Sulawesi sprawls in the centre of the Indonesian archipelago, its bizarre outline resembling a 1000-kilometre letter "K", a foretaste of the many peculiarities that make this one of the country's most compelling regions. Nowhere in Sulawesi is much more than 100km from the sea, though an almost complete covering of mountains not only isolated its four separate peninsulas from one another, but also made them difficult to penetrate individually. Invaders were hard pushed to colonize beyond the coast and, despite echoes of external forces, a unique blend of cultures and habitats developed. By the time the Portuguese first marked Sulawesi as the "Celebes" on their maps during the sixteenth century, the island was ethnically divided much as it is today, with the south split between the highland Torajans and the lowland Bugis , various isolated tribes in the central highlands, and the Filipino-descended Minahasans in the far north. And it wasn't until the late nineteenth century that the Dutch decided to bring the whole island under their thumb.

During the past couple of years, violent unrest between Christians and Muslims around the town and lake of Poso has claimed over a thousand lives. Though tourists have not been specifically targeted by either side, there is always the risk of being caught in the crossfire, and as such the town of Poso and Lake Poso, including the lakeside resorts of Pendolo and Tentena, are effectively out-of-bounds. Transport to and around the region has also been badly affected. While at the time of writing it's still possible to travel through Sulawesi, you should contact your foreign office for up-to-date advice before arrival.

The most settled part of the island, the south, is home to most of Sulawesi's fifteen million inhabitants, and the energetic capital, the port of Makassar . Rich in history, the southern plains rise to the mountain vastness of Tanah Toraja , whose beautiful scenery and unusual architecture and festivals are the island's chief tourist attraction. Those after a more languid experience can soak up sun and scenery at Danau Poso and the Togian Islands , and there's fabulous diving at Pulau Bunaken , out from the northern city of Manado . In many areas, Sulawesi's roads are well covered by public transport , though freelance kijang and minibuses are often faster and cheaper than scheduled buses. Where these fail you'll find ferries, even if services are unreliable. Crossed by the equator, Sulawesi shares its weather patterns with western Indonesia, with August through to November the driest time of year, and December to April the wettest. Tourism peaks with the European summer holidays (June-Sept) and Christmas, so April is the best time to see things at their greenest and least crowded.