Palu

Palu is the capital of Central Sulawesi province in Indonesia.

Understand
Palu has seen strife from Dutch colonial activity, the CIA, sectarian division, and nature. Yet it is a tenacious community sitting at the end of Palu Bay.

By plane


The so-called "official" prepaid airport taxis, which look more like private vehicles, charge rather steep (considering the short distance) Rp75,000 fixed fare to the city center (March 2016). City taxis are only allowed to drop off passengers in the airport, and the minimum fare for passengers going to the airport is Rp55,000 rather than regular 20,000 (the meter will probably display only Rp30,000 to 40,000 on arrival).

Get around
Taxis in Palu are normally not hailed on the street but are called by phone. The phone numbers of the two larger companies are +62 (451) 455455 (MMU) and +62 (451) 456789 (Taksi Utama). The taxis are metered, but the minimum fare, which will be charged even if the meter shows a lesser amount, is Rp20,000 (March 2016), except for trips to the airport where a higher limit applies. The dispatchers (and drivers) most likely speak little to no English, but most hotels will be happy to call a metered taxi for you if you ask them.

Blue minibuses (angkot) are plying the city roads during the daytime and approximately till 10 pm. A shared ride normally costs Rp5,000 per passenger (March 2016), the driver will vary his route based on where his current passengers are going, so the same trip will likely be done using a different route each time. If catching an empty angkot. make sure the driver understands you just want a shared ride, not a charter (which will likely cost much more, or even more than a taxi, especially if you didn't fix the price beforehand). As this may be problematic for a foreigner not speaking at least some Bahasa Indonesia, catch another angkot (preferably one with many passengers), call a taxi, or just walking, if in doubt.

Eat
Try local food, kaledo, spicy and savory beef leg soup.

Go next

 * Ampana, from which daily ferries depart for the Togian Islands.
 * Lore Lindu National Park, a protected area of forest. The national park is designated as part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In addition to its rich wildlife, the park also contains megaliths dating from before 1300 AD.