3 independent reviews for Cultural vacation in Indonesia
Reviews for Cultural vacation in Indonesia
Leslie Miller review 13 Oct 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
attending a funeral in Toraja and being personally welcomed by the family. finding tasiers and snorkelling the friendly people2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It's hot! be sure to bring a good hat. Bring black clothes to wear to the funeral (light weight black pants are best as shorts are not appropriate attire for the funeral and one of your village visits.)3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Sulawesi (especially in the North), does not receive a lot of foreign visitors. (Foreign tourism is low enough that many people asked to have their picture taken with me!) Tourism is an important source of revenue for the guides, hotels, restaurants and tourist sites. Unemployment is a problem and tourism dropped dramatically after the Bali bombings years ago. Tourism dollars were important to those I spoke with.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent trip, our guides were outstanding. The trip was well managed and our food and accomodations were generally excellent. A trip for those who want a cultural experience. However, hotels are sometimes a little far from town.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for the feedback. We are delighted that you enjoyed the tour. Some of the hotels are a bit further out of town than we would like and we are reviewing these for next season.
Simon Emery review 2 Oct 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
It seems strange to say but the highlight of the trip was attending a funeral in Toraja. The lavish ceremony, held over five days, is like nothing I have ever seen. There were hundreds attending the ceremony and dozens of buffalo and even more pigs slaughtered to feed the people.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be ready for long days on the road. The distances are not huge, but the roads and traffic are so bad it took 10hours in the minibus to cover 250km.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We used local resaurants and businesses throughout the tour so the money went into the local economy. Also, Mariba, the guide, was very focused on the enviroment, he was embarassed by the amount of litter in Indonesia and went out of his way to point out to locals the bad impression this gives to visitors. In one village he even got a bag and went round picking up the rubbish.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The tour was a good introduction to Sulawesi. Two weeks cannot do justice to such a large and diverse islands but the tour included local culture, history and wildlife viewing.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your feedback. We are delighted that you enjoyed your vacation and will pass on your comments to the guide and local team.
Gerard Mulryan review 6 Oct 2015
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Going to a traditional funeral of a very high status lady in Toraja. We only went on one day but it lasted 7 days. All her relatives and members of her tribe were there - about 20,000 people. We were made most welcome by one of the ladies grandchildren who spoke very good English so we could enjoy the spectacle even more.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Travel pretty light. It's very hot and humid so lots of loose clothes but take good walking shoes - there is lots of walking involved.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes I do. We supported the local economy by buying stuff from them and also by using local restaurants for meals, hiring equipment and employing local guides.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Simply amazing!Holiday Reviews
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