Secrets of Sulawesi island, Indonesia

We arrive in Manado - the capital of the province of North Sulawesi. The Minahasa people who live here are famous throughout Indonesia for their exotic cuisine. In the evening we will go to the popular local restaurant for sea fish with spicy sauces, and the most courageous will be able to try kebabs from rats or bats. In the morning we will stop at the famous market in the town of Tomohon traditional and stock up on the most delicious fruit in Sulawesi. Then we will go to Tangkoko National Park which boasts unique animals that cannot be seen anywhere else in Asia: black crested macaques, bear couscous, maleo birds. We will spend the hottest time of the day in the shade of huge trees on the beach with black sand and clear water. The beach is absolutely wild, because it is located on the territory of the national park and in places so remote that tourists almost do not reach here. Closer to sunset, we go into the thick of the equatorial forest to see the mysterious tarsiers - some of the smallest primates on Earth. During the day, these tiny animals that completely fit in the human hand, sleep in hollows or between the roots of the strangler ficus, and with the onset of dusk go hunting. If we are lucky, we will see how a tarsier jumps a few meters behind a grasshopper, throwing off his hind legs and balancing his tail with a fluffy tassel - an amazing sight! On the last day, we will board a speedboat and go diving or snorkeling at the best spots around Bunaken Island. We will see many corals, a huge variety of fish, sea turtles and might even meet reef sharks! In the evening we will return to Manado and go to the Soekarno bridge - a favorite sunset spot.

In the morning we take a short flight (45 minutes) to Gorontalo, the capital of the neighboring province of the same name. Immediately from the plane go out of town for swimming with whale sharks. These sea giants can reach 8 meters in length and are the largest fish on our planet. Sharks are attracted by the smell of a nearby fish processing factory, and they calmly swim a few dozen meters from the shore. The whale feeds on plankton and small fish and are completely safe for humans. We will spend the rest of the day walking around an authentic Muslim city, where a rare traveler still attracts the attention of both adults and children. And in the late afternoon we take the night ferry (13 hours on the way), which will transport us through the equator to the mysterious Togean islands.

Imagine the cleanest beaches, clear turquoise water, picturesque wild jungles, lack of roads, the Internet, mobile coverage. We will spend three unforgettable days on the Togean Islands - enjoy small uninhabited islands and find cozy beaches and beautiful spots. See a jellyfish lake, take a walk through the jungle to see the hornbills, and hunt for coconut crabs. Of course we will explore the underwater world - because these waters boast 96% of all the coral species existing in the world! We should also mention the acquaintance with the sea nomads - the Sama-Bajau people. Some of them live in the villages on the water in small wooden houses on stilts. We will walk the streets of this unusual settlement, play with curious children, get acquainted with the local way of life and climb the hill to appreciate the local views. On the fourth day after breakfast, we say goodbye to Togeans, take a boat to the port city of Ampana and drive to Tan Toraja (15-17 hours on the way).

Arrival in Rantepao - the main town of the mountainous region of Tana Toraja. We check into a hotel in the center. These picturesque mountain sites are world famous for the most unusual funeral ceremonies. Life is considered a one big death preparation here and a funeral is the one's main celebration. Traditions prescribe a certain number of bulls, pigs and other animals be sacrificed for the funeral feast, and the entire village attends this fancy dinner. Locals have a very unusual way of parting with their dead, of they ever part at all.... Every three years, in the last days of August, mummified dead are taken from crypts to undergo a unique ceremony of purification. Mummies are being washed, changed, and carried around the village. People even take family photos with them! These traditions are so ancient that even Christianity, which the locals adopted only about a hundred years ago, could not influence them. We will definitely see the unusual ceremony and become guests at the funeral, plunging into the most archaic beliefs of prehistoric people! We will also do a simple trek through the local mountains and rice terraces. In good weather, from here you can see the highest mountain range on the island of Sulawesi! On the second day in the evening we take the night bus to Makassar (8 hours on the way).

In the morning we arrive in Makassar - the largest city on the island of Sulawesi. Leaving things in the storage room, we go to the fish market for fresh seafood. After breakfast, we will explore the ruins of a fort built by Dutch colonialists and go to the old port of Paotere, where you can still see the masterpieces of local shipbuilders - traditional wooden pinnacles, delivering goods to the most remote corners of the archipelago. We will be able to enter the captain's cabin, talk with the crew of the ship - real sea wolves, and see how their simple life works. After lunch, we say goodbye to the tour leader and fly home.