A Change of Plans Back from Tangkoko, we booked a flight to Ternate for the next day. Ternate is practically just a volcano sticking out of the ocean. Unfortunately for us, that volcano decided to spit out some big ash clouds the day we wanted to fly and all flights to Ternate were canceled indefinitely….
Tag: sulawesi
Batuputih: Thousands of Dolphins & One Boat Sulawesi, Indonesia
Batuputih Batuputih is not only the gateway to wonderful Tangkoko National Park, it’s also a great place to go snorkeling, diving, or dolphin watching. Lea, the local guide and divemaster (find her contact info below) with whom we booked a snorkeling and dolphin watching tour, promised us that, if we’d go, our boat would be…
Tangkoko: Where the Wild Things (Still) Live Sulawesi, Indonesia
On the easternmost tip of North Sulawesi lies Tangkoko National Park. According to the Lonely Planet, it’s possible to get there by public transport from Manado, but in reality this proved to be close to impossible. Even if you’d manage it, it wouldn’t necessarily be cheaper than a taxi from the airport directly to Batuputih,…
Rantepao: A Day at the Market Sulawesi, Indonesia
Rantepao’s big market takes place every six days. Vegetables, fruit, fish, livestock, baskets, knives, clothes, coffee, you name it. Here you can find almost everything you need (or don’t need). As a tourist, you’re usually offered fresh fish – and not only here but in other places as well, actually this happens at almost every…
Tana Toraja: Living Among Dead Getting to know the unique culture of the Torajan people in Sulawesi
Death is just another part of life for the Torajas. When someone dies, that person isn’t buried immediately because the deceased is not considered dead but sick and keeps on living in the family home. Dead But Not Really With our guide Yacob (a very kind and knowledgeable man who last year guided a National…
Born to Die: Funeral Ceremonies of the Toraja Sulawesi, Indonesia
In the Land of the Toraja In Indonesia there are over 300 different ethnic groups. One of them are the Toraja, who live in the highlands of South Sulawesi. Tana Toraja, the “Land of the Toraja”, is known for its good coffee but also for the – for an outsider rather strange (or, more accurate,…