Highlands & Islands of Sulawesi (19 days)
The bizarrely shaped Sulawesi is Indonesia's fourth largest island, with a remote location in the north east of the archipelago, which served as a dominant spice trading centre for the Portuguese in the 16th Century. The island is a magnet for those seeking off-the-beaten-track adventures, a rich tapestry of cultural heritage and a seemingly endless coastline to explore. Mountain ranges and thick jungle dominate the island's interior, which have provided safe havens for several distinct ethnic groups to flourish over the centuries.
This exciting tour takes you from the ancient port of Makassar to the Toraja heartland in the southern highlands to discover a unique cultural heritage linked to the locals' elaborate funeral ceremonies. Continue to the lands of the Buginese Kingdom, one of the largest ethnic groups on the island originating from China who are known for their seafaring skills, and spend time relaxing on the undeveloped stretch of coastline around Cape Bira on the islands south western tip. Then fly north to Manado and head to the Minahasa Highlands to visit the exotic local market in Tomohon, and explore a dramatic landscape dominated by volcanoes, rice paddies, sulphur lakes and hot springs. The trip finishes in true style at a barefoot luxury resort in the Bunaken National Marine Park off the northern tip of Sulawesi, a dreamy archipelago with pristine white sand beaches and warm, crystal clear water.
Guide Price
From £3,995 per person based on a double room for departures in June.
Day by Day Itinerary
Click on each day to expand the itinerary detail. Or click on the print itinerary button above to preview the tour in full.
Flight: SQ 317 London Heathrow - Singapore 11.30 - 07.20 (overnight)
Private transfer: On arrival in Singapore, you will be welcomed to Singapore by your local guide and transferred to the Park Regis in a chauffeur driven car for a two-night stay.
At leisure: Once arrived and checked in, the remainder of the day is at leisure to relax at your hotel or explore Singapore independently.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Park Regis Singapore (Park Room)
At leisure: Today is at leisure to relax at your hotel or explore Singapore independently.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Park Regis Singapore (Park Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Private transfer: Early this morning, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Singapore Airport for your flight to Makassar.
Flight: MI142 Singapore - Makassar 07.55 - 11.00
Private transfer: On arrival in Makassar, you will be welcomed to Indonesia by your local guide and transferred to the Aston Makassar Hotel in a chauffeur driven car for an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Aston Makassar Hotel (Superior Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Road journey from Makassar to Rantepao: This morning, depart by road for Toraja, a journey of around 8 hours with stops en route. The drive follows the coast to Pare Pare, where a stop will be made for lunch. The route then turns inland and up over the mountains. Stop for afternoon coffee at Puncak Lakawang from where there is panoramic views over the landscape. Arrive in Rantepao late in the afternoon, and check in to your hotel.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Toraja Misiliana Hotel (Superior Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Full day tour of Toraja villages & countryside: Today you will be taken on a full day excursion in Toraja. Start with a visit to the village of Lemo to see rows of Tau-Tau and the hanging graves. Continue to Sangalla to visit royal graves of Sangalla kingdom at Suaya. After lunch in a local restaurant in Rantepao visit the traditional Torajan village of Kete-Kesu, famous for its woodcarving, to see the Tongkonan and the old rice-barns. The final stop of the day will be made at Londa which has an ancient natural grave where the deceased are entombed during extravagant ceremonies.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Toraja Misiliana Hotel (Superior Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Full day tour of Toraja villages & countryside: After breakfast, set off for Bori to see megalithic stones and graves of babies. From here climb up Batutumonga Hill to enjoy spectacular views over Rantepao and the surrounding valleys. Continue to villages of Bori and Palawa and then enjoy lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon visit Marante to see hanging graves and statues.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Toraja Misiliana Hotel (Superior Room)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Road journey from Rantepao to Sengkang: This morning, depart Toraja Land for the journey south to Sengkang, a journey of 210km taking approximately 3.5 hours. En route there will be the option to stop for a view of the Erotic Mountain in Enrekang, which is in an area known as the "rice bowl" of south Sulawesi.
Afternoon tour of Sengkang: Having checked in to your hotel, head out on an afternoon tour of the Sengkang area. Start with a visit to a Buginese traditional silk-weaving workshop where women hand spin and weave silk clothes. Continue with an exploration of Lake Tempe on a motorized canoe to see the floating houses decorated with colourful flags and lifestyles of the fisherman and their families. The floating village is located in the centre of the lake and is inhabited by around 30 families that live in a traditional way. There may be the chance to visit one of the fisherman's homes and drink tea acoompanied by a fried banana (Pisang Goreng) with the family. As you travel around by boat keep your eyes peeled for the rich bird life that is attracted to the lake's vegetation.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the BBC Hotel Sengkang (Deluxe Room)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Road journey from Sengkang to Cape Bira: After an early breakfast, resume your journey south east towards Cape Bira. Along the way you will see the local Bugis people working in their sugar & cocoa plantations and endless rice terraces that shape the landscape on both sides of the road. En route there is the chance to visit the Andi Mappasisi Museum at Watampone to view artefacts from the Bugis Kingdom.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bara Beach Bungalows (Beach Front Bungalow)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day at leisure: Today you are free to relax at your hotel or explore the Bira area independently. If you like snorkelling, it is recommended to hire a boat to visit Liukang or Kambing Island.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bara Beach Bungalows (Beach Front Bungalow)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Road journey from Cape Bira to Makassar: Depart Cape Bira for the drive along the coastal road along the southern tip of Sulawesi to Makassar, a journey of approximately 5 hours.
Makassar city tour: In the afternoon, you will be taken on a short tour of Makassar City, with a visit to Port Rotterdam and the Lagaligo Museum, which has sections on ethnology and history. Continue to Paotere which is the old harbour of Makassar, where you can see the world famous “Phinisi” or Bugis schooners.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Aston Makassar Hotel (Superior Room)
Meals: Breakfast
Private transfer: You will be collected from the Aston Makassar Hotel and transferred to Hasanudin Airport for your flight to Manado.
Flight: GA682 Makassar - Manado 09.15 - 11.00
Road journey from Manado to the Minahasa Highlands: Set off south from Manado to Tomhon in the Minahasa Highlands, a drive of 30km which takes around 1 hour.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Gardenia Country Inn (Bungalow)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Morning ascent of Gunung Mahawu: After an early breakfast drive towards Gunung Mahawu and embark on a short hike to the crater rim for sunrise on the top of the volcano. This is a spectacular vantage point from where you can see Bunaken National Marine Park, the Tua Islands and the Bay of Manado. At the bottom of the crater there is a steaming lake, and you will smell the sulfur from the bubbling pools.
For a more challenging trek this morning we can arrange a trek to the summit of Mount Lokon as an alternative to Gunung Mahawu.
Afternoon tour of the Minahasa Highlands: Continue by road to Lake Tondano, the largest lake in the region, where you will have lunch at a shore-side restaurant. Fertile rice paddies lead towards the lake’s edge and numerous fish restaurants are dotted upon the lakeside where you can sample baked ikan mas (koi fish) served with fresh water spinach. Don’t forget to try the fiery dabu dabu, a local accompaniment to the fish consisting of chopped chillies, tomatoes and spring onions. After lunch visit the Toraget hot springs for an optional bathe in the natural open-air pools. Finish the tour with a trip to Lake Linow, a highly sulphurous lake with constantly changing colours depending on the light and viewing perspective.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Gardenia Country Inn (Bungalow)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Road journey from the Minahasa Highlands to Manado: Today, drive back down to the coastal city of Manado, a journey of approximately 1 hour.
Shared boat journey from Manado to the Bunaken Marine Park: Board a shared speedboat for the trip to your resort in the Bunaken Marine Park, a journey of approximately 45 minutes.
Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Siladen Resort (Garden View Bungalow)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Days at leisure: Free days to relax at your hotel, or explore the Marine Park independently.
Accommodation: Stay these nights at the Siladen Resort (Garden View Bungalow)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Boat & road journey to Manado airport: Today, return on a shared speedboat to the mainland, and travel on to the airport in a private car. The total journey time is approximately 1.5 hours.
Flight: MI273 Manado - Singapore 13.50 - 17.05
Flight: SQ322 Singapore - London Heathrow 23.30 - 05.55 (overnight)
Meals: Breakfast