Sulawesi Indonesia

Some of the world’s most beautiful underwater environments are located in Sulawesi, Indonesia. There’s the Bunaken Marine Reserve with white sandy beaches, a dense population of fish, coral and deep underwater gullies and valleys; Lembeh Straits and its WWI shipwrecks and unusual black sand bottoms; the Togean Islands which host all major reef formations (fringing, barrier, patch and atoll); Wakatobi in Tukang Besi Archipelago and its fascinating fossil reef formations and a myriad of marine species, such as sperm and pilot whales, spinner, bottle-nose dolphins and dugongs; the sea garden of Takabonerate National Park, southwest of Selayar Island, which is the third largest coral atoll in the world, as the Banggai Archipelago, the Makassar Straits, Kapoposang, Bira and Selayar islands… the list of amazing location is endless. The Lariang River, which runs for half its length of the Lore Lindu National Park, is a world-class venue for white-water rafting. Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi is largest habitat for Sulawesi’s endemic mammals, such as the anoa, babirusa, deer, tarsius spectrum, cuscus, civets, squirrels, rats, and over 55 types of bats and more than 230 species of birds, including the maleo and red knobbed hornbill. See the ancient culture and ceremonies of Tana Toraja. Apart from the wonderful scenery of lush valleys and rice fields sheltered by rocky cliffs, Torajan villages are architectural masterpiece, consisting of the beautifully decorated Tongkonan houses. Coffins containing bones and skulls are kept in the cliffs and cave graves. These unique burial sites are a typical Torajan ritual. At Lemo, carved-out cliff balconies hold tau-taus, wooden effigies of the dead. A pre-historic cave at Miasa Te’ne (Leang Lompoa Cave) has finger painting depicting men and pigs. The cave was once inhabited by the Toalaean indigenous people some 5,000 years ago. In Bada Valley of Central Sulawesi, see mysterious megalithic statues. While the south which is home to the seafaring Buginese, see traditional boat-building techniques at Bantaeng and Bulukumba.150 species of rare butterflies are found at Bantimurung. Known as Turtle Island, Pasoso Island has a high population of green turtle. Between the months of September and October, the turtles lay their eggs in the island’s sandy beaches.