Staying in Enrekang Guide & Helens Homestay
On the journey from Makassar to where the bulls get slaughtered in Rantepao, Enrekang is floated online as being a great place to sleep and break up the journey.
This is partly true, but also partly not. On the plus side, it does break up the journey. On the negative side, there are hardly any hotels and fuck all to do here.
Table of Contents
The Enrekang Guide
Enrekang is one of those places that appears on the map and then somehow becomes a recommended stop on every travel itinerary. It sits roughly between Parepare and Rantepao, making it a reasonably logical place to break the journey from Makassar into the Toraja Highlands.
And to be fair, the scenery around Enrekang is pretty spectacular, with mountains, rice fields and the kind of winding roads that make you realise why the journey takes so bloody long.
The town itself, however, is not exactly overflowing with attractions. You are not coming here for the nightlife, museums or world famous landmarks. You are coming here because you are travelling through, and Enrekang happens to be somewhere vaguely sensible to stop.
It is also known for its coffee and agriculture, but unless you are particularly passionate about either, your main attraction is probably going to be getting some sleep before continuing towards Rantepao.
Hotels in Enrekang Guide
There’s honestly places listed on Booking.com for $3. I shit you not. Other than that, the other two listed places are Hotel Wifadelia and Malaku Bed and Coffee. Both of these were “full”. Do not listen to the lying bastard that is ChatGPT on the hotels of Enrekang.
I did though discover Helens Homestay. This was just $17 a night and was a private room with AC. The owners were also nice and helpful. For example, they helped me rent a car to Rantepao. This part will come in useful later.
Eating in Enrekang
I was staying on the main road, which does not constitute the whole “town”, but there were basically two restaurants serving simple Indonesian food. Both decent.
These also constituted the nightlife of the area, being slightly busier than the mosque. Don’t worry, you will know when it is the call to prayer.
Digital Nomad Enrekang Guide
There is no Digital Nomad Enrekang scene, with the nearest possible locale being Makassar, or Parepare at a push. Data was quick enough though. Helens Homestay had WiFi to a degree that I could do Zoom meetings, but still a week would feel like an eternity.
Ironically, still better than Port Moresby…..
Getting out of Enrekang Guide
Getting out of Enrekang is where the fun really starts. There are buses and shared cars going along the route towards Rantepao, but don’t expect a neat timetable or an obvious bus station where someone will happily explain your options.
The journey from Parepare to Enrekang had cost around 500,000 IDR ($30 USD), and you can expect roughly the same again from Enrekang to Rantepao if you arrange a private car. Shared cars and buses should be cheaper, but finding one and working out when it actually leaves is another matter entirely.
I arranged my car through Helens Homestay, which was considerably easier than trying to figure the whole thing out myself. This is definitely one of those places where having a helpful local makes a massive difference.
So yes, Enrekang technically breaks up the journey from Makassar to Rantepao. Just don’t mistake that for meaning it is actually convenient. You are essentially stopping in the middle of nowhere, finding somewhere to sleep, finding something to eat and then trying to work out how the fuck you are going to leave.