Depart your home country on your flight to Makassar, Sulawesi.
Most suited for
Couples, Families
Ideal time to visit
April - October
On Sulawesi and North Maluku, age-old traditions still shape daily life, wildlife thrives, and wild landscapes roll out for miles. Far from Indonesia’s usual tourist trail, these islands are ideal for curious, adventurous travellers.
This three-week trip covers Sulawesi in depth: you’ll explore traditional villages with fascinating customs, unwind in Tomohon’s cool highlands, and encounter rare and curious species in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, and dive into clear waters with pristine coral reefs and marine life.
What’s more, you’ll also explore the contrasting spice islands of Ternate and Tidore: one lively and bustling, the other calm and unhurried.
Sulawesi & The Spice Islands
As with all our holidays, this itinerary is just a starting point. We will create a bespoke package which will be completely unique for you.
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Day 1
Your adventure begins
Days 2 - 3
Makassar, South Sulawesi
On arrival in Makassar, you’ll be welcomed to Indonesia by your private driver and taken to your first hotel. Here, you’ll have time to settle in and relax after your flight.
The next morning, meet your driver for a 1.5-hour journey to Rammang-Rammang village, where you’ll board a boat for a sail along the river, admiring the breathtaking Karst mountain and limestone cliffs along the way. Have lunch at the Udhin Eco-Lodge before returning to Makassar for a visit to the Paotere Schooner Harbor and a short walking tour of the city’s best landmarks. That evening, we’ll recommend one of Makassar’ssuperb seafood restaurants for your dinner.
Day 4
Toraja, South Sulawesi
This morning, you’ll hop on a flight to Palopo. From here, travel with your guide and driver to Toraja, passing by magnificent tropical rainforests, before stopping at several village graveyards.
Next, you’ll pay a visit to Karuaya, one of the oldest Tongkonan traditional villages, and Kete Kesu village, renowned for its woodcarving and unique Tongkonan houses and rice barns.
Days 5 - 7
Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi
Begin your first full day in Toraja with a visit to a bustling market with your guide, before wandering through traditional villages to see daily life unfold. Continue by car to Lemo village graveyard, known for its striking Tau-Tau effigies.
The next day, delve even deeper into Torajan traditions by meeting a family who preserves the Tomasaki Ullunna (the body of a deceased relative) within their home. Visit another Tongkonan village for a unique experience, where a local family will prepare lunch for you beneath their rice barn.
Next, wave goodbye to Toraja and take a scenic drive to Palopo, pausing at Puncak Pass to take in sweeping views over the dense tropical rainforest. Fly to Manado where your driver will whisk you to your eco-resort in the picturesque highlands of Tomohon.
Days 8 - 9
Minahasa Highlands, North Sulawesi
Today, it’s time to go to Tomohon in the Minahasa Highlands, which has a pleasant climate and is surrounded by lush forests, towering volcanic peaks, beautiful flowers and fresh, delicious produce.
You have the next two days to spend at your leisure. You might want to pay a visit to the colour changing Lake Linow, go birdwatching or hike 30 minutes up to Mount Mahawu’s crater edge for panoramic views over the surrounding islands, Bay of Manado and the sulphur crater lake.
Days 10 - 12
Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi
Journey two hours into the fascinating Tangkoko Nature Reserve, passing small villages before reaching your nature lodge where you can relax in the afternoon.
With a full day in the reserve, start your morning with a walk accompanied by a forest ranger. Wander through the lush 9,000 hectares of land, spotting the famous and friendly black crested macaques (indigenous to North Sulawesi), along with cuscus bears, hornbills and other bird species native to the area. After a boat ride through the mangroves, set off on an evening walk in the rainforest to spot shy tarsiers clinging to the trees.
Days 13 - 16
Bunaken National Marine Park, North Sulawesi
Today, you will travel across North Sulawesi to a boutique dive resort overlooking Bunaken National Marine Park. This is heaven for keen divers and snorkellers. With four days and three nights at the resort, you can swim among the beautiful reefs and abundant marine life to your heart’s content. In between, relax by the pool or on the beach.
Days 17 - 18
Ternate, North Maluku Islands
Today, you will catch a flight from Manado to Ternate and settle into your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure: either explore the city or perhaps you’d prefer to go snorkelling nearby at Sulamadaha beach.
Dominated by the Gamalama volcano, Ternate is a small, round island with a long history as the original spice island. On your second day here, you’ll visit the mother of clove trees, ‘CengkehAfo’, known to be 350 years old before having lunch at a local restaurant. Afterwards, you’ll visit several forts dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries as your guide explains the history behind each one.
End your historical tour at the peculiar Tolire Lake. Set at the foot of Mount Gamalama, without any connection to the sea, it has an ecosystem all of its own.
Day 19
Tidore, North Maluku Islands
This morning, you’ll board a local fast boat to Tidore island, arriving in less than an hour. After travelling to your hotel via a privately chartered taxi, you’ll explore the Fort of Torre with your guide. Later, you’ll have the opportunity to experience local life by visiting the Gurabunga Village on the slope of Mount Kiematubo, 800 metres above sea level.
Day 17
Fly home
Time to wave goodbye to Indonesia. Travel back to Jakarta airport for your flight back home.
First-class Island Hopping in Indonesia
Fantastic journey, away from the tourists hotspots, of Java, Borneo, Bali and Komodo. All means of transport and wide variety of experiences from primary jungle to volcanos to dragons.
Simon & David
9 July 2025Excellent
850 Reviews
850 Reviews
What’s included:
With ETG, what’s included goes well beyond the basics. From the moment your trip begins to your final farewell, the essentials are already taken care of, leaving you free to immerse, explore and enjoy without the hassle of hidden extras.
Here’s what comes as standard in all of our holidays:
All flights (unless you’ve booked your own!)
Expert guides and drivers
All accommodation
Many meals and snacks
Immersive experiences throughout
All regional transfers
Tips
24/7 In-Country support
Personal travel consultant throughout
Pricing:
As every holiday is bespoke, prices vary depending on destination, flights, hotel choices, inclusions and travel dates. We aim to include as much as possible upfront, so you know exactly where you are. As an approximate guide:
Bespoke Holidays £4,500 - £8,500pp
Bespoke Luxury Holidays £8,500 - £14,500pp
Bespoke Family Holidays from £4,000 - £7,500pp
Meet Our Indonesia Experts
Lola’s love for Indonesia runs deep – and not just for Bali (though she has a soft spot for its magical interior and knows exactly where to find the best warung for lunch). What really excites her is helping travellers uncover the country’s sheer variety – from the smouldering volcanoes of Java to the rich marine areas in far-flung corners like Raja Ampat.
“This is made for culturally curious travellers with a thirst for adventure!”
Lola
Regional Expert
Explore Our Hotels & Villas
Wherever you go, and whatever you do, at the end of every day you can always be sure of a comfortable rest. Every location on our list of hotels is handpicked, and in its own way, shares the history, the hospitality, and the soul of the destination. Below are some examples of the different hotels we use.
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Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Toraja Heritage Hotel
Lovely welcoming hotel, set amongst paddy fields on the outskirts of Ubud.
Highlights
Highlights
Stone’s throw from Rantepao downtown,
Pool
Best for
Couples
Families
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Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Gardenia Country Inn
Small beachfront resort located on an island off the coast of North Sulawesi, great for divers.
Highlights
Highlights
Volcanic views,
Nature all around
Best for
Couples,
Families
Gallery
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North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Tangkoko Hill Cottage
Simple, basic accommodation. Well placed for exploring Tangkoko National Park.
Highlights
Highlights
Close to Tangkoko National Park
Best for
Couples
Families
Gallery
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Indonesia, North Sulawesi
Cocotinos Manado
A comfortable, well-run boutique dive resort overlooking Bunaken Marine Park.
Highlights
Highlights
Sensational snorkelling and diving
Best for
Couples, Families
Gallery
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South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Aston Makassar Hotel
A comfortable, unflashy base in the city centre with solid amenities.
Highlights
Highlights
City views, Rooftop pool,
Central location
Best for
Couples, Families
Gallery
The ETG Guarantee
We guarantee you an experience no one else has ever had.
The travel magic you’ll remember won’t be found on a well-trodden – or over-Instagrammed – itinerary. It will be the surprises, discoveries and secrets that you’ll uncover along the way with us.
Do you ever feel like people aren’t listening to you?
We get it. And we will – that’s a promise. Your holiday starts with with a proper, no-pressure call to understand what you want, what you don’t want, and what matters to you. From there, we create a completely unique adventure, inspired by our conversation together.
And because of our long-standing relationships with trusted partners across Asia, you’ll have access to experiences you can’t find on Google. The kind of special experiences that are literally impossible to find on your own.
Experiences in Indonesia
Crafting bespoke packages is the heart of what we do. Each holiday is specially designed to confound preconceptions and share magical, memorable, and truly exceptional experiences.
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South Sulawesi
Explore Tangkoko Nature Reserve
Venture into the terrific Tangkoko Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi, which lies far off the typical tourist trail in Indonesia.
Bordering a stretch of the volcanic coastline of northern Sulawesi, Tangkoko Nature Reserve’s protected rainforest is a sanctuary for fascinating, free-roaming wildlife.
Here, you can come face-to-face with the friendly, critically endangered black crested macaques, spot the native bear cuscus, and watch for birdlife from hornbills to kingfishers.
Join a night walk with a park ranger to spot small, Yoda-like tarsiers clinging to the trees and take a peaceful boat ride through the mangroves to admire the reserve’s rich flora and fauna from the water.
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South Sulawesi
Toraja Village Walk & Funeral Ceremony
You’ll go on a light trek to a local Toraja village, where you can interact with the villagers and witness their unique funeral rites, which are integral to daily life in this part of Indonesia.
It’s worth noting that while this gives you a great insight into local culture, these funerals do involve the live sacrifice of buffalo and pigs, which can be quite disturbing or even abhorrent, depending on your point of view. However, there’s also much more to the ceremony than the sacrifices: traditional dances, large feasts and huge family gatherings are well worth stopping by for. Funerals are such an important part of the culture and tradition of the Torajans: it can take years to plan them, and family will come from all over Indonesia, Papua and even as far as Australia to take part.
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South Sulawesi
Shopping at a Toraja Market
Toraja’s local markets are filled with herbs, spices, local produce and all kinds of people and is well worth a visit. Though traditional money is accepted in Toraja, you will soon find out that the local ‘currency’ is cattle! So for a unique insight into how this community functions, head down to the local cattle market (if you’re lucky, you may even spot the exclusive and expensive ‘Mercedes’ cow!). Life for the Toraja revolves around death, and the local people spend their days earning the money to send away their dead properly. These animals play a crucial, though gruesome, part in the funeral rites of Toraja, so they are an exceptionally prized possession.
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South Sulawesi
Discover Lemo, Londa and Kete Kesu in Tana Toraja
Explore the fascinating remote villages of Lemo and Londa, where you will find a number of traditional ancestral hanging graves and effigies, and cave tombs. High-class Toraja are entombed in cave graves or hanging graves in the steep cliffs around these sites, which are guarded over by tau tau (life-sized wooden effigies) carved in their image. These sites can be eerie yet beautiful and impressive at the same time. Throughout the day, your guide will explain the intricate Christian and ‘animalism’ hybrid religion that has developed uniquely in this region of Sulawesi.
You will also visit Kete Kesu, a wonderful Torajan village. Here, you will see the incredibly unique Tongkonan houses and rice barns, which are designed to look like the boats that brought the local tribes up the rivers into this part of the island. This particular village is also famous for its wood carvings.
Gallery
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North Sulawesi
Explore the Minahasa Highlands
Explore the local village of Woloan, where you will see the traditional Minahasan-style houses being built. After a brief exploration, it’s off to see the traditional food & flower market in Tomohon, where you will find local ‘delicacies’ including monkeys, rats and even bats! Some of the animals are roasted whole, and some people may find this image disturbing (please let us know if you would like to take this out of your trip). After the markets, you will head up to the serenity of Tondano Lake and Pulutan Village, where local pottery making is thriving. As you start to head back towards Manado, the weaving factories are a must-see, where you’ll observe the local weaving traditions that are practised to this day. The last stop of the day is Lake Linow, which is locally known as the “changing colour” lake.
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North Sulawesi
Snorkelling & Diving in Bunaken
Dive into the waters of Bunaken National Marine Park to discover a paradise filled with some of the highest levels of marine biodiversity in the world and top-quality coral reefs. Known as one of the best snorkel and dive destinations worldwide, the park is home to clear, warm waters, calm conditions and shallow reefs, making it an ideal spot for both beginners and the more seasoned divers. On a day trip around the park, you’ll likely swim with sea turtles, countless tropical fish species, reef sharks and many more critters among the colourful coral.
Important FAQs about Indonesia
At Experience Travel Group, we’ve been crafting immersive holidays in Indonesia for over a decade – long before most travellers look beyond Bali. Our in-depth local knowledge, long-standing partnerships, and genuine love for the country mean we can help you experience Indonesia in a way that’s special and unusual.
Over the years, we’ve developed thoughtful experiences that bring together cultural richness, comfort, and freedom to explore. Think family-friendly beach retreats, wildlife encounters, volcano treks, or private boat trips through island chains few people can name – all tailored to suit you.
With our expert planning and on-the-ground support, you can relax knowing everything’s taken care of – while still having the freedom to discover Indonesia your way. We don’t do one-size-fits-all. Every trip is personalised, every route considered, and every detail planned to help you uncover what makes this country truly remarkable.
Let us show you the Indonesia we know and love.
The short answer? Your best bet is during the summer. The slightly longer answer? Indonesia is massive – a 4,000km stretch of sea and islands, home to thousands of microclimates and shifting seasons. So when you search for the “best time to visit Indonesia” and get five different answers… they’re probably all right. Just for different places.
Most travellers aim for April to October, when much of the country sees its driest, sunniest weather. This works especially well for Bali, Lombok, Java, and Komodo. These months also line up neatly with the European and US summer holidays, which makes planning easier, especially for families.
But here’s where it gets interesting. If you’re heading to Raja Ampat or West Papua, the best time is the opposite – from October to April. Wildlife in Sumatra is great in the mid-year months, while the rainforests of Kalimantan stay steamy year-round (it’s a jungle, after all). And if you’re hoping to catch a particular cultural event or religious festival, that can shift the calendar entirely.
Every ETG holiday to Indonesia is designed to feel seamless, immersive and stress free. We’ll arrange international flights (if you’d like us to), your drivers and guides, and stays in characterful hotels we know and trust.
You’ll experience Indonesia in a way that’s completely tailored to you – from quiet moments to big adventures – all planned by our Indonesia specialists. And while you’re away, our local team is on hand 24/7, so you’ll always feel well looked after.
The Curious Traveller’s Guide to Indonesia
Want to know more? With over 17,000 islands and endless options, planning a holiday to Indonesia can feel a bit much – so we’ve put together our Curious Traveller’s Guide to Indonesia to make things simpler.
It’s our experts’ pick of standout experiences and places to stay, with honest advice on the best regions and tips for first-time visitors and return travellers.
