Makassar, Sulawesi
 

Kindly share any info you have on Makassar or Ujung Pandang Sulawesi, Indonesia with me. I am having a hard time researching for this location. Our ship is stopping from 8am to 5pm on Friday 15 March 2019, and I have absolutely no idea what to do. Thanks in advance/Ann

Having spent a few days in Makkassar, I have to say it is a little light on attractions and sights so am a little surprised it is a stop for a cruise ship. Two sights that immediately spring to mind are Fort Rotterdam and the Great Mosque. Both are interesting rather than mind blowing, but I struggle to think of anything else.

The food in the city is excellent, especially the freshly bbq fish, served at many places around. the city. Maybe a late disembarkation from the ship, those two locations and a late leisurely lunch?

Alternatively, I think there are a few islands and beaches that are possible as a day trip but as we didn’t go I can’t really comment.

Thanks very much for your prompt response Crellston. Greatly appreciate it. Fort Rotterdam, and Pasar Terong market visits offer by cruise ships at US$200 pp, seems very expensive. Please let me know if these locations are within walking distance from the cruise terminal, or is there a local bus available from cruise terminal to these places of interest. I generally prefer to use local buses - people watch and possible interaction with the locals. Thanks/Ann

I was in Makassar just this last September, and I would recommend the same three sites: The Great Mosque, Fort Rotterdam, and the fish market. The city is a little dreary. May I suggest prearranging your own driver for the day? I cannot recommend the tour company I used (see my recent trip report for more details), but I imagine if you post on TripAdvisor, you could easily find a driver for the day. Sometimes drivers know some interesting gems to see, such as an interesting neighborhood. Tell the driver the hours you have, and maybe trust him to make a route for you.

Based on my experiences in Indonesia, I believe you can find a full day driver for between $40 and $60. You could also write to the fanciest hotels in Makassar, they often have agencies or a special driver they use. I have often used that strategy with great success. The drivers I have had in Indonesia are amongst the best anywhere. They understand that you want to see culture as well as sites, and knock themselves out to plan a fascinating day.

Thanks California Lady for your response. Do you recall any local buses that pass by these 3 places of interest. As noted above, I really like to interact with the locals every opportunity I get. Since there are only 3 places to visit, please let me know if there is beach within a reasonable distance from the cruise terminal to swim and/or snorkel. Thanks/Ann

I believe Crellston has spent more time than I in Makassar. I arrived late on day one, left on my private tour to Toraja, and then spent part of a day sightseeing in Makassar before flying to Java. The owner of the agency I used drove me around, and took me to a wedding before dropping me off at the airport. I believe the sites were all in different directions. It's a big city, so I imagine there are buses, but with the limited time you have, you are better off with a driver. We did stop at a village, but I don't know the name. The agency owner seemed impatient taking me around, so I am sure there are some nice areas to see, but I did not go there. I never do beaches on trips since I grew up going to the beaches in Santa Monica, nor would I have had time to see them anyway.

I didn't think much of Fort Rotterdam, it's kind of run down, and not very interesting, and I've seen many mosques and fish markets in Asia, so I imagine a beach trip might be a better bet if that is your interest. In that case, you could probably take a taxi each way, or have a driver wait for you. I have used drivers all over Asia for the past several years, and it sure is great. It seemed so bourgeois at first, but it's so great to be able to leave some stuff in the car while you hop out and see stuff.

Ask Crellston for more details about the beaches, if he doesn't answer here, you can PM him.

I am pretty sure th cruise ships dock in the centre of the city so it should be easy to walk away from the terminal and find a taxi or tuk tuk that will take you on a tour of the sights, such as they are, for a lot, lot less than $200! We paid less than that for 5 nights in a decent hotel!

On the way to Fort Rotterdam there is a smaller dock for local boats along the promendade which offer trips out to one of the local islands for beaches and swimming which may be of interest. Sorry, but I can’t recall the exact location but it was within 15 min walk of FR. Not sure I would want to swim anywhere close to such a large city though.

We have used buses to get around all over Asia, indeed the world, but I don’t think buses are a viable option in Makassar for a day trip. We tried to use them but there seemed to be about 5 different bus stations and ten times as many bus operators. Unless you know exactly where you want to go, where to get off, and which bus to take, I think you would waste most of your time. We eventually found th right bus to get back to our hotel from the seafront but it took twice as long as it did to walk!

1. Fort Rotterdam
2. Losari Beach
3. Samalon Beach
3. Trans Studio Makassar