BUNGIN FAMILY HOUSE

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I booked the place months ago so as to come to see Ma'Nene burial rituals, which I could not obtain exact info about online regarding dates. (Turns out this is done at the discretion of each family and can happen anytime between June and Sep.) So upon booking a room, I reached out to the property, and Hendrik responded and initiated WhatsApp messages. At first it felt very helpful that he could provide some info, and also offers tour options. Some time later, I received a message from him asking if I can arrive earlier than my 23rd Aug scheduled date because according to him, "Ma'Nene is on 22 and 23 Aug" and that if I arrived on the 23rd itself I won't get to see anything as they only do it in the morning. He led me to think that by the 24th it will be all over. I changed my flight for that and had to pay an additional $150 for the change, as well as having to forfeit my return flight to Makassar to take a bus as there are no flights if I changed dates. I later learnt that there were 2 wrong info he had provided - Ma'Nene is decided by the individual family so any family can choose to do it anytime from June to Sep, and that it only happens in the morning. Once I got there, I learnt that there were families that have announced they will do it on many dates later than the 23rd, and I have also seen Ma'Nene performed in the afternoon. I didn't have to change my flights at all!!!! Upon changing my travel dates, Hendrik's place was not available for me to stay so I had to book elsewhere. We had not, up to this point, discussed the price for his tour. He quoted me a whopping US$150. (Most others never quoted more than US$70, and the official rate at the tourist office says it's 600,000IR (US$40).) I DID NOT AGREE TO ANYTHING, NOR HAD I COMMITTED TO GOING ON ANY TOURS WITH HIM. I checked with the other accommodation I booked into, and was quoted for the tour less than half the price of Hendrik's.H asked me where I will be staying, and I could not believe it when the owner at the other place told me that he was approached by H telling him I was "his tourist", meaning hands off he is mine! I HAD NOT AGREED TO ANYTHING. Upon informing H the price quoted elsewhere, there now suddenly is a rate of USD$70 for sharing with other tourists. I did consider it, given the time we spent corresponding, but I just could not bring myself to it considering this would be 25th Aug, 2 days after H told me it will be all over. I ended up doing it by myself for only the cost of scooter rental. In any case I was booked in to stay with H on 26th so I enquired about other possibilities (to be polite), and was told about the funeral ceremony on the 26th I was keen to attend. As it got near to this day. I started getting pressured thru messages and how other tourists now want their own private guides so I will be alone, there will be additional cost for cigarette offerings to the family (not quoted previously). Before I could decide, H called me. H got annoyed even though I stayed calm to explain to him all the other rates I had been offered, how I changed my flight at considerable cost in response to his misinformation. That was at 9:30pm the night before I was to go to his place, and he got annoyed and cancelled my room. (Fortunately the previous places I stayed had space so it did save me an awkward stay.) I did go to check out his place on the outside - it is very inconvenient. It's either a long rocky bad road or an even longer better road but up steep slopes. Place is not walkable for meals out. I am glad I did not end up there. I don't like to leave bad reviews but in this case, it really has cost me a lot of money, inconvenience and anxiety, and the discrepancy in tour rates compared to others and official rates, just has to be warned to others.H responded to my booking.com review rudely and even hurled insults, not responding to my accusation to his dishonest overcharging attempts. He kept insisting that I agreed to go on tours with him but you can ask him to produce proof - he will not be able to because I NEVER AGREED TO ANYTHING.

We had a lovely stay at the Bungin Family House. After a long trip in the bus, Hendrik will offer to pick you up an bring you to the homestay. The room was directly ready when we arrived in the morning. The room is very spacious, as well as the bathroom. Everything is very clean. The breakfast as well as the diner, is very nice. The family makes you feel at home right away. We had a great time with Junes, Hendrik and the rest of the family! If you’re lucky, you can enjoy some palmwine with them. The tours they offer are great, and both Hendrik and Junes are excellent guides!!

Very basic homestay, but basic doesn't have to be bad, which in this case it was.First of all we had problems with check-in, since our reservation stated that it was from 6am and since we arrived by night bus at that time, it was great for us to take a shower and rest, but until 8.45am It was not possible (and because they kicked out the current guests so we could enter)The room is very noisy and although they give earplugs, that is not the solution. Perhaps the first step would be to not have doors with holes that connect the rooms and the street, where you can hear absolutely everything.It barely has two plugs in the room, far from the bed. There are no nightstands or light switches near the bed, so you won't be able to have anything near it.The shower has hot water, but it works with a gas heater that sometimes does not turn on at the first opportunity and when it turns on, the gas accumulated in the bathroom causes an explosion that can be quite dangerous.I give it an extra star because the staff was friendly and the breakfast was good.Overall, very improvable

We had a great stay with Hendrik and his family who are very welcoming.Hendrik is also a guide and we spent a day with him which left a great impression on us. He speaks about his culture and traditions from the heart and with passion, he touched us a lot.In addition, he offered to pick us up by car at the bus stop and drop us off there when we left.Thank you Hendrik for this welcome!

This homestay (on Booking Toraja Bungin Homestay) is truly unique and exceeded all of our ideas and wishes. The accommodation is very well maintained, stylishly and sensibly furnished and spotlessly clean. The hot water works perfectly, the bed is very comfortable and the room & bathroom (we stayed in the main family house) are very spacious. The location on the edge of the village is green, peaceful and quiet, but you can still quickly reach the center.The breakfast is plentiful, fresh, varied and prepared with a lot of love. Likewise the dinner - incredibly delicious cuisine! We ate at their place every night because it was so good.Hendrick is also a fantastic guide. He knows (and lives) the Toraja culture and also knows the entire surrounding area very well. He gave us a lot of interesting knowledge, gave us special, impressive experiences and took us to great places away from the 'usual' tourist destinations. He speaks excellent German and English.The entire family, including Jaca the dog, is so friendly, helpful and warm - we immediately felt at home and would have liked to stay forever. An absolute heartfelt recommendation!Terima Kasih!

We only spent one night here, but we arrived very early in the morning (6am) and left late in the evening. Hendrik, our guide, picked us up from the bus stop and spent the entire time with us. …