Bitombang village, Selayar: old wooden houses and the island's blacksmiths

By Selayar Island Editorial Desk

Bitombang village on Selayar is an old settlement about 7 km from central Benteng, listed in Bontobangun, Bontoharu district. The Jakarta Post counted 20 sappo langkasa, traditional wooden houses on hilly ground, in 2016. Little else about it is documented, so ask in Benteng whether anyone local can go with you, and do not expect visitor facilities.

Where is Bitombang village on Selayar?

Bitombang is a short road trip from town. The Jakarta Post puts it around 7 km from the centre of Benteng, and the regency's tourism master plan lists it in Bontobangun, in Bontoharu district, as a place to see house architecture, scenery and tradition. Ask for the name locally once you are in town.

The short distance has a practical value. Since the trip needs no crossing, it is a sensible plan for a day when the sea rules out the islets or a boat to the far coast. One traveller on the TurtlePhD blog hired a scooter in Benteng; check in town whether hire is offered and whether the last stretch suits one.

What are sappo langkasa houses?

Sappo langkasa is the name The Jakarta Post uses for the traditional wooden houses at Bitombang. It counted 20 of them in 2016 and said they are made of holasa wood and stand on a hilly landscape. That is close to the whole published record, which has no building details or year of construction.

The table keeps to what is published.

A 2016 count may also have changed, because timber houses get rebuilt, replaced or left empty. Treat 20 as a dated figure.

What do researchers say about Bitombang?

The main academic reference is a 2017 Universitas Airlangga study on indigenous tourism in Selayar, published in MKP 30(3). It identifies Bitombang old village and the island's blacksmiths as important strengths for that kind of tourism, and it recommends support for local guides.

Keep its scale in mind. The study draws on eight local informants, so it records what those people and the author saw as potential. It does not measure visitor numbers or the condition of the houses, and it does not show that a guide service exists. A recommendation to support guides tells you what the writer thinks should happen, not what you will find on arrival.

The same study notes that Selayar's vocabulary resembles Makassar, Bugis and Mandar. For a visitor, the practical point is simpler: a few polite Indonesian phrases and a local companion will carry you further than a phrasebook.

Who are the blacksmiths of Selayar?

The study describes blacksmith communities that welcomed the researcher and says visitors can see iron tools made traditionally. It pairs them with Bitombang as tourism strengths, though it does not place the forges in the village itself or name a workshop.

One researcher's warm reception is useful evidence that visits can work. It does not mean a workshop is set up for walk-in guests. Ask in Benteng where smiths are working that week, and treat a visit as a request to someone's workplace. If you would like to buy a tool, ask first and accept the answer.

What are the traditional customs nearby?

The customs on record are island-wide, and the regency plan does not tie them to Bitombang. Reading them as local colour for the village would stretch the source, but they tell you what Selayar's living traditions look like:

• Anrio' Sappara, a cleansing ritual of bathing in the sea on 27 Syafar, led by a Kadi. Syafar is a month in the Islamic calendar, so the date moves against the Western year.
• Traditional Mauludan, with decorated eggs.
• Pahruppai, a dance performed by seven dancers to welcome honoured guests.
• Pakarena Ballabulo and Pattoja, two more dances the plan names.

If you want to attend one, ask local people for the date in the year you travel, and accept that a ritual is not staged for an audience.

What should you know before visiting?

Treat Bitombang as a place where people may be at home. Assume any house could be occupied, and ordinary courtesy applies: ask before you photograph people or step onto a porch, and dress modestly.

Bring water and food, since Bontoharu is not one of the two districts where the regency plan places main-island restaurants. Carry cash from town as well, and do not plan on buying much once you are there.

A half day pairs well with other inland or near-town stops. Distances below are from Benteng, as each source publishes them:

The plan also describes a coral-stone fort at Bontobangun. It shares the name of Bitombang's listed location, but the plan does not say how close the two are, so ask when you are there.

If you only have time for one old village, Gantarang Lalang Bata has much more written about it. For base logistics, see our guide to Benteng, Selayar, and for other ideas across the island, our list of things to do in Selayar Island.

What do travellers ask about Bitombang?

What is Bitombang Village?

An old village in Bontobangun, Bontoharu district, known for sappo langkasa wooden houses on hilly ground. A 2017 Universitas Airlangga study counts it as an important strength for indigenous tourism on the island.

Where is Bitombang Old Village?

The regency plan lists it in Bontobangun, in Bontoharu district, and The Jakarta Post places it around 7 km from the centre of Benteng. Ask locally for directions.

How old are the houses in Bitombang?

We found no published year of construction: sources call the village old and the houses traditional. Be careful with any specific age you see repeated without a named source behind it.

How far is Bitombang from Benteng?

Around 7 km from the centre of Benteng, according to The Jakarta Post in 2016. No travel time is published, and road conditions can change, so ask in town before you set off.

What makes Bitombang Village unusual?

The Jakarta Post singles out its 20 traditional holasa-wood houses on a hilly landscape, and the regency plan lists it for house architecture, scenery and tradition. Published detail goes little further than that.

Is Bitombang Village still inhabited?

The newest house count dates from 2016. Treat the houses as private homes unless someone local tells you otherwise, and ask before you approach or photograph them.

Which sources support this page?

• The Jakarta Post, April 2016
• Selayar regency tourism master plan (RIPPARKAB 2023-2025)
• TurtlePhD (traveller blog): Selayar
• Universitas Airlangga study, MKP 30(3), 2017
• Tata Loka study: Gantarang Lalang Bata

How do I reach the desk?

Trying to arrange a village day from Benteng? Tell the desk your dates and interests at bd@juaraholding.com or WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563. We do not run tours or employ guides, so nothing is reserved by writing to us. A request may become a paid booking, so we are not a neutral party; the written offer you would receive first states the fee, the price and the contracting company.