Astour

Like the petals of a windblown orchid, the unruly peninsulas of Sulawesi reach out into the Celebes, Molucca, Banda, and Flores seas. Within the borders of this incredibly-shaped island, produced by the collision of ancient continents, are found a variety of extraordinary landscapes. Rugged mist-covered mountains, primal tropical jungles, emerald-green rice terraces and deep, mysterious lakes dominate the interior. Along the coast, dazzling

coral reefs encircle dormant volcanoes jutting dramatically out of the sea. Stretches of sparkling beach fringed with coconut trees are flunked by rugged lime stones outcropping that might have come straight from a Chinese painting

South Sulawesi

Makassar

The bustling city of Makassar is the only Indonesian city port which actually embraces the sea. It curls along a narrow strip of beached ridges facing westward to the Makassar Straits. For most travelers, it is “the prettiest, and perhaps the cleanest-looking, of all in the islands.”

Bira

Fishing, boat building and weaving are the primary commercial activities in Bira. Its white sandy beaches are now drawing travelers off the main tourist trail from Makassar to Tana Toraja. There is swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and dolphin watching (if you can spot them), but most people stake out a shady corner of the long west beach to snooze or enjoy a good book.

Traditional wooden boats are built all along Sulawesi’s south coast, but epicenter of the industry is the village of Tana Beru. You can find hundreds of boats in the bantilang (boathouses) along the beach here. Tana Beru is the ideal location to witness this ancient skill, currently undergoing the pressures of modernization.

There are a number of traditional boat types under construction in the village today. Pajala are small, sharp-stern 9 to 10 meter fishing boats. Patorani are decked boats from 10 to 18 meters long, used mainly to fish for torani (flying fish) in the open sea. Paduwakang are enlarged patorani, fitted with an aft deck (ambeng) and low foredeck. These are used for extended sea voyages.

The most renowned and magnificent boats made in the region are the pinisi. These large, sleek Makassarese schooners measure 30 meters or more but are sadly less common today because of high manufacturing costs. Nearly all of the smaller fishing craft and some construction, but many have been altered to accommodate motors.

Sengkang

The lakeside resort of Sengkang between Bone and Pare-pare has only recently been discovered by foreign tourist. Scenic Danau Tempe, a large shallow lake fringed by wetlands, is the main attraction and is best admired on a boat trip. Geologist believe the lake was once a gulf between southern Toraja and the rest of South Sulawesi. As they merged, the gulf disappeared and it is thought the lake will eventually disappear too.

There are floating houses, magnificent bird life, and a range of commercial activities on the lake. Lake tours usually take in Batu-Batu on the other side, but the most interesting part is along the river around Sengkang.

Tana Toraja

With majestic panoramas, captivating villages and dramatic ceremonies, Tana Toraja is the undisputed highlight of any journey to Sulawesi. With the opening of several tourist-class hotels, the Toraja highlands are now easily accessible to visitors. In the northern part of South Sulawesi, Tana Toraja is a cultural treasure of the first order. Embellished with a unique art and architecture, the customs and venerable traditions leave lingering impressions on the traveler’s mind long after the return home.

Most interesting are the ceremonies, especially the grand burial rites, lasting for days and filled with ritual dances and the sacrificing of animals. Traditionally, the Torajan lay their dead to rest in graves and tombs chiseled or carved into steep cliffs, stretching up dozens of meters. Some contain little balconies on which wooden effigies of the dead stare down from the face of the cliff. The only access to these tombs is by way of bamboo ladders. Other burial sites are in the caves frequently found at the base of the cliffs.

Central Sulawesi

Lake Poso

Covering an area of 32,300 hectares and reaching 450m in depth, Lake Poso is the third largest lake in Indonesia. It is located 600m above sea level, so the evenings are pleasantly cool without being too cold. This area is also famous for wild orchids, especially on the western shores near Bancea.

Togian Island

Togian is a group of wonderful wonderful islands with white sandy beaches, colorful corals for diving and snorkeling, and a nature preserve located in the heart of the Tomini gulf. This is the only place in Indonesia where you can find all three major reef environments - atoll, barrier, and fringing reefs - in one location.

The people, the nomadic Bajau people, dive for trepang (sea cucumber), pearl and other commercially important marine produce, just as they have done for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. They are hunter-gatherers who spend more or less their whole lives on boats, traveling as families wherever they go.

Morowali

This 225,000 hectare nature reserve was established in 1980 on the eastern shore of Tomori Bay in the awake of Operation Drake, a British-sponsored survey of the endangered species of the area. It rises from islands on the bay and accessible lowland plains, to densely vegetated peak of up to 2630m high.

This reserve is home to around 5000 Wana people, who live mostly by hunting and gathering, and through shifting agriculture. There are small Wanu settlements at Ranu and Kayu Poli on the Morowali Plain, but most live in the isolated highlands. The park is rich in wildlife, such as anoa, maleo birds, babirusa and several primate species, as well as flora and fauna unique to Morowali, but unless you are lucky dense jungle is often all you will see.

North Sulawesi

Manado and Bunaken

Manado, bustling capital of North Sulawesi province, sprawls inland across low, palm-clad hills around a wide bay fringed with luxuriant typical vegetation. In the distance, three volcanoes complete the city’s spectacular setting. Manado is mainly of interest to travellers for its convenient location as a base for exploring the Tondano region, and for the splendid underwater scenery of Bunaken.

The wildly varied shapes and colors of the coral off Pulau Bunaken have become an international snorkeling and scuba-diving attraction. The flat coral of Pantai Liang takes a dramatic 90 degree turn about 100m offshore, dropping down from one to two meters to dark oblivion. The area offers several different kinds of dives (drift, deep, and wreck), the prime attraction are the vertical walls pierced by shallow caves and crevasses. These provide shelter and protection for reef fish, and they are also covered with a layer of invertebrate marine life. Hard and soft corals, whip corals, sponges and filter feeders all cling to these walls, offering a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors.