On November 1st we are open from 10am to 5pm

Excursion Buton palace fortress tour at Bau-bau

Cruise line: Silversea
Difficulty:

See the highlights of Bau-Bau, the main city on Buton Island, with a population of over 137,000. Culturally, Buton is incredibly diverse for a small island; there are over 120 local languages spoken and each ethnic group has their own practices, ceremonies, and traditional clothing. Today's excursion is an ideal way to experience to the local culture of Buton.


Begin your morning with a warm traditional welcome right at the port. Then drive a few minutes to visit a traditional market to see local people selling and buying their daily needs. Next, travel another 30 minutes to a fisherman village to witness daily life here. Observe local women making stunning ikat weaving and fishing nets in their wooden houses called rumah panggung, or stilt houses.


The highlight of this tour is your visit to Buton Palace Fortress (Benteng Keraton), an unusual fort built by a local sultan centuries ago. The fortress has received an award from the Guinness Book Records as the world's widest fort, as it is 3km long. Made of coral blocks, the fort commands an excellent view over the city and port and the sea beyond. The fortress is surrounded by its original villages where the old houses are still well-maintained. Here you have opportunity to enjoy a cultural show, with the performance of various dances, as well as regional culinary specialties that served by locals wearing traditional costume.


Inside the fort is the house of the former sultan, which today serves as a fascinating small private museum. After the performance, visit the Sultan's old mosque and museum that is home to many antique heirlooms. Return to the port.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Buton, traditional welcome ship-side, local market, fishing village visit, Buton Palace Fortress, cultural dance performance

Note

Please note: This tour entails a moderate amount of walking with a few steps. Guests are recommended to wear causal light, comfortable clothing (no shorts, please), walking shoes, sun protection and hat. To respect local culture the tour operator requests that women are "reasonably" covered; shorts and short skirts are not acceptable.