Indonesia's national line still runs the long routes. What to bring, what class to book, and the one thing nobody warns you about on the Tilongkabila.
Pelni (Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia) runs Indonesia's long passenger routes. Its large white ships link the regional ports of the archipelago, and for many crossings in eastern Indonesia they are the only scheduled boat. Pelni runs 83 ships, 26 of them passenger ships, and its fleet calls at 357 ports (Pelni, October 2026). This guide covers the classes, how to book, which ships call at Sulawesi's ports, and what to bring for a passage of one or two nights.
The ship in the examples is KM Tilongkabila. It links Makassar, Baubau, Raha, Kendari, Luwuk, Gorontalo and Bitung, and back (Pelni's sailing orders of December 2025).
What class to book
Pelni sells cabins and Ekonomi. A class 1A cabin sleeps 2 adults, 1B sleeps 4, 2A sleeps 6, and 2B sleeps 8 (Pelni's questions and answers). Ekonomi is a numbered place in a large shared room. Every ticket includes three meals a day.
Many ships on Sulawesi's routes sell only Ekonomi. On Pelni's own booking site on 5 November 2026, only KM Sinabung offered cabins from Makassar.
A dated example. KM Sinabung, Makassar to Baubau, leaving Sunday 8 November 2026 at 23:59 and arriving the next day at 15:00. One adult paid IDR 232,500 in Ekonomi (about €11), IDR 369,500 in 2B (about €18), IDR 395,500 in 2A (about €19), IDR 558,500 in 1B (about €27) and IDR 673,500 in 1A (about €32) (pelni.co.id, read 5 November 2026).
Book a cabin when the ship has one. In Ekonomi you watch your own bags for the whole trip.
How to book
Book on pelni.co.id, in the PELNI Mobile app, through the contact centre (162), at a Pelni branch office, in Indomaret and Alfamart shops, or through a travel agent (Pelni). Foreigners book with their passport number. Online sales close one day before departure.
Exchange the e-ticket for a boarding pass from 24 hours to 2 hours before departure, or check in online in the app from 12 hours before. A cancellation costs 50% of the base fare, at a branch office. The free baggage is 40 kg (Pelni).
Pelni from Sulawesi's ports
Pelni shows its sailings only through the search on its booking site, two weeks at a time: pick the two ports and a date. These are the ships its search showed for 5 to 19 November 2026:
| Port | Ships | Where they went next |
|---|---|---|
| Makassar | 13 ships, among them KM Sinabung, Dobonsolo, Labobar, Nggapulu, Tilongkabila and Lambelu | Surabaya, Jakarta, Baubau, Bitung, Ambon, Sorong, Labuan Bajo, Balikpapan |
| Bitung | KM Tilongkabila, Nggapulu, Dorolonda, Sinabung, Sangiang, Tatamailau | Gorontalo, Luwuk, Ternate, Ambon, Sorong, Donggala, Makassar |
| Pantoloan (Palu) | KM Lambelu | Balikpapan, Nunukan, Parepare |
| Kendari | KM Tilongkabila, and the fast boat KFC Jetliner | Baubau, Luwuk; Wanci in Wakatobi |
| Baubau | about 11 ships | Makassar, Ambon, Wanci |
| Gorontalo, Luwuk | KM Tilongkabila | Luwuk, Kendari, Bitung |
Since 31 October 2026, KM Dorolonda calls at Donggala instead of Pantoloan, and KM Lambelu still calls at Pantoloan (Pelni, 20 October 2026). Search again before you plan: the ships change from month to month.
What to bring
A short kit makes a two-night passage easier:
- Water. Three litres per person.
- Snacks. The three meals are simple. Bring biscuits and fruit.
- A small padlock for your bag, or for a locker in Ekonomi.
- A sarong or a thin blanket, for the air conditioning.
- Earplugs. The engine runs day and night.
- A torch.
- Toilet paper.
- Pills for sea sickness if you need them. The Molucca Sea and the Banda Sea can be rough.
Leave at home anything in glass, anything with a strong smell, and a laptop you cannot lock away.
What the ship is like
The decks are stacked by class: cabins above, Ekonomi below, and an open deck at the stern where most of the social life happens.
Most of your time passes on the open deck or in your cabin. The pace is slow. Bring a book or two.
What's the best Pelni ferry class for visitors? A cabin, when the ship has one. Pelni's class 1A cabin sleeps 2, 1B sleeps 4, 2A sleeps 6 and 2B sleeps 8, and every ticket includes three meals a day. Many ships in Sulawesi sell only Ekonomi, a place in a shared room. On KM Sinabung from Makassar to Baubau on 8 November 2026, Ekonomi cost IDR 232,500 (about €11) and a 1A cabin IDR 673,500 (about €32) per person.
Schedule reliability
The times on Pelni's site are the plan. A ship can arrive hours late, and a port call can run long when cargo is slow. Makassar to Baubau takes about 15 hours on Pelni's own timetable, and 17 to 21 hours in a news report of August 2026 (JawaPos).
Book your onward travel with at least a 24-hour buffer after the planned arrival.
When to take a Pelni
Take one where flights are few or dear. From Baubau, KM Sirimau reached Wanci in Wakatobi in 9 hours for IDR 91,500 on 5 November 2026; from Kendari, the KFC Jetliner took 14 hours for IDR 92,500 (pelni.co.id).
Do not take one when you have a tight connection at the other end, in the windy months, or with a medical condition that does not travel well. A Pelni ship is not a place to be sick.
Sources
- Pelni, booking search: sailings and fares for 5 to 19 November 2026, read 5 November 2026.
- Pelni, questions and answers (classes, meals, booking, baggage, cancellation) and branch offices, accessed 5 November 2026.
- Pelni, KM Dorolonda mulai layani Pelabuhan Donggala, 20 October 2026.
- Pelni, sailing orders for KM Tilongkabila, December 2025, published by the Banggai transport office.
- JawaPos, Kapal Makassar Baubau: jadwal, tarif dan lama perjalanan, 25 August 2026.
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