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Easy Going MakassarMakassar will be your first introduction to the island of Sulawesi. At first glance it’s a busy, chaotic city but there’s far more to it than concrete high-rises and noisy traffic. The city has a rich colonial past and as you can stroll along wide boulevards breathing in the fresh sea air, you’ll soon forget the frenzy of the city. During our Makassar Sulawesi tour, you can choose to stay in a comfortable central hotel or a more luxurious hotel with a swimming pool built on stilts above the water. In the evening, it’s only a short walk into the town centre to enjoy a lovely dinner of fresh fish. Makassar is a great place to relax and adjust after a long flights. You'll soon feel refreshed and ready to begin your Sulawesi tour. |
| Duration |
3 days / 2 nights |
Accommodation |
Charming hotel in the city centre, or wooden stilted water bungalows. Comfort 3 and 4 (see accommodation) |
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Price |
£64 per person - based on 2 people Upgrade to stilted bungalows: £122 per person - based on 2 people |
Includes |
Airport transfer, accommodation with breakfast |
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Transport |
Private car with driver |
Excludes |
Other meals |
Day 1: Arrival MakassarAfter a long flight from the UK with several stopovers, you’ll probably be looking forward to a refreshing shower. If you’re on a stopover most likely you’ll probably fly from Jakarta to Makassar. The ticket may be a bit confusing – when we saw Ujung Padang on the ticket we thought we we’d be landing somewhere else, but as it turns out Ujung Padang is actually the ‘new’ name for Makassar.As soon as you walk out of the tiny arrivals hall you’ll be greeted by our driver who’ll be holding up a name sign. It’s a 30-minute drive to the hotel in the centre where you’ll quickly leave the clamour of the honking mopeds behind you. At the hotel, you can sip on a fresh fruit juice in the hotel garden and start planning your day. |
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Day 2: MakassarAfter breakfast in the garden, you can begin to explore Makassar at your own pace. It’s a short walk to the centre and the wide boulevard where you'll Fort Rotterdam, one of the best-preserved examples of Dutch architecture. A small admission fee (couple of euros) will get you into the fort, which doubles up as a museum about the Toraja culture. From the fort, you can get a great view of rush hour on the water with little wooden boats picking up and dropping off their loads of coconut, eggs and shampoo and taxi-boats ferrying school children across the harbour.If you want to see more of the city you could try taking a bemo, one of the colourful little buses that drive on fixed routes through the city. It feels a bit weird just sticking out your hand randomly, but in no time you'll find busese lining up to collect you at the side of the road. Just make sure you’re going the right way… |
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Makassar also boasts a rich local culture with markets and mosques. You can spot the mosques a long way off by the shiny domes and prayers echoing from the loudspeakers on the minaret. The local Makassarese are devout muslims and several times a day you'll see entire families making their way to the mosque crammed together on a single moped. Keep in mind that you’re required to cover up when you visit a mosque and men and women have separate prayer rooms. In the evening, you can find out why this historic area of Celebes is such a popular place among locals. Freshly caught fish and shellfish are offloaded daily in the harbour to supply the ‘culinary hotspots’ of the restaurant street - Pantai Losari - where you’ll find local warungs (food stalls) alongside fine dining restaurants, each offering a selection of local seafood. Try the local dish Coto Makassar. The exact ingredients are a strongly guarded secret, but it’s hot and spicy to say the least. |
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Day 3: Departure - End of moduleAfter a tasty breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Makassar. If you’re an early bird you can head to the harbour around 7am to watch the fishing boats bring in their early morning catch as vendors busily walk up and down the quay hoping to bag the best fish.Then, you'll pack your bags before heading further inland to try our Toraja Sulawesi tour or our Sulawesi homestay. |
Accommodation images
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Comfortable Makassar After a long, tiring flight from the UK you might fancy spoiling yourself with a extra comfortable hotel with pool and seaviews. This hotel is built on stilts over the water on the Street of Makassar. The rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated and, sitting on your veranda you can breathe in the sea air while you listen to the water softly lapping against your wooden bungalow. You can spend your time here relaxing and recovering from the long flight. Take a swim in the large pool, sip on a fresh fruit juice on your private veranda and enjoy wonderful evening meals in the restaurant built out of an old cargo ship. |
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