Soon after, at about five a.m., that’s when the second part of the Lolai natural show starts: the Eastern horizon starts to turn red…then orange…then the brightest golden yellow. These bright color changes get reflected and absorbed by the pearly white clouds. It’s simply gorgeous! As the sun rises higher in the sky, the brighter it gets. We can start to see more and more of the sky, as the clouds burn away and shows the vivid colors of the golden sun, blue sky, white clouds away and up, and the green and brown hills and villages down below in one amazing landscape. With its cool, fresh air, it’s a peaceful yet energizing scene.
Read: Onde Mande! The antique beauty of West Sumatra’s Istana Pagaruyung
Now, isn’t that worth waking up in the dead of night and waiting for? To repeat, the complete Lolai Peak natural show starts damn early. If you’re late, you’ll only get the tail part of the show, the usual bright colorful morning on an Earthly hill instead of the entire Heaven-to-Earth production. Don’t worry about being alone! You’re far from the only tourist to wake up early to catch the sun rise amid the newly formed clouds. It’s only bad if you’re the kind of loner who likes to take in beauty in solitude…
A brief reminder: don’t forget to dress warm before your early morning sojourn at the Peak! You know what early mornings are like in the mountain – cold as cold! You can sit or stand waiting for the clouds to come, separating yourselves or making a part of a group with strangers. You can later sit around the terrace of the tongkonans, the Toraja traditional homes scattered all around Lolai Peak, sipping robust, rustic local Toraja coffee if you wish. Or you can trek around the pine forest, or fly down using the 100-meter flying fox sling across the fields. The choice is yours!
Staying in at Lolai Peak
Hunting for clouds and sun is the top activity for tourists who come to Lolai Peak. In order not to lose the chance of seeing these daily marvels, it will be wise if you stay overnight, right at the Peak. They provide villas, naturally including bathrooms and toilets. Or you might want to stay in a room in the tongkonan houses belonging to the local? Staying fees varies according to your deal with the householder, but it’s usually cheaper than the villas. The cheapest boarding is also the one closest to nature: renting tents at IDR 50,000.00-IDR 80,000.00 a night. Now isn’t that affordable?
So if you make your way to Toraja, don’t forget to visit this land of the clouds! (nur)