Transulawesi

Your English-speaking guide meets you at Makassar airport and transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Drive to Bira, on the western tip of the island. On the way, visit the shipbuilding yards (mainly in Tanaberu). Renowned for supplying the best wooden boats in Sulawesi and probably Indonesia, the carpenters still use ancestral techniques without any construction plans, relying solely on know-how passed down from father to son. The "pinisi" schooners (large cargo ships) can be over 30 metres long and weigh almost 200 tonnes. Afternoon relaxation by the sea, and a visit to traditional Bugi houses where ikat is woven.

Free morning (possibility of snorkelling) before setting off again for Sengkang, situated on the shores of Lake Tempe, a paradise and refuge for hundreds of birds (350km2 in area but barely 5 metres deep). En route, visit to rubber plantations.

At daybreak, set off in a long motorised pirogue to discover the riches of Lake Tempe and its birdlife: dozens of egrets, herons, etc. take to the skies as our boat makes its way through the astonishing vegetation that closes in behind you.

Meet the fishermen who live permanently on the lake in floating bamboo houses (in August, you can attend the "Maccera Tappareng" festival to purify the waters of the lake).

Back in Sengkang, visit the silk weaving workshops before taking the splendid mountain road to Rantepao, the capital of Toraja country.

A visit to the pig and buffalo market is your first introduction to the astonishing world of the Toraja people. Then on to the sites of Lemo, Suaya, Kete, Londa, Bri and Tampang Allo, for an in-depth look at the special relationship between the Toraja and death… Opportunity to attend an impressive funeral ceremony (very frequent).

Morning transfer to the hilltop village of Batutumonga (1,300 m), which you reach after a superb walk through terraced rice fields. Many encounters with the local people. Overnight in a boat-shaped Toraja house.

A full day's trek through rice paddies and bamboo forests. Discover the surprising use of bamboo in typical Toraja cuisine. Visit a number of Toraja villages.

Another day of trekking before returning to Rantepao.

The day is devoted to rafting along the beautiful Sa'dan river: another way to discover the riches of the Toraja.

Long drive towards central Sulawesi to Pendolo, situated south of Lake Poso. This immense lake, 323 km2 in area, is one of the deepest on the planet (450m) and its waters are considered to be among the purest in the world (their temperature is almost constant - around 26-30° whatever the depth).

The day is devoted to orchid hunting in the forests surrounding the lake and, with a little luck, you may catch a glimpse of two endemic and extremely rare animals: the Anoa (small forest deer) and the Babiroussa (deer pig).

Back at the hotel, you can take a dip in the warm waters of the lake (but be warned: local legend has it that there is a Loch Ness-type monster in the lake…).

By 4x4, you will reach the Lore Lindu Park. This 2,290 km2 park has been classified as a biosphere reserve by the United Nations. Located between 200m and 2,620m above sea level, it is home to a particularly rich fauna. As well as 227 species of bird, including the Red Rhinoceros Hornbill (the largest on the planet), you can also meet the very discreet Anoa or the very rare Babiroussa, not forgetting the "cuscus" (opossum), the giant civet and 3 species of tarsiers (the smallest mammal on the planet…).

A day full of discoveries: wildlife and the strange giant megaliths (4m high) of the Bada valley. Along the Laliang river, these marks of the past are still unexplained… These statues seem to watch over the surrounding villages and their inhabitants.

Return by 4x4 to Tentana, then, after lunch on the shores of Lake Poso, transfer to Ampana. Overnight by the sea, facing the immense Gulf of Tomini and the Moluccan Sea.

In the early morning, board a speed ferry bound for the Togian Islands.

The Togian Islands are an archipelago of 56 islands and islets, 30 km south of Ecuador, in the Bay of Tomini. Emerging from volcanic activity, the islands are covered in tropical forest and bordered by coral reefs. The average water temperature is 31°C and underwater visibility reaches 40 to 50 metres. The marine and terrestrial ecosystems have remained untouched and wild, which is extremely rare. The coasts and coral reefs form an excellent habitat for many wild animals specific to the Togians, such as turtles, dugongs, macaques, parrots and babirusa boars. At the heart of this paradise live 37 villages from different ethnic cultures, including the Bobongko, Togian, Saluan and Bajau, known as the sea nomads. These two days are devoted to exploring this little paradise: Unauna and its active volcano Colo, Malengue and its wildlife, the Bajau villages and, of course, the underwater world of great beauty.

Departure by speed-ferry to Gorontalo. Transfer to hotel on arrival.

Early morning departure for Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi.

Continue on to Tomohon, a small mountain town in the heart of the subduction volcanoes of the Sangihe Arc. Settle into a magnificent lodge nestling in the middle of an extraordinary garden facing 3 active volcanoes: Soputan, Lokon and Mahawu.

Easy ascent of the Mahawu volcano and discovery of its acid lake (superb view of the Lokon volcano, the Minahasa region and the tip of the island of Sulawesi). Descent and route to the Tandano caldera lake. Visit to an "ikan mas" fish farm and lunch in a traditional restaurant on the shores of the lake. Return to Tomohon and climb the active Lokon volcano (approx. 1h30). Depending on volcanic activity, it may be possible to descend to the bottom of the crater.

Morning transfer to Tangkoko National Park. Stops en route to visit a Minahasa cottage construction site, then to discover the animist Waruga tombs.

In the afternoon, trek through the national park to get close to the endemic fauna: black macaques, hornbills and the park's star attraction: the fragile Tarsius (the smallest mammal on the planet).

Morning transfer to the superb beaches of Pulisan (the most beautiful in North Sulawesi), and accommodation in a hotel whose owner has set up an original eco-tourism initiative with the local population.

A day of snorkelling around the Bangga Islands.

Free day to enjoy the pleasures of the sea and the most beautiful white sand beach in North Sulawesi. Many other activities are also possible: walking, fishing, snorkelling, diving, etc.