Central Sulawesi sits in the heart of Indonesia and is little visited by tourists. It does, however, have a wealth of beauty in its rugged landscape, pretty coast, diving islands and ancient megaliths.
Most visitors to Central Sulawesi Province head for the central Togian Islands and southern Banggai Islands for their excellent diving or to the inland lakes, like Lake Poso, as well as to the capital city of Palu. The Lore Lindu National Park near Palu is particularly attractive and an easy daytrip destination. It features a cool climate, a huge lake and megalithic statues.
Kadidiri and Melange islands are the main spots among the Togian Islands and can be reached by public ferry. The diving and snorkeling is especially incredible between July and September when the waters are near crystal clear. If you hanker for a beach but haven’t the time, Donggala has gorgeous white sandy beaches and is less than an hour from Palu.
Palu rests on the banks of the river of the same name and is sheltered between mountain ridges. It doesn’t have much to keep visitors here for long, with most people using it as a base to pick up supplies before heading elsewhere.
The best time to visit Central Sulawesi, only established as a province in 1964, is between May and October for the driest weather. Regardless of when you visit be aware that the province is earthquake prone, with the last major quake of 6.2 on the Richter scale having been experienced in 2005.
Palu’s Mutiara Airport is the main gateway to Central Sulawesi. It is a taxi ride from town and receives flights from Jakarta (2 hours), Bali, and Makassar. Smaller airports in the province are linked to Palu, with Luwuk Airport providing more convenient access to the Togian and Banggai islands. Buses arrive in Palu in Central Sulawesi from Toraja in South Sulawesi (14 hours) and from Bunaken in North Sulawesi (18 hours)