KristyThe Banggai Archipelago is made up of around 100 islands, 69 of which are inhabited. Peleng is the largest island and the easiest to reach, with the best transport connections from the mainland town of Luwuk. It’s also home to Paisu Pok Lake, which has become Instagram-famous for its crystal-clear, deep-blue water. For many travelers, Peleng is the first stop when exploring the Banggai Islands.
In this guide, I’ll cover how to get there, where to stay, what to see beyond Paisu Pok, and where to head next.
How to Get There
First, make your way to Luwuk. If you’re coming from Gorontalo, take the overnight ferry to Pagimana (around 11 hours), then continue by road to Luwuk, which takes about two hours. Pagimana is a quiet port town with no public transportation, so be prepared to hitchhike or arrange a car in advance. I recommend contacting Ika at 88 Happy Homestay in Luwuk, who can help organize a pickup from Pagimana.
Alternatively, you can visit the Togian Islands first. From Gorontalo, take a ferry to Wakai, spend some time exploring the Togians, then catch a ferry to either Ampana or Pagimana. From there, continue onward to Luwuk by road. Updated ferry schedules for routes to Wakai and Pagimana are posted on the ferry operator’s Instagram: @ppg.gorontalo.
From Luwuk, daily ferries run to three different destinations on Peleng Island:
- Luk Panenteng: This ferry takes you directly to the village of Luk Panenteng, where you’ll find several homestays, as well as Paisu Pok, Kawalu Bay, and Paisu Batango.
- Leme Leme: This ferry arrives at Peleng’s main port. From here, it’s about a 40-minute drive to the homestays in Luk Panenteng. Be sure to contact your homestay in advance to arrange a pickup.
- Salakan: Salakan is closest to Mandel Beach in northeast Peleng. Starting here may involve some backtracking, as Paisu Pok is about six hours west in Luk Panenteng, while Banggai Laut lies to the southeast.
The Best Homestay on Banggai Peleng
We stayed at Heppy Homestay in Luk Panenteng and were very happy with our choice. The homestay is run by Heppy and her husband and is set on a picturesque bay teeming with large schools of fish. From here, you can take the family’s boat to nearby Kawalu Bay, or rent a scooter bike to visit nearby beaches and caves.
We paid 370,000 IDR (about 22 USD) per night, which included three meals a day, plus coffee and tea. The homestay is very basic, with small bedrooms and shared washrooms, but everything was clean and well maintained. Heppy is an excellent cook and prepared fresh fish from the bay for dinner each night.
Heppy Homestay has only three rooms, so it’s best to book in advance. If it’s fully booked, there are at least two other nearby homestays offering rooms at similar rates.
What to Do and See
Paisu Pok: I have to say, this lake truly lives up to the hype. It’s a surreal, almost mystical place and incredibly photogenic. That said, it’s popular with both domestic and international travelers, so arriving early is key if you want to experience it in relative solitude. We arrived at 7 AM and had the lake to ourselves (aside from the ticket attendant), but by 8 AM, around 15 tourists had already arrived.
Entrance costs 5,000 IDR (about 0.30 USD) per person, and renting a paddle boat costs 30,000 IDR (about 2 USD). Tubes, paddleboards, a “glass” boat, and even drone rentals are also available there.
Paisu Batango: About a five-minute walk from Heppy Homestay lies Paisu Batango, an azure lagoon surrounded by dense jungle, with a few colorful fish swimming in from the sea. It can be a pleasant place to wade around in the shade. However, locals often use the lagoon for laundry, which gives the water a noticeable detergent smell, and you can see residue coating the rocks along the shore. That didn’t bother me too much personally, but I was more concerned about the impact on marine life.
We also spotted a snake resting on a rock just below the water’s surface, so be cautious and watch your footing while exploring the lagoon.
Pantai Poganda: This beach looks far more impressive in drone shots than it does in person. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of litter when we visited. The seabed near the shore was also densely covered with chocolate chip sea stars, making it difficult to walk into the water. This may have been seasonal (we were there in December).
There are many more pristine beaches in northeast Peleng and around Banggai Laut, so this one isn’t a must-see. Expect to pay a small entrance fee if you do visit.
Bab’anang cave: This was personally my favorite place we visited on Peleng. It’s a large, deep cave filled with brilliantly clear blue water that isn’t terribly cold. Floating on my back inside was a mesmerizing experience—tiny bats whizzed just overhead, and the only sounds were the steady drip of water from the stalactites and faint screeches echoing through the cave.
You can reach the cave in about 1.5 hours by scooter from Luk Panenteng, or visit it as a stop on an overland journey to Salakan or Tobing (the launch point to Banggai Laut). Expect to pay a small entrance fee.
Traveling Across Banggai Peleng to Banggai Laut
To reach Banggai Laut, travel overland across Peleng to the village of Tobing in the island’s southeast. We paid 1.5 million IDR (about 90 USD) for a car with a driver to reach Tobing, including a stop at Bab’anang Cave along the way. It’s a steep price, but also the most direct and time efficient.
From Tobing, you can either catch a public boat to Banggai Laut City, which runs a few times per week, or rent a private speedboat that takes you directly to your homestay. We chose the private speedboat and paid 300,000 IDR (about 18 USD) for the short crossing from Tobing to the dock at KIA Homestay, which took less than 10 minutes.
