North Sulawesi & South Sulawesi

Fly today from Amsterdam, Brussels, or Düsseldorf to Jakarta. We recommend Qatar, Etihad, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Airways, Singapore Airlines, and KLM/Garuda. On www.momondo.com you can easily compare flight times and prices across different airlines. If you’d like us to take a look for you, just let us know!

Upon arrival at Jakarta airport, a private car will be waiting to take you to FM7 Resort Hotel. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes.

FM7 Resort Hotel Jakarta offers modern rooms, along with a swimming pool and a fitness center. The hotel is conveniently located near the airport, making it easy to rest and relax after a long flight. You can enjoy dinner at the restaurant, which serves a variety of Asian and international dishes. After dinner, head to the hotel’s rooftop lounge, Montezuma, to enjoy drinks and a beautiful view of Jakarta.

At 10:30, a private car will take you to Jakarta airport. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes.

You will fly with Batik Air on a 3 hour and 25 minute journey from Jakarta to Manado. Departure is scheduled at 12:55, arriving at 17:20. Please note that there is a 1-hour time difference.

Upon arrival at Manado airport, a private car will be waiting to take you to the hotel. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes.

Luwansa Hotel is a modern and comfortable hotel in the center of Manado. The rooms are bright and spacious, with views of either the ocean or the surrounding hills. You can relax by the swimming pool and enjoy dinner at the restaurant.

At 10:00, a private car will pick you up at your hotel and will drive in around 1 hour and 30 minutes to the startpoint of the rafting tour on the Nimanga River. Get ready for an exciting rafting adventure! Paddle through crystal-clear rivers, surrounded by green forests and mountain views. Feel the rush of adrenaline as you navigate gentle rapids, while also enjoying moments of calm, scenic drifting. Your 9 km journey down the river will take about 2 hours. After the tour, the driver will bring you to your hotel in Tomohon, located in the beautiful Minahasa Highlands.

Grand Master Villa Tomohon is a peaceful hotel located in the green hills of the Minahasa Highlands. It offers a beautiful view of Mount Lokon, and you can enjoy a swim while overlooking the volcano. The hotel also has a restaurant that serves delicious dishes. If you observe the hotel's details carefully, you will see the chess theme reflected in the decoration, with chessboards and chess pieces used as decorative elements.

At 09:00, a private car will pick you up and take you to Minahasa Highlands to discover the scenic mountain landscapes and cultural highlights. Visit the Tomohon Extreme Market, known for its unusual offerings, where you can find a variety of meats such as wild boar, bats, rats, snakes, and other exotic animals traditionally consumed in the region. After the market, continue to Linow Lake, a volcanic lake that changes colors due to its sulfur content. You can enjoy lunch at a restaurant by Tondano Lake, the largest lake in North Sulawesi, and try one of the delicious local fish or seafood dishes. Afterwards, visit Mount Mahawu and walk up to the summit via a stepped trail, reaching the top in about 10 minutes. At the summit, enjoy panoramic views and take a walk around the crater rim. Then walk back down and continue to a traditional Minahasa village, where you can see the unique wooden stilt houses and learn about local customs and traditions. Stop by the Woloan area to watch how traditional Minahasa houses are built. After the tour, your driver will bring you back to the hotel.

At 09:00, a private car will pick you up and take you to Tangkoko National Park. The journey takes approximately 3 hours.

Tangkoko Sanctuary Villa is a peaceful hotel located just 3 kilometers from the entrance of Tangkoko National Park. The hotel offers comfortable rooms with beautiful views of the park. There is also a restaurant that serves delicious local dishes every day.

At 16:00, the guide will meet you at the hotel, and together you’ll go to the National Park of Tangkoko to search for macaques, tarantulas, and with a bit of luck the tiny tarsier peeking curiously from its hiding spot in the trees. After an exciting afternoon of wildlife spotting, the guide will take you back to the hotel, where you can enjoy a peaceful evening.

At 06:00, you will meet the guide again for another walk in the national park, where the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves create a magical atmosphere. With the help of binoculars, the guide will look for macaques, cuscus, and hornbills, giving you the chance to capture beautiful photos of these amazing animals. After an exciting morning of wildlife spotting, the guide will take you back to the hotel.

At 15:00, you will have a short drive to the black sand beach of Tangkoko National Park. You will board a boat that takes you along the coast before entering the mangrove forest. With a bit of luck, you might spot special wildlife in the mangroves, such as kingfishers, hornbills, or even macaques moving through the trees. After the tour, you will return to the hotel.

At 09:00, a private car will pick you up and take you to the harbour at Mangrove Park Bahowo. The journey takes approximately 3 hours.

Upon arrival at the harbour, a private boat will take you to Bunaken. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. The boat will take you directly to the beach of the hotel. Depending on the tide, you may need to walk a short distance through the water. The boat crew will assist you with your luggage.

3Will Dive Resort is a cozy and eco-friendly resort with a private beach. The resort offers a relaxing stay with comfortable bungalows, delicious local cuisine, and a friendly atmosphere. The resort also has a professional dive school.

At 08:00, you will leave by boat for a dolphin and snorkeling tour. After you sail further out to sea, the captain will search for dolphins. If you’re lucky, you might be surrounded by many of them swimming and jumping alongside the boat. Afterwards, you’ll head to a snorkeling spot. Bunaken is home to over 390 species of coral and thousands of species of fish, making it one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. Its steep coral walls and drop-offs create perfect conditions for snorkeling. Swim in the crystal-clear waters and discover the coral reefs and fish. You may even encounter turtles and swim very close to them. After this, you’ll visit one of the nearby islands for some quiet time on a beautiful white beach. Here, you can put your snorkeling gear back on and explore the reefs directly from the shore. After this the boat will then take you back to the hotel.

Today you have a free day in Bunaken. You can relax on the hotel beach, take a walk through the village, or rent snorkeling gear at the hotel and snorkel again from the beach at the reefs in front of the hotel.

At 13:30, a private boat will pick you up at the hotel and take you back to the harbour at Mangrove Park Bahowo. Depending on the tide, you may need to walk a short distance through the water. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes.

Upon arrival at Mangrove Park Bahowo harbour, a private car will be waiting for you and take you to Bobocabin Bunaken Hills. The drive takes approximately 10 minutes.

Bobocabin Bunaken Hills just outside of Manado, set on a hillside with wide views over the sea and surrounding green landscape. On the terrace, there is a jacuzzi bathtub where you can enjoy the views. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing. Each cabin comes with modern comfort. Around the property there are communal spaces like a semi-open dining area, a fire pit, and a mini market. For an extra charge, you can order a BBQ set and utensils at the reception and prepare the barbecue yourself.

At 08:45, a private car will pick you up and take you to Manado airport. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes.

You will fly with Batik Air on a 1 hour and 45 minute journey from Manado to Makassar. Departure is scheduled at 11:40, arriving at 13:25.

Upon arrival at Makassar airport, a private car will be waiting for you to take you to Ecolodge Rammang-Rammang. The journey by car takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once you arrive at the river, you'll take a short 2-minute boat ride across to the hotel.

Rammang Rammang Ecolodge is beautifully surrounded by nature, with views of limestone hills and small boats passing by. The rooms are simple but offer a unique experience in traditional wooden bungalows. You can relax on your terrace and listen to the sounds of nature. The ecolodge has a restaurant that serves tasty food. Depending on when you arrive, you can take a short walk by yourself to a nearby viewpoint. There, you can see many bats flying out of a cave around sunset as they go hunting at night.

At 08:00, a guide will meet you at the ecolodge, and you will start a full day of exploring on foot. Today’s walk is about 10 kilometers long. You will walk through beautiful rice fields and pass traditional stilt houses. The children playing in the street will greet you with cheerful smiles. Your first stop is a prehistoric cave. Inside, you can see old handprints on the walls, made by some of the first people who lived in this area. Many of the handprints are missing one finger, which people believe is part of a mourning tradition. Next, you will go to a nearby cave with stalactites and stalagmites. You can climb inside and look at the amazing white and brown shapes. After this, you can go back to the ecolodge for lunch. In the afternoon, your guide will take you by private boat to Stone Park. There, you will walk between strange rock shapes and narrow paths that look like small temples. Then, you will continue by boat to Kampung Berua. You will walk through the village and see how local people live. At the end of the afternoon, your guide will take you back to Ecolodge by boat.

At 08:00, you will cross the river by boat again. A private car will be waiting to take you to Rantepao, in the Tana Toraja region. The drive takes about 10 hours and shows you many beautiful landscapes. You will stop to enjoy the view of Erotic Mountain, named because its shape looks like a woman in an erotic pose. As you get closer to Tana Toraja, you will start to see the traditional Toraja houses.

Misiliana Hotel is located in the center of Tana Toraja. You will sleep in a traditional Sulawesi-style Tongkonan house. You can relax on your terrace and enjoy views of the garden, the mountains, and the swimming pool. The hotel area also has a restaurant, a bar, a bakery, a small grocery shop, and a souvenir store.

The most special experience in Tana Toraja is joining a ceremony, especially in a village in the northern mountains. Because ceremonies don’t happen every day, your guide will check the day before to see if one is taking place. Sometimes, there may be no ceremony at all, so it cannot be guaranteed. Below is an example of a two-day plan, but your guide may change it to create the best program for you. Activities from both days can be swapped, combined, removed, or new ones added.

If you are lucky enough to attend a ceremony, at 09:00 a private car will pick you up and take you to a local animal market. Buffaloes and pigs are sold here and later used in the rituals. You can also buy a gift for the family, such as a carton of cigarettes, which is seen as a kind gesture in Toraja tradition. Toraja people wear black to ceremonies, so it is best to wear a black shirt with sleeves and long black trousers. Other dark colors are okay too, but light clothes or bright patterns should be avoided. The ceremony can be intense. Many animals are sacrificed in front of you. The sounds can be loud, and the smells may be strong. You can decide for yourself whether you want to see everything up close or prefer to watch from a distance. Your guide will explain the meaning and traditions during the event.

The person who passed away is placed in the top part of a traditional house. Often, the person passed away months before, and the family keeps the body at home while saving money for the expensive funeral. During the ceremony, children are dressed in beautiful clothes and play music. When you are ready to leave, the day continues with a walk through the nearby area and villages, or you can explore further by car. At the end of the day, your driver will take you back to your hotel.

At 09:00, a private car will pick you up to explore Tana Toraja. You will learn more about the different types of graves and the traditional houses in Tana Toraja. You will visit Lemo, where family graves are carved into steep rock walls. Inside these rock chambers, several generations from the same family are buried. The graves are usually closed with wooden doors and watched over by Tau Tau, wooden statues that represent the person who has passed away. You will also visit Kambira, where babies who died before ever eating solid food and were only breastfed are buried inside trees. The people of Tana Toraja believe that placing the baby in the tree helps the child’s spirit grow together with the tree, as if the tree becomes a new mother, giving life and protection. During the tour you will visit megalithic stone graves, where people are buried under or inside large stones. The height of the grave in the rock wall or the size of the stone shows how rich or important the family is. Making these graves is very hard and need help from the whole community. You will also explore a mysterious burial cave, where old coffins and human bones can still be seen. This gives you a deeper look into Toraja’s spiritual beliefs. You will also visit the traditional houses of Sulawesi where you will learn about their special design and decorations, and you will even get the chance to step inside one of the houses to see it up close.

At 08:00, a private car will pick you up and take you to Sengkang. The journey takes about 6 hours. You will go down through the mountains and pass the Erotic Mountain again. Near the end of the drive, you will start to see Lake Tempe.

BBC Hotel Sengkang is a small hotel in the center with comfortable rooms and a small breakfast buffet. The location is ideal, as the departure point for the sunset boat tour is less than a minute’s walk from the hotel.

At 16:00, you will step into a long-tail boat for a scenic tour of about 30–45 minutes to the floating houses. The first part takes you along the river, where you can see locals washing their clothes, taking a bath, and children playing in the water. The boat then continues onto the lake, where fishermen pass by with their freshly caught fish. In the distance, you’ll already spot the floating houses. Upon arrival, you step onto one of these houses and are welcomed by the fishermen. Take a walk around the boat-house to see their living and fishing activities. You will be offered a cup of coffee or tea, along with delicious pisang goreng. After capturing some beautiful photos, you head back onto the boat and enjoy the sunset that makes the lake look very beautiful. The boat will bring you back to the hotel.

At 08:00 a private car will pick you up and take you to Bira. The journey takes approximately 7 hours.

BaraCoco Bungalows is a small and charming accommodation surrounded by tropical nature. From the bungalow, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the sea, and via the steep stairs, you can walk straight down to the beach. The bungalows are built with natural materials and offer a relaxed, authentic Indonesian atmosphere. BaraCoco Bungalows also features a restaurant serving delicious dishes.

At 09:00, a private boat will pick you up directly at the hotel, and from there, it will take you across to the island. Liukang Loe Island lies just off the coast near Bira. On the way, the boat makes its first stop at the coral reef located just in front of the island. Put on your snorkel gear and jump into the water to explore the underwater world. After snorkeling, the boat continues to Liukang Loe Island, where you will be welcomed at Ramli Guesthouse. The rest of the morning you can enjoy the island, relax on the beach, take a walk along the long white sandy shore, or visit the small village to experience local island life. Sadly, there is quite a lot of plastic waste on the island, but the beautiful scenery and clear turquoise water still make it well worth a visit. You can also go snorkeling again from the beach. For lunch, Ramli Guesthouse serves freshly grilled fish. Once you’ve had enough time to enjoy the island, the captain will take you back to the hotel.

At 08:00, a private car will pick you up and take you back to Makassar. The journey takes about 6 hours. Along the way, you will stop at Bissapu Waterfall. You’ll reach the beautiful waterfall after a short 5-minute walk, and afterwards the car will continue to Makassar. Before checking in at your hotel, you will visit the impressive 99 Domes Mosque, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The mosque’s 99 domes symbolize the 99 names of Allah. You can admire its unique architecture and colors from the outside before the driver takes you to the hotel.

Swiss-Bell Makassar is a modern hotel in the center of Makassar. You can easily walk to Losari Beach and Fort Rotterdam in just a few minutes. The hotel has a pool with a view of the ocean and a rooftop bar where you can enjoy the sunset. The restaurant serves a variety of Indonesian and Western dishes.

You can have dinner at the hotel, but for a more local experience, walk to Losari Boulevard. In the evening, the street turns into an outdoor restaurant with many food stalls, plastic chairs and tables filled with locals enjoying seafood and local specialties. Recommended dishes are Ikan Bakar (freshly caught fish grilled with local spices), Coto Makassar (a traditional beef soup with spices), and for dessert, Pisang Epe (grilled banana with palm sugar syrup).

At 09:00 you can walk in just five minutes to Fort Rotterdam, a well-preserved Dutch colonial fortress that dates back to the 17th century. After you have purchased the entrance tickets, you can ask whether a local guide (at an additional cost) is available to give you a tour, or you can explore the fort on your own. The fort was originally built by the Gowa Kingdom and later rebuilt by the Dutch. Inside, you can explore the old stone buildings, wide courtyards, and small museum that tells the story of Makassar’s history and its role in the spice trade. You can visit the La Galigo Museum, which displays traditional Bugis and Makassarese artifacts such as ancient manuscripts, traditional clothing, old maps, and maritime equipment. Some rooms show how people lived during colonial times, with furniture and decorations from that era. Standing on the fort's ramparts, you can enjoy a nice view over the harbor and the sea. A famous local artist, Pak Arifin, makes small clay paintings within minutes. A unique handmade souvenir to take home.

At 12:30, a private car will pick you up and take you to Makassar airport. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes.

You will fly with Citlink on a 2 hour and 20 minute journey from Makassar to Jakarta. Departure is scheduled at 15:20, arriving at 16:40. Please note that there is a 1-hour time difference.

Upon arrival at Jakarta airport, a private car will be waiting to take you to FM7 Resort Hotel. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes.

FM7 Resort Hotel Jakarta offers modern rooms, along with a swimming pool and a fitness center. The hotel is conveniently located near the airport, making it easy to rest and relax after a long flight. You can enjoy dinner at the restaurant, which serves a variety of Asian and international dishes. After dinner, head to the hotel’s rooftop lounge, Montezuma, to enjoy drinks and a beautiful view of Jakarta.

Depending on your flight departure time, a private car will take you to the airport. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes.

Your Indonesia vacation has come to an end. We hope you will look back on a carefree and wonderful journey, enriched with new experiences.