South Sulawesi - Pulau Selayar
- November to April
- DIN & Yoke
- Diving
- Courses
- Snorkeling
- 12+ Days
Still covered in rainforest and coast lines draped by unspoilt beaches. Pulau Selayar is located about 5 kilometers from the tip of South Sulawesi. Selayar have some of the best reefs in Indonesia – even the House Reef is not your average House Reef. It could easily be ranked amongst one of the best dive sites in Indonesia! For divers who want to make more than the two daily boat dives we offer unlimited House Reef diving from the 145 meter long jetty. The entire coast line of the marine park offers phenomenal diving. Marine life and fish numbers and species variety continues to increase! The reef tops offer impressive coral growth and the walls will impress even the most seasoned of divers.
South Sulawesi - Pulau Selayar
November to April
12 Days From € 2600 / Person
16 Dives From € 800
(Based on double occupancy)
(All Flights Included)
Pulau Selayar
Selayar Island is a fascinating destination owing to its unique landscape, and its beautiful unspoilt nature, beaches and culture.
The west side area of the island is mainly inhabited by fishermen, who live in small villages that continue to follow their traditions – largely unaffected by western influences.
The east side of the island (where you will stay) is sparsely populated and still heavily covered with rain forest on land and amazing reefscapes underneath the surface.
The forest is inhabited by Tarsier monkeys – which is the smallest monkey in the world and with some luck – can be found here. Numerous species of birds, small reptiles, marsupials, lizards and even wildboars can be around!
Culture
The population on Selayar is about 120,000, mainly a mix of people from Makassar, Buginese, the natives of Luwu and Buton Island.
People here use Makassar language and are for the most part Muslims – though many non-Muslim customs have been preserved.
The people support themselves by agriculture, fishing, sea farming, trade, by preparation of salt and weaving. Vanilla, tobacco, trepang, tortoise shells, coconuts and coconut oil and salt are exported.
There are frequent emigrations to Sulawesi and other parts of the archipelago. They are also famous for having excellent horses, and many water buffalos.
Bitombang Old Village
Bitombang Old Village is located about 7 km from Benteng City, the village is quite unique since the land topography is not flat as most land. All the houses have extremely high poles – about 12 meters high in the back side, while the front of the house is lower about 1 – 2 m high.
The poles of the houses is made out of a high quality wood from Selayar. In traditional language the wood is called “Batti/holasa”, and the poles of the houses can last for hundreds of years. Another uniqueness of this village is that most of the villagers are above 90 years old and still remain strong and healthy.
3rd Biggest Atoll
Takabonerate means “coral islands over sand” and it is the biggest atoll in Indonesia, and it is the third biggest in the world after Kwajifein Atoll in the Marshal Islands and the Suvadiva Atoll in the Maldives!
The area of Takabonerate National Park which consists of the atoll islands and surrounding marine area was granted with National Park Protection status in 1992. The National Park is in a very remote location, and consists of 14 islands east of Selayar.
Special?
YES! On Selayar Island you can discover a combination of spectacular diving, a dramatic 70-metre deep reef wall, beautiful richly coloured corals, sleepy turtles, a unique marine environment and a rich, traditional culture on an unspoilt, non-touristy island.
The smiles of Selayar and the warm hearted welcome you encounter everywhere you go is a rare find in this fast paced technical world we live in now.
The culture is steeped in history with the ethnic boat building Bajo people, the Sea Gypsy ocean dwellers, a unique hill tribe village and extremely friendly local townsfolk.
What is particularly appealing about Selayar Island for divers is its accessibility to the Takabonerate National Park, which is the third largest coral atoll in the world, next to the Marshall Islands and the Maldives.
With this major drawcard you would expect to find developed tourism, several dive resorts and 4 and 5 star hotels, but this is not the case.
Selayar is a secret find and you really feel like time has stood still here.
Intro
The island of Selayar offers some of Indonesia’s best reefs.
The fringing reefs of the east coast of Selayar Island is mainly made up of drop offs and walls characterised by numerous caves, overhangs, shelves and sloping reefs. All of the dive sites are within a short boat ride away.
Selayar Dive Resort recognised the area’s outstanding beauty and the creation of the park happended back in 2002. Since the creation of the marine protected area it seems like the word has spread to the marine life and fish numbers and variety of species continue to increase!
The reef tops offer impressive coral growth and the walls will impress even the most seasoned of divers.
Selayar offers divers the opportunity to see everything from the tiny pygmy sea horse to the large grey reef shark – such diversity is common on every dive site here!
To give you an overview of what Selayar has to offer here are some of our favourite dive sites:
Favourite Dive Sites
With more than 20 dive sites, which are world class, you can keep exploring the coast and outer reefs more than once – easily. Here is a description of a few of our favorites.
House Reef: We have yet to have anyone explore the entire area – the wall is so densely packed with life that you do not need to swim so far – and getting bored with the House Reef is simply not an option!
We have a stunning drop off, spectacular corals, turtles, sea snakes, nudibranch, gorgonian fans, pygmy sea horses and a host of reef fishes to keep you enthralled dive after dive.
Our House Reef can easily be ranked as one of the best House Reefs in Indonesia!
Along the upper section of the wall are many shelves and caverns which are popular places for both green turtles and huge spiny lobsters that reside here. The huge sea fans which adorn the walls are also home to pygmy seahorses and allied cowries. On deeper sections of the House Reef we often see marble sting rays and eagle rays as well as grey and white tip reef sharks!
Shark Point: This site is a 10 minute boat ride from the resort and starts as a deep wall which bottoms out to a sandy slope at around 30 meters.
We start the dive along the wall which is covered with gorgonians, black corals and colourful sponges. Before dropping down to the slope we swim through schools of snappers, jacks and schooling bannerfish – a resident great barracuda is also known to hang in the shallows here too!
Once on the slope we follow the reef down to around 40 meters where both white tip and grey reef sharks are frequently patrolling the reef. This is also an ideal spot for seeing large marble rays, tuna and napoleons as well as eagle rays passing by.
Opera Wall: This is a stunning wall with huge black coral formations in the deeper sections. The dive can be dived both deep and shallow and all levels of depth offers beautiful macro opportunities.
We usually aim to swim along the wall which enables us to cross over the top of our Shark Point site – here we swim through a ‘fish soup’ of schooling bannerfish and snappers. Huge barracudas are often resting here and large marble rays are not uncommon.
We finish the dive along the reef top where there are usually too many turtles to count, sea snakes and for those looking for smaller critters, leaf fish, orang-utan crabs, shrimps, velutinids and nudibranch are all residing here!
Steps: A breath taking overhanging wall with numerous, large black coral formations, an abundance of soft corals and large gorgonian fans in a range of colours.
This dive can be dived deep! For those who would rather not make deep dives the wall offers many small overhangs which house a myriad of critters, occasional passing eagle rays in the blue and, with a little current, some impressive schools of snappers.
On the top of the reef there is a stunning plateau where numerous green turtles rest and occasionally larger stingrays are also found taking a break.
Kolo Kolo: This is a deep wall site which never disappoints! There is an abundance of fan corals, table corals and interesting caves and overhangs to explore.
This is a very popular dive site where you can make many dives at all different depths.
At Kolo Kolo we often see the scorpion leaf fish, nudibranch, squat lobsters and plenty of macrolife – there are numerous photography opportunities for all!
In deeper regions of the wall there is also the chance of pygmy seahorses and of course green turtles and sea snakes are often seen in the shallower areas and on the reef top.
The Canyon: Is where we often see schools of bat fish and on the deep sand bottom we sometimes see sharks passing back and forth. Stingrays are not uncommon here and it is not unusual to see an eagle ray swooping by. This is a beautiful dive site, best dived when the currents are running a little stronger.
Net 1: Is a popular site for all divers as it can be dived shallow or deep and it offers both macro and wide angle photography opportunities.
There are numerous gorgonian fans and beautiful, colourful soft corals. Along the wall we have several caverns and ledges where gobies and shrimps can be seen working together and leaf fish, ribbon eels and nudibranch are commonly found.
The site can be dived in either direction so we check the current first and aim to have a gentle drift which makes this a very easy and relaxing dive.
Karl’s Corner: This can be either dived shallow or deep but when making a deep dive here we recommend it for experienced divers only!
The site is a wall dive with a sandy slope below which descends to around 55 meters. From the sandy slope it is possible to look out to the blue and this is where we hope to see grey reef sharks and white tips patrolling in the blue. On ascent we pass many large gorgonians and colourful soft corals with plenty of reef fish and occasionally tuna and trevally. This dive site is usually a drift dive and at times is can be quite a ride!
Season
5 months a year it is impossible to dive on the east side of Selayar because the wind comes from the east, and there will be huge waves. Luckily this is also why we still have some of the best, intact reefs in Indonesia, as the big waves act like a natural protection.
From mid October till may the seas are calm an will allow you to enjoy the whole area for diving.
Water temperatures are very constant between 26-29 degrees, so a 3mm – 5mm is recommended. It is up to your preferences.
Included
Included
- International Flights
- Domestic flights to & from Makassar / 20 kg’s checked baggage included
- Airport pick-up by private car (Denpasar, Manado or Jakarta International Airports)
- Airport pick-up by private car (Makassar International Airport)
- Car & Boat transfers to & from Selayar
- 2 nights in a 4* hotel w/ breakfast
- 7 nights in Selayar Dive Resort w/ fullboard & free mineral water + hot water for tea/coffee
- *Fee to Rejsegarantifonden
- Full package tour – See the benefits of being covered by the Full Package Act and Regulations here
*A Danish Travel Guarantee Fund covering all European citizens in case of bankruptcy: link
Not Included
- “Visa On Arrival” ~ €30
- Tips for the staff
- Airport departure tax ~ €10
- Personal Travel Insurances
- Dive Packages
- Anything not listed in “Included”
A Domestic Flight or Along the Way:
Combine Landtours of South Sulawesi
On the southern point of Sulawesi Island, Bira’s nearest access point is through its capital, Makassar. South Sulawesi hosts some of the most beautiful beaches in Indonesia. The accommodation is located on one, and if you rent a motorbike and follow the coast north you will find a number of white, untouched beaches, caves and small islands.
Sulawesi is the largest island of the Wallacea region and hosts at least seven species of macaques that are endemic to the island, some of them occasionally paying a visit to our camp.
Bira is home of the Konjo tribe and the heart of maritime culture in Indonesia. The Birians have been sailors for as long as history has been recorded. To this day, shipbuilding and sailing remain the central focus of daily life and identity. About 70 percent of the population in Bira and surrounding villages make a living through work related to boatbuilding and navigation.
Diving Bira you will meet turtles, moray eels and quite a variety of small critters such as mantis shrimp, anemone shrimps, scorpion fish, a variety of nudibranches and much more. Pelagic species are trevallies hunting on the reefs. Other pelagics that are sometimes seen around Bira are thresher sharks, bull sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, tunas, barracudas, giant marble rays, manta rays, sunfish / mola mola and even whale sharks at the right time of the year. July to October seems to be having the most of these pelagic encounters – this is also when the water temperature drops a bit.Scuba Diving in Bira is done from April to November.
- Best diving conditions to witness pelagic life including bigger sharks, mola mola and manta will be in late summer when the water gets colder. This happens from July onwards to October. But of course no guarantees can be made on behalf of nature.
Day 01 : Makassar Arrival – Toraja (LD).
Meeting service at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar, then directly trip to Tana Toraja. The trip will pass some regencies in distance of 310 km (it’s about 8 – 9 hour drive from Makassar). On the way you’ll enjoy the beautiful rice field, fish pool and the Traditional Houses of Bugisnese which is adorn on the right and left side of the main road. Lunch will be at Pare-pare, one of the regencies we passing by in the distance of 175 km. After lunch the trip will be continue and will arrive in Tana Toraja about late noon, then check-in to hotel, dinner at the local restaurant, free program.
Day 02 : Toraja Tour – Batutumonga (BLD).
After breakfast at Hotel, check out then visiting Traditional weaving village at Sa’dan, traditional Toraja village with buffalo horns in front of their houses in Palawa then start trekking to Batutumonga its magnificent and fascinating mountain, rice terrace, coffee and cacao plantation, and green trees surrounding will give the trip more impressive one. By chance, you will meet the local people doing their activities in traditional way. Lunch will be served en-route with simple style. Afternoon arrive in Batutumonga, check-in at Guest house / Homestay, dinner and overnight at Batutumonga.
Day 03 : Batutumonga – Pana – Sariale Trekking (BLD).
Simple breakfast at Guest house or Homestay, check out, process to Pana Village for start the trekking in the country side through traditional farm, Torajan villages etc .. on foot. Lunch will be served en-route with simple style. During trekking you will find a beautiful landscape, paddy field, traditional Toraja houses, local people daily live and more. Upon arrive at Sariale Village, pick up then transfer to hotel for check in. Dinner at the local restaurant.
Day 04 : Toraja Fullday Tour (BLD).
Buffet breakfast at hotel, starting Toraja tour to visit The cliff-side stone grave with wooden effigies on the balcony at Lemo, the royal family tombs at Suaya, Ke’te Kesu (traditional wooden carving village and hanging grave), then lunch at local restaurant. After lunch continue the tour to visit Londa (the natural cave grave) and Marante (is a village where a lot of Tongkonan House, big paddy barns and big rocky hill containing hanging stone graves which the located called “Erong”). Afternoon back to the hotel, Dinner at the local restaurant, free program.
Day 05 : Toraja Fullday Tour (BLD).
Buffet breakfast at hotel, starting tour to visit Pallawa (The most beautiful village with buffalo horns in front off their houses), Kambira (Baby grave) then lunch at the local restaurant after that continue the tour to visit Lokomata (the boulder grave) then visit Sa’ dan To’Barana, the traditional cotton weaving village. Afternoon back to the hotel, Dinner at the local restaurant, free program.
Day 06 : Toraja – Makassar Departure (BL).
Buffet breakfast at hotel, check out then leaving to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar. The trip will be take about 8 – 9 hour drive. Lunch will be served at the local restaurant in Pare-pare, afternoon arrival at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport for flight back to home or others destination. End program.
Day 01 : Makassar Arrival – Toraja (LD).
Meeting service at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar, then directly trip to Tana Toraja. The trip will pass some regencies in distance of 310 km (it’s about 8 – 9 hour drive from Makassar). On the way you’ll enjoy the beautiful rice field, fish pool and the Traditional Houses of Bugisnese which is adorn on the right and left side of the main road. Lunch will be at Pare-pare, one of the regencies we passing by in the distance of 175 km. After lunch the trip will be continue and will arrive in Tana Toraja about late noon, then check-in to hotel, dinner at the local restaurant, free program.
Day 02 : Toraja Fullday Tour (BLD).
Buffet breakfast at hotel, starting Toraja tour to visit Kete’ Kesu (traditional wooden carving village and hanging grave), Marante (is a village where a lot of Tongkonan House, big paddy barns and big rocky hill containing hanging stone graves which the located called “Erong”), Bori menhir stones, soared up several meters above the land and then lunch at local restaurant, after wards continue tour to visit Pallawa (The most beautiful village with buffalo horns in front of their houses) and Lokomata (the boulder grave) then visit Sa’dan To’Barana, the traditional cotton weaving village. Afternoon back to the hotel, dinner at the local restaurant, free program.
Day 03 : Toraja Fullday Tour (BLD).
Buffet breakfast at hotel, starting Toraja tour to visit Londa (the natural cave grave), Lemo The cliff-side stone grave with wooden effigies on the balcony, the royal family tombs at Suaya then lunch at local restaurant. Afterwards continue tour to visit Kambira (Baby grave) and Sangalla, village lying among the leafy bamboo trees and the tomb of King Sangalla. Afternoon back to the hotel, dinner at the local restaurant, free program.
Day 04 : Toraja – Makassar Departure (BL).
Buffet breakfast at hotel, check out than leaving to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar. On the way we will stop to visit the Jesus statue, which is known as one of the highest statues in World, than continue trip back to Makassar. Lunch will be served at the local restaurant in Pare-pare, afternoon arrival at Hasanuddin airport for your flight to the next destination.
Via Manado / North Sulawesi:
Easy to read, only 2 hours drive from Manado. Located at the foot of Dua Saudara Mountain, the Tangkoko Nature Reserve is comprised of rolling hills and valleys with a variety of hardwood trees and unusual plant life. The animal life is also quite varied, and one can often view Tarsius tarsier (one of the smallest known primates), black tailless monkeys, snakes, spiders and kuskus (marsupials). Tangkoko Batuangus Reserve offers a suitable protective environment to help prevent these animals from becoming extinct.
Only one hour away from Tangkoko Nature Reserve (on the way) is Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue and Education Centre (www.tasikoki.org). Here you can observe many unique species from Indonesia, as well as several endemic to Sulawesi. All animals have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. When taking a tour of the centre (1.5 hours) you will learn about conservation of wildlife and nature as well as the rampant wildlife trade. After visiting the animals you can enjoy a vegetarian meal (with fish) together with the staff as well as the many volunteers from all over the world.
Price: $45/person as add-on only to a Tangkoko Nature Reserve trip.
Visit the Vihara Buddhayana (Buddhist Temple) near Gardenia Country Inn, then heading for the small village of Woloan, where you can see the Minahasan Style Houses being built, knock down style, ready for delivery or shipping. Then continue to the base of Mount Mahawu where we begin the 1-hour trek to the crater’s edge. From that vantage point we can see Bunaken & Manado Tua Islands, as well as the bay of Manado. At the bottom of the crater, one can observe a steaming lake and experience the smell of sulfur from the pools.
Then it’s off to see the traditional food & flower market in Tomohon, surprises in store for you!
You will have lunch at Tondano Lake, close to the goldfish farm, where you will enjoy the serenity of the lake. Then we travel to Pulutan Village, a cottage industry for making pottery or choose the Toraget Hot Springs. At the weaving factories you can observe the local weaving traditions being practiced. Last stop is Lake Linow (the changing color lake), a one of a kind experience.
Gorontalo can be reached by a 1 hour flight from Manado or an 9 hour scenic drive. You would be surprised by what Gorontalo has to offer in its forests with its endemic fauna as well as the unique diving of the Togian Islands.
Nantu Forest is located in the heart of the Wallacea region in Gorontalo Province. Wallacea is the wildlife transition zone between Asia and Australia named after its founder, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), a famous British biologist, naturalist, and anthropologist.
A community of approximately 30,000 people live within the Nantu and Paguyaman river watershed and is completely dependent on these rivers for its water supply. Nantu’s carbon content is invaluable. Nantu Forest is famous because it is the only place in the world to reliably see its other endemic inhabitants: the Babyrousa celebensis.
The remarkable “prehistoric” appearance of these mammals is largely due to the prominent upwards incurving canine tusks of the males, which actually pierce the flesh in the snout.
One of the most spectacular and thrilling adventure tours in North Sulawesi. The most popular rafting route is on the Nimanga River in Timbukar-Sonder. The grade of the rapids is level 3. You will be picked up at your hotel at 9:00 AM and driven to the village of Sonder (about 1.5 hours from the center of Manado) located in the Minahasan highlands.
Your journey down the 9 km long river will take about one and a half to two hours through scenic forests with a coffee break including traditional cookies. Don’t be shy to scream along the rapids because at the end you will scream for more. Every raft can hold up to six persons including an experienced guide.
After this wet and wild experience, it’s back down the mountain with a lunch stop in a local restaurant. You will arrive at your hotel or the city of Manado (approximately 1.5 hour ride) at approximately 3:00 to 4:00 PM.
Bali – Island of the Gods
Many Tours
Duration Half to Full Day
There are so many things to do in Bali, so instead of listing all of them let us know your interests. Temples, waterfalls, hiking, motorbiking, rafting, cooking, rice fields, coffee etc.
We can tailor make daytrips.
You can visit Ubud, which is a famous town in Balis inland surrounded by rice fields. Here are many many restaurants and souvenir shops and the Monkey forest where the small monkeys roam around and can get a bit nosy around tourists.
Uluwatu Temple is a Balinese Hindu sea temple built at the edge of a 70-meter-high cliff projecting into the sea. A Kecak dance performance based on the Ramayana is performed daily in Uluwatu temple at every 6pm on the cliff-side. The performance which is outdoors also shows the beautiful sunset at the background of the performance
Tanah Lot is one of Bali’s most important landmarks. Its unique offshore setting provides the perfect backdrop for sunset photos. Constructed in the 16th century to honor the Hindu sea god, Baruna, Tanah Lot is one of Bali’s most-visited landmarks.
The Mount Batur hike in Kintamani, Bali is one of the most popular and enjoyable sunrise trekking experiences you can have in Indonesia. It’s not very hard to do the Mount Batur trek from any part of the island, and the guided trek takes you up a still active volcano — Gunung Batur — with a summit elevation of more than 1,700 meters. A perfect way to catch the sunrise. You drive up to around 1200 meters and walk the last 500 meters. Total duration up and down is 2-4 hours.
Q & A
Yes beginners can dive here. The dive group will be made to fit the level of experience of our guests.
We leave after breakfast and will be back for lunch.
Times are based on the tides and are announced each evening at dinner time for the following day. Because we always try to pick optimum times for diving (according to the conditions) departure times vary from day to day – ensuring you the best diving experience possible.
We cannot offer you courses at Selayar, but we can easily combine another destination with Selayar, so you can get your course and see Selayars amazing nature on the same trip.
Contact us for further details.
Please book courses at the time of booking the whole trip.
We highly recommend booking the dives as a package. This will give you a better price to pre-book, especially as a group.
Most dive places in Indonesia use the “International” Yoke connection for the regulators 1st stage.
If you have a DIN 1st stage luckily Selayar Resort have DIN to Intl. Yoke converters.
The Atm’s are very far from the resort.
Selayar should still be considered a remote destination. The medical facilities are limited. Emergency evacuations may take 12 hours to the nearest major hospital Makassar.
Therefore, a full travel insurance that covers possible evacuations AND diving accidents, is required for all our guests. We recommend including cover for any cancellations e.g. flights as Indonesian airlines are known for changing or even cancelling their flights rather frequently.
Malaria is present in Selayar. See our “About” menu to prevent malaria.
Gastrointestinal diseases: Make sure you have some rehydration salts and basic medicines on hand. (Consult your doctor regarding appropriate medicines before you go.) Anti-diarrhea medicines like Imodium are best taken only if you have to travel – they only treat symptoms, not causes. Drinking only boiled or otherwise purified water will greatly reduce your chances of stomach troubles. You can read more about drinking water here.
Skin and wound infections: You should clean and treat even small wounds immediately with an antiseptic, and then examine them regularly for signs of infection. Especially if they are coral scrapes, which are notorious for going septic. Keeping wounds dry until healed is also good practice, but it’s a big ask when you’re on a short stay in the islands. Fungal infections love a tropical environment too, so you might want to consider having some antifungal medicine in your first aid kit.
Ear infections: Spending a lot of time with water in your ears in the tropics raises the risk of ear infections, so if you’re concerned pack an appropriate medicine.
Japanese Encephalitis and Dengue Fever: These mosquito-borne diseases have been reported from Flores and are present more or less all over Indonesia and most of South East Asia. You might want to consider vaccination for Japanese Encephalitis. Avoiding mosquito bites is the only protection available against Dengue Fever.
Tropical diseases: All tropical environments harbour parasites and pathogens not found elsewhere. You’re extremely unlikely to come into contact with any of those during a short holiday in Indonesia, but if you suffer any persistent or recurrent symptoms that can’t be diagnosed or aren’t relieved by standard medical treatment – even if those symptoms appear months after your visit – you should consult a tropical diseases specialist.
See our “About” page to know more about prevention of moscuito bites.
For further reading on health: https://www.iamat.org/country/indonesia