#9 We will be in Sulawesi for month,Aug/ sep and were planing to spend the last few days at Bira before flying home but had conflicting reports ranging from the very good to the awful ,Any more info?? Thanks...
11
awindom
I'll echo the fact that Dodo is a great resouce in Makassar- he can help you with local transportation to/from Toraja, put you up if you need a place to stay in Makassar, etc. To answer the original question of what not to miss in Sulawesi, I'd have to put Tana Toraja on the list. I've traveled extensively in SE Asia and this was one of the most memorable, fascinating and beautiful places I've ever visited. If you do head to Tana Toraja, look up Daud Rapa as a guide. He guided me on a three-day trip through Toraja in July, and it was because of him that my visit was so incredible. He's the best guide I've ever had, and I've used many over the years. He is Torajan and his knowledge of the local culture is incredible. His English is also superb. He also speaks some French and a few other languages, I believe. Also a super-friendly guy who is well-liked by locals (which makes a big difference when you're at cultural events like funerals). His email is daudtoraja2003@yahoo.com and phone is +62-85242-177888. If you're in Indonesia, you drop the 62 (country code) obviously and add a leading "0" I believe. Enjoy your trip!
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