Shopping at a Toraja Market

Toraja’s local market is filled with herbs, spices, local produce and all kinds of people and is well worth a visit.

Though traditional money is accepted in Toraja, you will soon find out that the local ‘currency’ is cattle!

So for a unique insight into how this community functions, head down to the local cattle market (if you’re lucky, you may even spot the exclusive and expensive ‘Mercedes’ cow!).

Life for the Toraja revolves around death, and the local people spend their days earning the money to send away their dead properly. These animals play a crucial, though gruesome, part in the funeral rites of Toraja, so they are an exceptionally prized possession.

What you’ll do

• Wander through Toraja’s bustling local market, brimming with herbs, spices, and fresh fruit and veg
• Visit the region’s famous cattle market to see how buffalo act as both currency and centrepiece of Torajan life
• Learn from your guide how these prized animals play a central role in the area’s elaborate funeral traditions