Tana Toraja , literally "Torajaland", is a highland region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Tongkonan, Ke'te' Kesu'.

Tongkonan, Ke'te' Kesu'.
Tana Toraja, the famed "Land of The Heavenly Kings", or some people in southern region of South Celebes called people from north highland. Tana Toraja lies about 328 km north of Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province, in the central highlands of South Sulawesi. At 300 to 2880 meters above sea level, Tana Toraja combines tropical lushness with alpine freshness. Daily temperature of 16 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees celcius promotes rest and recuperation.

Bright green rice terraces, tall limestone outcrops and bamboo graves are set against a backdrop of blue misty mountains. Traditional Tongkonan houses stand proudly in this setting. These intricately decorated houses with upward-sloping roofs are the center of all Aluktodolo ( Torajan religion before the coming of missionaries; the ancestors belief ) rites; from storing the harvest in the carved rice barns, "alang", to slaughtering sacred water buffaloes at a week or more-funeral ceremonies. Tana Toraja's beauty is also reflected in its people. Although they are devoutly Christian ( there are small number of Moslems especially in the southern area), they combine this religious belief with magic and mysticism. Secure in their ethnic identity, they welcome visitors to witness their ceremonies.

Tana toraja is a sleepy rural region cultivating rice, cacao, coffee, and clove most of the year. Toraja's arabica coffee is known as one of the best in the world. These all change during the dry season,, from June until September, when Children are home from school, the rice is harvested and it's time for a "rambu solo' ", a complex funeral ceremony of the ancestors. During the time, Rantepao is transformed into a major tourist resort for national and international visitors.

Culture
Manganda' dance is performed at Ma'Bua' ritual.
Manganda' dance is performed at Ma'Bua' ritual.
The land of the Toraja people, many notionally Christian but most in practice animist, is above all famed for their spectacular (and rather gruesome) burial rites. After a person's death, the body is kept — often for several years — while money is saved to pay for the actual funeral ceremony, known as tomate. During the festival, which may last up to a week, ritual dances and buffalo fights are held, and buffaloes and pigs are slaughtered to ferry the soul of the deceased to the afterlife (puya). The deceased is then finally buried either in a small cave, often with a tau-tau effigy placed in front, inside a hollow tree or even left exposed to the elements in a bamboo frame hanging from a cliff.

Tana Toraja has unique culture set in stunning scenery. Globalisation and tourism may have impact, but if you venture away from the tarmac roads you will find soon a way of life that has not changed much in the last 100 years

Raja Ampat (Papua - Irian Jaya) is a place of great potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially diving tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters by a variety of sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.

Dr John Veron, coral expert from the Australian experience, for example, within a site was revealed, the Raja Ampat Islands located in the westernmost tip of the island of Papua, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef areas in Indonesia. Approximately 450 species of corals could be identified during the two weeks of research in the area.

A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Oceanographic Institutions (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has been rapid assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they note in these waters there are more than 540 species of hard corals (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1000 species of reef fish, 700 species of molluscs, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of coral species in Raja Ampat world. No single place, with an area having the same number of these coral species.

There are several areas of coral reefs that are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover up to 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (the strait between P. and P. smalldam Batanta), Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is generally the contours of the reef edge to the steep slope. But it was also found atoll type and type of burns or taka. In some places like in the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, can be witnessed stretch of coral reef without diving and with their own adaptations, these reefs can still be alive despite being in the open air and direct sunlight.

Unique species that can be encountered when diving is some kind of Pigmy seahorses or mini kudalaut, wobbegong and manta ray. There are also four endemic fish king, namely Eviota king, that is a kind of fish gobbie. At Manta Point inlying Arborek Dampier straits, you can dive with the Manta Ray was accompanied by several heads of benign like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes the collection of tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But a tense if we are surrounded by a collection of fish, barracuda, although in fact it's relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we see barracuda solitary or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen and, if lucky you can also see the turtles were still eating sponge or swim around you. Some places like in Salawati, Batanta and smalldam also seen Dugong or mermaid.

Because the area of many islands and narrow straits, so most of the dives at a particular time has a tight flow. This is possible also to do drift dive to plunge while experiencing a strong current with water so clear, while through the collection of fishes. There are also relics of the plane wreck of World War II, which can be found in several places to make diving a great place to dive as in P. Wreck Wai. And many more reef sites that actually have never touched. This makes diving in Raja Ampat was more challenging.