CENTRAL SULAWESI

Palu

COASTAL BAY & MOUNTAIN VALLEY

Palu

Palu, Central Sulawesi's capital, lies on Palu Bay. Most travellers stop here on the way to Lore Lindu National Park, Lake Poso or the Togean Islands. The Palu valley is a rain shadow, much drier than the hills around it.

On 28 September 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck 72 km north of Palu. A tsunami hit the coast. The disaster killed 4,340 people. In Petobo and Balaroa, the wet ground flowed like a liquid and submerged both neighbourhoods. Both are open memorial ground today. Visit them with a local guide. Palu has rebuilt its centre, hotels and airport.

Pasar Manonda, the central market, is busy again. Donggala and Tanjung Karang, an hour north, have white-sand beaches. Kulawi, a village of the Kaili people known for its textiles, is a day trip, 90 minutes away.

Most visitors stay one or two nights. Palu is the start of an overland loop through Lore Lindu and Lake Poso to the Togean Islands. The loop takes 10 to 14 days.

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Palu in pictures

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Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, sits at the head of a long bay between mountains. It is a gateway to Lore Lindu and the Togean Islands.

When to go and how to get there

Rain in Palu, month by month, and the journey in from the nearest airport.

Getting there

01 · Fly
To Palu (PLW)
Daily flights from Makassar, about 1.5 h, and from Jakarta, some with a stop in Makassar.
02 · Drive
Palu → Wuasa
About 105 km on the national road, 2.5 – 4 h. Wuasa, the main town of the Napu valley, is the northern entrance to Lore Lindu.
03 · Drive
Palu → Tentena
About 6 h by car or bus. Tentena is the town on Lake Poso, on the road east to Ampana.
04 · Fly (optional)
Palu → Ampana (OJU)
Susi Air flies to Tanjung Api airport about twice a week (October 2026). Ampana is the port for the Togean Islands.