Tentena

Tentena is a town in Central Sulawesi.

Understand
Tentena sits on the road between Ampana and Rantepao, on the northern shore of Lake Poso. The town itself could be easily overlooked if it were not for the number of guides and locals recommending it as a better option than Poso for an overnight stop. The main street might be a little underwhelming, however the various warungs and homes build over the clear lake waters, and the surrounding rice fields give this charming little town a surpsising appeal. The community exists on two sides of the lake, connected by a busy concrete traffic bridge and a quieter, wooden foot bridge. The main side of the lake is the more commercial area, while the opposite site has a noticeably quieter and more homely feel.

Tentena is in North Pamona district in the regency of Poso, about 50 km south of regency capital Poso. The headquarters of the Central Sulawesi Christian Church are in Tentena.

Get in
The arrival point is the Bus Terminal - a simple drop-off point on the side of the road. From here its a 4km walk into the main areas of guesthouses and shops. A better option is to flag down a local Ojek (motorbike taxi) to take you and your luggage in for Rp5,000.

If you are arriving from Rantepao, 'tourist guides' will be on hand to suggest accommodation options. They are likely to charge you double the normal rate for an ojek (motorbike taxi) ride; however the late arrival of the bus from Rantepao (anywhere between 8pm and 11pm depending on road conditions) Rp15,000 - Rp20,000 (as of Sep 2018).

Get around

 * Ojeks (motorbikes) can take you to most local spots for around Rp5,000
 * Bemos (a minivan, Kijang [old model Toyota SUV], or minibus] can bring you around.

Eat
Try 'Sigoli', a freshwater eel from Lake Poso.

Connect
Telephone area code for Tentena is 0458.

Go next
All connections in Tentena are made from the Bus Terminal, 4km out of town. Ojeks (motorbike taxi) are easily chartered to take you and your luggage to the Terminal for Rp 5,000.

To Rantepao: Bus connection (13 hours, Rp 250,000) (as of Oct 2022). The road between Palopo and Rantepao is prone to landslides. The road can be blocked for hours or days.

To Ampana: You need to take Ojeks (motorbike taxi) or Bemos to Tentena Bus Terminal to Poso (2 hours, Rp40,000), and then transfer to Bus to Ampana (a further 4 hours from Poso, Rp70,000) or another Bemos (Rp80,000 - Rp100,000) (as of Sep 2018). Taxis and private vehicles will hover by the Poso Bus station trying to convince you that the Bus is not available. Predictably, once it is apparent you intend to wait for the bus, the price of Taxis and Private vehicles will become more competitive (sometimes the same price as a bus seat). Private care can be arranged for Rp800,000 - Rp1,200,000 (as of Oct 2022).