Gateway
Makassar (south) · Manado (north)
Currency
Indonesian rupiah (IDR), cash outside cities
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia; little English outside cities
Best time
Dry season, roughly April – October
Getting in
Fly to Makassar via Jakarta or Bali
Ideal length
10 days with flights, 3 – 4 weeks overland
Why Sulawesi
Most people who visit Indonesia never leave Bali. Sulawesi, the strange four-armed island between Borneo and the Moluccas, is the opposite: huge, mountainous and still mostly off the tourist map.
In one trip you get karst forests, white-sand beaches, highland villages where the dead stay part of family life, quiet mountain lakes and, at the far end, Paisu Pok, a lake so clear it looks like glass. Transport is slow and English is rare, but people are some of the friendliest I've met anywhere.
I crossed the island from south to north to reach that lake: almost 2,000 km and more than 120 hours on buses, boats and in the back of pickups. My guide shows you how to do it, and how to do it faster.
The south: Makassar, Rammang-Rammang & Tanjung Bira
Most trips start in Makassar, a loud and friendly port city. Give it a day for the food, the 99 Domes mosque on the waterfront and the sunset on Losari.
Rammang-Rammang
A boat ride up a small river through black limestone towers to a village surrounded by rice fields. Go in the afternoon and stay for sunset.
Tanjung Bira
Flour-white sand and turquoise water at the southern tip, about 5 hours from Makassar by shared car. Nearby villages still build wooden phinisi ships by hand.
Lake Tempe
On the way north, Sengkang has floating houses on the lake and Bugis silk weavers.
Tip: Order coto Makassar, the rich beef soup, on your first night. It was my first meal on the island.
Toraja: the land of boat-roofed houses
The Toraja highlands look like nowhere else. Families keep their ancestral tongkonan houses, with roofs curved like boats, and bury their dead in cliffs and caves guarded by carved wooden figures. Base yourself in Rantepao and explore by scooter.
Don't miss Ke'te Kesu', the cliff graves of Lemo and the coffin caves of Londa. From July to September you may be invited to a funeral, the most important event in Toraja life. Go with a local, bring a small gift and ask before taking photos.
Tip: Night buses from Makassar leave around 8 PM and reach Rantepao at dawn. Book at the bus company's own office.
Central Sulawesi: Tentena, Ampana & Luwuk
After Toraja, Tentena on Lake Poso is the place to slow down: a long wooden bridge, warungs over the water and the terraced Saluopa waterfall nearby. My host there was the kindest of the whole trip.
From Tentena the road heads east through Ampana, the port for the Togean Islands, to Luwuk, the last city before the Banggai Islands. Give Luwuk a full day: the Piala and Kamumu waterfalls behind the town are some of the most turquoise in Sulawesi.
The Banggai Islands & Paisu Pok
The Banggai Islands sit off Sulawesi's eastern arm, and almost nobody goes. Peleng, the biggest island, has very little public transport, so a scooter is your freedom.
Paisu Pok is the reason I made the whole journey: a spring-fed lake of impossible blue in the forest near Luk Panenteng, so clear you can see the trees lying on the bottom. Around it are blue cave pools, a cold lagoon where locals bathe, empty beaches and, further south on Banggai Laut, cardinalfish found nowhere else in the world.
Tip: Take the daily 2 PM ferry from Luwuk to Leme Leme. From there Paisu Pok is about an hour by scooter instead of five from Salakan.
The Togean Islands & Manado
If you have time, the Togean Islands are a few hours by boat from Ampana: jungle islands, coral reefs, sea-nomad stilt villages and a lake where you swim with stingless jellyfish. Plan at least four or five days and bring all your cash.
Most people end in Manado, in the far north. Give it a few days for the reefs of Bunaken, the tiny tarsiers of Tangkoko and the volcanoes and lakes around Tomohon.
Two routes that work
The full overland trip takes three to four weeks. With two domestic flights you can see the highlights in ten days. The e-book has five ready-made routes, day by day.
Days 1 – 2 · Makassar
Food, the 99 Domes mosque, then a day trip to Rammang-Rammang.
Days 3 – 5 · Toraja
Night bus to Rantepao, then villages, cliff graves and caves by scooter.
Day 6 · Fly to Luwuk
Back to Makassar and a short flight east. Waterfalls if there is time.
Days 7 – 9 · Peleng & Paisu Pok
Ferry to Leme Leme, the lake at sunrise, blue caves and Poganda Beach.
Day 10 · Manado
Fly north for Bunaken, or head home.
Practical tips before you go
A few things that make a big difference on the ground:
Money
Outside the cities, ferries, homestays and drivers are cash only. Refill at every ATM you pass, especially before Tentena and the islands.
Entry
Many nationalities can get a visa on arrival or an e-VOA. Check the rules for your passport before you fly.
SIM & maps
Buy a Telkomsel SIM at Makassar airport, and download offline maps and offline Indonesian translation before you leave the city.
Getting around
Shared cars leave when they're full, so expect waits. Arrive before dark and build in rest days.
Respect
South Sulawesi is strongly Muslim and much of the north is Christian. Dress modestly in villages and at religious sites.
Want to go with me?
If you'd rather not spend 120 hours on the road, I organise private trips to Sulawesi for couples, friends and small groups. I guide you in person through the Banggai Islands, and flights, boats, transfers and rooms are planned for you. Message me on WhatsApp with your dates.