Rantepao is the main town of Tana Toraja and the base every traveller uses to explore the highlands: from here the ceremonial villages, burial cliffs and buffalo markets are all a short ride away. Kete Kesu, with its row of ancient tongkonan houses and hanging graves, Londa's cave burials guarded by tau-tau effigies, and the Bolu market — where prize buffalo change hands for astonishing sums before the great funerals — are the classic circuit. The town itself is relaxed and welcoming, with guides who can arrange respectful attendance at a Torajan funeral ceremony, the experience the region is famous for.