Sulawesi Adventure

The island of Sulawesi stands out for its unique shape comprised of four large peninsulas. It is also an island of dramatic extremes – from rugged volcanic peaks and glistering white beaches to two vastly different peoples - the seafaring Bugis and the mysterious highland Torajans. It is home to unique flora and fauna, including ebony wood, hog-deer and the maleo bird which lays large eggs. 

We start our exploration of Sulawesi from Makassar, peopled by a variety of ethnic groups, the predominant religion is Islam. We’ll travel over the central mountain range and rice plains to the port of Palopo, from where we’ll pedal north, hugging the coast, mountains in the west, through wet rice plains, with intermittent coconut plantations and low hills with coca plants. We enter Central Sulawesi province in the mountains between Mangkutana and Pendolo which is at the southern tip of serene Lake Poso. We end our tour at a beautiful dive resort in Dhonggala.

Tour Cost	US$2500 (Tour cost for 2013 available upon request.)	Single Supplement	US$375
Bike Hire	US$135	Total Cycling Distance	635 kilometres
Tour Grade	out of 5	Number of Days	11 days / 10 nights
Number of Cycling Days	7 full days/ 1 half day	Tour Meets	Makassar
Tour Ends	Palu	Countries Visited	Indonesia
Group Size	Minimum 6. Maximum 16.	Minimum age on scheduled departures	18 years old

Day 1

We pick you up from Hasanuddin (Makassar) International Airport and take you to our hotel by the sea that overlooks the famous Losari Promenade. We meet up for dinner and trip briefing.

Day 2

We drive to the Hailung Bay where we'll have our first Indonesian nasi goreng breakfast. Our first riding will be through the Camba monkey inhabited rainforest. We then head for Buntu Matabing and then the ethnic Indonesian melting pot port city of Palopo.

Day 3

We ride along a narrow rice plain squeezed between the blue hued inland Torajan mountains and fishing villages hiding among clumps of towering coconut and sugar palms. Communities here are a mixture of Christian Toraja and Muslim Luwu.

Day 4

Today we continue to cycle along the coastal plain, past wet rice fields, coconut and coca plantations in the hills. We overnight at a Minangkabau (West Sumatran) style hotel with its horn shaped roof - in the centre of Mangkutana.

Day 5

We head up to the mountains and end at the scenic Lake Poso, Indonesia's third largest lake. We'll refresh at Kayulangi Waterfall and then lunch in a warung overlooking a magnificent valley.

Day 6

Today we'll cycle the mountainous village road along the western edge of Lake Poso passing by picturesque little bays, white sand beaches and a wild orchid lakeside reserve near Bancea village. We also stop off at a local school and talk with the kids and their teachers.

Day 7

This will be a rest and relaxation day: swimming in the lake, frolicking in nearby Salopa Cascades, lunch in the lively little lakeside town of Tentena which boasts examples of 19th century Dutch architecture.

Day 8

We'll trace the flat edge of the lake, rice fields on both sides of the road, and then gloriously descend down into the Poso Harbour. This harbour town is famous for its grilled fish which we'll have for dinner.

Day 9

Today is an epic day of 150 km, but there are only gentle undulations as we cycle along the palm-fringed coast.

Day 10

The first 12 km of today's ride are flat and then we ascend into the thickly forested central mountain range to Kebun Kopi (Coffee Garden). We then glide down to scenic Palu Bay and port of Palu, and follow the coast out along the bay to the former port of Dhonggala.

Day 11

Our tour ends on this day with airport transfers from Prince John to Palu Airport. If you enjoy diving or just want to rest up after the ride you might want to consider extending your stay at Prince John Resort.

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