Sermani Hotel
Sengkang, South Sulawesi

In the small lakeside town of Sengkang, deep in the heart of South Sulawesi, the Sermani Hotel is a simple but welcoming stopover for travellers exploring this lesser-known region. Sengkang is best known as a gateway to Lake Tempe, where floating villages drift across the water and flocks of migratory birds wheel overhead at sunrise. The Sermani doesn’t pretend to be a destination in itself, but it does provide clean, functional accommodation and a friendly base from which to explore.

Rooms are straightforward, with tiled floors, air-conditioning and en suite bathrooms, modest but more than sufficient for a comfortable night’s rest. The hotel staff are attentive and eager to help, and while English is not always widely spoken, there’s a warmth of service here that compensates. Breakfasts are basic but satisfying, with Indonesian staples such as fried rice and noodles, alongside coffee to get you going before a day of sightseeing.

What the Sermani lacks in polish, it makes up for in location. From here, you can easily arrange boat trips onto Lake Tempe to see its floating houses and the rhythms of local fishing life, or venture into Sengkang’s traditional silk-weaving workshops, one of the town’s proudest crafts. Staying here is more about being in the right place at the right time than about the hotel itself, and it works perfectly as a practical overnight stop on the journey between Makassar and Tana Toraja.

This is not luxury in the conventional sense, but it is part of the adventure of travelling through Sulawesi. At Ampersand, we see the Sermani as a stepping stone, the kind of place that allows you to immerse yourself in a fascinating landscape and culture without distraction. For travellers seeking the texture of real Indonesia, a night here feels entirely authentic.

I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
Bill Bryson