Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes, houses a diversity of societies and some spectacular scenery, with rich flora and fauna and world class diving sites.

Sulawesi is Indonesia's third largest island, with an area of 172,000 sq km. The island has a distinctive shape, dominated by four large peninsulas. The central part of the island is rugged mountainous, such that the island's peninsulas have traditionally been remote from each other and the population comprises of four major ethnic groups. The Topographical variety offers spectacular mountains, scenic coastline, lakes, rice patties, and dense jungles. Sulawesi has 8 national parks, of which 4 are mostly marine. The parks with the largest area are Bogani Nani Wartabone, Lore Lindu National Park and Bunaken Marine Park which protects a rich coral ecosystem.

Sulawesi is a holiday destination that is becoming popular with those in search of the exotic. Most interesting to visitors are the more populated north and south regions, while the central region is a little known area rarely visited.

North Sulawesi has an abundance and variety of accommodation and facilities available to meet the needs of travelers from backpackers and budget class to four star resorts. The natural wonders of North Sulawesi make it suitable to both organized and adventure travel. The full spectrum of scuba diving activities is available in North Sulawesi. The diving ranges from the magnificent coral gardens of Bunaken Marine Park and Bangka Strait to the walls of fishes and underwater volcanoes of the Sangihe Islands to the unusual and rarely seen critters of Lambeh Strait. Land based activities focus on rain forest hiking in Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Dumoga Bone National Park, along with viewing scenic waterfalls, volcano climbing, river rafting and even golf. In the highland area of Tomohon/Tondano there are rice paddies, coconut plantations and flower gardens.

South Sulawesi is a region of dramatic contrasts of rugged volcanic peaks and glistering white beaches.

Makassar is the largest city of Sulawesi, and has a population of around 1.25 mill. It was formally named Ujung Pandang, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Makassar is located on the southwest coast of the island, facing the Makassar Strait, and is the the main point of entry to Sulawesi, with frequent flights throughout the archipelago. Manado acts as a secondary hub, with interesting connections eastward to Halmahera and Papua. Both these cities have direct flights from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.