Toraja Bungin Family House

The family made us feel at home right away, and we had a lovely stay at Bungin Family House. Hendrik offered to pick us up after our long bus trip and bring us to the homestay. Our room was ready when we arrived in the morning, and it was spacious, as was the bathroom. Everything was very clean. We enjoyed both breakfast and dinner, and had a great time with Junes, Hendrik, and the rest of the family. If you're lucky, you might get to share some palm wine with them. The tours they offer were great too, and both Hendrik and Junes are excellent guides!

The hosts were super nice, and the room was basic but roomy and very clean. They also helped arrange a pickup, guides, and trips around the area. We visited a big ceremony. I'd recommend it.

I booked this place months ahead because I wanted to see the Ma'Nene burial rituals, but I couldn't find exact dates online. I later learned that each family chooses its own date, any time from June to September. After I booked, I contacted the property and Hendrik replied over WhatsApp. At first, his information and tour options seemed helpful. Then he asked me to arrive before my scheduled date of 23rd Aug, saying "Ma'Nene is on 22 and 23 Aug" and that if I came on the 23rd, I wouldn't see anything because the rituals only happen in the morning. He gave me the impression they would all be over by the 24th. I changed my flight and paid another $150, and had to give up my return flight to Makassar and take a bus because there were no flights on the new dates. Later I found out both claims were wrong: families decide separately when to hold Ma'Nene from June to September, and it isn't limited to the morning. Some families had announced dates after the 23rd, and I saw a ritual in the afternoon. I didn't need to change my flights at all. Once I changed my dates, Hendrik's place wasn't available, so I booked somewhere else. We hadn't discussed his tour price, but he quoted US$150. Most other quotes were no more than US$70, and the tourist office's official rate was 600,000IR (US$40). I had not agreed to a tour or committed to one. The other accommodation quoted me less than half of Hendrik's price. H asked where I was staying. I was shocked when the owner there told me H had approached him and said I was "his tourist", as if no one else should take me. I had not agreed to anything. When I told H about the lower quote, he suddenly offered a USD$70 rate for sharing with other tourists. I considered it after all our messages, but this would have been 25th Aug, two days after H had told me everything would be over. I ended up going on my own and only paid for scooter rental. I was booked to stay with H on the 26th, so I politely asked about other possibilities. He mentioned a funeral ceremony that day, which I wanted to attend. As the date approached, messages started pressuring me, saying other tourists wanted private guides and I'd be alone, and that there would be an extra cost for cigarette offerings to the family, which hadn't been mentioned before. Before I could decide, H called. I stayed calm and explained the other rates I'd been offered and how his misinformation had cost me to change flights. He got annoyed and cancelled my room at 9:30pm the night before I was due to arrive. Luckily, my previous accommodations had space, which saved me from an awkward stay. I checked the place from outside. It's very inconvenient to reach, either by a long, rocky, bad road or an even longer, better road with steep slopes. You can't walk from there to find meals. I'm glad I didn't end up staying. I don't like leaving bad reviews, but this cost me a lot of money and caused inconvenience and anxiety. The tour price difference compared with other quotes and the official rate needs to be brought to other travelers' attention. H responded rudely to my Booking.com review and insulted me, while not addressing my accusation that he had tried to overcharge me dishonestly. He kept insisting I had agreed to tours. Anyone can ask him to show proof, but he won't be able to, because I NEVER AGREED TO ANYTHING.

It's a good place to stay, set off the main road up on a hill with a city view. Clean, friendly, and good food.