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Sulawesi

Indonesia Travel Guide

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Traditional Tana Toraja village with buffalo in the foreground , tongkonan houses and buildings. Kete Kesu, Rantepao, Sulawesi, Indonesia

©Iuliia Shcherbakova/Shutterstock

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Overview

The contents of Sulawesi are as beguiling as its shape. Just as this splay-limbed tropical island was formed by the complex and sometimes violent connection of tectonic plates, its fascinating social fabric is the result of the complex and sometimes violent connection of ethnic groups, religions and ecosystems.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Ke'te Kesu'

    Ke'te Kesu'

    Tana Toraja

    The four stately tongkonan and many granaries that make up Ke'te Kesu' were moved to this picturesque site in 1927 when the savvy family head noticed the…

  • Tampang Allo

    Tampang Allo

    Tana Toraja

    Whether it's the tau tau, the cave itself, or the peaceful rice paddy setting squeezed between a maze of cliffs, this is one our favourite sites in Tana…

  • Air Terjun Bantimurung

    Air Terjun Bantimurung

    South Sulawesi

    These waterfalls, 42km from Makassar, are set amid lushly vegetated limestone cliffs. Looking up, it’s straight out of Jurassic Park, but then you scan…

  • Londa

    Londa

    Tana Toraja

    Live out your Indiana Jones fantasies at this extensive (and very popular) burial cave below a massive cliff face. Its entrance is guarded by a balcony of…

  • Lemo

    Lemo

    Tana Toraja

    A veritable village of tau tau stare down with unblinking eyes and outstretched arms from this impressive burial cliff riddled with tombs. The sheer rock…

  • Fort Rotterdam

    Fort Rotterdam

    Makassar

    One of the best-preserved examples of Dutch military architecture in Indonesia, Fort Rotterdam was built on the site of a Gowanese fort, itself built to…

  • Makam Sultan Hasanuddin

    Makam Sultan Hasanuddin

    Makassar

    This tomb memorialises Indonesian national hero Sultan Hasanuddin, who ruled Gowa during the 17th century, fiercely defending the kingdom against the…

  • Gua Leang Leang

    Gua Leang Leang

    South Sulawesi

    The Gua Leang Leang caves are noted for their ancient paintings and handprints. Recent studies of nearby caves have placed the art at over 35,000 years…

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