Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) is one of the main islands of Indonesia. With four spindly arms spinning outward, Sulawesi's spidery shape is easily recognizable.
Understand
Sulawesi's tough terrain and massive size (174,600 km²) have meant that the island has a wildly divergent set of peoples and cultures, speaking eight major languages and professing Christian, Muslim, Hindu and animist beliefs (not to mention various mixes thereof).
Regions
Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah)
Gorontalo
North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara)
South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan)
South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara)
Cities
Gorontalo
Makassar (Ujung Pandang) — capital of the South and Sulawesi's largest city
Manado — Capital of the North and the gateway to Bunaken
Palu
Other destinations
Bunaken — marine park with some of the world's best diving
Tana Toraja — highlands famed for their elaborate burial rites
Togian Islands — diving destination way off the beaten track
Getting there
By plane
Sulawesi's main ports of entry is Makassar, which has frequent flights throughout the archipelago. Manado acts as a secondary hub, with some interesting connections eastward to Halmahera and Papua. Both cities have direct flights from Singapore on SilkAir and from Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia.
Traveling around
By plane
The sheer size of Sulawesi and the poor state of its roads make plane the transportation method of choice. Flights radiate out from Makassar and Manado to all points on the island.
By bus
The Trans-Sulawesi Highway winds for over 1900 km from Makassar to Manado. Despite the grand name, the road is narrow, twisty, spottily paved and dangerous.
Eat
Sulawesi cuisine is quite varied, but the best-known is Manadonese cuisine from the north, an interesting mix of Dutch influences, incredibly spicy chillies and unorthodox ingredients like bat and dog.
Buy
Ikat weaving is Sulawesi's best-known craft, with different styles all around the island.
Safety
Central Sulawesi continues to be wracked by sporadic ethnic violence, with bombings and violent riots in Poso, Palu and Tentena as militant Christian and Muslim factions battle. South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi have also experienced some unrest. North Sulawesi is generally calm.
Contact & location
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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) is one of the main islands of Indonesia. With four spindly arms spinning outward, Sulawesi's spidery shape is easily recognizable.
Understand
Sulawesi's tough terrain and massive size (174,600 km²) have meant that the island has a wildly divergent set of peoples and cultures, speaking eight major languages and professing Christian, Muslim, Hindu and animist beliefs (not to mention various mixes thereof).
Regions
Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah)
Gorontalo
North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara)
South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan)
South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara)
Cities
Gorontalo
Makassar (Ujung Pandang) — capital of the South and Sulawesi's largest city
Manado — Capital of the North and the gateway to Bunaken
Palu
Other destinations
Bunaken — marine park with some of the world's best diving
Tana Toraja — highlands famed for their elaborate burial rites
Togian Islands — diving destination way off the beaten track
Getting there
By plane
Sulawesi's main ports of entry is Makassar, which has frequent flights throughout the archipelago. Manado acts as a secondary hub, with some interesting connections eastward to Halmahera and Papua. Both cities have direct flights from Singapore on SilkAir and from Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia.
Traveling around
By plane
The sheer size of Sulawesi and the poor state of its roads make plane the transportation method of choice. Flights radiate out from Makassar and Manado to all points on the island.
By bus
The Trans-Sulawesi Highway winds for over 1900 km from Makassar to Manado. Despite the grand name, the road is narrow, twisty, spottily paved and dangerous.
Eat
Sulawesi cuisine is quite varied, but the best-known is Manadonese cuisine from the north, an interesting mix of Dutch influences, incredibly spicy chillies and unorthodox ingredients like bat and dog.
Buy
Ikat weaving is Sulawesi's best-known craft, with different styles all around the island.
Safety
Central Sulawesi continues to be wracked by sporadic ethnic violence, with bombings and violent riots in Poso, Palu and Tentena as militant Christian and Muslim factions battle. South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi have also experienced some unrest. North Sulawesi is generally calm.
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
name_4642, name_6726, name_22064, name_23803, name_23517, name_24044, name_23789
Some photos courtesy of:
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This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at
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Claus Hansen, Jani Patokallio, ato, Todd VerBeek, Gobbler and Evan Prodromou, Tatatabot, Episteme, W66LinkBot and Akubra
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
View full credits