I Entered a Village Where the Dead Live with the Living: The Toraja Tribes

We traveled from Bali through Makassar to the highlands of Toraja and spent five days observing a funeral ceremony. We visited families who keep their deceased relatives in the house, witnessed buffalo fights and sacrifices, and explored caves and cliffs where the dead are buried. On the final day, we followed a woman’s farewell and learned about other Torajan traditions, including placing babies in tree graves and periodically dressing and visiting the dead.