Sulawesi: Which route to take from Mamasa to Rantepao?

Hi everyone, We’ll be two couples in Sulawesi at the end of May for five weeks, and we’re planning to rent a car for some legs of the trip. Which route would you recommend for driving from Mamasa to Rantepao, and how many hours might the trip take? Thanks for your tips! 😉

Good morning Christine, Yes, there is a road between Mamasa and Rantepao. But it's in bad condition. It’ll take a full day to make the trip. Otherwise: What will your itinerary in Sulawesi look like during your 30 days? Because getting around can be difficult, long, and tiring... and 5 weeks is just enough to cross the island from south to north. The Mamasa Valley looks a lot like Toraja country... but it's less touristy and harder to access. It takes about 8 to 10 hours from Makassar. Few people speak English, and there aren’t many guesthouse options. Happy to help if you need it!

For info, VIP buses leave Makassar for Toraja daily, including overnight services. Given your 5-week itinerary in Sulawesi, is visiting Mamasa worth it? Makassar to Mamasa: 1 day of travel. Mamasa: stay Mamasa to Rantepao: 1 day To hire a car with a driver, budget around 600,000 IDR (fuel included)... But Makassar-Mamasa will likely be much more expensive... There you go...

Good morning Guillaume, Thanks so much for your replies! We’ll arrive in Makassar and take the return trip from the best spot for us—Pula, Luwuk, probably not Manado, we’ll see. We’re looking into places we’d like to visit, where we can easily settle in, and Mamasa is really tempting. We’re thinking of starting with a trip to Bira, then…? In no particular order and with no obligations, the regions of Mamasa, Rantepao, Danau Poso, Lore Lindu, Pulau Togian or Pulau Banggai, Luwuk… and anything else you’d recommend in the area! Returning to Makassar and starting with Rantepao lets us take a night bus, which is convenient, but how do we continue north from Mamasa without having to go back to Rantepao? Or could we imagine a route from Bira to Mamasa with a stop along the way? We’re well aware of how long the trips take—we’ll make it work! 😊

Hello, If you're heading to Bira, I recommend Baracoco Guest House. It's run by a Belgian guy (Jan). His wife is from Mamasa, so he’ll be happy to give you tips! 👍 Makassar to Bira trip = 6 hours

Hi Christine, Here’s some info from 2019 on this link: https://voyageforum.com/forum/transports-collectifs-ferry-gorontolo-ferry-luwuk-ferry-ampana-indonesie-d9843423/

Hi Christine, To answer your first question, you can go directly from Mamasa to Toraja country. For example, "Bintang Alpin Mamasa" runs the route. Have a great Sunday!