Rantepao

district in North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Rantepao is the main town in the Tana Toraja region of South Sulawesi.

Get in

Catholic church in Rantepao
See also Tana Toraja.

By plane

  • 🌍 Pongtiku Airport (TTR ) (is about 20 km from Rantepao). Several local airlines operate a few weekly flights from Makassar. The flight could be cancelled at the last minute due to aircraft maintenance or insufficient passengers. 

By bus

The bus terminal for local transportation is not in Rantepao itself, but in Bolu, 2 km further northeast. A bemo ride between central Rantepao to Bolu costs Rp 5,000 (as of 2016). There are daily buses to/from Makassar (10 hours, Rp 200,000) and Palu via Tentena. The bus from Tentena takes about 13 hours (Rp 250,000). Note, the road between Rantepao and Palopo is prone to landslides. Road can be blocked for hours or even days.

🌍 Bolu bus Terminal (2km north east from Rantepao). (updated Jul 2016)

Get around

Rantepao is small enough to be walkable. Otherwise, riding an ojek or becak or bemo is easy.

Scooters are easily arranged for in homestays. There are also several rental places but they will usually require the motorbike be returned by 17:00 if you rent per day. Price is around Rp 100,000 per day (Sep 2018).

Do not expect to relax in the middle of nature. Rantepao is a bustling small town. The main road (crossing the city from south to north) is packed with vehicles. Some locals wear masks or scarfs to protect from the dust and pollution.

See

Rantepao is not particularly pleasant in itself, but most touristic facilities (hotels, restaurants, transportation) are located there.

Do

Use Rantepao as a base to visit the region of Tana Toraja.

Buy

The market in the center of Rantepao sells many clothes and some souvenirs.

There are plenty of ATMs in town.

Rantepao has many Indomaret and Alfamart shops, mainly located along the main road, and that act as mini supermarkets. In addition, many street shops sell food and... gasoline virtually everywhere in (and outside) Rantepao.

Leper patients near Rantepao plaiting hats
  • 🌍 Rantepao central market. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Todi Shop, Jln. Andi Mappanyukki No 25, ☏ +62-423-25445. M-Sa 09:30-19:00. A big museum-cum-shop, with demonstration looms and fabrics on display from all over Sulawesi. (updated Jul 2016)

Eat

  • 🌍 Café Aras (almost opposite Rantepao market), ☏ +62 821-9036-2021. A café serving local food in a nice atmosphere. Decent prices. However, as in many places, the owners will try to have you hiring a "guide" at a too-expensive price. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Celebes, Palopo st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Christo, Landorundun st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Mambo restaurant, 34 Ratulangi St., ☏ +62 423 21134. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Pong Buri', Monginsidi st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Warung Gian. Opened in early 2018, this place offers clean food, local dishes, and Wi-Fi. Rp 20,000/dish. (updated Sep 2018)
  • 🌍 Poppies Toraja (about 2 km south from central Rantepao, very near Hotel Pison), ☏ +62423 - 21121, +6281342026768, . Located inside the hotel of the same name, this restaurant serves excellent local food, always cooked on demand. Hence every dish must be ordered in advance (at least 45 min, up to 2 hr for the most famous specialties). Rp 30,000 to 90,000 per person. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Queen Café & Resto (north of the Rantepao stadium). (updated Jul 2016)
  • Rahmat, Ahmad yani st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Riman, A.Mappanyukki st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Rimiko, A. Mappanyukki st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Saruran, Ahmad yani st.. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Waroenk Gentong. A restaurant mixing the street food style restaurant and more elaborate hipsters-like restaurants (with wooden tables, and pictures of food and various music instruments on the wall). (updated Jul 2016)

Drink

  • 🌍 Café Kofe. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Jak Koffie (a few hundreds meters south from the Rantepao stadium). (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Kaana Toraya Coffee (inside hotel Pison). from Rp 10,000. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Lemon 84 Coffee (immediately South from the Rantepao stadium). M-F 09:00-23:00, Sa 09:00-00:00, closed on Sunday. Nice café where the young inhabitants of Toraja come to have a drink. Electricity. Free Wi-Fi. Many mosquitos though. (updated Jul 2016)

Sleep

  • 🌍 Hotel Indra Toraja. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Hotel Pison (about 2 km south from central Rantepao, very near Pia Poppie's Hotel). (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Hotel Victoria. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Luta Resort Toraja. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Panorama Homestay (in front of the stadium). (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Pia Poppie's Hotel (about 2 km south from central Rantepao. Very near Hotel Pison), ☏ +62423 - 21121, +6281342026768, . Nice place with a very beautiful environment in the nature (the hotel surroundings is full of flowers and beautiful plants). Staff is nice but of little help, and may put some pressure on you to hire their (overpriced) fake guides (as, unfortunately, in many other places in Rantepao). Rp 154,000 single, Rp 198,000 double excluding breakfast. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Tongkonan Layuk Lion. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Toraja Heritage Hotel. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Toraja Misiliana Hotel. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Toraja Prince Hotel. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Toraja Sahid Hotel. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Riana Homestay. The homestay has large and clean rooms. It is within walking distance of the center. The staff is very friendly. The owner speaks English and French and you can contact him for any information. The price includes a simple breakfast Rp 250,000. (updated Nov 2019)

Connect

All the city is served by Edge network. Some parts of Rantepao also benefit from 3G or 3G+.

Go next

  • Makassar
  • Tentena (Ketty Bus and Batutumonga Bus are the main bus operator to Tentena / Palu. Avoid Rappan Marannu Bus).
  • Palu (Litha & Co. Bus is one of the reputable operator)
  • Palopo
  • Wotu
  • Poso
  • Soroako
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