Palopo or also known as Kota Palopo is an autonomous city that is located in the province of South Sulawesi of Indonesia. As an autonomous city, it is free to run its affairs which are relevant to the local society. At its inception as an autonomous city in 2002, Palopo started off having four districts and 20 villages. In the present, the city comprises of 9 districts and 48 villages. Before receiving the autonomous city status, Palopo was the capital of Luwu Regency. With the size of 247.52 square kilometres and a total of 152,703 residents, Palopo is among one of the cities with rich history, being founded since 1620 under the rule of Sultan Abdullah Muhiddin which is the second Muslim ruler of the Luwu Kingdom.

Airports in Palopo

1. Bua Airport

Bua Airport or also known as Palapo Lagaligo Airport is the main airport that is meant to serve Palopo as well as the nearby areas, being located 10 kilometres away from the city. It is a public airport owned by the Government of Indonesia and operated by the Ministry of Transport. With a land area of 100 hectares as well as the completion of upgrade works back 2015, Bua Airport is capable of handling larger aircraft with runways extended to 1,400 meters x 30 meters. Residing at an elevation of 4meters above sea level, the upgraded airport comes complete with passenger terminal, furnished departure lounge, arrival lounge, baggage claim area, VIP room as well as accident rescue and firefighting building. Among the airlines handled by the airport including Aviastar Mandiri, Garuda Indonesia, Susi Air and Wings Air covering destinations to Masamba, Makassar and Kolaka.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Palopo?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Palopo and the nearby province of South Sulawesi.All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Palopo.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Palopo?

The off-peak season to visit Palopo, as well as the nearby regions, is usually around March and April which is the most humid month in Palopo with the highest precipitation. As such, one can expect travel costs to be much lesser if you are travelling around this month. The peak time to visit Palopo is usually around June to October when the weather is terrific, therefore expect prices to rise around this time. If you plan your trip well, you can undoubtedly save your money because the price for hotels and flights during these peak seasons will cost you a lot of money.

Palopo, just like other regions around Indonesia and neighbouring countries, has a tropical rainforest climate which dry season is shorter, and rainfall is normally heavy throughout the year. The average maximum temperature in Palopo would typically reach around 32 and 35 degree Celsius while the average minimum would go to 23.4 and 24.4 degree Celsius. The hottest months are usually around April, May and June. Palopo also has a high humidity with some months being more humid than others with chances of precipitation to happen all year round.

When you get to reach Palopo in one of your visits, you can be certain to look forward to participating in the events being organised here just like the locals do. As Palopo comprises of a variety of ethnic groups such as Bugis, Jawa, Konjo Pesisir, Toraja and many more that practice different religions such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddishi, most of the events and celebrations here are based on these unique ethnic groups’ traditional celebrations. For instance, the Maccera Tasi’ festival which has been maintained by the Tana Luwu people till this day. Besides that, the region to observes a handful of events that are celebrated at the national level, such as Christmas and New Year.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Palopo?

1. Batara Guru Museum – Established since 1971 on the site of Luwu Palace, the Batara Guru Museum is officiated by Andi Achmad and serves as a centre that preserves the heritage of the Luwu Kingdom for the future generations. The museum has about 831 exhibits which are the collections of various prehistoric, ethnographic and photos related to the Luwu Kingdom.

2. Balumbu Waterfall – A waterfall located in Batang Village which is about 19 kilometres away from the downtown area of Palopo, it is a cascading waterfall with clear water that is suitable for swimming, taking a bath or picnicking.

3. Labombo Beach – A prime beach tourism destination in town, Labombo Beach is known for its palm trees and sparkling blue ocean. There are facilities for flying fox and outbound activities too. Covering 2 hectares of area, there are also a lot of stalls nearby selling local food and delicacies as well as stage performances.