About Baubau

Baubau, with a population of approximately 200,000, is a coastal city located on the southwest coast of Buton Island in Southeast Sulawesi Province. Granted city status on June 21, 2001, Baubau represents one of eastern Indonesia's emerging urban centers, blending traditional Butonese culture with modern administrative functions. The city's most remarkable claim to fame is its possession of Indonesia's largest fortress—the massive Keraton Buton citadel spanning an extraordinary 23 hectares, originally constructed in the 16th century during the Buton Sultanate period. This monumental fortification, with walls stretching over 2 kilometers and featuring bastions, gates, and royal quarters, stands as one of Southeast Asia's most impressive pre-colonial defensive structures, reflecting Buton's historical importance in regional maritime trade networks and its strategic position along ancient spice routes.

Beyond its historical fortress, Baubau has gained international attention for an extraordinary linguistic development—the Cia-Cia tribe, an indigenous ethnic group in the region, began using the Korean Hangul alphabet in 2009 to write their previously unwritten language. This unprecedented adoption of Hangul outside Korea created a unique cultural bridge between Indonesia and South Korea, attracting scholars, linguists, and cultural enthusiasts to this remote corner of Indonesia. The surrounding Buton region is known for its natural beauty, including pristine beaches, coral reefs, and the habitat of the Anoa, Sulawesi's endemic dwarf buffalo species found nowhere else on Earth. Baubau serves as the gateway to exploring Buton Island's attractions, including traditional villages where ancient boat-building techniques continue, limestone caves, and relatively untouched marine environments perfect for diving and snorkeling. The city's economy relies on fishing, agriculture, asphalt mining from natural deposits, and increasingly, cultural and eco-tourism as visitors discover this off-the-beaten-path Indonesian destination.