South Sulawesi, part of Indonesia’s Greater Sunda Islands, and is internationally recognised for its ecological diversity, natural beauty, and rich culture. For those seeking for an authentic Indonesian experience, South Sulawesi is a captivating destination because it offers a unique blend of diving destinations, mountainous landscapes, rainforests, and rich cultural heritage, where the Toraja people’s ancient traditions blend with the vibrant seaside culture of the Bugis and Makassar.
Makassar, as the capital of South Sulawesi, is a port city with a rich history. We can explore historical landmarks such as Fort Rotterdam, a well-preserved Dutch fort built in the 17th century, and Fort Somba Opu, once the center of the Gowa Sultanate.
One time, I visited Bantimurung National Park. With its butterflies, Bantimurung is a truly extraordinary place. Many species of butterflies can be found here and this region is home to a number of butterfly species. Triodes Helena is the common butterfly species of Bantimurung. The geological area that can be found in the Bantimurung geosite area is in the form of waterfalls, wells, Gua Mimpi (dream caves), stone caves and karst walls that surround this area.
Not far from Makassar, I also visited Balla Lompoa, a relic of the Gowa kingdom, and is suitable for those of you who like historical buildings and/or travel. The Balla Lompoa Museum is a building in the form of a “rumah panggung” in Sungguminasa City, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi, which holds a number of historical collections. Before functioning as a museum, this building was the residence of the King of Gowa. According to the Makassar language, the word “Balla” means house and “Lompoa” means big, so that “Balla Lompoa” is a term that refers to a large house or palace, especially the palace of the Gowa Kingdom.
Heirlooms from the Gowa Kingdom, old manuscripts, ancient currency, traditional weapons in various forms, collections of traditional clothing, and household utensils made of gold, white gold, and silver are just some of the variety of historical objects from the Gowa Kingdom that have been took care of in the Balla Lompoa Museum since the tenth century. At this museum, visitors can also rent traditional costumes and take pictures like the King and Queen of the Gowa Kingdom.
Another one is a popular tourist attraction called Rammang-rammang, that offers a panoramic view of karst (limestone) hills. It is located in Maros-Pangkep, Salenrang Village, South Sulawesi Province, approximately 40 kilometers north of Makassar City. Rammang-Rammang is known for its karst hills. According to the Makassar language, the word “Rammang-rammang” means fog or clouds. It is shown by the condition of the Rammang-Rammang area, which is often foggy, particularly in the morning or when it rains.
Travelers have to take a motor vehicle for two hours from the center of Makassar City to Rammang-rammang Village. After arriving at Rammang-rammang, travelers can rent a boat and paddle along the Pute River to explore the beauty of Rammang-rammang area. The two favorite tourist attractions in the Limestone Forest Parks area, which are the Telaga Bidadari (Angel Lake) and Berua Village, can also be directly accessible via this river.
Next one is the La Galigo Museum, which is located in Fort Rotterdam.
In 1938, the Nederlandsh-Indie (Dutch East Indies) government established the “Celebes Museum” in Makassar, the capital of the Gouvernement Celebes en Onderhorigheden (Government of Sulawesi and its Conquerors).
At the time, the museum was located in the Fort Ujung Pandang (Fort Rotterdam) complex and the exhibits on display included ceramics, plates, gold, traditional South Sulawesi gold, and many currencies. The variety of items on exhibit increased to include items for folk games equipment, home appliances including traditional kitchen equipment, and artistic instruments which includes the harp, ganrang bulo, puik-puik, and many more.
There are around 4999 pieces in this museum’s collection. The collections in this museum include collections of prehistoric artifacts, numismatics, foreign ceramics, history and manuscripts. This museum also has an ethnographic collection, which includes a variety of technological things, art, living equipment, and other things built and used by the four indigenous tribes of South Sulawesi: the Bugis, Makassar, Mandar, and Toraja. Many weapons from the independence revolution and objects from nearby or local kingdoms are also on display at the museum.
Another nice trip, we went to Suku Kajang or Kajang Ammatoa tribe. The tribe is characterized by wearing black clothes and barefoot. Black, apart from being a traditional color and strong in its sacredness, also has its own meaning, namely as a form of equality in all things and also simplicity. The color black also shows strength and equality for everyone in front of God. Physical similarities that adapt to changing environmental conditions, particularly how essential it is to preserve forests as a source of life. I do not really remember much about this trip, because we can not bring any gadgets to the forest or where Suku Kajang lives, so there is not much documentation.
This one is going to be a memorable island trip! We went to Lanjukang Island. Lanjukang Island serves a magnificent natural seaside. The sand is clean white and there is a lighthouse. The people there are very friendly, even though we do not speak the local language. To visit this island, it would take around 3-5 hours from Paotere port, Makassar. It is not too close, sometimes the waves are quite strong in the night, but the panoramic view, crystal clear beach, and experiences are really worth it. I would really love to revisit this place in the future.
Last nice trip, we went to Tana Toraja, which is exactly to North Toraja. We went to the popular Jesus Statue, The Buntu Burake Jesus Statue. This religious tourist attraction is one of the places that should not be missed when visiting Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi. The location of the Buntu Burake Jesus Statue is in the Buntu Burake Village area, Makale District, Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi Province.
This statue is so special because it was built at a height of 40 meters on Buntu Burake Hill, a karst hill overlooking Makale City. An enchanting natural panorama awaits visitors as they travel down the hill road. This view became much more clearer after being at the location where the Jesus Blessing Statue was located.
By: Lisdiawati
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