When to go

Selayar Dive Resort is open from October till the end of April

Southern Sulawesi has a typical equatorial climate with a dry and a rainy season. The official wet season runs from November till April, whereas due to the exposes location of Selayar you will not experience tropical rainfalls like they are known in other regions such as Northern Sulawesi or Bali for example. This is also the only time when the resort is open due to the favourable wind & sea conditions at that time of year.

Temperatures along the coast range from 24 to 32ºC with an average humidity of 70% and you will find that water temperatures are around 29ºC all year round with visibility of about 25-30m.

Getting there

There are various ways of getting to Selayar, all of which require a night stopover in Indonesia on the outward journey. However, due to connection times and trying to minimise your travel time, we recommend Bali as your point of entry in Indonesia.

There are daily flights from London or Manchester to Bali via Singapore, with a flight time to Singapore of about 12-13 hours, followed by another 2.5 hours to Bali.

After one night stopover to recover from the long haul flight, you will be picked up from your resort in Bali to catch a flight to Ujung Pandang (Makassar) in Southern Sulawesi.

From there guests are taken to Bira by air-conditioned minibus. During the 4-hour journey you are offered an insight into the culture of South Sulawesi, passing through places where the traditional Pinisi ships are built, as well as through small villages where sea-salt is gathered in the traditional way.

In the coastal village of Bira, the resort’s speedboat and its crew are waiting to take you on the 2.5 hour trip along the picturesque and untouched coast of Selayar to the resort.

There are two flights per week from Ujung Pandang (Makassar) to Selayar, which only take about 45 minutes plus a 1.5 hour car ride to the resort. However, these flights are not very reliable and flight times and day can be changed at short notice.

Entry Requirements

Most European community nationals require a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity from the date of arrival, a return ticket and a tourist visa, which you will get at the port of entry in Indonesia. The visa can be bought for US$15, but make sure you have crisp, new notes with you to avoid any problems!

Local Airport Tax

RP 30.000, payable upon your departure in Ujung Pandang.

Baggage Allowance 20kg but we can request additional 10kg per person for dive equipment on Singapore Airlines, if required.

Language

Even though "Bahasa Indonesia" is spoken as a national language, people of different tribes inhabit this region, distinguished mainly by language or dialect according to their background. Most of the staff at the resort speaks English though, so you will not have any major problems to make yourself understood.

Money

Banks with 24-hour ATMs are readily available throughout in all major population centres in Southern Sulawesi, whereas you can only withdraw a small amount at any one time. In Ujung Pandang do you can withdraw money or to get a cash advance on your credit card at most banks and foreign currency. Travelers cheques can only be cashed in the bank by the owner of the cheque. US Dollars in cash should be in large notes and crispy brand new, otherwise you will find difficulty to get them exchanged.

However, since Selayar is a considerable distance from any notable city and population centres, make sure you take care of money issues either in Singapore, Bali or Jakarta before arriving in Sulawesi. Any additional expenses at the resort can be paid in Euro, whereas credit cards are not accepted.

Health

There are no vaccinations required to enter Indonesia, but inoculations for Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis-A are recommended. Selayar is said to be free of malaria and if you are travelling only to main cities and tourist areas the risk is basically non-existent. For a trip to Toraja, Malaria-protection might be worth considering and we advise you to consult your doctor.

Indonesia is a tropical country with low levels of sanitation and little education on hygienic issues. The biggest hazards come from contaminated food and water, whereas there is nothing for you to worry about if you are staying and eating in the tourist resorts. The food and drinking water at the resorts is absolutely safe, but you should avoid ice cubes in your drink if you are planning to have a drink in any of the local restaurants along the road.

The biggest risks run by tourists are dehydration and sunburn, so make sure you take a bottle of water with you wherever you go and keep the sun-block lotion handy.