Travelling independently through Indonesia often means embracing the unexpected. In our previous post, we shared our plans to take a long-distance PELNI boat from Makassar (Sulawesi) to Labuan Bajo (Flores, Nusa Tenggara). However, we quickly hit a major hurdle: the ferry was completely fully booked. Rather than letting this ruin our journey, we made a drastic detour, booked a last-minute domestic flight, and headed across the Makassar Strait to Balikpapan in East Kalimantan instead.
In this guide, we share our first-hand experience dealing with fully booked PELNI tickets, how we pivoted our itinerary, a mini morning sightseeing route in Makassar, and what to expect when flying independently from Makassar to Borneo.
🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む: マカッサルから急遽カリマンタンへ！フェリー満席による旅の計画変更とマカッサル半日観光ガイド
Quick Summary: The Makassar to Kalimantan Pivot
- The Mishap: PELNI boat tickets from Makassar to Flores sell out fast and “no seat” tickets are a 50-50 gamble.
- The Route Change: Swapped the ferry to Flores for a domestic flight to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.
- Flight Details: Flew with Lion Air (Flight JT676), taking approx. 1 hour. Cost: around Rp 885,000 per person.
- Makassar Transit Tip: If stuck in Makassar for a morning, Fort Rotterdam and the Chinese quarter near the port are easily explorable on foot.
The PELNI Boat Dilemma: Why Our Flores Trip Was Cancelled
From Makassar, we planned to take a PElNI boat to Labuonbadjo, so we stayed at Legenda Beril Hotel, which is close to Makassar Port and the PELNI boat ticket office. A detailed review and images can be found on Google Maps, but we would stay at this hotel again when we next come to Makassar.
We planned to buy tickets for the next day’s PELNI boat as soon as we checked in the hotel. The hotel owner recommended us going to Travel AGUS, but after getting there, we were disappointed when they told us that tickets for the PELNI boat leaving at noon the next day were sold out. If we go directly to the PELNI boat office, we might possibly be able to buy ‘no seat’ tickets. However, the office was already closed at this time, so we’d have to go to the office at 8am the next morning, if we wanted. They also said that there was only a 50-50 chance of being able to buy tickets the next morning.
The owner of the guesthouse where we stayed also said that PELNI boats to Flores are often fully booked because it’s so popular as a destination. We had never thought that PELNI tickets could be sold out!
Choosing an Alternative: Finding Flights from Sulawesi to Borneo
Back in our room, we evaluated our backup options to salvage the week:
- Flying to Labuan Bajo: Multiple airlines operate daily flights from Makassar, but last-minute tickets were heavily overpriced.
- Alternative PELNI Routes: We checked other ferry destinations departing from Makassar that week, but virtually every single ship was fully booked.
With the sea route ruled out, we searched for affordable domestic flights to destinations on our travel bucket list. We discovered that Balikpapan in East Kalimantan was surprisingly accessible and budget-friendly. Lion Air operates three daily flights on this route, with prices ranging reasonably between Rp 800,000 and Rp 1,000,000—making it the perfect alternative destination.
Mini Morning Sightseeing Itinerary in Makassar
Since our flight (JT676) wasn’t departing until 12:25 PM, we used our final morning for a swift, self-guided walking tour around the historic port district of Makassar.
Exploring the Chinese Quarter & Roundabout
The neighborhood surrounding our guesthouse features a distinct Chinese-Indonesian heritage, filled with historic Chinese architecture and excellent local eateries where we enjoyed a brilliant Chinese stir-fry dinner the night before. Walking slightly south, we reached a large local roundabout that anchors the district.
Fort Rotterdam & The 99 Domes Mosque
A short walk further brought us to Fort Rotterdam, one of Makassar’s most iconic colonial landmarks. The fort grounds feature beautifully maintained colonial-era Dutch buildings and gardens. Admission to walk the grounds is entirely free (though we skipped the indoor museum due to time).
Afterwards, we strolled along the waterfront near the harbour—where you can spot the impressive 99 Domes Mosque across the water—though ongoing reclamation works meant the immediate shoreline was a bit industrial.
Flying with Lion Air: Makassar (UPG) to Balikpapan (BPN)
After our mini sightseeing tour, we returned to the hostel, checked out, and ordered a Grab taxi to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.
Airport Transit Costs from Makassar Centre:
- Grab Taxi Fare: Rp 103,000
- Toll Road Fee: Rp 20,000
- Airport Entrance Fee: Rp 10,000
Airport check-in and security were completely straightforward. Before boarding, we grabbed a traditional take-out nasi kuning (Indonesian yellow rice) to eat in the departure lounge. Despite a slight delay, the flight across the Makassar Strait to Borneo was incredibly smooth, taking just about one hour.
Arrival in Borneo
Upon landing at Balikpapan Airport, which sits roughly 8 km from the town centre, we simply booked another reliable Grab taxi straight to our pre-booked hotel. Our unexpected Kalimantan expedition had officially begun!
The plane flew smoothly and landed in Balikpapan. Balikpapan airport is about 8 km from the town centre. We took a Grab taxi to our booked hotel.
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