UMKOTA is located in Lasusua, the capital of North Kolaka Regency in Southeast Sulawesi, on the coast of the Gulf of Bone. The local time zone is Central Indonesia Time (WITA, UTC+8).
Getting here
From Makassar
- By road (about 600 km, 12 to 14 hours): intercity bus (AKAP) or travel shuttle along the Trans-Sulawesi road: Makassar, Palopo, Malili, Lasusua.
- Road and sea (8 to 10 hours): travel by road to Siwa Port (Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi), then take the fast boat or ferry across the Gulf of Bone to Tobaku Port in Lasusua.
From Kendari
- By road (about 280 to 300 km, 5 to 7 hours): travel shuttle via Kendari, Rate-Rate (East Kolaka), Kolaka, and Lasusua.
Nearest airports and port
- Airports: Sangia Nibandera Airport in Kolaka (KXB) and Haluoleo International Airport in Kendari (KDI).
- Port: Tobaku Port in Lasusua, with ferry and fast boat services to Siwa Port, South Sulawesi.
Living costs
- Room rental (kos): Rp500,000 to Rp1,200,000 per month, depending on facilities (private bathroom, air conditioning) and location in Lasusua.
- Food: Rp45,000 to Rp75,000 per day, about Rp15,000 to Rp25,000 per meal at local food stalls.
- Local transport: Rp15,000 to Rp30,000 per day by local or app-based motorcycle taxi (ojek) or motorized pedicab (bentor).
Estimates in Indonesian rupiah (IDR), 2026.
Local life
- Nature: Berova Beach (Pitulua), Tobaku White Sand Beach, and the Blue Lake of Rante Angin; the Verbeek and Mekongga mountains, Mount Kila, Tengkorak Cave, and waterfalls such as Seruni Waterfall.
- Local produce: known as Bumi Patampanua, North Kolaka is one of the largest cocoa producers in Southeast Sulawesi. Other key commodities are cloves, oil palm, nutmeg, and nickel.
- Food: sinonggi (a Tolaki sago dish served with yellow fish or meat broth), kacang sembunyi, ikan palumara (sour fish soup), and fresh seafood from the Gulf of Bone.
- Culture: a blend of the indigenous Tolaki and the Bugis communities, with a strong tradition of mutual help (gotong royong), the Lulo (Molulo) circle dance at community events, and post-harvest festivals.
- Student life: student organizations such as IMM, HMI, and Mapala (outdoor club), community service programs (KKN), academic discussions, digital literacy activities, sports, and IT freelancing.