Central Sulawesi
Jalan Yos Sudarso 22
Hotel Intim Danau Poso +6285340875152
Clean and spacious twin room with attached bathroom, Western breakfast for two and a great river/lake view, for INR 140,000.- or US$ 16.- per night.
Friendly but valiumised service.
Beer: 620-ml bottles of warm Bintang Pilsner (c. 4.7 % alc./vol.) for a reasonable INR 22,000.- or US$ 2.40 per large bottle from the Chinese wholesale merchants at the northern end of Jalan Yos Sudarso. Alternative: Excellent home-made, allegedly methanol-free Cap Tikus No. 2 (c. 45 % alc./vol.) for the steal of only INR 20,000.- per litre from any of the helpful Christian ojeks (for the very reasonable delivery charge of only INR 5,000.- per return ride).
Friendly but valiumised service.
Beer: 620-ml bottles of warm Bintang Pilsner (c. 4.7 % alc./vol.) for a reasonable INR 22,000.- or US$ 2.40 per large bottle from the Chinese wholesale merchants at the northern end of Jalan Yos Sudarso. Alternative: Excellent home-made, allegedly methanol-free Cap Tikus No. 2 (c. 45 % alc./vol.) for the steal of only INR 20,000.- per litre from any of the helpful Christian ojeks (for the very reasonable delivery charge of only INR 5,000.- per return ride).
Click below for an interactive road map of the Hotel Intim Danau Poso in Tentena, which we would recommend, and for directions:Exploring the northern shores of serene Lake Poso aka Danau Poso, 600 m above sea level and Indonesia’s third-largest lake (32 km long, 16 km wide, average depth 450 m) and the lake's hilly hinterland: (i) Balinese (!) villages with their stylish puras, the Hindu village-and-family temples, (ii) traditional designs for the production of sago starch (where the sago is extracted from metroxylon palms by splitting the stem lengthwise and removing the pith, which is then crushed and kneaded to release the starch before being washed and strained to extract the starch from the fibrous residue; the raw starch suspension in water is then collected in a settling container) and (iii) Air Terjun Salopa, a series of crystal-clear pools, cascades and waterfalls amid unspoilt tropical rainforest, about 15 km from Tentena.
Tasting the pescetarian highlights of Tentena’s distinctive cuisine, thus (i) indulging in delicious, fishy meals from Lake Poso like ikan mas (golden carp, INR 25,000.- or US$ 2.75 per portion) and ikan sugili (river eel, INR 40,000.- or US$ 4.45 per portion), but (ii) declining the fleishig local delicacies like fried bats and cooked dogs - the term “dog lover” has obviously a second meaning in Central Sulawesi.
Taking the beat-up Litha & Co. +622199080909 express wreck, manned by two rude drivers whose attitude towards their paying passengers might have been developed by the customer-service professionals from אל על, for the uneventful but rather dragging journey (c. 690 km, 18 ½ hours, INR 160,000.- or US$ 17.60 per person) on the narrow and hopelessly pockmarked Trans-Sulawesi Highway from Tentena through the whole length of Southwest Sulawesi to Makassar’s Litha Terminal and, from here, cabbing with a metered taxi (INR 27,000.- or US$ 3.- for the ride) straight to our well-tried hotel near the port's low-profile red-light district.
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
Recommended gear - click below for your Amazon order from Germany
