Blogs from Sulawesi, Indonesia, Asia - page 25

At the bus station for Bitung we found our bus, it's not full and we have to wait a long time before it left, maybe one hour. I quickly fell asleep soon as we left and I remember being stuck in bad traffic there was a political rally going on in one town and took ages to get past it. Everyone in the bus is annoyed.Maybe 2 hours later we arrived at the bus station in Bitung, lots of touts trying to get us to go with them they will take us to Tangkoko park for horrendous amounts, the bus conductor of the Bitung bus helped us seal a deal with a mikrolet, 5,000 rupiahs each we got dropped at the waiting area for trucks/pickups to Batuputi the town where we want to stay the night, ... read more

Lensimme Sulawesiin ajatuksena matkustaa Etela-Sulawesin Makassarista maitse Tana Torajan kautta Togeanin saarille. Lentokoneessa vasta sitten (jarkevasti) perehdyimme opaskirjaan paremmin, ja selvisi, etta saarille olisi kolmen paivan bussimatka ja lisaksi muutaman tunnin venematka. Koska olimme kaikki enemman tai vahemman flunssassa (ja olemme valitettavasti edelleen), paatimme muuttaa suunnitelmia hieman vahemman rasittavan matkustamisen suuntaan ja ostimme kentalta liput parin tunnin paasta lahtevaan koneeseen Manadoon, Pohjois-Sulawesiin. Sielta piti olla lyhempi matka eraalle toiselle paratiisisaarelle, Pulau Bunakenille - ja olikin. Yksi yo piti kuitenkin viettaa Manadon kaupungissa, koska julkinen vene oli silta paivalta jo mennyt. Tulipahan sitten nahtya sekin kaupunki ja koettua taas, milta tuntuu olla paikassa, jossa valkoisia ihmisia nakee harvemmin - voi sita katseiden ja hu... read more

My first day in Tana Toraja was indescribable, It was the most different place I have visited while in southeast Asia. Astounding rice fields forming terraces that,if someone asking me what was the most particular place you liked in southeast Asia I would say the rice fields, is absolutely a must see sight with prestine scenaries and walking trails around the fields. Secondly, the odd but characteristics wooden houses of Tana Toraja known as "Tongkonan" ,meaning to sit, are the traditional Torajan ancestral houses. They are built on wooden piles, completed with layers of bamboos shaped in a curved arch and decorated with hues of red, black, and yellow carvings on the outside part. They are really unique and I just loved to observe such a different place that I have never visited in my all ... read more

The word “muck diving” might not say much to most people but once you have tried it you never turn back! It is a little bit like opening a diving book that shows hundreds of weird critters, all with funny colors and shape except that you experience the real thing… Lembeh Strait to that extend is THE place to discover species that you have never seen before, so camera gears all set, ready for some national geographic type of experience! About two hours from Manado, driving trough North Sulawasie, and then taking a short 15mn boat ride lies the island of Lembeh. Its strait separating it from the mainland is covered with healthy coral reef and the notorious black sandy volcano bottom which with a lot of patience and the macro mode on reveals its secrets ... read more

The last five days or so have been an exercise in going with the flow, which was my goal from the beginning of this trip. I flew onto the island of Sulawesi at night, landing near the metropolis of Makassar. My initial plan was to go into the city and try to find a cheap motorbike to buy on which to tour the island. But as I was getting my luggage, I met a Canadian girl named Rachel who was getting a night bus up towards the center of the island to Tana Toraja. And so I went on a 12 hour night bus, getting no sleep, and wound up in that very culturally unique area. They still build their houses here to look like the boats that their ancestors sailed over on from mainland Asia. ... read more