Tanjung Bira Beach
One of the beautiful and exotic beaches in Indonesia is Tanjung Bira Beach, located in Bonto Bahari sub-District, Bulukumba District, South Sulawesi Province. The beach area is quite clean with pretty good arrangement. Unlike the other white sand beaches which usually have a slightly rough texture of sand, white sand on the beach has a very soft texture like flour. Light blue seawater is also quite clear combined with the captivating panorama. There are many tourists both foreign and domestic visit this beach.
This coastal area is already managed quite well and divided into two sides of the coast, the west and east side. However, most travelers prefer to enjoy the west coast than the east side. There are many things you can do here, one of which is snorkeling and diving while enjoying the underwater beauty in a few spots in this beach. One of the best spots is around Liukang Loe Island, which is a small island located on the west side of Tanjung Bira Beach.
To get to Liukang Loe Island, you can use a lot of rented boat on the beach. In addition, there is also diving equipment rental place available on the beach. For those of you who want to enjoy the beauty of this coastal region for a long time, there are also several villas, bungalows and hotels that you can rent. Not only that, you can get some eating houses and restaurants serving local specialties here.
How to get there
From downtown of Makassar, Tanjung Bira Beach is located about 200 kilometers away. You can take a flight route that leads to Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar. From the airport, you can use public transportation such as taxi to go to Malengkeri Bus Station. From Malengkeri Bus Station, proceed using a bus heading towards Bulukumba and then spliced by using public transportation called pete - pete for heading to Tanjung Bira. Public transport in the area of Tanjung Bira usually only operates until late afternoon. So you have to really plan your trip.
Togean Islands
Spread over a 90 km stretch in the middle of Tomini Bay, the winding, hilly coastlines and equatorial waters of the Togean Islands cast a magical spell of green, yellow and blue, in all the shades that imaginable. The Togean or Togian Islands are an archipelago of 56 islands and islets, in the Gulf of Tomini, off the coast of Central Sulawesi, in Indonesia. The three largest islands are Batudaka, Togian, and Talatakoh. There are 37 villages on the islands.
The dark green of the islands and the crystal clear water is a perfect setting and has attracted many travelers during the last years. Travelers endure the long journey in search of the mythical beach paradise – many stay longer than they expected. Lazy days sunbathing, beachcombing, diving and snorkeling, exploring the dense jungle interiors – the simple lifestyle can be so alluring.
Lying in the deep water basin and protected on all sides by the spidery arms of Sulawesi, and miles from anywhere, the calm and clear waters are full of marine life, and the beaches are clean and undisturbed.
Togean is formed by volcanic activity; the islands are covered by rainforest and surrounded by coral reef formations, which provide habitat and breeding areas for hawksbill turtle, Green Turtle and the Dugong. The Tonkean Macaque is found in the islands’ forests. The Togian Hawk-owl, discovered in 1999, is endemic to the islands. The Togian White-eye, another endemic bird species, was described in 2008.
Most visitors consider the main attraction of the Togean Islands to be doing just nothing but lazing on the many golden beaches here at Kadidiri. More than likely, you can have the whole beach to yourself. If you do tire of that particular activity then you can explore Kadidiri.
Trekking round the back of the island you can find tarsiers, wild boar and deer, babirusa, fruit bats and coconut crabs – the largest of all land-living crabs, can weigh up to 5 kilograms and span almost 1 metre, now clinging precariously to existence on only a handful of islands in Asia and the Pacific. Borrow one the sea canoes and head to the west side of the island to find a Bajau village. Alternatively, you could try your hand at cliff climbing.
There are only about 25,000 people in total in the Togians. The people are mainly Muslim Minahasans from Gorontalo, but also the eruption on Una Una in 1983 brought refugees from that island. Interesting ethnic groups indigenous to Tomini Bay are the Bajau, or Sea Gypsies. The Bajau number some 2,000 people and adopt a rather secretive, nomadic existence entirely at sea.
They live in wooden shacks built on stilts on top of the coral reefs. They move from home to home by dugout canoe and exist by subsistence fishing and selling sea cucumbers to the Chinese markets. The Bajau practice breath holds diving and use only goggles and spears for hunting. Most of the population lives on the main island settlements in small fishing communities on Dolong, Togean and Batudaka.
The only means of transportation between the Togean Islands is by boat. Public boats run between the main islands every day. Aside from public transport, the only option is to charter one of the inexpensive local boats. There are no roads of any meaning on any of the islands, so to get around on land, it’s the old fashioned mode of transport, walking.
TORAJA
South Sulawesi Province is famous for its tradition. For travelers, Tana Toraja Regency is the best destination to explore the richness of the culture of such province. Both local and foreign tourists would love to explore it. Once you reach the location, you may feel a mystical atmosphere. It is because the villagers take care of their culture well. The best features in Tana Toraja are Tongkonan, ancient burial sites, and an uncommon way of living. Not to mention the nuance is serene and shady. Many beautiful landmarks are scattered in this region. With all these features, UNESCO has included it as one of the world’s cultural heritage.
The Nuance
Tongkonan is the best feature in Tana Toraja Regency. It is actually a formation of traditional houses. The size varies and the shape is unique. You can only see this kind of houses in South Sulawesi Province, especially Tana Toraja. Near to these houses, you are likely to find tombstones. The locals often bury their relatives in a tree, wall, and other strange locations. It has become a culture, actually. Due to this reason, any villages in this region emit a mystical aura.
Exploring Tana Toraja Regency
Many tourist attractions are available in Tana Toraja Regency. It is because the locals often perform numerous traditional ceremonies. In fact, you can enjoy local dances. Apart from such cultural lures, Tana Toraja holds an interesting history. The locals believe their ancestors came down from the heaven using sky stairs. However, some historians didn’t approve this story. Instead, they said the ancestors of the locals were immigrants. These people came from Tongkin Cape. That means there was an acculturation back then.
Tana Toraja Regency is the home of interesting tourist spots. Travelers can get around and visit several vacation destinations such as Londa, Lemo, and Tampang Allo. All of them share the same feature, which is the traditional cemetery. You may expect some bones on the holes of a particular wall. It sounds creepy, doesn’t it? However, visiting the local tombstones is considered a new experienced for travelers. In fact, it is the main reason why many tourists visit Tana Toraja.
The best time to visit Tana Toraja Regency is in Juni or December. At these times, you are able to witness a special ceremony performed by the locals. They sacrifice tens of buffalos or pigs as the part of burial procession. The legend has it. These animals will accompany the dead person to reach the heaven. What’s next? It is as simple as exploring the villages in Tana Toraja. They have beautiful Tongkonan and culture.
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How to Get There
A trip to Tana Toraja Regency from Makassar City takes about 7 hours. The distance is 305 km. For a faster trip, you can take Poros Barru – Makassar Street. For outsiders, the first destination would be Makassar City. In fact, it is the capital of South Sulawesi Province. If you come by plane, you should head to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport. From there, take a local transportation service to Tana Toraja. That’s all.
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