Once you read or give it a deeper study to Danis way of life, dont be surprise that you may find your eye lifting or forehead wrinkling. Why? Because the Dani is uniquely amazing.

The Dani men and women sleep separately in different honai (Danis traditional house). The men sleep grouped in one honai, while the women and children slumber in another honai. As descended from their ancestor, sex is taboo for the women after giving birth, for 2 or 5 years, as the result the Dani generated healthier kids since the women focus on babysitting the kids during the most important phase of growth. This situation makes the men vulnerable to polygamy, its a true fact of life that the Dani men are allowed to have more than 1 wife or as many as he can afford. A man should give 4-5 pigs to the girls parent he wants to marry. For Dani men, his social status are initiated by the number of wives and pigs he has.

Another remarkable custom of Dani is that women will amputate their finger when their relatives die, hence doesnt be surprise when you see women with missing finger.

To enhance the quality of your experience in Baliem Valley, guide is essential since there are no clear maps or signage initiated for visitor. The guide will help to lead the track, communicate with the local people and in advance, the guide will inform the tourist about local dos and donts.

Flying might be the only way to access the Baliem Valley through Wamena. Here are some alternatives on carrier from Jayapura to Wamena: (For further info, ask the officers at Sentani Airport Information Center).

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Trigana Air Services provide daily flights into and out of Wamena. Spot the Trigana Air Service Offices at Sentani Airport terminal and Wamena Airport terminal.
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MAF
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AMA
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Yajasi
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Manunggal Air
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Hercules carrier provide by Indonesian army (TNI)

To access Baliem Valley, you can rent car or public bus from Wamena.

For those who are adventurer and cultural observer in heart, stay and mingle with the Baliem Valley people is possible, just make sure your guide booked it before your visit. Go Show? Affordable.

If the first alternative is way too extreme, you can stay at hotels at Wamena:

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Wamena Hotel at Jl. Homhom 61
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Srikandi Hotel at Jl. Irian 16
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Pondok Wisata Putri Dani at Jl. Irian 40
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Nayak Hotel at Jl. Gatot Subroto 63
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Hotel Syah Rial Makmur at Jl. Gatot Subroto 45
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Hotel Anggrek at Jalan Ambon 1
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Baliem Pilamo Hotel at Jalan Trikora
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Baliem Valley Resort (3 star resort), www.baliem-valley-resort.de

Would you mind if we say ON FOOT? Healthy foot and fit body? Absolutely. Through trekking, you can witness traditional ceremonies, traditional markets and the people of Dani.

There is no restaurant inside the Baliem- Valley, a guide could bargain the Dani people to provide simple meals. Its stoutly advised, that the visitor bring their own meals and snack during the trekking. Meals and snacks can be found in grocery store at Wamena

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Souvenir can be easily found on the valley and buy the crafts directly from the Dani people.
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Stone blade is a major favorite for the tourist
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Sekan: rattan bracelate
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Noken: made from trees bark
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Head and arm necklace
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Jogal: grass skirt
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And other head decorations

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The captivating Baliem Fiesta is held on August around 10 - 17 August every year. The festival performs traditional dances, pig races, ancestral fighting and races. Today, Baliem Fiesta is one of the main reasons why tourists visit Papua. Its a magical Fiesta says most of the tourist.
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Join the large and busy local market at Sinatma.
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Spotting mummies at Kurulu Village.

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Guide is needed to explore the valley
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Dont forget to bring the copy of your Surat Keterangan Jalan
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Best time to visit is between March and August
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If you travel during the rainy season, be prepared with cold weather equipment
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Ask your guide about Dos and Donts in the Baliem Valley

Foreigner must obtain a travel permit letter or known as Surat Keterangan Jalan to get the access into the interior part of Papua. You can obtain the Surat Keterangan Jalan at main town police station such as Jayapura, Merauka, Timika, Biak, Nabire, Monokwari and other main city. The permit of lasts will depend on your request, from 1 week until 1 month or even longer. Please prepare copies of your passport, recent photograph and list of places you wish to visit. Its easy to get the Surat Keterangan Jalan, because the officers are friendly and helpful. The road from Makassar or Ujung Pandand to Toraja runs along the coast for about 130 km’s and then hits the mountains. After the entrance to Tana Toraja you enter a majestic landscape with giant gray, granites and stones and blue mountains at a distance after passing the market village of Mebali. They form a sharp contrast with the lively green of the fertile, rain-fed terraces and the rusty read of the tropical laterite soil. This is Tana Toraja, one of the most splendid areas in Indonesia.

Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Solo. In Tana Toraja, dead body is not buried, but it is put in Tongkonan for several times, even can be more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. After ceremony, the dead body is brought to the cave or to the wall of the mountain. The skulls show us that the dead body is not buried but just put on stone or ground, or put in the hole.The funeral festival season begins when the last rice has been harvested, usually in late June or July, and lasts through to September.

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By Air
Directly from Hasanuddin airport, Makassar or Ujung Pandang, proceed to TANA TORAJA (twice a week on tuesday and friday) through the airport of Rantetayo, near Makle, 24 km south of Rantepao and there is a bus service to town.

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By Land

Buses to Rantepao from Ujung Pandang leave daily from Ujung Pandang. The journey takes 8 hours and includes a meal stop. Tickets should be bought in town but coaches actually leave from DAYA bus terminal, 20 minutes out of town by bemo. Coaches typically leave in the morning ( 7 am ), noon ( 1 pm ) and at night ( 7 pm).
Several companies in Rantepao run buses back to Ujung Pandang with the departure time and prices. The number of buses each day depends on the number of passengers.

Tourist who wants to stay in the heart of the city has many choices since there is lot of hotels available. Or if you had an adventurous soul, you can sleep in villages on the way.

Bemo is the best way to get to know the locals, besides chartered vehicles (minibuses and Jeeps) with or without driver. While you are in the village you can take a walk to move around.

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Exploring the market; You should not to be missed going to the traditional market. Here you can get the top end of Toraja coffee beans [like Robusta and Arabica]. And several local veggies, fruits Tamarella or Terong Belanda and gold fish [ikan mas].
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Visit Batu Tumonga Plateu; It means stone that facing to the sky. From here can be seen many volcanic stones comes up in between padi fields. And, several giant stones became cave graveyard. The views is pretty awesome. The huge of Tana Toraja [Toraja land] looks so lush and greenery. Like a patchwork in gradation hue of green color
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Palawa is an excellent village to visit a Tongkonan, or a burial place still swarming with celebrations and festivals.
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Take a side trip from Rantepao to Kete, a traditional village with excellent handicraft shops. Behind the village on a hillside is a grave site with lifesize statues guarding over old coffins

Most of the times, you can’t eat at these locations; however more warung and restaurants appear along the road. You can also bring your own foods and drinks.

There is a souvenirs shop where you can buy everything specific from Tana Toraja. There are clothes, bags, wallets and other handicrafts.

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Visitor are expected to adhere to local dress customs and to bring a token present, such as cigarettes or coffee whenever entered Tongkonan.
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As roads are not always paved, it is necessary to use a jeep or walk, even when the weather is good (between May and October).
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Beware with your head whenever going inside to Tongkonan, The Torajan traditional house.
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Enrekang, Makale and Toraja Higland are surrounded by astonishing volcanic rocky cliffs. Do not miss it , just stop and take picture for awhile and you will not regret.

Further information

Tana Toraja Tourism, Art and Culture Department
Address                     :  Jl.  Ahmad Yani No. 62A, Rantepao, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi (Celebes)
Phone                        :  (0423) 21277,25455
Fax.                            :  (0423) 25455
E-mail  Address      :  pariwisata.toraja@gmail.com
Blog  Address         :  http://www.xanga.com/pariwisata_toraja
Website                    :  http://pariwisata.toraja.googlepages.com

Source : www.my-indonesia.info

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