Wow ... I recently went to a smashing place in a tiny little village up the hill on the border of India and pakistan and it was just as unique and remote nd peopl e as warm nd friendly as the air was cold.... would love to go check this homestay if I go to Indonesia

[@rheena7817]

😊After seeing him visiting cities in Indonesia for a long time, he finally arrived in Toraja. Thank you for visiting Toraja

[@yinarofficial]

Wihh tempat penginapannya sangat bagus dan bisa melihat pemandangan alam yang sangat indah disekitarnya 👍

[@brentgambrell]

Another Dale video??? Today is a great day! Dale and his two strong legs on a new adventure! 🎉

[@pablo19136]

Wow what a beautiful place Dale the hostess is lovely so friendly.

[@ardisetiawan7819]

thank you dale, for exploring the beauty of Indonesia and Indonesian culture.

[@cm9859]

Really fun vlog staying in a beautiful country and homestay. Cool! Different vlog. Fun watching you staying in family home and views and asking family questions too.

[@keziatudang3715]

OMG YOU FINALLY DID?! Thank u so much for visiting our hometown, I hope you enjoy your trip there! and comeback another time!❤

[@alextanan3880]

Welcome to Toraja dale, i've been following you in exploring Indonesia for a long time and thought when did you come to Toraja to see its beauty n uniqueness....and finally you came to here in our beloved village, hope you enjoy it.

[@Therev_Sullivan]

Gas = Bensin Be careful = Hati - Hati 05.00 - 10.00 = Selamat pagi 11.00 - 14.00 = Selamat siang 15.00 - 18. 00 = Selamat sore 19.00 - 04.00 = Selamat malam

[@monsieur9247]

Since i found for the first time your channel, i like a lot and i watch all your videos from different countries, and now finally you visit my lovely village Toraja. Thanks alot Mr. Dale.

[@esmir2129]

Wow such a lovely place,people speak very good english and they are so friendly👍🤗

[@edwardsnowdenofficial]

Wow Dale this place looks absolutely amazing! I need to visit Indonesia and this place especially! Looks fabulous!!

[@justinlimnardy9407]

Dale, you inspire me to choose tourism as my uni major so thank you.😊

[@cm9859]

Beautiful room and view. House just below so pretty too. Woodwork alot. Wonderful trip. Experiences.

[@preetirnaik]

Day by day vlogs becoming more n more intresting and joyful .

[@ZFraanK]

OMG the climate anda clouds so amazing!!!. Cheers from argentina

[@Vi3Corner]

Lieve Dale, 'bensin' is from Dutch language 'benzine', heel veel plezier en geniet ervan in Toraja. Groetjes, fan from The Netherlands 😊😊

[@ahorichan]

Hi Dale, I found your channel through Facebook. I love your videos. They are very calming to watch. I really helps me with my anxiety and when I have though times I watch your travels to relax. Keep on going on your wee adventures! 💕

[@Silent_Owl91]

Awesome video! Loved the houses and the motorbike ride with those scenic views! 👌😎

[@manvictor7784]

THANKS FOR SHOWING US THAT BEAUTIFUL PLACE

[@frolleinrottenmeier5034]

That was the perfect Sunday afternoon treat, thank you.

[@netstormuk]

Love it when you explore the rural areas, thanks Dale!

[@melkiwillianus38]

I think the right time for you to visit Toraja is August, because you can witness firsthand the ma'nene' tradition (wrapping and cleaning a corpse). But I'm glad to hear that you are already in Toraja. I always follow your content and finally you come to our village 🤩🤩. Enjoy your trip 😇

[@SOULxOnSpotify]

i love the lady who owns the home she’s wholesome and kinda goofy

[@Audiodakwah1]

You should also visit the island of Wakatobi, one of the most beautiful islands in Sulawesi

[@Sir__Angelo]

Thanks for your videos and your effort! Been watching your videos for the last couple of days! Writing my master thesis and the travel videos are a good and funny variety

[@mialestary1351]

Bro, kamu sangat humble. Aku akan jadi salah satu penggemarmu mulai saat ini

[@ZackStargaze]

any day that dale philip uploads, is a good day. ❤

[@michael1378]

So amazing to see you come to Toraja Dale and enjoy 👍

[@JLEDITZ2.0]

Hey Dale I'm new here to your channel and I'm already loving your content just travelling around the country and even being able to communicate.

[@owenlantu192]

Indonesia is very beautiful. The beautiful islands in the world.

[@dytbigwin]

It's soooo funnyyyy when you had a conversation with the kids 😂😂 ten ten ten ten 😂😂❤❤

[@cm9859]

Beautiful home and room with balcony and view. Nice family. Home looks immaculate. Homestay room is so pretty.

[@dansmith9718]

Awesome video really enjoyed this one, those houses were different! I enjoyed the motorbike ride to with those scenic views, looking forward to the next one!😎😎

[@474bonnie]

Awesome culture the Torajan have. Thanks for visiting. Investigated a bit more on their rites and maintaining the dead. Remarkable reading!

[@SuperRonnie1970]

The lady was lovely and how friendly are they, I have been reading about the hanging coffins wow!!!! Worth a read Dale. Love your vlogs as it shows the areas that are not tourist traps and shows the real way of life 😊 take care and safe travels where ever you may go ❤

[@Fatimah-jd9su]

Wow tanah Toraja its beautiful..I m always happy see your Vidio ❤ salam from Kalimantan Selatan Indonesia ❤

[@cm9859]

❤ Oh my gosh, such beautiful scenery. Greenery. Lush. Mountains. Interesting 😊 video. Nice 👍

[@K1ngRo]

Yes letsgooo, on another adventure with Dale! 💪🏻😁

[@putripratiwi1862]

One of my favorite destinations is Tana Toraja. Hope I can get there soon ❤

[@NotAHoyoSlave]

I have watched all of your videos! You're my favorite Vlogger. SCOTLANDIA NUMBER ONE!!

[@idrisustannkisnemesi8561]

Dale, you're so cool man keep it up with your positivity and high energy!

[@kaisagaramata4103]

Yer man never dissapoints me,this video reminds me of you in sumatra few years ago nice video dale!👍👍😁

[@corry2760]

Im a native torajan, and people always said that toraja is beautiful. Last time i went to toraja was in december 2022 when i was going for christmas, My grandma live quite near to the homestay you were staying, while my other grandma lives in Mount sesean. Also the place you were staying is not rantepao, But it is Alang-alang

[@aswarasril1220]

Im from west sulawesi Do you have instagtam

[@Tomriddle19948]

Toraja is beautiful but kind of scary when the bodies see like that not properly burried 😬

[@IDMarketer]

@@Tomriddle19948 what is the definition of proper buried? You mean to burn? Or buried like Muslim or ordinary christian graveyard? Dude, probably you need to know more about how diversity human culture is

[@putatoee]

Again a great video to forget the bad times ..

[@Ranteallo]

Terima kasih Dale.telah menjelajahi keindahan indonesia dan budaya Toraja

[@snehasishmazumder2425]

Tana Toreja is something to look out for..!!

[@divine6942]

Hey Dale, thank you for visiting Toraja, precisely in Rantepao. By the way, the hotel you stayed at was very close to my house. Maybe about 180 meters. And the little kid you asked about petrol is my little brother😂 His name is wirlen. And my house is right next to where you fill up the gas. When I showed this video to my brother, he felt embarrassed because he couldn't talk to strangers😂 yeahh thanks again for visiting toraja, and I hope we can meet and talk to each other😂 Thank you Dale✨

[@iwanpujakesuma-wz5xq]

Bantu lah si dale Anda harus jadi tour guide nya

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

suruh belajar bahasa inggris.

[@zifnag]

Your little bro shouldn't feel embarrassed, he put himself out there and was trying to help out a total stranger. He's got a lot of heart for that.

[@Donnyputrax]

I was really sad today, then i saw ur notification.. thank uuuu!

[@kareena281]

Wowww super friendly people ! Amazing homestay! Definitely visiting!

[@Sphinx952]

Thank you for taking us with you.

[@izwanhardy]

yeay finally a new video new adventure to enjoy😁🙏✨love to watch all your video all your review of the place n everything 🫡, beside i can also learn a bit about language culture and everything that very interesting to watch👍 wish to see you face to face and get a selfie will be great memories 🫡 big respect for you sir for being such generous person and have a very good common sense .. looking forward to see n enjoy more of your travelling video soon.. wish you doing well and good health 😁🤙 Salam dari Malaysia🇲🇾

[@themarkeyfamilyvlogs9903]

Hi dale my self being a edinburgh man . Proud and Scottish the amount of times l hVe watched every video constantly and watching a few videos of your past success making your career well done dude wish l could go travelling with you exploring the possibility out there ! Keep the videos coming !

[@xBvzzKillQc]

Love your Videos Dale. Much love from Ouje-Bougoumou Quebec.

[@ridhoprayogo1463]

enjoy your trip Yer Man at Toraja accomplish your mission there..wondefull Indonesia 🇮🇩🇮🇩

[@stevensonchrismanpratama9900]

Hi Dale, I'm a Torajanese who live in Maros, South Sulawesi. I'm so proud because of your visit in my hometown. By the way, you should try to go back to Makassar using a ride like a car or a bus, it might take 6-9 hours of drive, but trust me, you'll never be disappointed because of the views that you'll see along your way!

[@musthafahabibie729]

Ahh good sunday with you videos dale, thank you. Hope you always traveling in indonesia. Next i think you must go to west sumatera (bukittingi, padang, etc)

[@learn_english_everyday_]

MR DALEEE I ALWAYS WAITING FOR YOUR VIDEOOO, SO FANTASTIC!!!

[@ajithkannan4818]

Have a great day Dale enjoy your trip 💐

[@karibokribs8924]

you stay near my house dale 🤗😁😁very happy you are in toraja. Thank you for coming to our little town Dale🫰🫰

[@harismatosaris4433]

Welcome tanah Toraja Dale Philip , dan terimakasih atas kunjungannya, semoga senang dengan pemandangan yg indah di kampung kelahiran kami, dan sukses sllu🙏😇😇

[@yayachaya6424]

this is the most fun video in indonesia vlog series🙆🏻‍♀️

[@Broses101]

Everytime I see this man with a new video I get really excited better then Neflix