Your travel guide to Sulawesi, one of the four Greater Sunda Islands of Indonesia, is enormous in size and population. It is formerly known as Celebes to the Portuguese. The island’s shape is unique and easily recognized by many, aptly so, as the place is full of unique cultures, unexplored land, mountains, and even the sea.

Sulawesi’s population is 14 million, about 7% of Indonesia’s population, and the largest city here is Makassar. The majority religion is Islam, with the next substantial minority being Christianity. Sulawesi is also rich with various flora and fauna from Asian and Australasian species. The national parks that protect this rich ecosystem have been proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sulawesi travel guide
Photo by Arief Hidayat on Unsplash

At the north, you will find the best dive sites of Indonesia, like Bunaken, crystal clear seas, and remote islands. In the south, the popular Tana Toraja has spellbound many travelers with its unique culture and rituals, whereby the funeral rites are since ancient times with elaborate death rituals.

First Time in Sulawesi

Sulawesi Travel Map

Sulawesi travel map

 

Sulawesi Travel Map

 

Popular Route

Makassar -> Tana Toraja -> Danau Poso -> Togean Islands -> Manado -> Bunaken Island

Places to Visit

North Sulawesi

Manado is the gateway to North Sulawesi. Togian / Togean Islands are most well known for its diving spots that are almost untouched. While Bunaken Island is known for diving and snorkeling at the Marine National Park with diverse corals and marine life species

South Sulawesi

Makassar is the capital of South Sulawesi and an important port for exploring this region. Many tourists come to Tana Toraja to discover ancient rights and unique Toraja people, which are unchanged for the last 100 years.

Wakatobi Island is another diving location in Sulawesi with more than 25 coral reefs and 900 marine species.

Diving in Sulawesi

Sulawesi’s Tourist Attractions

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