Asia away from mass tourism - Sulawesi and Raja Ampat

The capital of Malaysia with its 1.6 million inhabitants and very beautiful corners offers the ideal starting point for our trip. The travel costs to Kuala Lumpur are normally very low. I know KL very well, as I have visited the city several times. We can visit Batu Caves, Little India, China Town, Petronas Towers and a canopy walk in the middle of the city. I am flexible with the choice of hostels. Here we would have 2 to choose from, which I know quite well.

From Kuala Lumpur we fly to Makassar in the south of Sulawesi. The journey with AirAsia costs about 60€. However, we will immediately get on a bus here and make our way to Tana Toraja. The buses here are extremely comfortable. We take the night bus, which runs about 7-8 hrs and wake up the next morning in Rantepau.

Early in the morning we reach Rantepao in the Tana Toraja area. Here we can get to know one of the most interesting customs and cultures. Especially interesting are the traditional Tangonan houses and the funeral ceremonies that consist of several days. I will send you some more information about this. We will spend the night in one of these traditional houses. If we are lucky, my friend from this area will be there and can show us some things. I assume that we can also stay in his traditional house for a reasonable price. He would probably also offer this for free, but I prefer to leave him a small "donation". On site we will also do some hiking. This place is not for the faint of heart. During a funeral about 20 buffalos are slaughtered. Tana Toraja is located a bit in the Highlands and has a mystical charm.

After that, it is recommended to share a driver, as the route to our next stop, the port city of Tentena (unfortunately does not find the platform), is very far and uncomfortable to travel by bus. Alternatively, you could hitchhike (totally hassle-free), depending on your preference.

Now we reach a beautiful group of islands, the Togean Islands. Here we spend the night in a cottage directly on the beach. We get 3 meals and who wants can swim in a jellyfish lake. The jellyfish are completely harmless. In the evening we will try to find a coconut crab, a type of crab that is only found here. Diving is also possible here.

After a good rest on the Togean Islands, we take the ferry to Gorontalo. Admittedly, there are more comfortable ferries, but it is quite sufficient to cross to Gorontalo. We sail overnight and reach Gorontalo the next day.

From Gorontalo we continue directly to Tomohon where we will visit one of the most bizarre markets on earth. As you might guess, this is also not a place for the faint of heart. Here we can also stay overnight with friends I met during my trip. Here we can also taste local liquor. An ideal place to talk with the locals. On the 2nd day we will climb a volcano. In addition, we will drive a little around a beautiful lake here.

Now we reach Manado, the main city of the province "North Sulawesi". Manado is a nice little town, which we will visit in 1-2 days before we continue our journey.

Now we reach the place that I think must be paradise, Raja Ampat. First we arrive in Sorong, a completely unsightly harbor town. Depending on the time of arrival, we spend a night here before continuing to Raja Ampat. This place is one of my absolute highlights. We stay in simple beach cottages with 3 delicious meals a day (fresh caught fish etc.). Here we can watch water turtles, black tip reef sharks and other great marine life. The quiet atmosphere also invites you to relax and do nothing. In the evening, if you are lucky, you can still watch whales on the horizon.

Well recovered, we now return to Kuala Lumpur, where our joint trip ends. Of course, you can also fly back directly from Sorong.