Sulawesi

Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fort Rotterdam's stone gate stands above the sea wall in Makassar as the sun sets over the strait.

Sulawesi is a four-armed island of dive reefs, forest wildlife, rock-art caves and Toraja funeral traditions, best explored one region at a time.

The place

Sulawesi sits at the centre of Indonesia, with Borneo to the west, the Maluku Islands to the east, the Philippines to the north and Nusa Tenggara to the south. Its odd shape comes from four long peninsulas: Minahasa in the north, then the East, Southeast and South peninsulas. Three gulfs cut between them, the Tomini, the Tolo and the Boni, while the Makassar Strait runs down the western side and separates the island from Borneo. About 18.5 million people live here.

The interior is rugged and mountainous, which is why the peninsulas have long felt like separate countries. Traditionally they were better connected to each other by sea than by road, and that still shapes a trip: distances on the map look modest, but overland journeys are slow. Sensible visitors pick one or two regions rather than trying to see the whole island.

The regions differ a great deal. The north around Manado is mostly Christian, close to marine parks and forest reserves, and known for fiery cooking. The south, centred on the port city of Makassar, has a long seafaring and trading tradition and a mainly Muslim population, with the Toraja highlands inland. The Togean Islands in the Gulf of Tomini and the central districts are far quieter. The local economy rests on farming, fishing, mining and forestry, so many towns feel working rather than polished. Heat and humidity are constant near the coast, and highland evenings are cooler.

Its story

Sulawesi, also called Celebes in older European writing, enters the record in fragments. A bronze statue in the Amaravati style was found near the Karama river in South Sulawesi, and scholars place it in the early centuries AD. Small locally made Buddhist figures later turned up on Selayar, an island off the south coast. Together they point to contact with the wider Indian Ocean world long before European ships arrived.

From the thirteenth century, access to iron and to prestige imports began to loosen older social patterns. Ambitious leaders could now gather followers and build larger political units. Historians are unsure whether iron and imported goods arrived together by coincidence or whether one led to the other. A Javanese court poem, the Nagarakretagama, names Gowa, Makassar, Luwu and Banggai among the island's polities, which shows Sulawesi already tied into a maritime network centred on Majapahit's port in East Java. By the turn of the fifteenth century, farming principalities had formed in the Cenrana valley, on the south coast and near modern Parepare.

Portuguese sailors came in the early sixteenth century, sent from the Moluccas to look for gold the islands were rumoured to hold. Because the coastline is so contorted, they took Sulawesi for an archipelago. Later European engravings show Makassar as a walled port with a fort at its edge, a reminder that the city grew rich as a trading harbour well before the island became a single administrative idea.

What to see

Culture

Sulawesi has no single culture, because mountains and sea kept its peoples apart for centuries. In the north, the Minahasa are largely Christian, and church on Sunday shapes the rhythm of the week. In the south, Bugis and Makassar communities have a long seafaring and trading history, and the Muslim call to prayer sets the day. Inland, the Toraja are Christian but keep a strong link with their older religion, which is clearest in their funeral rites. These are elaborate, drawn-out events that involve animal sacrifice, and families may host guests from far away.

In the central districts, stone megaliths of unknown origin stand in the landscape, and local communities treat them with respect. Elsewhere, cave paintings of hands and animals show that people have been marking this island for a very long time.

Daily life is hospitable and fairly formal. Greetings, a handshake and a smile go a long way, and shared meals are social events. Religious holidays and funerals can close roads or fill guesthouses, so it helps to ask locally before assuming transport will run as normal.

If a Toraja family invites you to a funeral, go with a local guide or host, wear dark modest clothes, accept their advice on any gift, and ask before photographing people or the ceremony.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Sulawesi varies by community. Among the Bugis of the south, women have worn the baju bodo, a light, loose blouse, with a woven silk sarong, and men wear a sarong with a jacket and head cloth for weddings and formal occasions. In Toraja, handwoven cloth and beadwork are worn at ceremonies and funerals, and the colours often follow the occasion. These outfits appear at weddings, festivals and funerals rather than on ordinary days.

Everyday clothing is simple and practical. In Manado and other northern towns, jeans, T-shirts and Sunday best for church are common. In the Muslim-majority south, many women wear headscarves and long sleeves, and men often wear trousers and a shirt, with a songkok cap for prayers or formal events. Fishing and farming communities wear whatever keeps the sun off, usually long sleeves, a hat and rubber sandals.

Visitors should pack for heat and humidity. Light cotton or linen shirts and trousers dry quickly and keep the sun off. Covered shoulders and knees are polite in villages, mosques and churches, and dark clothes are needed if attending a funeral. A sarong is handy for covering up. Take sturdy shoes for forest trails and rocky paths, reef shoes or sandals for boat landings, and a light rain jacket plus a warm layer for cool highland evenings.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. June to September is the drier part of the year for most of the island, which suits the Toraja highlands, road travel and boat trips. Rainfall varies from region to region, and heavy rain can slow mountain roads, so check local forecasts for the area you choose.

How long. 7–10

Getting there. Fly to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport (UPG) in Makassar for the south and the Toraja highlands, or to Manado (MDC) for the north, Bunaken and Tangkoko. Both operate as international airports offering visas on arrival, and both have flights to Malaysia and Singapore. Kendari, Gorontalo and Palu also have direct flights from Jakarta. The last leg is usually by road or boat, so check current services before booking.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources