Head to northern Sulawesi for towering volcanoes, lush green forests and endemic wildlife. Just offshore, you’ll find incredible marine life in the Lembeh Strait and throughout Bunaken National Marine Park. Cool off in the Minahasa Highlands, the former stronghold of the Minahasa people where elements of their culture are still evident. Here in the northern highlands, the main town is Tomohon, known for its beautiful flowers, volcanic backdrops, markets and colour changing lake. To the north, you’ll find Tangkoko National Park, a nature reserve providing a wonderful opportunity to get up close and personal with the friendly black crested macaques. Here you can also admire the adorable Yoda-like figures of the tiny tarsiers, the cuscus bear and the flapping wings of the hornbill amongst many other bird species.
Venture to Sulawesi and you will be rewarded with up-close wildlife encounters both on the land and in the water, fascinating cultural practices, mountainous lands, thick forests and some of the best diving opportunities in the world. The peculiar ‘K’ shaped land lies northeast of Bali and across the Makassar Strait from Borneo. Sulawesi is the ideal destination for the curious, intrepid traveller, especially if you’re seeking a holiday in Indonesia away from the typical tourist trail.
In the rural South, you’ll find some of the most unusual and fascinating tribal villages. Here in Tana Toraja, home to the distinctive Torajan people, you can witness the outlandish funeral ceremonies in which masses of buffaloes and pigs are slaughtered, families live in boat-shaped houses amongst breath-taking mountainous lands.
