the globe says
Indonesia
Fly to Makassar, Sulawesi, then a night bus into the highlands on a road that earns its reputation.
A homestay in a tongkonan — the boat-roofed ancestral houses that define the landscape.
A culture where death is the center of life: multi-day funeral ceremonies visitors are welcomed into, cliff graves guarded by wooden effigies, and buffalo-scattered rice terraces.
Ask your host family whether a funeral ceremony is happening — attending as an invited guest, with a gift of sugar or cigarettes, is expected and profound.
June to September, funeral season
Kurre sumanga' — the Torajan thank you.
Ring of Fire by Lawrence and Lorne Blair — the great Indonesian odyssey, Toraja included.
The Sea of Clouds at Lolai at dawn, and the megalith fields of Bori.
The funeral rites involve animal sacrifice at scale — go with cultural openness or not at all.