In April this year, I did a weekend escape to Makassar the capital city of South Sulawesi Province, in the Southern Peninsula of Sulawesi.
To describe this province more easier, i have to say it has 3 independent cities : Makassar, Pare Pare, Palopo and 21 Regency with 2 Popular Destinations: TANJUNG BIRA in the Southern part and TORAJA in the Northern part. Makassar is a capital city of South Sulawesi Province and it can be reached very easy by Plane from Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Balikpapan and some other cities in Sulawesi, considering Makassar is a HUB to the eastern part of Indonesia so you may find many airlines flying here, do not be worry. It also can be reached by the passenger ship from Surabaya or Jakarta. All in all for sure there is no challenge to reach this city, it even can be reach through Sulawesi overland (Trans Sulawesi).
The most exciting part here is you can do a road trip to visit the two famous destinations that mentioned above, only in two ways, first to explore by yourself you can take the public transportation or hired a car but with driver please (it is more practical and easy) and second one you can follow the tour package through the travel agent company, there are a lot of tour operator to arrange your trip.
ROAD TRIP TO TANJUNG BIRA
Tanjung Bira is the best spot for enjoying the white sand beach, sight seeing, island hopping and the Phinisi place-making, also for escaping from hustle and bustle Makassar city for a day or two as there are a lot of hotel and resorts here. So, actually I'm not in well planning to visit Tanjung Bira but I am here in Makassar and I have ever seen the picture of Tanjung Bira in the website of Garuda Indonesia, as I remember, then in my second day in Makassar I decided to visit this place, hmm well this is again a spontaneous plan, wow I really like myself to be more adventure and enjoy the process of it. After breakfast, I was hurry finding information of how to go to this place to the hotel staff, they give me a clear information about that and they also offer me to hire a car they had that can take me there with a hassle free BUT unfortunately at this time I really want to be so adventuring and challenging to go with my own way, the public transportation was the best choice to be picked at this time wohoo...
So I finally left the hotel at 10.30 by GOJEK (haha..I like the way I do) to the Malengkeri Bus Station / Bus Terminal. It took me only 10 minutes to arrive there. The gojek drop me outside the terminal because he said it is more faster to take the minibus from here than inside. And yes I saw few cars / minibus here but oh well actually these cars are Toyota type such as Avanza and Xenia or Kijang one hmmm must write it as minibus in english. Well, the plate number is of course the yellow one and that is Legal for public car in Indonesia so I feel safe too, well, I assume that the driver must be licenced expert one who knows exactly the road situation to Bulukumba. Then my adventuring part begins. Okay I must pick the car who are ready to depart or at least there are passengers inside already thus waiting for other passengers will not take too long. And it is exactly right, I am the 3rd person in the car and following 2 other person the driver decide to go. He said he can take two more people on the road.
Wohooo leaving Makassar at 11.30 ahhh actually it is already late for me, I am sure that I will have a challenge on the way back. But no problem we will see later I know the risk and prepare for the worst. Let me enjoy this road trip. The road trip will passing by the Central Takalar - Jeneponto (Jalan Poros Takalar - Jeneponto). First regency that we must passing by is Gowa then Takalar Regency, Jeneponto Regency, Bantaeng Regency and Bulukumba Regency. We stop by in the rest area in Gowa for drinks because the road just outside the Makassar city is really trapped in a heavy traffic jam. Trip continues, the road condition is not too busy when we left Gowa Regency border therefore the driver run the car in the high speed through the narrow road, narrow means only two ways ft with two car. But he, the driver, really drove the car very fast, he many times pass through some cars in front. Ahhh I actually feel so exciting and enjoying, it is like in a car race haha, well this is it, of course I am good at all lol. Yeah I have an insurance so no problemo, smileeeee...
The road is good, all the way is a smooth one. I am noticed that every passing by each Regency, the driver must pay the tax to the transportation officer who incharged in every terminal hmmm...I did not ask how much they should pay to the local terminal fee but it is common and under regulation it think. Okay, after in a hot race we make another stop for a toilet break in Takalar Regency, in a small restaurant. Just 15 mins here, I try to charge my phone, enough for 15 mins hihi (did not bring the power bank). Well, we continue our trip again along the road I still can chit chat with the passenger beside me on is a Lady and one is a student of University. Nice one that I can mingle and involved with the natural conversation, I know some local customs from them I know something from local, that is great I really like that !! Oh back to the driver, he supposed to be one of the F1 driver hahaha....very cool I really like the way he drives the car in a high speed not even in the highway only through the narrow road, I must admit drivers in this route should be the good one. Well, the passenger starting to get down one by one but still one or two passenger get into the car too. This car will be terminated in Bulukumba town. Passing by Jeneponto Regency I am informed by the other passenger that here there are a lot of Horse breeding and the signature and famous food here is Coto Kuda, means The Horse Soup / Coto, ohhh WOW...first time hear about the horse meat to be a signature famous here in Jeneponto Regency. Beside the typical food, Jeneponto Regency also has a white sand beach and I can see it on the right side of the road. One thing that I noticed when the passenger would like to get off from the car, they always said "mampir' (please drop by) the real meaning is they would like to say good bye to me which is first time I feel weird but after second passenger drop off I understand the real meaning. Well, time showing almost 3 pm and we are already in Bulukumba horrayyy....The car will terminate at Bulukumba terminal and I have to continue with another public transport to Tanjung Bira for another 45 mins hmmm...I was late but I arrived in Bulukumba already I must continue my trip to Tanjung Bira, there was public transportation going there, I am lucky. However, I tried to communicate with the driver about taking me back from Bulukumba to Makassar, he said his colleagues can wait me around 8 pm here, because it is the last car that depart from Bulukumba to Makassar and to make it easy I took his mobile phone number, okay at least it reduced my stress a little bit hahaha...
I continued my trip to Tanjung Bira still with the Pete Pete , local public transportation, we have to wait until full so can you imagine that I must spend about 30 mins in the car waiting till it full and 3.30pm finally this car depart to Tanjung Bira, along the road only the jungle trees, the rice field and the fishpond but I did not see the sea, on the road we met 3 Buses and the guy said that is the last buses from Selayar Island. We passing by the Pier to Selayar Island it is not too far from the Village of Tanjung Bira. Well, we hit Tanjung Bira village, the unique one is this public transportation I took must drop its passenger one by one to their hous,e OMG, but that is okay no problem it is good to me so I can see more in the village. Then finally I arrived in the WHITE SAND beach of Tanjung Bira, go inside free, because the driver said he knows the guard and will not charge me. I hurry jump into the crowd and again I was notice this is weekend so the beach is full with people (too bad hikksss...hikkksss..). Beach is nice for sure but I cannot much enjoy it so many people there anyway I walked to the beach, took pictures quickly and back to the souvenir shops along the street in the beach complex. I spend an hour here until the sun goes down to the horizon, it is nice though. Now I have to go back to Bulukumba, how I can get the way back ? no more public transportation bacause it is late, the last transportation to Bulukumba town at 3 PM everyday from Tanjung Bira. Wowww cool now I stranded here. Well, I knew the risk, I am aware about it but I create this challenge on me. So I come into one of the guest house just across the souvenirs shops, I forgot the name of the guest house but I order something to drink at their lobby, and reading the newspaper. While drink the coffee here, I try to communicate with the receptionist, actually he is the guy who incarged in the reception area for the guest house. I ask for the car that I can hire to drop me one way to Bulukumba and connect to Makassar. He said it is already late as time shown 6 pm but he tried to help me by contacting several friends of him whether they are willing to drop me to Bulukumba. I just wait and chit chat with other people there about the Tanjung bira tourism and such. Fortunately, this very helpful guy got contact with one of Pete Pete driver, thanks God !! I try to haggle the price for one way drop off at IDR. 125k until the pool car to Makassar in Bulukumba. Well, I really thanking this guy who help me and again I am not asking his name but may God bless him for his true kindness help for me.
Leaving Tanjung Bira at 7.05PM, and I must pass by the same road which is VERY DARK, no LIGHT at all except the light from the car. I only pray in my heart hope this car going fine if it gets trouble then I will 'die' here, I can count only less than 10 cars I met along the way in 45 mins wow...and I noticed that no other car behind this car I ride, ohhhh great decision to experiencing this adventure. Anyway, the driver is polite I feel safe but only if the car have problem so it probably the doomsday. Ahhh at the end I can see the light from the houses it means I am entering the the civilization !!! Thank you Lord, amin. The driver drop me off to the car pool to Makassar oh I try to contact the driver before who drive me from Makassar to Bulukumba, he did not give any respond so when I arrived to the car pool area one driver apporach me and offer the ride straight away without waiting. I agree to take that car, I just use my feelings because it was 8 PM already and I have to get back asap to Makassar, it is late already. I jumped into the car and seating in front seat beside the driver, there are other 2 guys at the back, anyway I make the conversation as delicate as I can and all about the travel, we are finally involved in a good conversation to kill the time. I know more about local legend stories etc. So finally we are 4 in the car. I only warn the drive that do not drive too fast, please keep on the normal speed and safe. Along the way I still enjoy this self adventure but sometimes in my mind it showed a question why I am doing this, I know the risk if something happen then people will say that I am stupid haha...okay I make a self debate on my mind, but all in all I only pray that HOPE i ARRIVE SAFELY IN MAKASSAR, cause it will take 4 hours ride. I take a positive thinking of this trip I've made and I feel more better. We make one stop at Takalar Regency, in the rest area, these guys challenge me to eat the Coto Kuda (Horse Soup) but I m not interested to take the challenge, maybe next time if I am back here again. Only 20 minutes there, we continued the trip to Makassar. The car should stop in the Malengkeri Terminal BUT the driver offer the ride for me to drop me off to the hotel, I agree with additional cost IDR 40k, the price from Bulukumba to Makassar is IDR. 60k so in total I have to pay IDR. 100k, well no problem as long as I arrived safely to my hotel at Four Points Hotel Makassar. 12.00 Midnight and I ended up my ROAD TRIP TO TANJUNG BIRA safely. I feel so relieved, thanks GOD for the nice and stressful trip I have. I smile and told the story to the hotel staff next day because they are curious and asked me about the trip I organized by my own then I feel good !!!
