Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 324

building, standing next to one half of
La Galigo Museum (same times; entry
included in fort ticket), which houses
a fairly interesting collection of
ethnographic and historic items,
including models of local boat types.
he Pasar Sentral (Central Market),
freshly rebuilt after a devastating fire in
2011, was once the city's main shopping
district, and although the mega malls
now steal much of its custom, it remains
a thriving place and the best spot to find
pete-petes (local bemos). From here you
can pick up a becak (Rp25,000) or an
ojek (Rp20,000) to take you 3km north
up Jalan Sudarso to Paotere harbour
(Rp5,000 admission), where Bugis prahu
from all over Indonesia unload and
embark cargo each morning; it's quite a
spectacle when the harbour is crowded,
the red, white and green prahu lined up
along the dock.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Hasanuddin Airport, 20km northeast of the city,
is linked by taxi (Rp100,000) and DAMRI buses, which run
every 30min from the arrivals hall to the city, ending near
the fort at the junction of Jl A Yani and Jl Riburane (daily
6am-10pm, departing from Medan Karebosi in the city
7am-8pm; Rp25,000). If you're going directly to the bus
station, take the free airport shuttle (daily 5am-11pm) to
just outside the gates, then catch a pete-pete to Terminal
Daya (Rp4500).
Destinations

TROUBLE IN SULAWESI
Between 1998 and 2001, violent unrest
and bloody fighting between Christians
and Muslims in and around the town of
Poso claimed more than two thousand
lives. A 2001 peace deal has largely
stabilized the region and tourism is finally
on the rise, though sporadic attacks
continue, most recently with a suicide
bomber driving into the Poso police
station in June 2013. A degree of caution
is still advised for travellers wishing to
remain in Poso beyond the time it takes
to switch buses. Check with your
government advisory website (see box,
p.44) for up-to-date information about the
safety of the area.

better value than public buses. Where
these fail you'll find ferries, even if
services are unreliable.

4

MAKASSAR
At Sulawesi's southwestern corner, facing
Java and Kalimantan, MAKASSAR (also
known as Ujung Pandang) is a large,
hot and crowded port city with good
transport links between eastern and
western Indonesia. More than anything,
Makassar offers an introduction to
Sulawesi's largest ethnic group, the Bugis ,
who continue to export their goods well
beyond Sulawesi in prahu , distinctive
vessels with steep, upcurved prows.
he city has a long and distinguished
history as a crucial trading port and
coastal defence.

Balikpapan (6 daily; 1hr); Denpasar (6 daily;
1hr 20min); Gorontalo (4 daily; 1hr 30min); Jakarta (47
daily; 2hr 20min); Manado (4 daily; 1hr 40min); Palu (6
daily; 1hr 10min); Surabaya (26 daily; 1hr 30min);
Yogyakarta (daily; 2hr).
By bus Both day and night buses for Rantepao dock
at the huge Terminal Daya, 14km to the east on the
way to the airport, from where you can catch a metred
taxi (around Rp50,000) or pete-pete (Rp4500) into the
centre; in the other direction, pete-petes depart from
Medan Karebosi. Buses heading south use Terminal
Malengkeri, 7km south of the centre, or Sungguminasa,
another 4km southeast of Malengkeri; both are linked by
red pete-pete to Jl Jend Sudirman in the city (Rp45000).
Relatively comfortable a/c bus operators such as Litha
(Jl Gunung Merapi 135 T 0411 442263) and Bintang
Prima (Jl Perintis Kemerdekaan Ruko 22 T 0411
4772888), each charging around Rp140,000 per seat,
will pick you up in town.
Destinations Daily departures for Ampana (28hr); Manado
(2-3 days); Rantepao (8hr); Tentena (19hr).

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
A monument to Sulawesi's colonial era,
Fort Rotterdam on Jalan Ujung
Pandang (daily 7.30am-6pm;
Rp10,000) was established as a
defensive position in 1545 and enlarged
a century later when the Dutch
commander Cornelius Speelman
rechristened it in memory of his home
town. A wander round the thick stone
walls lets you peer out to sea on one
side and down onto backstreets on the
other. Located on the northwest side is
Speelman's House, the oldest surviving