Spice, spirits, and shipwrights: Maritime tour in Indonesia

In conjunction with the 2026 International Congresss of Maritime Museums, the Australian National Maritime Museum is offering a maritime-themed tour through southern Sulawesi led by Honorary Research Associate Jeffrey Mellefont.

Residents of the floating villages on Lake Tempe, another location that the tour will visit. Image Jeffrey Mellefont, courtesy Australian National Maritime Museum.

Once known as the fabled Celebes, Sulawesi was home to rival sultans, fearless Bugis sailors, and sea‑gypsies who roamed the waters long before European ships arrived. Today, its seaport Makassar is a thriving city with a rich maritime soul. Its old forts, bustling bazaars, Chinese and Arab quarters, and timber‑hulled trading fleet tell a vivid story of cultural exchange.

On tour we’ll meet the island’s legendary boatbuilders and seafarers, the Makassarese, as well as the Bugis, Mandar and Bajo peoples, who still live closely connected to the sea. We’ll travel inland to explore remote rivers, lakes and the dramatic Toraja highlands, known for spectacular rice terraces, grand carved houses, ancestral ceremonies and mountain landscapes.

Effigies (tau-tau) of deceased ancestors watch from balconies hewn alongside crypts in the limestone cliffs of the highlands Toraja people. Image Jeffrey Mellefont, courtesy Australian National Maritime Museum.

The tour will run from 21st September to 4th October 2026, and further details (including pricing) can be found in the attached article as well as the Australian National Maritime Museum’s website.