CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SULAWESI
Travel is challenging in this land of remote people and great mountain ranges, but the reward is unequalled: wild natural beauty, rare animals and ancient megaliths amid vibrant tranquility
The island’s central and south-eastern provinces (Sulawesi Tengah and Sulawesi Tenggara) are still considerably off the beaten track and are bypassed by most visitors because of relatively challenging travel. Both these regions have some of the lowest densities of people in all of Indonesia and some of the largest tracts of wilderness, but also some of the least-developed infrastructure for tourism and travel. They are potentially the most exciting and rewarding areas for exploration, but not without a lot of patience and a willingness to forego comfort. There are, however, a number of places with cultural, historical and natural interest that are not particularly difficult to reach, but require a taste for adventure, knowledge of a few key Indonesian phrases, and a flexible time schedule.
CENTRAL SULAWESI
Central Sulawesi is the largest province in Sulawesi with about 60 percent of its terrain swathed in rainforest. The majority of the province’s 2.2 million people live along the coastlines while the rest inhabit rifts and valleys of the mountainous landscapes. Extensive mountain ranges have proved formidable barriers to migration and many of the inland dwellers remain relatively isolated. Twelve ethnic groups and 24 languages are officially recognized, making Central Sulawesi one of the most multi cultural regions in Indonesia.
The capital of Central Sulawesi is Palu, a pleasant port town surrounded by grassy hills and located at a bottleneck of land between Tomini bay and the Makassar strait. A visit to the Museum Negeri Propinsi Sulawesi Tengah gives a preview of Indian inspired silk woven by the indigenous Kaili people called kain Donggala, as well as displays of arts and crafts, traditional bark cloth, and megalith replicas from the valleys around Lore Lindu.
An hour’s drive north of Palu lies Donggala, a sleepy town with a picturesque bay that was once a key trading route stop between Sulawesi, Borneo and India. The Dutch had turned Donggala into an administrative centre for the region, until the Japanese gave the role to Palu. Amid hillsides of coconuts and vegetable gardens, Donggala is a relaxing place for walks. The weavers’ village of Towale is located just south of town, and lovely beaches and watersports are found just north at Tanjung Karang.
Arguably one of the country’s most important biological refuges, Lore Lindu National Park hosts incredibly diverse plant and animal life within its rugged geography. Hornbills and eye-catching butterflies abound, and there of Sulawesi’s strangest and most illusive mammals, the anoa (dwarf buffalo), babirusa (deer-pig) and nocturnal sulawesi palm civet reside in the park. Patience and a bit of luck will reveal tarsiers, the tonkean macaque, maleo fowl and the bear-like cuscus. A total of 50,000 people – a mixture of indigenous people, Bugis and transmigration placed by the Indonesian government from over-crowded regions of Bali and Java – live in 117 villages near the park.
Rainforest and megaliths
Megaliths statues estimated between 700 and 5,000 years old dot the valleys of Napu, Besoa, and Bada in Lore Lindu. The origin of these carvings is unknown although they almost certainly related to ancestor worship. While the smaller stones are just 50 cm (20 inches) high, the decidedly phallic-inspired stone images of humans are up to 4 metres (13ft) high.
A rough 80-km (50-mile) jeep track from the town of Gintu in Bada valley leads east to Tentena, situated on crystal-clear Danau Poso. Restaurants serve eels, up to 2 metres (6½ ft) long, harvested from Danau Poso. The lake is surrounded by dense rainforest, rice terraces, and lush clove and coffee plantations. Cool breezes make boat trips a pleasant way to explore the stunning environs and lakeside villages. The Taman Angerek Bancea on the western shore displays about 45 species of orchids that bloom three times yearly.
Further along the eastern peninsula, the land becomes increasingly infertile and isolated, but no less captivating. The administrative centre of Poso is the usual hub to Morawali Nature Reserve and Kepulauan Togian, two infrequently visited but remarkable areas. Kolonedale, a tiny town on spectacular Teluk Towori, is the most convenient starting point into Morawali. Transport and guides can be arranged in Kolonedale to visit the Wana people who still hunt wild boar and other Sulawesi fauna with poisoned-dart rattan pipes.
Toward the north, the remote forest-capped Kepulauan Togian islands cluster in the huge, calm azure Bay of Tomini. Sheer limestone cliftts, secluded white-sand beaches, and wonderful snorkeling and diving can be found despite extensive damage to the northern reefs from dynamite fishing. The beautiful setting and relaxed pace often lulls travelers into extending their stay. Here, the once nomadic sea gypsies, or Bajo people, live in stilt houses over the water. Una-una, a volcano island with spectacular coral reefs, violently erupted and blew its cone off in 1983, causing extensive damage but, fortunately, no human lives.
SOUTHEAST SULAWESI
Southeast Sulawesi is a rugged province with impassable mountains to the north, savannah to the east, and a chain of fragmented islands to the south. Although isolated from the rest of the island by land, air and sea link are quited good. The majority of the 1.8 million population live in the south. The settlers includes the Tolaki and Tomekongga people, the Makassarese and Buginese from South Sulawesi, and government-sponsored transmigrants from Java and Bali.
The capital of Southeast Sulawesi is Kendari, a port town whose crafts men are renowned for their intricate silver filigree work. Outside of town, fine beaches and snorkeling are located at Hari island. In Morame, spectacular seven-tiered waterfalls canopied under lush foliage are wonderful to visit for a day of soaking and wimming. Rawa Aopa National Park, about 70 km (43¾ miles) west of Kendari, has a number of ecological habitats to explore with the assistance of guides arranged by the Kendari tourist office. Deer and macaques are often seen in the savannah and rainforest, and a paddle in a dugout along mangrove forest and peat swamps is a good way to catch sight of rare birdlife.
On the larger islands south of the mainland, the area around Raha on Muna island is famous for horse fighting while red-ochre cave depictions can be seen at Goa Mabolu; but the highlight is the incredibly scenic of Napabale lagoon. Although Muna is largely deforested, the neighbouring Buton – the largest island in Sulawesi and former seat of the powerful Sultan of Wolio – is still cloaked in impenetrable virgin rainforest. However, more accessible secondary rainforest in Buton, such as Kakanawue Nature Reserve, offers a good chance to see macaques, tarsiers and hornbills. Benteng Keraton near Bau Bau, Buton’s main settlement, was a fortress built from 3 km (1¾ miles) of stone around a hill overlooking the Buton strait to protect the sultanate. During the Dutch era in the 17th century, Bau Bau was an important stop between Makassar and the spice islands of Maluku to the east.
The remote islands of Kepulauan Tukang Besi, also known as Wakatobi, is Indonesia’s newest marine park. Enthusiasts have discovered spectacular diving off the many atolls and uplifted limestone islands that string out into the deep Banda sea.
