Diving in Indonesia: Sulawesi sea, Walea, Toraja and a visit to Singapore

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The only resort is the Walea Dive Center Resort.Molto edited and managed by Italians.
Council to take 10 days before starting the diet because it seems impossible, but Walea you eat big. Simona tickle your appetites with typical local dishes and Asian. The chocolate sauce is super.
The dives are almost all simple, but this will allow you to enjoy the best of a stage set of sponges and corals are unique to color and dimensioni.Il fish is not great, apart from the giant parrots, but it is so. You'll enjoy the search for species never before seen or rarely seen. In particular, the famous pygmy seahorse and fish Mandarino.Le three dives are usually more a night, the afternoon is made by the house reef, which suggests a dip and boring with few fish. Instead, the surprises are many, from sea snakes to lobsters, from the giant moray sailfish ....
I am not speaking of nudibranchs why not just a book to describe them all, get to the point not to look at how many more sono.Le drift dives are beautiful, especially if your luck you will encounter a shark. But they are not certain of these dives that characterize the Paradise Walea.
Watch out for the underwater photographer: equipe salts parts for the camera if you do not have problems with fogging of the diving suit.
Climate: We have taken three days of rain, but judging by the weather news across Asia was under water, so I guess it was an accident. The rest is a classic tropical climate, the evening was still good. A note on the insulation of the bungalow with a fan only able to maintain the ideal temperature without the use of air conditioners.

Transfer from Tana Toraja to Walea.
There are two options: fly to Manado, wait approx. 6 hours and take the connecting flight to Makassar or remain in Luwuk ca. 10 hours and fly direct to Makassar.
We have preferred to visit Luwuk and we had a great time around the market, but I recommend only to those who like to spend time with local people and not only in luxury resorts. W Luwuk.
In Makassar hotel we stayed at the Pantai Gapura from the outside looks like a bad place but as you enter the enchanting environment does not ring true on stilts recreated inside. Recommended.
The next morning we met with the leadership that would accompany us in the coming days. He spoke perfect English but also an Italian''Dante''to be in Indonesia.
(The guide is called Daniel T. Pasapan dasarvini@yahoo.com +62.081.342.914.89, should contact well in advance because I think it's the only one to speak Italian)
The trip by minivan to Toraja is really long, perhaps because of road works and a few stops, it took us 10 hours. However passes quickly enough looking at all the scenery you encounter.
Hotel in Toraja: Marante Toraja. Personally I do not feel the Council, the staff is very friendly and kind, such as cleaning, however, leaves something 'to be desired, especially towels, hot water when there is a gift.
Notes Toraja.
Go to Sulawesi and not go into the land of Toraja is like being in Italy and not see Venice or Rome.
The area is characterized by a mountainous landscape with tropical expanses of rice paddies and lush forests. We are not at the levels of Bali, but for those who were not in the most famous is an unforgettable sight.
The reasons in Toraja land are not the landscape but the people with their religion, almost exaggerated, for the dead. We saw the tombs excavated in the rocks outside the famous Tao Tao that jaw-dropping, one can not go see the tree that contains the graves of infants. Movingly.
The Toraja funeral rites are a once in life you see, there are usually almost every day, because a single ceremony it is 4. I will not describe it because the network can be found all useful information.
If you are lucky to happen on the day when the cattle market are not fatevelo miss.
Local crafts there is very little, almost all the statues and masks that you see around are from Bali or Sumatra.
Climate: generally wet and rainy with temperatures from the mountains. We were lucky because it rained only at night and by day the sun was shining, so maybe it was Walea ....

Transfer Toraja - Singapore
It starts early in the morning for Makassar (this time without a break we spent 8 hours) where we took the flight with a stopover in Singapore to Jakarta. Attention because the Garuda Airlines is certainly not famous for punctuality. In Jakarta there is only one hour to transfer and then just a slight delay in departure, as has happened to us, to remain firm in Jakarta. The airline will find accommodation for the night but you will have wasted almost a day's holiday.
Once in Singapore, if you have opted for a stop-over, remember that the transfers are on the other side of the airport. We stayed at the Hotel Peninsular, but the offers on the Internet change frequently and thus also the Hotel.
I will not describe because Singapore is all about the guides, the only curiosity is that thanks to a friend's place, met the night before at the airport in Jakarta, we can see from the beautiful terrace of the wonderful Singapore Hotel Marina Bay. (Pay attention to climb as we must first have booked a room min € 200, we were lucky because Danny had reserved one for a friend).
If you want my advice because they do not go to Sentosa is just a bad copy of Gardaland.

We can say all this trip, despite the many and long journeys, that is absolutely worth doing. It is not only physically demanding just a bit 'of adaptability.
The people you meet will prove to be very friendly and accommodating.

Acknowledgements:

Franco and Rosemary for their friendliness and the wonderful times we had together, our guide Daniel and Tony for letting us know places and people unique to us beautifully illustrated history of Sulawesi, Rachel for the help they gave us all ' Jakarta airport and Danny for the kindness and the desire to let us know your city (Singapore)