Londa

Be an archeological explorer for a day as you make your way through dark tunnels and small cracks to see a burial site unlike any other, guaranteed to satisfy the curiosity of your souls. As challenging as it is, Londa cave is a jaw-dropping feat that is astonishingly attractive

Londa is located 6 km from the city center of Rantepao, the capital of Toraja Utara district, in the direction of Makale, the capital of Tana Toraja district. It takes less than 15 minutes by car to reach Londa from Rantepao.

Londa is too interesting to be missed. The site features two natural caves where the bones of the deceased can be seen. The two caves are about 10 meters in length and have served as burial chambers for the people who live in the area.

The first thing you see when you arrive at Londa are wooden effigies of the ancestors known as Tau Tau. The Tau Tau are are located in a crevice that has been carefully carved out of the rock above the mouth of the cave. They are dressed in colorful clothes and stare down at you as if they are standing at a palace balcony.

If you choose it is possible to enter the caves as a tourist. There is the option of hiring a guide who will take you around the cave and explain a bit about the history of the site. If you do not have a torch you will need to rent an oil lamp, which is provided at the entrance to the site. At the entrance to the caves, you will find some of the old-fashioned coffin hung from the ceiling or placed just above the ground.

As you enter the cave you will see skulls and bones scattered around on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. Coffins are stored in crevices in the roof of the cave. Some parts of the cave are so tight that you have to squeeze through the gap in order to reach the final chamber of the cave. As you shine the torch around the cave you will see coffins that are more than a hundred years old. The ambiance can be quite intense, especially if you get easily scared.