Birdwatching in Sulawesi
Ujung Pandang
Ujung Pandang is the capital and administrative centre of the province of south Sulawesi. It is the main point of entry for the south of the island and the base for a trip to Lake Tempe and the very popular Tana Toraja area. Ujung Pandang’s hasanuddin (international) airport, the gateway to eastern Indonesia, is well connected to the rest of the archipelago.
Getting there
By air the airport is 25 km north of town on the road to Maros, 30 min’s drive. The half hour taxi ride into town costs $6 or $8 AC, or you can walk 500 m to the main road and catch a bemo for $1 including luggage.
By sea five pelni ships call at Ujung pandang on fixed schedules of 14 days.
By bus there is a daily bus service to and from all the major towns in South Sulawesi, however getting out of Ujung Pandang can be a hassle. Coaches and minibuses to other towns leave from terminal Pasar Daya at km 15. allow at least a half hor for the journey. First take a bemo (IDR 1,000) or becak (IDR 2,000-IDR 4,000) to Sentral (the central bemo terminus) and from there a second bemo to Panaikan. From here, buses leave regularly throughout the day up to 7 pm.
Accommodation/Dining
Ujung Pandang is expensive by Indonesian standars. At the lower end of the scale there are many cheap penginapan around the part area, but these are not recommended. Most of the larger hotels add 21% service and tax; smaller ones may add 10%.
The main attraction of eating out in Ujung Pandang is the seafood: huge shrimps and lobsters, dark-skinned fish with delicate white flesh, and giant, jucy crabs. There is an enormous range of restaurants as wel as several hundred metres of warung along the seafront.
source Birding Indonesia. Periplus Publishing. Singapore