Makassar

With 1.4 million inhabitants Makassar is the most important and largest city in southern Sulawesi. Located near southern end of the southwestern peninsula of Sulawesi, Makassar is a major travel hub with an international airport with connections to most airports in central and eastern Indonesia and some cities in China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Makassar has a long history. It was the capital of the Sultanate of Gowa until the 16th century, when it was conquered by the Portuguese. It came under Dutch rule towards the end of the 17th century and became part of Indonesia after independence. Despite its long history there are few historic buildings in Makassar. One of them is Fort Rotterdam, which was built on the site of the former Ujung Pandang fort.
From a tourist perspective there is not much to see in Makassar, although the centre of the city is reasonably clean and pleasant. The main reason to visit Makassar is the airport which offers convenient flights to a number of cities in Sulawesi and other cities in Indonesia. Makassar is also the start or end point of the overland trail towards Manado, covering Tana Toraja, the central highlands, the Togian islands and Manado/Bunaken.
How to get to the Makassar
The simplest way to reach Makassar is to fly in by plane. Alternatively a traveller could also arrive overland from northern or central Sulawesi.
Accommodation
Makassar has a number of accomodation options, most of them bookable via the international booking portals.