Sulawesi has no volcanoes, only limestone mountains – so is not round, but many-limbed and a long coastline lined with sandy beaches, fringing coral reefs and great diving. The interior is shaded in with impenetrable mountains and jungles thick with wildlife like tarsiers and makeo birds.
I am taking the legendary traveler’s trail along Sulawesi’s spine: from bustling Makassar to Tana Toraja, onto the chilled Torgean Islands and finally Madano and Bunaken. It will be hours on buses but will get me back to the land, get a feeling for the country, the landscape, and the people. The transportation costs from Makassar to Manado are: shuttle from airport-27,000, bus to Rantepao-110,000, bus to Poso-200,000, minibus to Ampana-90,000, ferry to Togeans-60,000, ferry to Gorontalo-72,000, car to Manado-175,000 for a grand total of 729,000Rp (US$59) which is unbelievably cheap for all the travel.
After my flight from Timor Leste, I had a two-hour layover in the Bali Airport before my flight on to Makassar, Sulawesi. At times, I wish I could live in this airport. It has lightning-fast Internet. And that makes life so easy. When traveling, so much happens online connecting you to the world. There is always business to be done, places to research, flights to arrange, diving to book. Waiting for a second between each click on the keypad instead of minutes is a dream.
The flight to Makassar was only 40 minutes, and the skies were clear giving magnificent views of the entire Bukit Peninsula hanging like a large grapefruit from the bottom of Bali. The entire island, its coast and imposing volcanoes were there in vivid detail. I was sitting in the back of the plane surrounded by empty seats, so swung over for the views east to the coast of Lombok and the Gilis.
After deterring the hundreds of taksi touts, I caught the Damri (shuttle) bus to Terminal Daya, the bus terminal on the east side of Makassar. I found a hotel and then caught the bus north seven hours to Tana Toraja half way up the western lobe of the south part of Sulawesi.
Makassar (pop 1.6 million). The major city of Sulawesi on its southwest tip is usually a stop over on the way north. The harbour is stacked with Bugis schooners (the origin of the term Boogie Man) They were part of the 16th century Gowa empire – spice traders and then pirates when the Dutch expropriated their livelihood. Makassar is known for its seafood. Fort Rotterdam dates to 1667 and is one of the best remaining examples of Dutch colonial architecture.
So I was ensconced on an empty, modern, clean air-conditioned bus leaning against my big pack, my feet sprawled on the seats across the aisle. Old rock played at a lovely volume. A line of low, rounded karst mountains forms the eastern skyline across flat paddy fields dotted with palm trees. I am very comfortable. My only complaint is the good road (cement with a line every 10m) is too bumpy to type easily. A local with passable English is one of the four passengers and we talked.
The scene changed to large mountains (rising to 3200m) shrouded in cloud and the road follows the west coast for a while. We rarely have a stretch without houses with wrought iron fences and painted bright, saturated colours, all neat with little garbage. Mosques with colourful tiled domes and minarets punctuate the view.
At lunch there is a Dutch couple who have just been in Toraja: they tell me the best place to stay, the day of the big market held every 6 days (tomorrow – Friday), how to go a funeral and other advice. This reaffirms my belief that you should talk to everyone. It is rarely not worthwhile.
I have forgotten how pleasant a nice bus ride can be. You see the land you are traveling through, and get a feeling for the place. Well before Toraja, the bus climbed into the mountains with karst walls and castles. There are no volcanoes here.
TANA TORAJA. This is an area best known for its peculiar fascination with the dead. Life for the Torajans revolves around death and their days are spent earning the money to send away their dead properly in elaborate, brutal and captivating funeral rites. During the funeral season in July and August, the tourist numbers swell and prices soar, but the rest of the year, it’s empty and starved for visitors.
With 9 million people, South Sulawesi has four ethnic groups, three of them Muslim, all in the lowlands. The 650,000 Christian Torajans live in the mountains and most are farmers. Another 2 million Torajans live around Indonesia (especially Papua and Kalimantan working in mining) and the world having left for education, business and jobs. Much of their income returns to Toraja.
Islam was introduced into South Sulawesi in the 14th and 15th centuries by traders from Gujarat, India but it did not reach mountainous Toraja. During a civil war in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Muslim south tried to force Islam on the Torajans, but they didn’t accept it and remained animist. In the early 20th century, Dutch missionaries tried to stop the sacrifices but they were killed. A second attempt at conversion was more tolerant so that today Torajans practice a fusion of animism and Protestant Christianity. 90% of the people in Toraja are Christian, 9% Muslim and 1% animist (mostly in remote areas).
The local culture is among the world’s most unique and distinctive. That the people are genuinely welcoming of visitors makes it unmissable. Funerals are the area’s main tourist attraction.
The religious ceremony has two types of ritual. Life rituals occur around sunrise, use smoke (ascending), celebrate house raisings and harvest times and only chickens and pigs are sacrificed. The end of the rice harvest, from May onwards, is ceremony time in Toraja. Feasting, dancing, buffalo fights and sisemba kickboxing are the main activities. Death rituals are descending rituals (the body goes down), and are associated with funerals and pigs and water buffalo, but no chickens, are sacrificed.
Rantepao (pop 49,000, elevation 700-800m)
Makape is the capital of Toraja, but Rantepao is the largest town and tourist magnet serving as the best base for exploration. I stayed at Hotel Pia Poppies about a kilometer south of downtown. With a good restaurant, fast Internet, a patio overlooking a garden and a nice room for 110,000/night, it is a great deal. Across the road is Hotel Piso, another backpacker favourite. Most travelers stay in either of these two so it is the best way to connect with like-minded souls. The daughter of the owner is a great source to find guides who know where the funerals are. They also rent scooters. The climate is much cooler than the lowlands and surprisingly there are no mosquitoes. I walked into town in the evening to find an ATM as I had no cash and with difficulty found one that would process my card. The town itself is uninspiring.
Not since a huge boom box on a beach in Baja, Mexico have I had such a noisy night. A garden with a pond has frogs that produce a cacophonous roar all night. At least it is continuous (not like a snore) and I slept fine. Then the roosters distributed across the valley started at 4:30. The frogs stopped immediately. Then at 5:00 a loudspeaker with religious music started, then a sermon, then more music. The Christian churches are copying the Muslim calls to prayer heard throughout Indonesia at 4:30 every morning.
Pasar Bolu is a market 2km northeast of town that peaks every six days, overflowing with livestock. It is an unforgettable sight, a big, social occasion that draws crowds from all over Toraja. Bolu is a large typical market full of vegetables, clothes and everything else that is the same every day. But today was livestock day in a large area with an open space and pens for animals. Water buffalo were paraded by sellers in the open area. Trucks unloaded more. The huge animals were desperate to get their footing on the wood floorboards of the trucks greased with shit. Black cows and bulls, and the occasional white/black animals all have different prices. White animals with perfect hides sell for as much as 100 million Rp (about the same as a new house) but the more pedestrian blacks are worth 20 to 60 million Rp. There seemed to be many more sellers than buyers. Just south were the pigs, black hairy critters in all size ranges. Trucks filled with juveniles unloaded them into nylon gunnysacks. You control a pig by holding onto both its hind legs. Single pigs strapped onto bamboo frames came on the back of motorcycles. In the pens, rows of pigs on the same bamboo frames lay on slanted double metal tubes. Some squeal like pigs and fight the restraints. Bargaining is hard but money often changes hands. Kids pushed small wheel barrels with pigs in sacks to the buyer’s vehicles. Chickens are carried under people’s arms or by their feet upside down. Most seem to be cocks for the fighting trade. Wings are spread, feet inspected, bodies caressed. The final decision is made when held cocks face off to test aggressiveness.
I then took a bemo (usually old SUVs that ply routes through the city picking up and dropping off passengers for 40 cents a ride) back to my hotel hoping to rent a scooter for the day. But the owner of the hotel phoned around and found a guide who knew where there was a funeral. Arru’ (Arruan Tangdilintin – arruantangdilitin@yahoo.co.id – mobile: +6285299235999) turned out to be a great guy with superb English and a willingness to share the culture with strangers. For 380,000Rp ($30) including motorcycle and gas, he promised to take me to a funeral on the day that guests were being received. We bought 10 packs of cigarettes as a gift to the family holding the funeral and drove for 1½ hours over a circuitous route of pavement, broken pavement, rocky roads, mud, high clearance areas and then a kilometre walk to the village of Mila on the side of a mountain south of Rantepao.
Funeral. Several lavishly decorated temporary buildings had been constructed for funeral guests around the family house. Four water buffalo lay dead in front of the house with their throats slit, the blood soaking the ground. A master of ceremonies made announcements over a loudspeaker and a professional videographer was recording all the events. Family members shook my hand and posed for pictures. In turn, different groups of guests and/or relatives filed into the receiving hall past all the great-grandchildren in bright traditional outfits. A funeral singer and flute player accompanied each group of guests and family. Gifts of betel nuts for the women and cigarettes for the men were distributed. Lines of serving girls brought in food for the guests. A big pig was carried by stretched out on a bamboo frame. People keep careful track of who brings what to ceremonies (gifts are announced to the funeral throngs over the loudspeaker) and an “offering” considered cheap is cause for shame. A water buffalo offering engenders the local joke uttered at funerals when the animal is sacrificed “There goes another Toyota”.
Arru’ and I were invited into a small separate room and I was introduced to the family of the 90-year-old woman whose funeral I was attending: her son and his wife, 5 of their 7 children and several great-grandchildren. I gave them the carton of cigarettes. Two of the sweetest 6 year-old-girls with eye makeup, traditional dresses and extravagant bead necklaces sat on my lap for pictures. One of the grandchildren (a 22-year-old beauty who had just graduated from university as a teacher) served coffee, tea and sweets while flirting with me. I fell in love. Food consisting of rice and buffalo meat, pig blood and vegetable mixture cooked in a bamboo tube was served. I was treated like the guest of honour. Everyone was happy and having a good time. Many other family members came by to introduce themselves and shake hands. After the meal, everyone took turns taking pictures with me. It was all pleasantly surreal.
The water buffalo were skinned and butchered by professional butchers. Wheelbarrows carrying the sour, bright green contents of the rumen were dumped down the road. The pig was killed with a knife to the heart, butchered and some guys cooked the liver over a small open fire. All the meat was to be used for the meals for the guests today and to be distributed through out the community.
The dead person had died 11 months previously, was embalmed with modern methods and had been in the family house all this time. Visitors are expected to sit, chat and have coffee with them. During the 11 months, she was merely considered “sick” and only considered “dead” now that her funeral was taking place. The actual funeral happens 3 months to 2 years after death so that all the arrangements can be made. The temporary buildings had to be constructed, animals purchased for slaughter and family members spread all over Indonesia given time to make arrangements to come home.
The funeral itself occurs over 3-7 days depending on the social status of the dead person. This was a four-day affair. Day 1 starts at sundown when the coffin is moved from the south to the west side of the house signifying death and one water buffalo is sacrificed. Day 2 has a Christian funeral conducted by a priest in the church and buffalo fighting where pairs of bulls face off in an open field. A second water buffalo is sacrificed. Day 3, the day I was there, is when guests are received, a number of buffalo (representing men) are sacrificed depending on social status, pigs (representing women) are sacrificed and everyone socializes and eats traditional food cooked in bamboo. The family receives pigs from family and friends and distributes gifts of money and kindness to everyone attending. Day 4 is the actual burial day with a church service and interment by the method most suited to social status and family preference. Nowadays, noble people are buried in stone graves (large rooms chiselled into limestone cliff faces). Other well-off people are buried in family mausoleums and others are buried in rocky areas in above-ground graves. Practically, good land is not used for cemeteries. The funeral is licensed by the government and guests must sign an official register.
The whole process is all about cementing relationships – between family, friends of the family and fellow villagers. All donate to the funeral (pigs are the common commodity) and the family then incurs a debt that is paid off in kind in the future. Food is provided and meat is distributed amongst the whole community. Class standing is demonstrated by the generosity of the individual. Sacrificing animals is necessary to accompany the dead spirit to the afterlife, showing respect for the end of life. Children and grandchildren show respect for their parents and grandparents by sacrificing and participating in the ceremonies.
We left the funeral at about 2 pm and rode to a “baby’s grave”. This method of burial has not been used for 50 years and was only for babies without teeth. They were considered pure and holy and animal sacrifice was not part of their funeral. A hole was carved in a live tree on the side facing away from where the family lived and the baby was placed standing in the hole, the hole packed with palm leaves and covered with a palm leaf door. The belief was that the sap of the tree would nourish the baby like breast milk. Meanwhile, the wife who was never allowed to see the tree killed a pig and mourned with family and fellow villagers. The tree I saw had at least 15 baby burials on all its sides.
We then went to a cave burial site near the town of Londa. Caves were used in the 14th and 15th centuries. When a person died, they were “embalmed” using natural herbal methods, wrapped in cloth and remained in the family home for the next 10-20 years. By then, only the skeleton remained. The bones were then placed in family wood coffins in the shape of boats, buffalo or pigs, in caves. The coffins sat on wood frames suspended out from the walls. Higher-class people were placed in higher positions in the cave than lower-class people who were on the floor. Dressed wood effigies of the dead were in “balconies” lining the cave walls. Today some of the coffins have fallen down and most are in a state of rot. Skulls and random bones were scattered in niches in the walls or on the floor depending on social class. After entering through a low tunnel, the side of the cave is open. I walked through the lower section out to fields with stone graves scattered across a cliff face. These were closed with cement and doors and are still being used today.
We then went to see stone graves reserved for the nobility near the town of Lemo. On the way, we passed monolith fields – huge oddly shaped linear rocks stuck in the ground over an open area. This is where the funeral rituals of sacrifice take place before the actual stone grave burial. Twenty-four buffalo were sacrificed for these high-ranking funerals. The graves themselves are large 10 cubic meter rooms carved into a towering, vertical limestone cliff closed with small doors. They are still used today and each room is reserved for one family. When the room is full of coffins, the doors are permanently sealed. Stone statues fill balconies cut into the cliff. Above-ground graves line the base of the cliffs. A small building is full of coffins in the shape of boats and water buffalo.
Beside above-ground graves, more well-off people are buried in elaborate mausoleums – small buildings with boat-shaped structures on top.
Funerals are very costly affairs for families. They sometimes save their entire lives for it. But they don’t bankrupt themselves. Torajans realize that it is more important to educate their children properly to have successful lives so that they can be well enough off to continue future funeral ceremonies.
Tarajan’s architecture is unique. Traditional houses shaped like boats or buffalo horns, with the roof rearing up at the front and back – are the enduring image of Tana Toraja. They are always aligned north-south with small granaries/barns for the storage of rice facing them. Each farm has several of these raised granaries supported on large poles and with metal eves so that rodents cannot access the rice. Most houses and granaries have elaborate geometric or animal carvings on the sides. Buffalo horns symbolizing wealth and prestige often decorate the front. Villages and farms are scattered everywhere through the mountains.
There was an odd guy, an older German, in the hotel this morning. After staying for 3 days, he is shouting a litany of minor complaints and refusing to pay his bill. He had refused to pay for his motorcycle earlier. He had done his laundry and eaten several meals in the hotel restaurant. I’m sure this is a technique he uses everywhere to scam out of paying for as much as he can get away with. What a novel way to travel cheaply! I yelled at him across the restaurant “Pay your bills, you cheap bastard”. He ignored me. I discussed with the owners how he operates and they are well aware of his tactics. I told the owners to call the police. The police couldn’t come for an hour and the guy left without paying a penny of his bill. Later that afternoon, I suggested a course of action: With the two men who work in the hotel, I would have helped them wrestle the guy down, emptied his pockets, took the money he owed, found his cards, cut them up and tossed him onto the street.
On the second day, I rented a scooter and went for a big drive to the north of Rantepao. With no road signs, the only way to navigate is by stopping regularly and asking for directions. I eventually climbed up through impressive forests into the mountains to reach Sereale then headed east through Lokomata, Batu, Lempa, Deri and back south to Rantepao. There were repetitive stunning views of rice paddies, large boulders scattered randomly, many traditional villages, and multiple stone graves. The one at Lokormata was a 40m diameter boulder with graves cut into the entire circumference. Many of the doors had carvings. I watched several graves being constructed – guys kneeling down slowly chipping away with a small sledgehammer and a pointed chisel. The insides were about 2x4x1.5m in dimension. There has been a massive downpour every afternoon. The thunder started at 2 and black clouds slowly enclosed around me. Running from the storm, I just made it back to the hotel at 3:30 when it rained cats and dogs.
CENTRAL SULAWESI
So after a very good 2 days in Toraja country, it was time to continue the journey north. My prime destination was the Togean Islands, but it is 18+ hours by bus and minibus and ferry there. The first leg is a 13-hour bus ride to Pozo, The ride was through mountains, then down to a flat, coastal area and then up and over mountains again before descending down to Poso. Every descent and ascent is a slow, switch-backing road.
Tentana and Danau Poso.
One and a half hours short of Pozo is Tentana at 600m above sea level. All the other 6 tourists on the bus stopped here, if for no other reason than to break up the journey. We all had the same eventual destination. They are interested in seeing Danau Poso, at 32,300 hectares and averaging 450m in depth, the third largest lake in Indonesia. 15km away is Air Teejun Salopa, a waterfall and swimming hole. But I am not so excited, having seen tons of lakes and waterfalls compared to these nature-starved Europeans. I am also tentatively booking a live-aboard dive trip in the Raja Ampats for early February, and have a lot of territory to cover to get to Sorong on the west of Papua where most trips start.
Poso. (pop 48,000)
This is the main town, port and terminus for road transport on the northern coast of Central Sulawesi, and I arrived at 9:30 pm after a long 13-hour bus ride. But the bus was air-conditioned and I had a double seat all to myself. I got a hotel room with air conditioning where minibuses leave for Ampana. Post has no reason to stay other than to get money and sleep until the next stage of the journey. After some hassles, I found a minibus going to Ampana for 90,000Rp. It took 5 hours on an almost autobahn compared to the mountain roads I had been travelling on. Coconut palm forests lined the highway. Next to the ocean, the road had long straight stretches. With all the windows open, the heat was tolerable and I had the entire back bench to myself. With my inflatable neck pillow and eyeshades, I was able to lay down and slept.
Ampana.
This is the gateway to the Togean Islands. Try to stay as brief as possible. I stayed at the Oasis Hotel near the port. At 250,000Rp (US$20) for a superior room with air conditioning (necessary as this is a sweatbox) and TV (to watch the Australian Open Tennis), this is the most I have spent on a room since Hong Kong and certainly Indonesia. The room was quite overpriced (there was no water when I went to shower and no electric plug-ins that worked). My recommendation would be to go down to the port and talk to the middle-aged woman there (her name is Umfah), she has information on all transportation issues. She also owns a guesthouse with cheaper accommodation. But beware the only thing I would give her money for is the ferry to the Togeans. I paid her for the car ride to Manado, but the money was never transferred and I lost it.
TOGEAN ISLANDS
With golden beaches, lagoons, lost coves and arguably the best diving in Sulawesi, the Togeans are difficult to get to but supposedly difficult to leave. It is possible to explore all three major reef systems: atoll, barrier and fringing. However, I have heard that dynamite fishing has taken its toll on the fish and the diving is only mediocre. There are no big fish, always a marker of a healthy reef. In my determination to do the entire “travellers trail” from Makassa all the way to Manado, I will continue doing it the hard way. I have included a ‘travel facts’ section on the Togeans at the end of “Sulawesi”. Wakai is not a place to stay so arrange accommodation at any of the resorts listed in the travel facts section.
There are no flights to the Togeans. Ferries leave Ampana to Wakai every morning but Friday at 10 am. Buy tickets on the boat. Ongoing ferries from Wakai to Gorontalo leave Mondays and Thursdays at 4 pm. So I took the ferry on Tuesday, stayed at Blue Marlin Dive Resort on Kadadiri Island and departed on Thursday.
Black Marlin Dive Resort is on Kadadiri Island and they will pick you up at the ferry dock in Wakai. A standard room with a bathroom was 200,000 per night with all meals included. The diving is reasonable at 28 euros but everything else is expensive: a large Bingtang is 55,000, an orange juice that normally costs 7,000, is 15,000 and the food is mediocre at best. Water runs from 8-9 and 5-6 and the electricity is on from 5-11 pm. The owner has the worst personality in the world and is a real businessman. I went on one dive to “Mini Canyon” and it was only OK. Otherwise, it was a nice social time with all the other guests. An older American, Mitch is the only other person in my age range travelling long term that I have met in 9 years. A very pleasant guy, but he was also possibly the only over-50-year-old I have ever been able to tolerate as he was not self-possessed. He had amazing travels often involving trekking and hiking in Asia and South America. I felt like a minor walker.
The ferry to Gorontalo leaves on Mondays and Thursdays at 4 pm. You can rent an AC cabin, AC business seat or sleep in economy with 2 tiers of mats on the second deck that has open sides that can be covered if it rains (72,000 with a mat called a tatami). Anyone could go into the AC Business and sleep on the floor. I chose the latter and slept alone on the open-top deck with great views of all the stars. Although it is advertised to be a 13-hour trip, it took 11 1/2, and we arrived at 3:30 am. Significantly, we crossed the equator on the way.
NORTHERN SULAWESI
Gorontalo (pop 160,000) is another town that is missable. I was met by my driver but the money for my ticket to Manado had not been transferred by Unfah (she is legendary for swindling tourists) and waited around 3 1/2 hours to get it sorted out. Four French people were in the same boat and we all lost our money. As a single and all the other groups filling vehicles, I was stranded but eventually found a car with locals. It took over an hour waiting to fill the car, then a pleasant 9-hour drive and I was dropped off at a hotel.
Manado (pop 475,000)
This is the necessary base for exploring northern Sulawesi. My only goal was to arrange my Raja Ampat liveaboard dive adventure. I stayed at the Emerald Hotel. With fast internet, a TV to watch the Australian Open tennis finals and catch up with news, air-con and free breakfast, it was still on the expensive side at 220,000/night. It also became a welcome rest. I have had a few days off in five months of intensive travel and was tired.
I arranged a 10-day live aboard dive trip to the Raja Ampats with Wicked Diving. It started on February 5th so flew that morning to Sorong, Papua.
Pulau Bunaken. This group of islands just off Manado, a Marine National Park, is Sulawesi’s top destination. Snorkelers can see rich reefs close to shore and divers have a full choice of dives. Accommodation is spread along two beaches.
Some observations on Indonesia.
Indonesians are the sweetest people. “Hello, Meester” emanates from everyone’s lips. But they don’t hassle you with all sorts of questions and photo ops like in India. They don’t try to sell you stuff you don’t want. You can’t help but empathize with their grinding poverty. But they all seem happy. They are hopeful that their new incorruptible president can improve things. But the corruption is deeply ingrained and seems insurmountable.
I am not enamoured with the food. White rice, unregognizable overcooked vegetables and overdone meat is the constant. The prawns are chewy and the chicken is dry and bony. Even the fish is cooked too long. The satay in peanut sauce is usually good. Bintang beer is a staple.
MALAKU
I was unable to get here because of time and difficult transportation issues but will give a short outline.
Originally called the “Molluccas”, they are the original ‘spice islands’. Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, nutmeg, cloves and mace were global commodities and grew nowhere else. Malaku was a place where money really did grow on trees. It is protected from tourism by distance and infrequent and unpredictable transport. Flexibility and patience is necessary to visit the amazing Banda Islands.
History. First discovered by the Portuguese in 1510, the Dutch had quickly taken over by 1599 with their better boats to develop a global monopoly and fabulous wealth (some Dutch travellers I met said that Holland has lived off the interest from the spice trade ever since). In 1610, they massacred all the natives on the Bandas and imported compliant slaves to do the work. But the VOC (Dutch East India Company) imploded on itself by 1795. The British arrived, smuggled trees to Sri Lanka and Malaysia and the spice islands went into obscurity. One significant deal with the British was a trade for a small island (Palau Run in the Bandas) for another small island in America called Manhattan. Destructive ethnic conflict erupted between 1999 and 2002 but things seem calm today.
Getting There and Around. Ambon, the capital, has daily flights from Jakarta, Makassa and Manado and less regular connections to Sorong on Papua. Ambon is the ferry hub. Pelni ferries (pelni.co.id) service the Bandas twice a week. It is a 12-hour journey.
Sights are minimal in Ambon but it has beaches and diving.
Bandas. These ten tiny islands are Malaku’s most inviting travel destination. Off the tourist radar, their beaches and bays will be all your own. They are historically fascinating with ruined forts, colonial buildings and still-thriving plantations.
Bandaneira is the main port of the Banda Islands. Situated on Palau Neira, it is a sleepy town filled with colonial buildings and restored Dutch houses. Snorkeling is easily available but there is only one dive shop.
I have developed two indexes that reflect the economic health of a country.
1. Sidewalk Index. If the road is a better place to walk than the sidewalk, that country is both poor and often corrupt. Vendors, shops, street food, unfinished construction and motorcycles make use impossible. The worst is India where sidewalks are non-navigable. Myanmar, Nepal and Bolivia are close seconds. Indonesia is notable for its poor quality: broken pavers, constant driveways, piles of dirt and unfinished construction. Manados are treacherous. My worst nightmare would be to fall into the one-meter square gaping sewers. But Paris has dog shit and Japan has bicyclists.
2. Ease of Crossing the Street Index. In many countries, if you wait for no traffic and a safe crossing, you will be stranded on one side forever. Crosswalks are meaningless, and lights rare to unknown. Cars and motorcycles take precedence. The only way, no matter the volume, is simply to be aggressive and move across weaving through the lines. It always works and I have never had an accident as traffic tends to move slowly. India and Vietnam (with 70 million motorcycles) are the worst. But Indonesia is right up there. Japan with ubiquitous traffic lights with walk signals is the safest but slowest if you were to wait for the lights like all Japanese do. They watched with scorn (or maybe envy) as I ignored all the signals and crossed when convenient. No wonder their country is in a 20-year recession. Singapore would fine you for jaywalking. In Canada, vehicles always stop and wait for you to jaywalk. They are so polite.
TOGIAN ISLANDS – Travel Facts
The Togian Islands are an archipelago in the Gulf of Tomini, Central Sulawesi in Indonesia.
There are ATMs for Mastercard and Cirrus available at the mainland of Ampana but they cannot be used for VISA.
FLORA AND FAUNA. The Togians Islands are very close to the equator, due to that are all islands covered with tropical rain forest. Special for the Togian Islands is the Coconut Crab which can grow up to 4kg. The reefs surrounding all islands are full of tropical fish. It is also possible to see big Eagle rays, Napoleons, Bumphead Parrotfish and rarely sharks.
CLIMATE. The climate is all year round warm, due to the close position to the equator (40km). The driest months are the summer months.
GETTING IN AND OUT
The Togean Islands are difficult to reach as bus travel takes longer on Sulawesi. As there are no airports on the islands you will either have to reach the towns of Ampana or Gorontalo first, which is a challenge itself.
From Ampana: The public ferries that run between Ampana to Wakai on the Togian Islands leave every morning at 10:00, except Fridays. Under normal conditions, it takes about 4 hours to Wakai, where resorts offer free connecting speedboats to Pulau Kadidiri. The fare for the main ferry is 60,000Rp as of Oct 2014). Some of the boats stop in Melange which is another 1.5 hours from Wakai.
The resorts are waiting with their boats at the ferry terminal but it’s nice to call them ahead to warn them. For Pulau Kadidiri: Black Marlin Dive Resort, Kadidiri Paradise and Pondok Lestari are charging nothing if you stay with them – if you change to one of the other ones, you have to pay a small fee of 25.000 Rupiah (all 3 resorts are in walking distance to each else).
From/To Gorontalo: The ferry “Tuna Tomini” runs twice a week from Gorontalo to Wakai (travel time 13 hours) and continues on to Ampana. It leaves Gorontalo every Tuesday and Friday at 20:00 o’clock, arriving in Wakai the next morning. The price (Oct 2014) is 63,000 Rp for Ekonomi class (seat in an open cabin with café), 72,000 Rp. for Bisnes1 class (berth in an open cabin) and 89,000 for Bisnes2 class (reclinable seat in A/C cabin). The same ferry makes the return trip to Gorontalo twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, leaving Ampana at 10:00 in the morning, and reaching Wakai about 15:00 o’clock. After taking Gorontalo-bound passengers and freight the ferry then leaves Wakai at 16:00 o’clock arriving in Gorontalo the next morning about 06:00 o’clock. Make sure if it’s busy and you’re going overnight, you reserve a mattress when you buy your ticket. This is called “tatami”, you’ll get a number assigned, and costs Rp10,000. Otherwise you’ll be sleeping on the deck!
The fastest way of getting to the Togian Islands is by flying to Luwuk, chartering a car/taxi from Luwuk to Ampana and then taking the ferry to Wakai. Another fast, albeit slower option is to fly to Gorontalo and to jump on the Tuna Tomini ferry (Tuesday or Friday) to Wakai.
GETTING AROUND. Private boats of varying types can be chartered at anytime to and from the islands and usually cost 1-2 million rupiah upwards.
SEE
Kadadiri is home to an indigenous population known as the Bajo colloquially called “Sea Gypsys”. The Bajo are semi-nomadic and rely on fishing for their income. Tours from Kadidiri Paradise will take you to visit them. Selling fresh lobsters to tourists is a big part of their income. A fascinating cultural experience fast approaching its demise is, “Living with Sea Gypsies.” You can visit or even live with the last of the traditional sea gypsies who have endowed remarkable fishlike abilities that still baffle modern scientists.
There is a long jetty outside of the Paradise Resort that has good snorkelling right off of it. It might be possible to swim to the island directly across from Kadidiri, but it’s not a good idea. There are strong currents that can sweep a swimmer off course and out to sea.
There are sea kayaks for rent from Black Marlin and it takes about 30 minutes to paddle to a nearby island that has good snorkelling; 10 minutes to the ‘lagoon’ to the east of Paradise also beautiful for snorkelling; or ~4 hours to circumnavigate the island (make sure you don’t mistake the narrow channel on the south-east side for a bay!). There are many trails around the island, but some are easy to get lost on. The walks are through dense growths and are not particularly picturesque. Fishing is not allowed in the no-take zone so fishing trips must be outside this area. naturally, there is diving at Black Marlin (more boats and equipment) and Paradise, check the equipment carefully.
For diving Pulau Una Una (The Pinnacle!) is the highlight in the area – big groups of barracudas, jackfish and napoleons can be seen. Other good dive sites are The Gap, Dominik Rock, The Crack, Batugilla and for nightdives especially Little Lembeh. The dive boats take normally also snorkelers for free with them, if the dive site is shallow enough.
BUY. There are no shops on Pulau Kadidiri. Wakai is the nearest place with shops and a market. An internet cafe is also found on Wakai, it opens only after 18:00 o’clock running throughout the night.
EAT. All resorts include three meals per day in their prices. Paradise and Black Marlin have a small shops selling snacks and cigarettes.
DRINK. It costs about IDR 40,000-50.000 for a large Bintang beer at the resorts. Other option for alcohol is the local Arak, a kind of stronger palm wine – all resorts can get it for you in Wakai for around IDR 10.000. A large bottle of water costs IDR 10,000 in most resorts. Boiled water, tea and coffee are provided free by all resorts.
SLEEP Note that all the hotels charge per person (not per room!!), and there are no ATMs, so bring enough cash.
Bomba is about 2.5 hours from Ampana where you can find 2 places to stay. It may be reached by public boats from the small harbour near Marina Cottages. The boats depart on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. The price is about Rp25,000 per person.
1. Island Retreat has a 400 meter long white sand beach, and 3 hectares of surrounding forest. There are 10 large oceanfront cottages with private baths, sea-view verandas, and king-sized beds. There is a honeymoon cottage and a family cottage, suitable for a family of 4 (or more)starting at $30 US/person/night. Delicious meals are included in the price of accommodation. Homemade pasta, bread, pizza, international and local cuisine. Various activities available – forest walks, village tours, snorkelling, diving, canoeing. Padi Dive Center, equipment rental. Good value.
2. Poyalisa Island Offers you a place to relax and feel like Robinson Crusoe on a small beautiful Island. With 15 nice simple budget bungalows starting at Rp 125.000/person/night with three daily meals and a snack in the afternoon included, each with a veranda and located on a lovely white sandy beach opposite Bomba village. With excellent (and plenty of) homemade Indonesian food. Diving is possible with Bomba Divers which is located just around the corner.
Wakai is the main ferry port in the area and has a single resort located on an island across from it.
1. Sunset Beach A resort opened in December 2011, with a private beach. The staff are lovely, as is the food, and offer the 15mn boat transfer from Wakai Ferry terminal. Rooms from 125,000 Rupiah per person (150,000 Rupiah including 19 liters of bottled drinking water). The price of the room includes 3 daily meals, complementary tea and coffee available all day. All rooms have attached bathrooms with western style toilets and salt water. Snorkelling trips are available to surrounding locations for between 50,000 to 500,000 Rupiah per person, but diving cannot be arranged. If you are lucky you will see Babirusa, Coconut Crabs and dolphins.
Kadidiri has only three resorts located right next to each other on the very small beach. They all charge per person, per night and include all meals. Kadidiri is reached by boats from Wakai, provided free by the three resorts on the island.
1. Pondok Lestari Kadidiri. Offers Bungalows for single or doubles with shared squat toilet/mandi. The only budget accomodation on Kadidiri starting at Rp 125,000 per person per night including all meals and free coffee and tea all day. Rustic bungalows with private bathroom cost Rp 175,000 per person. Snorkeling trips to nearby Islands and Reef with the owner who is a Bajo fisherman cost Rp 50,000. Atoll trip is Rp 150,000. Una-Una is Rp 200,000. You can also join him on fishing trips also for free. You can go for great walks on the Island to other uninhabited beaches. There are lots of birds, crabs and lots of other wildlife. Pondok Lestari does not have a dive center, but both the Black Marlin and the Paradise are happy to take on extra business. Pondok Lestari Kadidiri (It is to the right of the Kadidiri Paridise and Black Marlin Resorts when facing the Island.)
2. Black Marlin Dive Resort. Located in the middle of the three resorts, all rooms are right on the water with amazing sea views and have attached western bathrooms, ceiling fans too. All rooms have double spring beds with mosquito nets. Water runs 4 hours per day, two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. Cold water only. Standard rooms are Rp 250,000 per person, and Deluxe rooms are Rp 300,000 per person. Delicious food buffet style with fish, chicken, pasta and vegetables on the menu. Has very well equipped dive center with all new equipment (30 sets) and 2 compressors and 4 speedboats. Laid back fun atmosphere with professional back up. Now has some sea kayaks for rent so can get to nearby islands to snorkel or just bit of afternoon fitness.
3. Kadidiri Paradise Offers bungalows of different sizes and quality ranging from 275,000-600,000 Rp per person including all meals and free coffee and. tea all day. They are supposed to have 24hrs of running water in the rooms. Its beachfront is very good with a wide variety of coral and fish. The food is very fresh and tasty. Has a dive center. Credit card payment available at times but bring plenty of cash to be on the safe side. The owners have another establishment in Ampana and you can pay with credit card there.
Katupat Island is about 1 hour from Kadidiri Island where you can find 2 beautiful resorts just 10 minute with a small boat from Katupat Village Togian Island.
Bolilanga Island offers quiet and charming bungalows on a powdery white sandy beach starting at Rp 200.000/person/night with three daily meals included. Snorkeling in a perfect turquoise waters teeming with tropical fish and extensive coral formation just a few meters from the beach.
Pangempa island. A small tropical island that most people dream about: beautiful beaches, comfortable beach-chairs and jungle sounds in the night. Fadhilla Cottage offers a variety of meals from local dishes to western favorites with all fresh ingredients. Starting at Rp 125.000/person/night with three daily meals included. Diving available.
Losmen Lestari Malenge. Remote and secluded island with an amazing archipelago far away from almost everything. The room starts at Rp 125.000/person/night/with three daily meals included.
Malenge Indah. Basic bamboo cottages with Mandi bathroom and excellent food . Very secluded and wonderfully quiet with amazing reefs only 45 minutes boat ride from Malenge Village. Starting at Rp 125.000/person/night/with three daily meals included.
Walea Kodi. Sifa Cottage Located at and is a place where you can find the ideal combination of beaches and coral reefs with amazing people from Togian. Starting at Rp 125.000/person/night/with three daily meals included.
STAY SAFE. Do not walk through the reefs bare feet. Bring enough mosquito repellent containing DEET (others will be useless), as mosquitoes that bite day and night are a serious annoyance.
