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Tentena: a charming lakeside town in Sulawesi, Indonesia
Tentena is a small town in Central Sulawesi, located on the northern shore of Lake Poso. While it might not be on every traveler’s itinerary, it’s a lovely place to stop when exploring Sulawesi overland. Think enormous lakes, lush rice fields, tropical waterfalls and traditional villages, all with relatively few international tourists. Since distances on the island are long, this is an ideal stop between Ampana and Toraja.
There are several things to do in and around Tentena, from swimming beneath waterfalls to watching the sunset over Lake Poso. If you have a bit more time, you can also venture into the surrounding countryside, visit the remote Bada Valley or look for some of Sulawesi’s unique wildlife.
What to do in Tentena, Sulawesi
Lake Poso
Tentena is located right beside Lake Poso, one of the largest and deepest lakes in Indonesia. There are several places along the shore where you can sit down, relax and enjoy the views.
Siuri Beach is a great spot for a drink with a view of the lake. It feels like a real beach because the lake is enormous, with clear water stretching towards the surrounding hills. If you visit Siuri Cottages, you can use their beach beds and other facilities while enjoying the peaceful surroundings. I had a quick lunch there and spent a lovely afternoon relaxing at the ‘beach’.
Saluopa Waterfall
The highlight of visiting this area has to be Saluopa Waterfall. This nine level waterfall cascades down moss-covered rocks in the middle of the forest. The water flows over a series of natural rock steps, creating small pools where you can cool off on a hot day. Despite its beauty, Saluopa Waterfall doesn’t feel as overrun by tourism as some of Indonesia’s more famous waterfalls. A path leads through the forest towards the falls, making them relatively easy to reach. There are also stairs that allow you to explore the different levels of the waterfall.You’ll find a few touristy signs and photo opportunities along the way, but I chose to ignore those and focus on the natural surroundings.
Bring swimwear if you want to take a dip, and wear shoes with a good grip. The rocks can be slippery, especially after rain. Be careful when walking between the different levels, and avoid climbing onto rocks where the current is strong.
30 minutes drive from Tentena
Entrance fee: 20000 IDR/€0.99/$1.10 entrance and 2000 IDR for motorbike parking
Atalambu Hill viewpoint
After a day of exploring, this is a nice spot to watch the sunset! You get a view of the city and Lake Poso! There is also a cafe here, where you can have a drink.
After a day of exploring, Atalambu Hill is a lovely place to watch the sunset. From the viewpoint, you can look out over Tentena and Lake Poso as the light changes across the landscape. There’s also a café where you can order a drink and enjoy the view. It’s a relaxing way to end the day, particularly if you’ve spent the afternoon swimming at Saluopa Waterfall or exploring the countryside. As with many viewpoints in Sulawesi, the views are weather-dependent, so don’t be disappointed if clouds obscure the sunset.
Entrance Fee: 10.000 IDR/€0,50/$0,55
Bada Valley
If you have a bit more time, I’d highly recommend exploring Bada Valley. Located within the Lore Lindu region of Central Sulawesi, this remote valley is known for its mysterious megalithic stone figures, traditional villages and beautiful rural scenery. The ancient stone statues are scattered across fields and village landscapes. Some depict human-like figures, while others are enormous stone vessels. Their origins and original purpose remain uncertain, which makes visiting them particularly fascinating.
One of the best-known statues is Palindo, a large human-shaped stone figure standing in a field near Sepe village. Other megaliths can be found around the villages of Doda, Bomba and the surrounding valley. The journey is an adventure in itself. Expect winding mountain roads, beautiful views and a much more remote side of Sulawesi. Road conditions can be challenging, so arrange transport with a local driver who knows the route. Depending on the conditions and your itinerary, the drive from Tentena can take around 4 hours.
Explore the rice fields around Tentena
You don’t have to travel far from Tentena to find beautiful rural landscapes. The area surrounding Lake Poso is dotted with rice fields, small villages and green hills. One of the nicest ways to experience this scenery is simply to explore the countryside by motorbike or with a local driver. Take your time along the smaller roads, stop to admire the views and see what daily life looks like outside the town. Depending on the season, you may see farmers preparing the fields, planting rice or harvesting their crops. The landscape changes throughout the year, so there’s no single moment when the rice fields look their best.
Learn about local cacao farming
While I was in the area, the people were harvesting Cacao and drying it outside. If it’s the right season you’ll see this on the side of the road everywhere!
See Tarsiers
At Saluopa Waterfall a local guide offered to take me on a little sunset safari to see Tarsiers. They are located somewhere near Saluopa waterfall. Contact William if you’d like to arrange a Tarsier tour: +6253266612570. I’d already seen Tarsiers in Tangkoko National Park, so I decided not to do a tour here.
How to get to Tentena, Sulawesi
Tentena is located in Central Sulawesi, between the provincial capital of Palu and the coastal town of Ampana, the main gateway to the Togean Islands. Most travellers arrive by road, often as part of a longer overland journey across Sulawesi.
From Ampana: You can either hire a private car or you can take a public car from Ampana to Poso and then from Poso you can get a taxi to Tentena. Public car costs 150.000 IDR and the taxi will be around 60.000 IDR.
Bus companies that have minivans going to Poso are PO.Togean Indah and PO.Carissa Trans. From Poso you can arrange a taxi.
From Toraja: Public/Tourist Bus: Takes 12–14 hours, usually departs around 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. from Rantepao (Toraja), arriving late in the evening. Costs roughly €10 to €20 (IDR 250,000–350,000) per person
How to get around Tentena, Sulawesi
The attractions around Tentena are spread out, so you’ll need transport to explore the area properly. The best way to explore is by renting a motorbike, or ask your accommodation about local transport. For places such as Saluopa Waterfall and Siuri Beach, you can drive yourself. For Bada Valley, I would not recommend driving yourself. The owner of my homestay even said he doesn’t rent motorbikes to people going there, because the roads are just too bad. So it’s much better to use a driver who knows the mountain roads, that can check the current conditions before setting off.
Where to Stay in Tentena, Sulawesi
Tentena is a relatively small town, and accommodation options are more limited than in Indonesia’s better-known tourist destinations. You can choose between simple guesthouses in town and quieter places beside Lake Poso.
Dodoha Mosintuwu: Beautiful place on the lake. They also have a wonderful restaurant.
From €24 /night
Amadeo Guesthouse: Affordable guesthouse with a really love owner. Yafi helped me arrange transport, gave me travel advice and I rented a scooter from him.
From € 15/night
Where to Eat in Tentena, Sulawesi
Tentena is quite a small town and not yet developed as a tourist destination. Therefore, restaurant options are limited, but I found a few lovely places to eat and get coffee during my stay.
Dodoha Mosintuwu
Dodoha Mosintuwu is a particularly interesting place to visit because it’s more than just a restaurant. It’s a beautiful location on the lake. They also serve vegetarian options, which are not always easy to find! Must visit!!
Morasi Kopi Tentena
If you’re looking for a good coffee in Tentena, Morasi Kopi is a great place to stop. This local coffee shop has a relaxed atmosphere and is a nice spot to take a break between exploring the town and its surroundings. They also serve food here and the local people here are super kind!
Kayuku FoodShop
Kayuku FoodShop is another place I enjoyed during my stay in Tentena. It’s a casual café and restaurant where you can stop for a meal or a drink while exploring the town. As a vegetarian I was super happy to find this place! I love tempeh and they have a tempeh burger on the menu.
