The ferry out of Kendari is basically a big speedboat, and for six hours I watched Sulawesi disappear into haze and clouds. That’s how I got to Buton — not with an itinerary, but with a bag of cash, a local SIM, and the honest feeling that I was about to be a little lost. That turned out to be the whole point.
I spent ten days on Buton and its neighbor Muna, and we still didn’t see everything. This island in southeast Sulawesi has waterfalls, caves, beaches you can have to yourself, and almost none of the foreign crowds you’d meet in Bali. It’s a place that rewards slow travel, and it punishes the checklist. Here’s how to get there, and what I found once I was there.
Getting to Buton
Buton sits off the southeast coast of Sulawesi. The cleanest way in is a flight to Baubau (BUW) — if you’re coming from Bali or Jakarta, that means a transit in Makassar (UPG), and the Makassar-to-Baubau leg takes a little over an hour. Prices are reasonable, though airline options are still limited. You can check fares on Skyscanner.
The other way is the fast ferry from Kendari to Baubau. It departs twice daily and takes 6 hours — long enough to fall asleep, wake up, and fall asleep again. I wouldn’t call it scenic, but it’s a solid, cheap way to arrive with time to spare.
Getting Around
Buton is a big island, but the good stuff is concentrated in the south, which makes life easier. Rent a car or motorbike and drive yourself — the roads are in decent condition and there’s little traffic outside town — or hire a driver with a car. For the small islands and secluded beaches on the south coast, you’ll want a boat, and a local guide can sort out all of it for you. I’m sharing a few contacts I trust further down.
In Baubau, taxis wait at the airport when you land, and for short trips there’s Grab — though Maxim actually has more drivers here, so I’d lean toward that one. A Telkomsel SIM works well across the island; I was texting my way around boat trips in the south and waterfalls in the north without a dead zone I could find.
The Boat Days — Where the Island Earns Its Name
Siompu and Liwutonkidi
The first thing I did in Buton was hire a boat in Batuaga, about 30 minutes south of town, and head out to two small islands nearby: Liwutonkidi and Siompu. Liwutonkidi is a deserted island with a white sand beach that wraps around most of it. The water was calm enough to swim in, and my guide climbed a tree to drop us fresh coconuts.
From there we went to Napang Sangia, a beach at the foot of limestone cliffs on Siompu. Here’s the thing nobody tells you: there’s a path from the beach to the top of the cliff. Fifteen minutes, safe enough if you’re careful, with one wooden ladder that’s a joke of a climb. And then you’re standing above the whole bay. The scenery is dramatic — it reminded me of Nusa Penida, or Krabi in Thailand — except the difference is that in Buton, you have the place all to yourself. We didn’t see a single other tourist, foreign or local, for the entire time we were there.
Walk 5 or 10 minutes around to the other side of the cliff and you get a second view that’s just as good. After that we drifted to Buata beach. It had some trash on it, but the water was bright turquoise and perfect for swimming, and there are smaller beaches nearby with exotic boulders that reminded me of Uluwatu — they’d be even better at low tide, but they were submerged when we went.
The last stop was the most human one. We’d arranged to photograph an elder from the Kaimbulawa tribe, one of the blue-eyed people of Buton. He wasn’t exactly warm at first — fair enough, strangers do show up with cameras. After I tipped him generously, he softened. By the end he wanted a selfie with me. That’s the whole trick of this island: it’s not a performance, it’s a conversation.
The South Buton Circuit
The second essential boat trip starts at Jaya Bakti harbor, about a 1 hour drive from Baubau, and takes you to four spots on mainland Buton you can only reach by water.
First, the Sampolawa river — palm-lined, so colorful it’s almost teal. We went up it about 15 minutes and came back. I was too scared of crocodiles to swim, and I’m not ashamed of that. Next, Lasoka beach: a hidden spot surrounded by huge cliffs, with a tiny metal shack perched on a rock where an elderly couple apparently lives, and one long palm tree stretching out over the shore like it’s auditioning for a pirate movie. The snorkeling is there but the reef is far out and deep — easier at low tide.
Then the Karamba, a floating fish-trap restaurant where locals hang out, with a net full of fish that gets grilled fresh. It was noisy and crowded when we were there; a weekday would be better. We ended at Lakadao beach, on the far southeast tip: white sand, a tiny shack on a rock you can jump from into the ocean, and a lighthouse on the cape that we had to pass without stopping. Going back by boat, I got thoroughly soaked and had to rinse salt out of my eyes. Worth every drop.
Batu Buti
If I went back to Buton, this would be the very first place I’d go. It’s a 15 minute drive from Baubau, followed by a 2 minute ride in a little fishing boat to a flat rock you can swim around and photograph. There’s no shade, so don’t sit there too long — but the water is genuinely gorgeous. Go in the morning for calm waves; I’d say around 10 a.m. is the sweet spot, when the light is better and the sea is still flat.
The Hikes
Samparona Waterfall and the Bat Cave
This jungle trek starts about a 30 minute drive from Baubau, and the hike takes almost 2.5 hours each way at a moderate pace — which is to say, plan for the full day. You reach the first waterfall, Kantongara, after about 1 hour of hiking; the second, Samparona, an hour after that; and the bat cave is 30 more minutes of steep climbing past both.
The cave has swarms of bats flying in every direction — thousands of them, like something from a movie — and the pythons come in to feed on them. We counted three of them in a short distance, and our guide caught one for a photo before returning it to the cave. The heat and humidity are almost overpowering, so swim at the main waterfall after the cave; it has a nice turquoise pool that earned its reputation. Difficulty: moderate, with lots of ups and downs and awkward rocky paths. The final ascent is very steep, so watch your footing.
In and Around Baubau
Wameo Traditional Market
One of the best markets I’ve seen in Indonesia. The fish stalls have all kinds of creatures — some I’d never seen before — and the vendors were friendly enough to let me hold a 20 kilogram tuna for a photo. Very impressive. The fruit side is less impressive than markets elsewhere in Sulawesi, but there’s enough to wander around.
Malige Palace
A historical palace that belonged to Sultan of Buton XXXVII, sitting in the center of Baubau near the harbor. A four-story building made entirely of wood, apparently without a single metal nail. You can photograph it from outside for free; going inside may cost a small fee. We ran out of time to go in, which I still think about.
The Sultanate Fortress (Benteng Keraton)
A late 16th century fort built by Sultan of Buton III, free to wander, sitting on a hill with great views over the town. I’ve seen claims that Guinness recognized it as the largest fortress in the world — I can’t confirm that, so treat it as a rumor — but it’s definitely big. We only covered a couple of the main ramparts; there are more walls and gates spread across the hill if you want to explore.
Bahari Beach
A small beach in south Buton, about a 1.5 hour drive from Baubau. Shallow, beautiful water and jungle-covered rocks — it looks like a place you’d find in Raja Ampat. I spent hours swimming there, and even took our 1 year old baby with me. It was great.
Still on the List
We had to shorten the trip — it was simply too dry for waterfalls when we went in late April — so these are the places I’d go back for:
- Kandawu Ndawuna Waterfall — a huge multi-layered waterfall, a 2 hour drive from town, with an almost 1 hour trek to it. Already dry in late April; go earlier for swimming.
- Lantangahi Waterfall — northern Buton, 2 hours from Baubau, 1 hour of mostly uphill hiking. Also dry when we went.
- Lapangan Waterfall — a natural waterslide near Kandawu Ndawuna, reached by trekking. Unique and fun.
- Lambusango Forest — guided treks for wildlife: tarsiers, cuscus, monkeys, hornbill birds.
- Bumbula Waterfall — a 30 minute drive from Baubau; some guides know how to reach it without any trekking at all.
- Tirta Rimba Waterfall — the easiest to reach, a 10 minute drive, which is exactly why it has more crowds and trash.
- Moko and Lakasa Caves — near Nirwana beach. Moko has blue water and an open ceiling, apparently open only on weekends. Lakasa has stalactites and a natural pool, but locals have stopped visiting and our guide worried about collapse from nearby construction. Proceed with care.
- Walupi Cave — near Sampolawa, bats and pythons, but the hike is much easier: less than 15 minutes from the road. A quiet spot most people don’t know, not fully explored yet.
- Nirwana Beach — a 30 minute drive from Baubau. Covered in trash when we were there; I’ve seen better pictures of it, so timing matters.
- Kogawuna and Kalimalima Waterfalls — the southern one is just a 20 minute drive from Baubau; the northern one is a 3 hour drive, so budget a full day for it.
Muna Island — Don’t Skip the Neighbor
People usually visit Buton together with Muna, the slightly smaller island next door. It has spectacular caves, blue-water sinkholes you can swim in (like Mexico’s cenotes, without the crowds), and a lake where you can swim with thousands of stingless jellyfish. The two islands are connected by a short 30 minute ferry ride that carries cars and motorbikes, so it’s easy to go back and forth. If you’re only staying a few days, that’s the whole shape of the trip: Buton for the south coast, Muna for the caves and lakes.
Where to Stay
Almost all accommodation is in Baubau, on the south end of the island. A few places worth knowing about:
- Zenith Premiere Hotel — the nicest hotel in Baubau, as of 2026, and a little pricey. We stayed here because we were traveling with our 1 year old baby and wanted somewhere completely safe from mosquitoes. Indoor restaurant, food delivered to the room.
- The Galton Hotel — probably my top choice for solo travel in Baubau. Free breakfast, and it’s close to the harbor.
- Hotel Galaxy Inn — a budget-friendly option in town.
- RedDoorz @ Green Homestay — super budget-friendly, fine for solo travelers.
Practical Notes
- Cash, not cards. Drivers, boat trips, guides, entrance fees — you’ll want rupiah for all of it. Cards are accepted mainly at the higher-end hotels and restaurants.
- ATMs. Plenty in Baubau, with good withdrawal limits. We used BNI and a few others without any issues.
- WiFi. The bigger hotels have good, fast connections — ours at Zenith Premiere was genuinely good.
- Apps. Grab and Maxim both work in Baubau, for rides and even food delivery to your hotel. I usually prefer Grab, but in this city Maxim has more drivers.
- Malaria. A 2025 BMC Medicine study says malaria has recently been eliminated on Buton island. We didn’t take pills and saw almost no mosquitoes — though it was the dry season when we went.
- Trash. Some spots had a disappointing amount of plastic, especially Nirwana beach and Lasoka beach. We picked up some at every place we went, and our guides did too. If you can, do the same. A little each, adds up.
Best Time to Go
The standard answer is the dry season, May through October. But our experience points somewhere more specific: the start or middle of March. Sunny enough for the beaches, with plenty of flow left in the waterfalls. We went in mid to late April and the beaches were perfect — but the waterfalls were already dry, which was one of the main things we’d gone for. If waterfalls don’t matter to you, any month works, just know that the boat trips get harder in the rainiest months, typically December through February.
The Golden Hour
10 a.m. at Batu Buti. The waves are still calm, the light is clean, and a 2 minute boat ride from town gets you to a rock in water so blue it looks edited. The best hour on Buton costs almost nothing and asks for almost nothing. That’s the whole point of this island.
FAQ
How many days do I need for Buton?
Ten days is comfortable if you want to do both the south coast boat trips and the northern waterfalls, plus a few days on Muna. If you have less, base yourself in Baubau and do the Siompu trip, the south Buton circuit, and one day trip — that’s the heart of it.
Do I need a guide and driver, or can I do it alone?
You can rent a car and drive yourself — the roads are decent and the traffic is light. But boats, the small islands, and the waterfall treks are much easier with local contacts who can arrange everything. It also tends to be the cheaper way.
Is Buton safe for solo travelers?
We didn’t feel unsafe at any point, including the boat days, though I did get soaked on the way back from Lakadao. The trek to the bat cave is the one place to watch your footing. Solo travelers are fine — The Galton Hotel is a good base, and the people we met were consistently helpful.
A note from Luna: not every trip is postcard-perfect — some nights you’re waiting for a ferry that runs late, and some beaches have trash on them. Buton gave me ten days where I almost never saw another tourist, and one conversation with a blue-eyed elder that I’m still thinking about. That’s enough. That’s the whole reason to go.
If this is the kind of slow trip you’re planning, I’d also start with the guides I’ve written for Muna Island, the rest of Indonesia, and my notes on the best beaches and waterfalls in the country.