today : 28 
Total Visitor : 15620 
visitors Online: 6
South East Sulawesi
The mountainous province of South East Sulawesi covers a total area of 38,000 sq km or slightly smaller than Ireland. Menkongga, the highest peak, is 2,790 m high.
In the west of the southern plains are covered with forest, and in the drier east with swaying fields of Lalang elephant grass, while the low lying area around Aopa is mostly swampland.
During the 17th century, the Island of Buton off Sultra’s east coast was an important stop for VOC ships en route from their headquarters at Batavia (Jakarta) and Makassar (Ujung pandang) to the Moluccan ‘spice islands’ in the east. The peninsula itself, however, was virtually unknown to the west until the early 19th century.
Though Southeast Sulawesi is the remotest, least developed and least traveled area of the entire Sulawesi; links with the outside are fairly good. Daily flight from Ujung Pandang and palu to Kendari and well paved road with a regular bus service connect Kendariwith Kolaka on the west coast (145 km) in under four hours. Ferries link the peninsula with Bone in South Sulawesi, with Buton, Muna and Kabaena to the south, and the remote Tukang Besi Islands to the southeast. Smaller interior settlements are joined by unpaved road and foothpaths, which are often impassable in the west season.
The province is sparsely populated. Its 1,700,000 inhabitants comprise several ethnic and linguistic groups. The Tolaki and Tomekongga number 250,000, some 40,000 Tomoronene, who speak languages akin to those of Central Sulawesi, inhabit the Rumbia Poleang district and the island of Kabaena. On the island of Buton, Muna and Kabaena there are 25,000 speakers of Wolio – the language of the former sultanate of Buton. Munanese is spoken on the northwest coast of Buton.
Bugis and Makassarese immigrants have settled along the coasts, as have group of Bajau. More recent arrivals include transmigrate from Java, Bali and Lombok. In some parts of Southeast Sulawesi, new settlers actually outnumber the natives. While there are occasional flare-ups between native inhabitants and the transmigrates, inter-ethnic relations in the province are generally smooth.
Rice and maize are the main crops on the islands, supplemented by cashews, cacao, and teak. The sea yields trepang, tuna, shellfish and mother of pearl. The agricultural staple on the mainland is dry rice, though sago and various tubers are also planted. Fruits, soya, coconut, cacao (especially in the area north of Kolaka), cashews, coffee, kapok and pepper provide additional income as cash crops. Forest yield valuable ebony and rattan.
In former times, the people of the interior bred water buffalo, which they traded as far away as the Toraja Highlands. During the civil conflicts of the 1950s and 1960s, however, the buffalo population of Southeast Sulawesi was virtually decimated – plundered for food by rebel and government armies alike. Today goats, poultry and a bovine species imported from Bali are the most common domestic animals in the region.
On the west coast of the peninsula, where annual rainfall is as high as 3,000 mm, several thousand Bugis from Bone and South Sulawesi have planted more than 10,000 hectares of cacao gardens. A small flotilla of Bugis vessels every week end make the six hour sea crossing over the Bone Bay into the southeast where the commuter farm – text missing
The city consist of a long main road running along the north bank of the bay with government offices, hotels, restaurants and shops, as you head toward the rather shabby business district around the ferry terminal. As the administrative center for the province, Kendari is home to all major government agencies, along with entities such as oil exploration companies.
The morning flight from Ujungpandang gets in at about 10.00. The time between your arrival and the next afternoon’s ferry to Buton and Muna should be just right to see what the area has to offer.
While most visitors hit Kendari as a stop over on their quest for thrills of Southeast Sulawesi’s rugged, unspoiled natural charms, the town does offer a few incentives of its own.
The Chinese introduced silver smithing about 150 years ago, until today is still practiced here. There are high quality works of gold and silver filigree for sale. Kendari’s main attraction is an 18 hole golf Course.
The area around Kendari offers some of Sulawesi’s most scenic wilderness. The seven level terraced waterfalls at Moramo, 75 km south of Kendari, are a magnificence not to be missed. The trip by minibus takes about two hours. The area near the waterfall is home to a number of west Javanese transmigrates.
The fresh, cool water at the falls make for excellent swimming, and enterprising locals there sell all kinds of drinks, including beer. The falls are best visited after heavy rains, which swell the Kali 9river) Osena, on which the falls occur. The river’s source is two large mountain lakes 7 km distant. You can bike up to the lakes, a leech business, as there are no trails.
You can water-ski in nearby Moramo Bay (get there by speedboat from Kendari ), which offers white sandy beaches and unpolluted waters. For more white sand beaches along with secluded rocky coves, head for Pulau Hari, half an hour by boat from Kendari Harbor. The translucent green water and virgin coral gardens are ideal for snorkeling.
From the town itself, you can take a short 2 km stroll to an area with waterfalls and mature rainforest. Starts out from the huts and Javanese run shops (which caters to the hordes of local weekenders) at one end of the town’s road. Some of the roadside streets have labels.
Starting out from the Wawotobi bus terminal 8 km outside of Kendari, the minibus to Kolaka follows a reasonably good road through scenic countryside, albeit relatively unspectacular by south Sulawesi standards. About 40 km out of Kendari, after passing through a stretch of broad, marshy plains, the bus may stop at the town of Ammusu. Here you can enjoy a delicious meak of grilled river fish, spicy soup, rice and freshly squeezed lime juice.
Continuing on across the wide, muddy Kumbuti River (where you will see canoers poling their craft slowly by), the bus twist up through a hair bend pass, skirting the edge of thinly forested hills, then crossing a rickety cantilevered bridge before moving into the grasslands which precede Raterate.
Here the vegetation is richer. Low hills covered with bright green lalang grass stand sharply against the darker trees and bushes. Fruit trees line the road, and women gather firewood from the hills. After passing through Raterate, the road makes a gentle ascent before reaching a wide plateau. Roadside stalls along the way offer local produce ; wild honey, pomelos, jackfruit, guava, and ubi ubi, a tuber which many people in this region prefer to rice.
The view across the plateau, just before reaching Mowewe, is splendid –fields and houses quilt the broad expanses of the plain. The road cuts along curve through more hills before winding down to Kolaka. Here the road follows a sparkling, rust brown band of river through lush greenery. Flocks of goats slow the bus, and a large lizard occasionally scampers across the road.
Kolaka is a small, dusty town lying on a vast, sweeping bay set against the background of jungle clad hills rising from the shore. Horse drawn carts and stray goats saunter down the narrow back lanes of the town. In front of the decaying bus terminal, bemos and minibuses vie for passengers for the four hour westward journey back to Kendari.
There is little to see or do in Kolaka, which is primarily a transit point between Kendari and Bone. Kolaka is, in addition to Kendari, the only practical port of access to Southeast Sulawesi.
Travelers in South Sulawesi may wish to take the ferry from Watampone to Kolaka, then make the above overland voyage to Kendari in reverse.
One day, one of the rulers chanced upon a bamboo stalk, inside of which he fond the goddess Wakaakaa. She became the first queen of the territory, and even married a prince of the famous Javanese Majapahit kingdom. Their descendants became the royal line of the Wolio kingdom, whose influence extended throughout the region.
In 1540, the sic ruler of Buton converted to Islam, becoming the first Sultan of Wolio was seen his people as god’s representative on earth, and was held responsible for the welfare of his country. If disaster struck the realm, the sultan could be forced to abdicate.
In its heyday, the sultanate of Buton included four vassal states : Muna, Tiworo (Northern Muna and some small islands), Kalingsusu (northern Buton) and Kaledupa, one of the Tukang Besi Islands. The sultanate is mentioned in records of the Dutch East India Company as early as 1613. Buton sought support for its struggle for independence agaist the expanding kingdom of Makassar and the Ternate sultanate, of which had been a vassal state in former days. After the Makassar kingdom was defeated by the Dutch in 1669, Buton became part of the territory administered under the Pax Needadica. This provided some protection for Butonese traders, but the Dutch monopoly excluded them from the spice trade.
In 1906, the sultanate was incorperated by the Dutch colonial government as a self governing state. After independence, Buton was integrated into the Republic of Indonesia. The last sultan, the 38th of the royal line, died in 1960, though his descendants still line in the kraton, or palace, of the ruler.
The Wolio kraton is a large and relatively modern building built of teak in the traditional style. For a small fee (plus and official contribution) local children will show you inside. The palace is still inhabited, and is full of memorabilia. Of particular interest is the clost money once used in Buton – a handwoven forerunner of the modern banknote.
Inside the kraton grounds in the mesjid agung, great mosque, a rusting, tin-roofed affair claiming to be the oldest (16th century) mosque in eastern Indonesia. Inside the mosque is a sacred stone with two footprints, on which the newly elected sultan had to place his feet upon his enthronement.
The walls of the fort, built of white coral, stretch for nearly three kilometers the summit of the hill. The wall were built in 1613 following clashes with the Dutch East India Company. In 1637, the Dutch general Anthony van Diemen (who gave his name to what is now Tasmania) tried to take the kraton with 700 soldiers, but was forced to relent because of the terrible steepness of the mountain, on top of which lay the city. Today the walls are in ruin, though restoration is beginning. Rusty cannon, many bearing the blazon of the VOC, lie at the walls pointing out to sea, or half-burried and forgotten in groves of banana plants.
The hilltop area encircled by the walls of the fort contains a number of wooden houses as well as several smaller kratons, the residences of former sultants (each new sultan built his own palace). Next to the mosque is an interesting creation – an ancient, weathered, teak flagpole-looking structure.
There is also an enclosed area in front of the mosque, which appears to have had some sort of ritual function. The ‘Yoni’ (female genitalia) half of a yoni-linggam stone altar is kept in here. Unfortunately, the male part is broken off and reportedly loast.
Next to the mosque lies a combined grave of Buton’s first sultan and its last raja. Also in the vicinity of the mosque grave complex are a few craftsmen turning out find brass items. With the dissolution of the sultanate, most of the court arts have disappeared. However, the brass works (known as kerajinan kuningan) are still around, along with some pottery and silver.
Traditional Butonese weaving, a dark blue or black cloth with silver stripes, is also still worn here as sarongs, shirts and jackets.
If you are planning to spend more than half a day in Baubau, you could hire an English speaking guide. Expect to pay about US$10 to US$12 a day. You can ask your hotel to contact the office of the camat, or district head to make arrangements.
A good white sand beach called Nirwana is located about 10 km outside of Baubau. On Thursday and Sunday mornings from around 5.30 to 8.00, fishermen from the area sell their fresh catch here. You can buy a large fish for less than $1, and grill it for a picnic at the beach. The place gets pretty crowded with locals on Sunday.
For more beach activity, the Tukang Besi islands can be reached in about 11 hours by freighter (usually daily) from Baubau, or in 6-7 hours from the port of pasar Wajo down the road from Baubau.
At the town of Ambuea on Kaledupa Island, you will find some magnificent coral gardens. There is no scuba equipment available in the area so it is swimming and snorkeling only.
Other tableaux vie for space and the visitor’s attention, but the horses run away with the show. Barely a couple of dozen kilometers away from the caves and their stylized equines, the ancient practice of horse fighting remains an integral part of local rituals, even though most of the inhabitants of Muna converted to Islam long ago.
Heady stuff, cave paintings and horse fighting, complemented by one of the most beautiful turquoise colored lagoons anywhere in the world. Raha, the capital of Muan district, is the undisputed highlight for travelers with the initiative to make it to these rather remote parts.
This would not necessarily be evident to the traveler who has just disembarked at Muna. While the docks, located at the end of along jetty, have a touch of the picturesque at night when the ferries from Baubau or Kendari call into port, the town itself is one of those many places in Indonesia which seem to exist quite happily with no redfeeming features. Rusting tin roofs, ‘hallo, meesters’ and stares at foreigners.
Like many nondescript towns in Indonesia, however, Raha is the gateway to a fascinating hinterland. Accommodations here are inexpensive and quite passable, if far from international class. In addition, Muna has a surprisingly decent network of paved roads, part of Inonesia’s unheralded but rapidly improving infrastructure.
As in most parts of Indonesia, seeing the hidden virtue of Muna requires some initiative and a few words of Bahasa Indonesia. The owner of your hotel can arrange for you to find an English speaking guide or you can try to find somebody who speaks English, at the office of local bupati. You can also pick up an English speaking guide from Kendari. If you really want to play it safe, you could also join a tour out of Jakarta, Ujungpandang or Kendari.
A minimum of two day is suggested for the vicinity of Raha, and at least double that if you want to explore other parts of Muna Island. First thing after arrival is to send word to Latugo Village if you want to see horse fighting. It will take a day for the villagers to get the horses and their act together. Also send word to Bolo Village that you will need a guide early the following morning to visit the caves with the prehistoric paintings. It is 9 km by paved road from Raha to Bolo.
Less than half an hour out of Bolo, just off the trail, you pass a large block of coral vaguely resembling a dugout cave. A few minutes further, you come to the first cave Liang Lasabo, which is only an over-hang protecting the paintings-all red here as in the other caves – of horses, people and 9perhaps) deer. There used to be an impressive store of human bones and carved coffins here, as well as at other caves, but all the goodies were removed in a series of raids by Jakarta archeologists between 1984 and 1986. the locals were not very happy with this plundering, but appear resigned to the wisdom of the Central government.
Do not linger too long at this first cave a better one, Liang Toko, is just half an hour away. Thus is the most important of all the caves, with the most and the best paintings. A huge chamber cave, some 13 to 20 meters deep, it is filled with rounded stalagtites and stalagmites, covered with a layer of (clothes-staining) green. The ceiling drips and there is a trickling steam in the back. One of the rounded walls is covered with paintings, mostly large horse like creatures, the biggest one of which has two riders. The other paintings, whose themes include suns and insect like figures, vie for the white space. A magical place.
At harvest time, in late August and early September, many places on Muna hold festivals. There are dances where guests must participate, pulled out of the ranks of spectators bykul a pair of comely maidens. Food is cooked overnight on hot stones in a covered pit. Bamboo tubes filled with cassava paste and red sugar are a local specialty, which is always served here. The harvest festival is held at or close to the time of the full moon, and lasts any where from one to three days.
Near Liang Toko, there is another similar – if somewhat smaller – cave, Liang Kobori, with but a few small paintings. These are primarily interesting because of their motif – they represent men in tiny ships. If you still have the stamina, there are other caves near by to explore.
You can paddle your own canoe or rent one with one or two paddlers. At one end of the lagoon, a low cave allows passage to the next lagoon at low tide. This second lagoon is connected to the sea through the strait of Buton. A small island, easy to circumnavigate, protects the entrance into the lagoon; there is a white sand beach there and clean waters with seaweed.
The swimming is great everywhere, but the snorkeling is mediocre, as there are few fis around. In the inner lagoon you might see some long, thick, worm-like beasts feeding on the bottom. This is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours but especially on weekends ; you are the main attraction for the crown of locals.
A wide field is used for the event. Two troops of mares are shown to each stallion to put them in the mood, as the villagers say. Then, with ropes around their necks, the two contestants stallions are introduced to each other, with obvious results. Rearing up and looking for a likely hold for their powerful teeth, the stallion’s fight savagely for supremacy of the massive mares, with the crowd cheering for their favorite.
Eventually, one of the stallions decides that fight is the better part of valor, and gallops off the field to the jeers of the audience, which bother not at all. Another challenger is brought in to dispute the hard won victory. Although they do bite and kick each other quite enthusiastically, the damage is seldom serious. If it looks like the fight is getting too rough, the horses are pulled apart. It is a magnificent spectacle, much appreciated by the villagers, but some what unsettling to faint-hearted foreigners.
Horse fighting appears to be a remnant of the island’s heathen days before the advent of Islam. Apparently, it was once performed to celebrate the return of victorious war parties and their booty of human head trophies. Stallions also fought at various festivals held among the aristocracy- weddings, first haircuts, 40 days after birth, etc. then, as now, the spectacle was enlivened by lady jockeys riding astride piles of pillows and men with parangs (local machetes) demonstrating the art of horseback deer hunting.
In the west of the southern plains are covered with forest, and in the drier east with swaying fields of Lalang elephant grass, while the low lying area around Aopa is mostly swampland.
During the 17th century, the Island of Buton off Sultra’s east coast was an important stop for VOC ships en route from their headquarters at Batavia (Jakarta) and Makassar (Ujung pandang) to the Moluccan ‘spice islands’ in the east. The peninsula itself, however, was virtually unknown to the west until the early 19th century.
Though Southeast Sulawesi is the remotest, least developed and least traveled area of the entire Sulawesi; links with the outside are fairly good. Daily flight from Ujung Pandang and palu to Kendari and well paved road with a regular bus service connect Kendariwith Kolaka on the west coast (145 km) in under four hours. Ferries link the peninsula with Bone in South Sulawesi, with Buton, Muna and Kabaena to the south, and the remote Tukang Besi Islands to the southeast. Smaller interior settlements are joined by unpaved road and foothpaths, which are often impassable in the west season.
The province is sparsely populated. Its 1,700,000 inhabitants comprise several ethnic and linguistic groups. The Tolaki and Tomekongga number 250,000, some 40,000 Tomoronene, who speak languages akin to those of Central Sulawesi, inhabit the Rumbia Poleang district and the island of Kabaena. On the island of Buton, Muna and Kabaena there are 25,000 speakers of Wolio – the language of the former sultanate of Buton. Munanese is spoken on the northwest coast of Buton.
Bugis and Makassarese immigrants have settled along the coasts, as have group of Bajau. More recent arrivals include transmigrate from Java, Bali and Lombok. In some parts of Southeast Sulawesi, new settlers actually outnumber the natives. While there are occasional flare-ups between native inhabitants and the transmigrates, inter-ethnic relations in the province are generally smooth.
Rice and maize are the main crops on the islands, supplemented by cashews, cacao, and teak. The sea yields trepang, tuna, shellfish and mother of pearl. The agricultural staple on the mainland is dry rice, though sago and various tubers are also planted. Fruits, soya, coconut, cacao (especially in the area north of Kolaka), cashews, coffee, kapok and pepper provide additional income as cash crops. Forest yield valuable ebony and rattan.
In former times, the people of the interior bred water buffalo, which they traded as far away as the Toraja Highlands. During the civil conflicts of the 1950s and 1960s, however, the buffalo population of Southeast Sulawesi was virtually decimated – plundered for food by rebel and government armies alike. Today goats, poultry and a bovine species imported from Bali are the most common domestic animals in the region.
On the west coast of the peninsula, where annual rainfall is as high as 3,000 mm, several thousand Bugis from Bone and South Sulawesi have planted more than 10,000 hectares of cacao gardens. A small flotilla of Bugis vessels every week end make the six hour sea crossing over the Bone Bay into the southeast where the commuter farm – text missing
- Kendari
The city consist of a long main road running along the north bank of the bay with government offices, hotels, restaurants and shops, as you head toward the rather shabby business district around the ferry terminal. As the administrative center for the province, Kendari is home to all major government agencies, along with entities such as oil exploration companies.
The morning flight from Ujungpandang gets in at about 10.00. The time between your arrival and the next afternoon’s ferry to Buton and Muna should be just right to see what the area has to offer.
While most visitors hit Kendari as a stop over on their quest for thrills of Southeast Sulawesi’s rugged, unspoiled natural charms, the town does offer a few incentives of its own.
The Chinese introduced silver smithing about 150 years ago, until today is still practiced here. There are high quality works of gold and silver filigree for sale. Kendari’s main attraction is an 18 hole golf Course.
The area around Kendari offers some of Sulawesi’s most scenic wilderness. The seven level terraced waterfalls at Moramo, 75 km south of Kendari, are a magnificence not to be missed. The trip by minibus takes about two hours. The area near the waterfall is home to a number of west Javanese transmigrates.
The fresh, cool water at the falls make for excellent swimming, and enterprising locals there sell all kinds of drinks, including beer. The falls are best visited after heavy rains, which swell the Kali 9river) Osena, on which the falls occur. The river’s source is two large mountain lakes 7 km distant. You can bike up to the lakes, a leech business, as there are no trails.
You can water-ski in nearby Moramo Bay (get there by speedboat from Kendari ), which offers white sandy beaches and unpolluted waters. For more white sand beaches along with secluded rocky coves, head for Pulau Hari, half an hour by boat from Kendari Harbor. The translucent green water and virgin coral gardens are ideal for snorkeling.
From the town itself, you can take a short 2 km stroll to an area with waterfalls and mature rainforest. Starts out from the huts and Javanese run shops (which caters to the hordes of local weekenders) at one end of the town’s road. Some of the roadside streets have labels.
Starting out from the Wawotobi bus terminal 8 km outside of Kendari, the minibus to Kolaka follows a reasonably good road through scenic countryside, albeit relatively unspectacular by south Sulawesi standards. About 40 km out of Kendari, after passing through a stretch of broad, marshy plains, the bus may stop at the town of Ammusu. Here you can enjoy a delicious meak of grilled river fish, spicy soup, rice and freshly squeezed lime juice.
Continuing on across the wide, muddy Kumbuti River (where you will see canoers poling their craft slowly by), the bus twist up through a hair bend pass, skirting the edge of thinly forested hills, then crossing a rickety cantilevered bridge before moving into the grasslands which precede Raterate.
Here the vegetation is richer. Low hills covered with bright green lalang grass stand sharply against the darker trees and bushes. Fruit trees line the road, and women gather firewood from the hills. After passing through Raterate, the road makes a gentle ascent before reaching a wide plateau. Roadside stalls along the way offer local produce ; wild honey, pomelos, jackfruit, guava, and ubi ubi, a tuber which many people in this region prefer to rice.
The view across the plateau, just before reaching Mowewe, is splendid –fields and houses quilt the broad expanses of the plain. The road cuts along curve through more hills before winding down to Kolaka. Here the road follows a sparkling, rust brown band of river through lush greenery. Flocks of goats slow the bus, and a large lizard occasionally scampers across the road.
Kolaka is a small, dusty town lying on a vast, sweeping bay set against the background of jungle clad hills rising from the shore. Horse drawn carts and stray goats saunter down the narrow back lanes of the town. In front of the decaying bus terminal, bemos and minibuses vie for passengers for the four hour westward journey back to Kendari.
There is little to see or do in Kolaka, which is primarily a transit point between Kendari and Bone. Kolaka is, in addition to Kendari, the only practical port of access to Southeast Sulawesi.
Travelers in South Sulawesi may wish to take the ferry from Watampone to Kolaka, then make the above overland voyage to Kendari in reverse.
- Buton
One day, one of the rulers chanced upon a bamboo stalk, inside of which he fond the goddess Wakaakaa. She became the first queen of the territory, and even married a prince of the famous Javanese Majapahit kingdom. Their descendants became the royal line of the Wolio kingdom, whose influence extended throughout the region.
In 1540, the sic ruler of Buton converted to Islam, becoming the first Sultan of Wolio was seen his people as god’s representative on earth, and was held responsible for the welfare of his country. If disaster struck the realm, the sultan could be forced to abdicate.
In its heyday, the sultanate of Buton included four vassal states : Muna, Tiworo (Northern Muna and some small islands), Kalingsusu (northern Buton) and Kaledupa, one of the Tukang Besi Islands. The sultanate is mentioned in records of the Dutch East India Company as early as 1613. Buton sought support for its struggle for independence agaist the expanding kingdom of Makassar and the Ternate sultanate, of which had been a vassal state in former days. After the Makassar kingdom was defeated by the Dutch in 1669, Buton became part of the territory administered under the Pax Needadica. This provided some protection for Butonese traders, but the Dutch monopoly excluded them from the spice trade.
In 1906, the sultanate was incorperated by the Dutch colonial government as a self governing state. After independence, Buton was integrated into the Republic of Indonesia. The last sultan, the 38th of the royal line, died in 1960, though his descendants still line in the kraton, or palace, of the ruler.
- Wolio
The Wolio kraton is a large and relatively modern building built of teak in the traditional style. For a small fee (plus and official contribution) local children will show you inside. The palace is still inhabited, and is full of memorabilia. Of particular interest is the clost money once used in Buton – a handwoven forerunner of the modern banknote.Inside the kraton grounds in the mesjid agung, great mosque, a rusting, tin-roofed affair claiming to be the oldest (16th century) mosque in eastern Indonesia. Inside the mosque is a sacred stone with two footprints, on which the newly elected sultan had to place his feet upon his enthronement.
The walls of the fort, built of white coral, stretch for nearly three kilometers the summit of the hill. The wall were built in 1613 following clashes with the Dutch East India Company. In 1637, the Dutch general Anthony van Diemen (who gave his name to what is now Tasmania) tried to take the kraton with 700 soldiers, but was forced to relent because of the terrible steepness of the mountain, on top of which lay the city. Today the walls are in ruin, though restoration is beginning. Rusty cannon, many bearing the blazon of the VOC, lie at the walls pointing out to sea, or half-burried and forgotten in groves of banana plants.
The hilltop area encircled by the walls of the fort contains a number of wooden houses as well as several smaller kratons, the residences of former sultants (each new sultan built his own palace). Next to the mosque is an interesting creation – an ancient, weathered, teak flagpole-looking structure.
There is also an enclosed area in front of the mosque, which appears to have had some sort of ritual function. The ‘Yoni’ (female genitalia) half of a yoni-linggam stone altar is kept in here. Unfortunately, the male part is broken off and reportedly loast.
Next to the mosque lies a combined grave of Buton’s first sultan and its last raja. Also in the vicinity of the mosque grave complex are a few craftsmen turning out find brass items. With the dissolution of the sultanate, most of the court arts have disappeared. However, the brass works (known as kerajinan kuningan) are still around, along with some pottery and silver.
Traditional Butonese weaving, a dark blue or black cloth with silver stripes, is also still worn here as sarongs, shirts and jackets.
If you are planning to spend more than half a day in Baubau, you could hire an English speaking guide. Expect to pay about US$10 to US$12 a day. You can ask your hotel to contact the office of the camat, or district head to make arrangements.
A good white sand beach called Nirwana is located about 10 km outside of Baubau. On Thursday and Sunday mornings from around 5.30 to 8.00, fishermen from the area sell their fresh catch here. You can buy a large fish for less than $1, and grill it for a picnic at the beach. The place gets pretty crowded with locals on Sunday.
For more beach activity, the Tukang Besi islands can be reached in about 11 hours by freighter (usually daily) from Baubau, or in 6-7 hours from the port of pasar Wajo down the road from Baubau.
At the town of Ambuea on Kaledupa Island, you will find some magnificent coral gardens. There is no scuba equipment available in the area so it is swimming and snorkeling only.
- Horse fights
Other tableaux vie for space and the visitor’s attention, but the horses run away with the show. Barely a couple of dozen kilometers away from the caves and their stylized equines, the ancient practice of horse fighting remains an integral part of local rituals, even though most of the inhabitants of Muna converted to Islam long ago.
Heady stuff, cave paintings and horse fighting, complemented by one of the most beautiful turquoise colored lagoons anywhere in the world. Raha, the capital of Muan district, is the undisputed highlight for travelers with the initiative to make it to these rather remote parts.
This would not necessarily be evident to the traveler who has just disembarked at Muna. While the docks, located at the end of along jetty, have a touch of the picturesque at night when the ferries from Baubau or Kendari call into port, the town itself is one of those many places in Indonesia which seem to exist quite happily with no redfeeming features. Rusting tin roofs, ‘hallo, meesters’ and stares at foreigners.
Like many nondescript towns in Indonesia, however, Raha is the gateway to a fascinating hinterland. Accommodations here are inexpensive and quite passable, if far from international class. In addition, Muna has a surprisingly decent network of paved roads, part of Inonesia’s unheralded but rapidly improving infrastructure.
As in most parts of Indonesia, seeing the hidden virtue of Muna requires some initiative and a few words of Bahasa Indonesia. The owner of your hotel can arrange for you to find an English speaking guide or you can try to find somebody who speaks English, at the office of local bupati. You can also pick up an English speaking guide from Kendari. If you really want to play it safe, you could also join a tour out of Jakarta, Ujungpandang or Kendari.
A minimum of two day is suggested for the vicinity of Raha, and at least double that if you want to explore other parts of Muna Island. First thing after arrival is to send word to Latugo Village if you want to see horse fighting. It will take a day for the villagers to get the horses and their act together. Also send word to Bolo Village that you will need a guide early the following morning to visit the caves with the prehistoric paintings. It is 9 km by paved road from Raha to Bolo.
Less than half an hour out of Bolo, just off the trail, you pass a large block of coral vaguely resembling a dugout cave. A few minutes further, you come to the first cave Liang Lasabo, which is only an over-hang protecting the paintings-all red here as in the other caves – of horses, people and 9perhaps) deer. There used to be an impressive store of human bones and carved coffins here, as well as at other caves, but all the goodies were removed in a series of raids by Jakarta archeologists between 1984 and 1986. the locals were not very happy with this plundering, but appear resigned to the wisdom of the Central government.
Do not linger too long at this first cave a better one, Liang Toko, is just half an hour away. Thus is the most important of all the caves, with the most and the best paintings. A huge chamber cave, some 13 to 20 meters deep, it is filled with rounded stalagtites and stalagmites, covered with a layer of (clothes-staining) green. The ceiling drips and there is a trickling steam in the back. One of the rounded walls is covered with paintings, mostly large horse like creatures, the biggest one of which has two riders. The other paintings, whose themes include suns and insect like figures, vie for the white space. A magical place.
At harvest time, in late August and early September, many places on Muna hold festivals. There are dances where guests must participate, pulled out of the ranks of spectators bykul a pair of comely maidens. Food is cooked overnight on hot stones in a covered pit. Bamboo tubes filled with cassava paste and red sugar are a local specialty, which is always served here. The harvest festival is held at or close to the time of the full moon, and lasts any where from one to three days.
Near Liang Toko, there is another similar – if somewhat smaller – cave, Liang Kobori, with but a few small paintings. These are primarily interesting because of their motif – they represent men in tiny ships. If you still have the stamina, there are other caves near by to explore.
- Emeral lagoon
You can paddle your own canoe or rent one with one or two paddlers. At one end of the lagoon, a low cave allows passage to the next lagoon at low tide. This second lagoon is connected to the sea through the strait of Buton. A small island, easy to circumnavigate, protects the entrance into the lagoon; there is a white sand beach there and clean waters with seaweed.
The swimming is great everywhere, but the snorkeling is mediocre, as there are few fis around. In the inner lagoon you might see some long, thick, worm-like beasts feeding on the bottom. This is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours but especially on weekends ; you are the main attraction for the crown of locals.
- Mustang Machismo.
A wide field is used for the event. Two troops of mares are shown to each stallion to put them in the mood, as the villagers say. Then, with ropes around their necks, the two contestants stallions are introduced to each other, with obvious results. Rearing up and looking for a likely hold for their powerful teeth, the stallion’s fight savagely for supremacy of the massive mares, with the crowd cheering for their favorite.
Eventually, one of the stallions decides that fight is the better part of valor, and gallops off the field to the jeers of the audience, which bother not at all. Another challenger is brought in to dispute the hard won victory. Although they do bite and kick each other quite enthusiastically, the damage is seldom serious. If it looks like the fight is getting too rough, the horses are pulled apart. It is a magnificent spectacle, much appreciated by the villagers, but some what unsettling to faint-hearted foreigners.
Horse fighting appears to be a remnant of the island’s heathen days before the advent of Islam. Apparently, it was once performed to celebrate the return of victorious war parties and their booty of human head trophies. Stallions also fought at various festivals held among the aristocracy- weddings, first haircuts, 40 days after birth, etc. then, as now, the spectacle was enlivened by lady jockeys riding astride piles of pillows and men with parangs (local machetes) demonstrating the art of horseback deer hunting.