Sulawesi
Toraja's cliffside burial rituals and Bunaken's coral wall diving
An oddly-shaped island split between two very different worlds: Tana Toraja in the south, where elaborate funeral ceremonies and cliffside grave sites remain a living tradition, not a museum piece — and Bunaken Marine Park in the north, famous for a coral wall that drops nearly vertically for hundreds of meters. Getting between the two takes real planning, which keeps both refreshingly uncrowded.
Best time to visit
May–October (dry season, best diving visibility)
Getting there
Makassar (UPG) for Toraja; Manado (MDC) for Bunaken — both connect via Jakarta
Highlights
- —Toraja funeral ceremonies and cliff graves
- —Bunaken's coral wall diving
- —Traditional Tongkonan houses
- —Togean Islands (very remote, very quiet)
- —Trekking in the central highlands
The Sulawesi guide, section by section
Pick a topic below — each page covers real prices, current rules and practical logistics.
