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From Crystal
clear waters to mountain funerals
Most people are struck first by the baroque geography
of Sulawesi, created by the primal forces of colliding continental plates.
The drama of the geography continues into the topology. Rugged, mist-covered
mountains tower over emerald-green rice fields. Dense forests surround
clear,still, highland lakes. Land meets azure sea in endless stretches
of white, sandy beach, at stark limestone cliffs, or in the coastal and
wetland's gentle blending of soil, water and teeming life.
The human geography is equally complex and fascinating a migrant of peoples with superficial differences and deep similarities. The brave and fiercely independent Bugis sea-farers ranged as far as China and Australia, providing the backbone of regional commerce. The highland Toraja climb sheer cliff faces, unaided, to carve deep crypts into solid rock. The Bajau spend their entire lives on the sea,, able to dive for so long they are reputed to posess gills. And unknown culture in the remote Bada Valley carved mysterious, evocative human figures in stone,,, The Manadonese , isolated at the northernmost reaches of the archipelago, are fun-loving and outgoing in the midst of natural plenty.
Sulawesi was once known as the Celebes u Portuguese for 'the celebrated ones.' The people of Sulawesi are indeed famous throughout the region for their courage and passionate defense of honour. Furtunately for travellers, hand-in-hand with fierce pride goes the hospitality, generosity and instinctive good manners of a dignified people. A well-behaved foreign visitor will find all doors open and an empty seat at every table as he travels the fascinating by ways of Sulawesi.
UJUNG PANDANGThe gateway to Sulawesi is the historic port of
Ujung Pandang. Long known as Makassar ,
UjungPandang is one of the few Indonesian cities to embrace the sea. The
focus of the town is a long esplanade curling along the bay, with swaying
palms, wide sidewalks and colourful shophouses, their second-storey terraces
offering a commanding view of the beach, bay and tropical sunsets. While
this growing city has sprawled ito the surrounding hills during recent
decades, commercial and social activity remains centered withen a few blocks
of the waterfront.
In the late afternoon and early evening hours
most of the population seems to gather along the esplanade, strolling and
chatting, snacking at any of the scores of teashops and roving food stalls,
or simply enjoying the fresh sea breeze as the
setting sun touches the horizon, silhouetting the masts and billowing sails
of the schooners cruising the bay.
In modern Indonesia, Ujung Pandang has become the primary port and airline hub of the eastern archipelago, the thousands of remote islands being developed and incorporated into the mainstream of Indonesian society and economy. As in previous centuries, when Makassar was the commercial heart of Southeast Asian trade, Indonesians, other Asians and Europeans rub shoulders in the narrow alleys and jostle in the shops and markets. A trained ear will pick out dozens of languages on the streets. and casual browse through the shops on Jalan Somba Opu will reveal goods, handicrafts and antiques from all corners of the archipelago. More than any other Indonesian city. Ujung Pandang evokes the great age of maritime discovery, trade and adventure.
Much of that history is on display in Fort Rotterdam, for centuries a stronghold of Dutch power in the Esst Indies, The massive walls and battlements now guard a well-run museum and cultural centre in a collection of fine 17th and 18th century buildings. The La galigo Museum houses an extensive collection fo ethnographic displays in the great halls which once held cargoes of spices and other goods bound for Europe.
At several places along the waterfront, traditional Bugis and Makassarese sailing craft are tied up, unloading catches or taking on cargoes of lumber, rubber or dried fish bound for Java. As in the days of Joseph Conrad, who set several scenes from his early novels in Makassar, all the work is done by manual labor. Longshoremen confidently carry heavy loads along narrow gangplanks to waiting trucks while peddlers in small dugouts paddle around the great cargo hulls, offering food and necessary goods to the crews. A walk through the adjacent fish markets will display the enormous variety of sea life in these waters, from large swordfish and tuna to the tiny anchovy, dried and used as a condiment or snack.
With such a maritime bouty within easy reach, virtually anyone in Ujung Pandang with access to a wok or charcoal grill can produce exceptional seafood fare. Both hotel chefs and dockside cooks rely on the absolute freshness and quality off the ingredients and critically controlled cooking times to produce memorable grilled fish, curried crab and other seafood dishes.
SOUTH SULAWESIThe scenic seacoasts, rugged mountains and verdant rice-growing plains of South Sulawesi have their own uniquee fascination. With few sites of historical or artistic importance, the charm of the region lies in well-kept towns, and the extensive seacoasts where master shipbuilders construct massive wooden schooners, essentially Portuguese galleons, using only simple hand-tools and designs passed down by rote through the centuries.
The area around Ujung Pandang holds several sites of interest, from a spectacular coral reef and blinding white beaches offshore, to colorful highland market towns and the evocative ruins of vaniched kingdoms.
The road leading up the west coast from Ujung Pandang to Pare-Pare is filled with awe-inspiring scenery and glimpses of Sulawesi's venerable traditions. A limestone range dominates this area, marked by intricate patterns of ridges and sheer cliffs honey-combed with caves.
The South Coast is the homeland of the Makassarese, the proud, indefatigable master seafarers who once regarded piracy as an honurable profession. The beaches are a forest of masts from the hundreds of fishing boats drawn up on the sand. The fortunate may witness exciting boat races and festivals to mark the departure of the fishing fleet. The sense of lost time is still felt in the rows of sturdy pinisi hulls being erected on the beaches.
Remnants of the great Bugis kingdoms of the pre-European era are found in Sulawesi's central fertile plain. Scattered throughout the region are reconstructed wooden palaces and gravesites, but the greatest attraction is the area itself, with verdant fields, attractive, colorful towns and glimpses of net fishing, buffalo-powered field preparation, hand threshing and other ageless activities of ruaral life.
Hanging like a teardrop of the southern tip of the peninsula, Selayar Island offers fine beaches and a glimpse of colonial life in the preserved Dutch architecture and general pre-industrial ambiance of the towns and villages. A splendid 2000-year-old Vietnamese Dong Son drum, perhaps washed up from a nearby shipwreck, is kept in a wooden shed near a former royal palace.
Luwu, the horse-shoe-shaped region copping the Gulf of Bone, is at once the most ancient and most modern region in South Sulawesi. Believed the site of the first Bugis kingdom, Luwu became an open frontier, with Javanese and Balinese transmigrants mixing with long-isolated local tribes to generate a fascinating mixture of peoples and cutures. The most incongruous addition to the region is a relocated Canadian mining town at Soroako, built for expatriate mining experts but now populated mostly by Indonesian managers and professionals. The nickel mine and associated facilities have brought good roads and other modern facilities to Luwu, but the air of an untamed land, reinforced by the looming presence of the Central Sulawesi mountain range, remains.
TORAJAThe long drive from the lowlands to the mountain stronghold of Tana Toraja opens up a breath-taking new world. The rugged mountains and verdant valleys are home to a people whose love of religious spectacle is equaled only by their hospitality. With majestic panoramas, captivating villages and dramatic ceremonies, Tana Toraja is the undisputed highlight of any journey to Sulawesi.
Upgraded roads, an airport and several star-rated hotels have opened the Toraja high-lands to visitors of all interests, budgets and schedules. The essence of the Toraja beliefs and way of life can be experienced without undue effort, as many interesting sites are clustered around the town of Rantepao, easily accessible by road.
A few minutes from Rantepao, artisans art Kete Kesu,a model Toraja settlement, produce bamboo carvings and other traditional handi-crafts. The village itself has several well-maintained Tongkonan houses and rice barns. Visitors unsure about the propriety of tramping around someone's village will be relieved to know that Kete Kesu has been converted into a living museum with the express purpose of displaying Toraja architecture and daily life. Other villages within sight of the roads, often sitting in an emerald sea of ricefields, display the Toraja penchant for baroque architectural adornment.
If the Toraja way of life is interesting, the way of deaath is fascinating mix of ritual custom and spectacle. For the Toraja, the dead are as much a part of society as the living. At Lemo, cliffs rise precipitously from the ricefields like stonework condominiums.Crypts carved with prodigious manual labor high into the solid rock house the mortal remains of Toraja nobility. Set amongst the crypts, the striking tau-tau, wooden effigies representing the deceased, look impassively on the world below.
At Londa, a network of coffin-filled caves reaches deep intoi the limestone hills. Visitors expecting a solemn, well-kept grotto are often shocked and disturbed by skeletons tumbling out of wooden coffins, skulls and bones arranged, to Western eyes, according to some gruesome aesthetic. But the Toraja feel that since their ancestor's souls are residing in heaven, ensuring continued fertility in farm and field, it is appropriate that their earthly remains be on display for the pleasure of honored foreign guests.
While the valley between Rantepao and Makale provides a glimpse of Toraja life, the real Toraja lies in the surrounding mountains, accessible only on foot. In treks ranging from an easy dayto a strenuous week, those with a moderate capacity for adventure can experience authentic Toraja village life in charming mountain hamlets. Even in the most remote-mountain villages, visitors are welcomed openly. Long accustomed to foreigners stumbling unannounced into their settlements, village leaders will generally arrange overnight accommmodation with local family for a modest contribution.
TORAJA FUNERALEmploying intricate cycles of ritual observance punctuated with marvelous pageantry and even bloody spectacle, the Toraja devote much time and effort to the care of their ancestors. The Toraja believe their forebears reside in heaven and participate directly in the welfare of the material world through their blessings. To conduct the souls of the deceased safely into the next world, the Toraja mount elaborate ceremonies which also serve to solidify bonds of mutual obligation among the traditionally suspicious clan groups.
Villages can swell to many times their normal populations as families stage enormous funerals, often years after the loved one has passed away. In the invariably muddy fields and pathways hundreds of chickens and pigs are summarily dispatched, while buffalo are slaughtered with great ceremony, young boys jostling to catch spurting blood in long bamboo tubes. Events range from quiet prayers and solemn processions to stirring hymn singing and exiting battles between water buffalo, all conducted in a festival atmosphere of clan solidarity and reunion.
For visitors, this is a magnificent show, as the ever hospitable Toraja will make arrangements to accommodate everyone who attends the ceremonies. Even a young backpacker stumbling into a Torajan funeral is offered a space in the temporary shelters erected for the occasion.The shelter set aside for tourists is generally in a good location, behind the closest relatives and community leaders, of course, but often far closer to the action than shelters reserved for distant or impoverished relations. A well-behaved foreigner is considered an honored guest, whose arrival from a far adds cosmopolitan element to the festive occasion.
TORAJA BUFFALOTo many people in most part of Indonesia archipelago, gold is regarded as a guaranteed standard of wealth, but it does not apply in Toraja Land. The Toraja people treasure TEDONG or water buffalo are given special care by their owners and some even spoil them.
TORAJA farmers rarely use their buffalo in plowing rice fields as in usually the practice in other parts of Indonesia. The leave their TEDONG leisurely grazing while the owners till the rice-fields with hoes and the sweat of their brow. The TEDONG is given a daily bath and fed with nutritious fodder.
The TORAJAS recognize five different species with balck or grey specks on their white skin aare the most expensive. Each head costs rupiah 6 million or the equvalent of 20 ordinary buffalo. The BONGA, with specks from the nape of his neck to the head, are equivalent in price to 16 or 18 buffalo.TODI, with specks only on the forehead, costs about the same as 15 ordinary buffalo. The PUDU species or black ones cost 13 ordinary buffalo each, while the grey-skinned buffalo are detined to be slaughtered for traditional feasts or PELIANGAN.
Among the noble families, hundreds of buffalo are slain during a feast, which lasts for several weeks, even among the common people, the number of buffalo slain numbers no less than 25 heads. It is estimated that at least 60.000 buffalo are slain each year in Tana TORAJA.
A wooden sculpture in the form of a buffalo head with a real horn decorates the main post of a Toraja house, an expression of appreeciation among Toraja People for the TEDONG, symbol of their wealth and prosperity.
Ujung Pandang
The provincial capital of Ujung Pandang has in
its history played an important role as the gateway to the former kingdom
of Gowa and now to the whole province because of its natural harbor. The
center of business and administration, the city has expanded outwards from
its most important
landmark, that of Benteng Ujung Pandang which
faces the sea front.
One of the eleven fortresses of the kingdom, it was built in 1545 during the reign of Tuni Pallanga,the 10th sultan of Gowa. When Gowa capitulated to the colonial forces under the treaty of Bungaya in 1667, the fort was renamed Rotterdam by Admiral Speelman who constructed bastions and buildings of typical Dutch architecture making it the center of the civilian government, including a church on its premises. One of the best preserved forts of that area, only the thick walls of earth and stones remain of the original complex, now occupied by educational and cultural offices of the provincial government. The two buildings house the Ujung Pandang State Museum, exhibiting archaeological and historical objects, manuscripts, numismatics, ceramics and ethnic costumes and ornaments. Visiting hours of the museum are from 8.00 a.m. until 4.00 p.m. daily except on Mondays and public holidays. The fort itself is open daily till 17.00 p.m. Dedicated as a center of culture, the Conservatory of Dance and Music is located here and on the open stage in the center of the fort, dance classes for children can be seen in progress.
Though unmarked, but of historical interest is the dungeon where one of Indonesia's most prominent heroes in the struggle for freedom, Prince Diponegoro was imprisoned for 27 years. Prince Diponegoro was buried in a family plot in the middle of the city on a street named after him: jalan Diponegoro. The family tree displayed on the wall indicated that none of his descendants returned to the courts of Yogyakarta, instead, they settled in Ujung Pandang and their custodian is a great-grandson.
Mr. Bundt, a Dutchman, has in his private residence at No. 15 jalan Mochtar Lutfi a collection of Seashells and corals. His spacious garden is filled with rare Indonesian orchids and hybrids. A visit is worthwhile and several of the collections are on sale. Mr. Bundt is registered in the Sander's List of London as an expert in orchid cultivation.
Sunsets in the Makassar Strait can be viewed from a promenade at jalan Penghibur or the Paotere anchorage in the north end of the city where the Pinisi schooners are berthed.
Across the harbor is Kayangan Island which can be reached in 15 minutes by ferry. A popular recreational resort for the people of the city, there is entertainment in the evening and on Sundays.
Paotere AnchorageSamalona
Island
Across the harbor of Ujung Pandang is Samalona
Island which has been developed into a pleasant recreational
resort. It can be reached by boat in 45 minutes and has simple accommodation.
Recreational sports include diving, snorkeling, water
skiing and fishing. Best months to visit are from February to October.
Tomb of Sultan
Hasanuddin
Sultan Hasanuddin (1629-1690) was famous for
his exceptional bravery in his struggle against colonial encroachment in
South Sulawesi. His tomb
and those of other kings of Gowa are located in a secluded cemetery not
far from Sungguminasa, about 8 km from Ujung Pandang.
The huge crypts are gray with age and just outside the walls of the cemetery, a small fenced-off plot contains the Tomanurung stone on which the kings of Gowa were crowned in a show of pomp and splendor. Not far from the tombs is the oldest mosque in the area, built in 1603.
Malino
Formerly the holiday resort of the kings. Malino,
which is 70 km from Ujung Pandang offers a haven from city-life. Located
on the slopes of Mt. Bawakaraeng it has a cool climate with forests of
pine trees making it picturesque. Deer hunting on horseback was a royal
sport in the days gone by.
Bulukumba
You will find white sandy beaches at Bira,
178 km from Ujung Pandang to the south. Traditional ship building is also
located in this area. Not far from this area visitors can cross to the
island of Selayar.
Bantimurung
To the north of Ujung Pandang and driving east
along the mountain range, is the Bantimurung
waterfalls, about 41 km from the capital. A cascade of sparkling
water gushes out between rocky cliffs into a stream shaded by tall trees.
Here the air is filled with butterflies which fly from shrub to shrub over
the water. These rare brightly colored ornithoid butterflies are considered
the most beautiful in the world.
Pare-pare
Pare-pare is a lunch stop along the road from
Ujung Pandang to Toraja, through paddy-fields and typical Bugis houses
made of wood and bamboo, built on stilts. Here we can find the museum Labangenge,
located at jalan Bau Massepe No.82, Pare-pare.
Sengkang
The capital town of Wajo Regency is well-known
for its silk weaving and therefore is the center of Buginese
silk. This area is populated by the Buginese ethnic group, known
for their crossing to other islands as traders of silk, sarongs and other
material. Here we can find lake
Tempe, one of the tourist resorts. Sailing and boating can be enjoyed
on this lake.
Soppeng
Another center of the silk industry, this spinning
mill produces thread from silk worms. Weaving can be seen in many private
homes along this route which is 240 km to the northeast of Ujung Pandang.
The finest silk is hand-loomed by village women who individually need a
whole month to produce two meters of silk.
Visitors are welcome to stop and watch, or make a purchase if there is
any ready available.
The majority of the people still follows an ancestral cult called "Aluk Todolo" which governs all traditional ceremonies. From Rantepao, side trips can be made to Kete, a traditional village where there are handicraft and unique shops. Behind the village there is a grave site on a hillside. Life-size statues guard over old coffins.As roads are not always paved, it is necessary to use a jeep or walk if the weather is good (between May and October). Two cliff graves easy to reach are Lemo and Londa. Londa is one of the oldest hanging graves belonging to the nobility. A large balcony is filled with effigies of the dead. Kerosene lamps with young village guides,can be hired to enter the caves to see skeletons and old coffins. At Lemo, burial chambers are cut out of the rock and several balconies filled with effigies look out while new caves are being dug to serve as family graves.
There are several grave sites and traditional villages of which Palawa is a classic example of a village on a small hill with "Tongkonan" or a burial place with celebrations and festivals. Visitors are welcome but they are expected to adhere to local customs of dress, seating and bringing a token present
EnrekangPolewali
- Mamasa (Polmas)
Polewali is the capital town of Polmas Regency
located 246 km north of Ujung Pandang. It is inhabited by Mandarnese, Buginese,
Torajans and Javanese ethnic groups. This town is well-known for its silk
sarongs which is called "Sarung Mandar" and rattan furniture and crafts.
There are several small islands to be reached by fishing boats in 10- 16
minutes. All these islands, have white sandy beaches.
Shopping
Hints
Filigree silverware and ornaments, hand-woven
silks and cottons, hand-carved wooden panels and pictures,
bamboo household ornaments and brass-ware are all available.
For more than 20 years, we've designed and succesfully organized thousands of trips to every corner of Sulawesi region and to other regions of East Indonesia. Specializing in soft adventure and eco-tours to all over East Indonesia for Culture, People, Nature, and Wildlife.
We provide customized programs or design individual itineraries for you according to your age, capability, point of interest and any trips that meet your ideas and requirement to explore Sulawesi and other regions of East Indonesia from 03 days to 30 days to visit the spectacular and untouched beauty of Sulawesi island and our destinations continually reach further into the most remote regions throughout Sulawesi island and other regions of East Indonesia.
Our Head-Office is located in UjungPandang, the capital city of South Sulawesi Province and we have our Branch Office in ; Toraja , Manado and representative officies throughout the Indonesia Archipelagoes..
Our Tour Desk at Arrival Hall of UjungPandang Airport accessible by Silk-Air and the national flight carrier or domestic flights serves 07 times a day from major cities of Indonesia to UjungPandang ( Formerly known as Makassar ).
Access to UjungPandang
is easy. There
are several flights each day from all major cities in Indonesia. Silk Air
has direct flight from Singapore to UjungPandang on Monday &
Thursday.
UjungPandang , the
capital city of South Sulawesi Province as The GATE of EAST INDONESIA,
because of its being a transit place to reach other regions in East Indonesia,
both by Sea or by Air. Our Tour-Desk
at Arrival Hall of UjungPandang Airport is available for any information
on your trip in Sulawesi ; Where to go, How to get there, What to see
! Or you may contact us by phone : + ( 62 411 ) 852445
- 852566 - 852363 and Fax . : + ( 62 411 ) 872061 or send us an E-mail
to : nelltours@upg.mega.net.id
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We are awaiting to welcome you to the exotic Indonesia Archipelago !
About
the Personalized Service :
Directly after your arrival , probably at the airport of UjungPandang
or Manado. You will be met by a very knowledgeable and good English Speaking
Guide. He will accompany you during all of your trip and take good care
of ( almost ) all you need. You will start right away with the first of
your chosen " Specilaized Tour Package "., if it's a Toraja package Tours,
Togean Islands & Morowali nature reserve, Trans-Sulawesi, or some relaxing
days with various activities in the south Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi
, South-East Sulawesi or North Sulawesi. or just a simply hiring a car
arrangement with a driver and Tour Guide.
Follow-
up Service :
If you plan to extend your trip, you might want to be accompanied to
other regions of East Indonesia, e.g. ; Borneo,
Irian Jaya, Maluku, Lombok or Flores. No problem ! we can design and arrange
guides for you who have travelled all over Indonesia and know the certain
destinations very well. Just let us know and we can meet you to make your
requirement still in our services.
What
is Included in our Package Tour :
The rate that will be given to you includes all
land-transportation and accommodation during your trip ; entrance fees,
Guide fees, Porterage , Refreshment, boat-hire and donation. Fullboard
is provided in some of our specialized package tours but if you would prefer
to have a half board ( Breakfast & Dinner ), it can also be arranged
so.
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Sulawesi
in brief | South
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Buffalo | Places
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