Best Eco-Friendly Resorts and Sustainable Stays in Makassar

Finding the Best Eco Friendly Resorts in Makassar

I have spent the better part of a decade walking the streets of Makassar, from the old Dutch colonial lanes of Somba Opa to the fishing villages along the Losari waterfront. When travelers ask me about the best eco friendly resorts in Makassar, I do not point them to glossy brochures. I take them to places where the owners compost their kitchen waste, where the walls are built from reclaimed wood, and where the morning call to prayer drifts over organic vegetable gardens. Makassar is not the first city people think of when they picture green travel in Indonesia, but that is exactly what makes it special. The sustainable hotels Makassar has to offer are run by people who genuinely care about the coastline, the coral, and the Bugis maritime traditions that have shaped this port city for centuries.

1. Losari Beach Eco Homestay, Ujung Pandang

You will find this small family-run homestay on Jalan Penghibur, just two blocks back from the famous Losari Beach promenade. The owner, Pak Hendra, converted his grandmother's 1970s house into a six-room guesthouse using recycled teak and locally sourced bamboo. Every room has a small balcony facing west, so you catch the sunset over the Makassar Strait without ever stepping onto the crowded waterfront. What makes it worth going to is the breakfast. Pak Hendra's wife serves pisang epe, the pressed banana street food Makassar is famous for, but she makes it with organic bananas from a farm in Maros Regency, about 30 kilometers north of the city. The best time to stay here is during the dry season between August and October, when the sea breeze is strong enough that you rarely need the ceiling fans. One detail most tourists would not know is that the homestay collects rainwater in underground cisterns and uses it to irrigate the small herb garden out back, where they grow lemongrass and kaffir lime for the kitchen. The only real drawback is that the walls are thin, so if your neighbor is snoring, you will hear it. This place connects to Makassar's character because it represents the old Bugis tradition of rumah panggung, the stilt house, adapted for modern travelers who want something low-impact and personal.

2. Green Hill Eco Resort, Rappocini

Up in the Rappocini district on Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan, Green Hill Eco Resort sits on a hillside that most visitors never think to explore. The resort opened in 2019 and was built with a strict zero-plastic policy from day one. Every bathroom uses refillable ceramic dispensers instead of single-use toiletry bottles, and the staff sorts all waste into five separate bins. What makes it worth going to is the infinity pool that overlooks the city. From up there, you can see the entire Makassar skyline, including the iconic Fort Rotterdam in the distance. The best time to visit is late afternoon, around 4 PM, when the light turns golden and the heat of the day finally breaks. Order the grilled fish at their small restaurant. It comes with a sambal made from chili peppers grown in the resort's own greenhouse. One detail most tourists would not know is that the resort partners with a local women's cooperative in Bantaeng to produce the woven palm-leaf baskets you see in every room. Buying one supports a community about 115 kilometers south of the city. The Wi-Fi near the pool area drops out frequently, which is annoying if you are trying to work remotely. This place fits into Makassar's broader story because Rappocini has long been a residential neighborhood for civil servants and teachers, and the resort's educational approach to sustainability reflects that community's values.

3. Pantai Kupa Beach Bungalows, Ujung Tanah

Down on the southern coast in Ujung Tanah, Pantai Kupa Beach Bungalows is the closest thing Makassar has to a true eco lodge Makassar travelers rave about. The bungalows are simple, built from coconut wood and thatched with alang-alang grass, and they sit just 20 meters from the waterline. What makes it worth going to is the snorkeling. The coral reef right offshore is still healthy, and the owner, Ibu Siti, has been working with marine biologists from Hasanuddin University since 2016 to protect it. She charges a small reef conservation fee of 25,000 rupiah per guest, which goes directly toward reef monitoring. The best time to visit is early morning, between 6 and 8 AM, when the water is calmest and you can see clownfish and sea anemones without crowds. One detail most tourists would not know is that Ibu Siti keeps a handwritten logbook of every marine species spotted near the reef, and guests are welcome to flip through it. It is a remarkable record of biodiversity. The bungalows have no air conditioning, only fans, and during the humid months of December through February, sleeping can be uncomfortable if you are not used to the tropical heat. This place connects to Makassar's maritime identity because Ujung Tanah has been a fishing community for generations, and Ibu Siti's work ensures that the next generation still has a living reef to depend on.

4. Hotel Santika Premiere Makassar, Sudirman

I know what you are thinking. A chain hotel on Jalan Sudirman is not exactly what comes to mind when you picture green travel Makassar style. But the Santika Premiere has quietly become one of the more sustainable hotels Makassar has in its central business district. They installed solar panels on the roof in 2021, which now supply roughly 30 percent of the hotel's energy needs. They also eliminated single-use plastic water bottles in all 143 rooms, replacing them with glass carafes filled from a central filtration system. What makes it worth going to is the rooftop restaurant on the 18th floor. The nasi goreng is excellent, and the view of the Makassar Strait at night is something you will not forget. The best time to eat up there is on a weekday evening, around 7 PM, when the restaurant is less crowded and you can actually get a window table without a reservation. One detail most tourists would not know is that the hotel composts all food waste from its kitchens and donates the compost to a community garden in the nearby Panakukang district. The lobby can get chaotic during check-in and check-out times, especially on weekends when domestic tourists from Jakarta and Surabaya arrive in groups. This hotel matters to Makassar's story because Sudirman is the city's main commercial artery, and having a large hotel commit to sustainability on this street sends a signal to other businesses in the area.

5. Karebosi Green Hostel, Karebosi

Right in the heart of the city on Jalan Ahmad Yani, near the Karebosi complex, this small hostel is a favorite among backpackers who care about their environmental footprint. It only has 12 beds, split between two dorm rooms and two private rooms, but the owner, a young woman named Dewi, has thought carefully about every detail. The bedding is made from organic cotton, the cleaning products are all biodegradable, and there is a communal kitchen where guests can cook with ingredients from the nearby traditional market. What makes it worth going to is the community atmosphere. Dewi organizes a weekly beach cleanup on Losari Beach every Saturday morning, and guests are invited to join. The best time to stay here is during the week, from Monday to Thursday, when the hostel is quieter and you can actually have a conversation with Dewi about her zero-waste lifestyle. One detail most tourists would not know is that Dewi sources her vegetables from Pasar Sentral, the central market, every morning at 5 AM, and she is happy to take guests along if they want to experience the real Makassar before the city wakes up. The dorm rooms can get noisy on Friday and Saturday nights when the nearby bars are in full swing. This hostel reflects Makassar's younger generation, who are increasingly aware of environmental issues and want to build something different from the concrete-heavy development that has defined the city for the past two decades.

6. Bira Beach Eco Cottages, Bulukumba (Day Trip from Makassar)

Technically, Bira is in Bulukumba Regency, about 170 kilometers southeast of Makassar, but no guide to the best eco friendly resorts in Makassar would be complete without mentioning it. The eco cottages along Bira Beach are built from local limestone and bamboo, and they are owned by a cooperative of Bugis sea nomads who settled on land about 30 years ago. What makes it worth going to is the diving. The waters around Bira are some of the clearest in South Sulawesi, and the cooperative runs a small dive shop that employs local guides. The best time to visit is during the dry season, from April to October, when visibility underwater can exceed 30 meters. Order the ikan bakar at the beachside warung run by the cooperative. The fish is caught that morning by the same families who run the cottages. One detail most tourists would not know is that the cooperative has a rule: no more than 40 guests are allowed on the beach at any given time. This keeps the area from being overrun, and it means you will never feel crowded. The road from Makassar to Bira takes about four hours and includes some rough stretches, so if you get carsick, bring medication. Bira connects to Makassar's history because the Bugis people, who built their maritime empire from this region, are still the cultural backbone of the city, and seeing their traditions alive on this coast is a powerful reminder of where Makassar's identity comes from.

7. Malino Highland Retreat, Gowa Regency

About 70 kilometers northeast of Makassar, up in the highlands of Gowa Regency, the Malino Highland Retreat is a collection of small cottages surrounded by pine forests and coffee plantations. This area was a favorite hill station during the Dutch colonial period, and you can still see some of the old colonial bungalows along the main road. The retreat uses a micro-hydro system to generate electricity from a nearby stream, and all the hot water is solar-heated. What makes it worth going to is the coffee. The owner, Pak Yusril, grows Arabica on his own small plantation, and he roasts the beans in a wood-fired drum behind the main lodge. The best time to visit is between June and August, when the highland air is cool enough to need a light jacket in the evening, which feels like a miracle after the heat of the city. One detail most tourists would not know is that Pak Yusril offers a half-day trek through the pine forest to a waterfall that is not marked on any tourist map. He guides it himself, and the trail passes through a section of forest that his family has protected for three generations. The road up to Malino is steep and winding, and there are no guardrails in some sections, so if you are nervous on mountain roads, take it slow. This retreat ties into Makassar's story because Gowa was once the seat of one of the most powerful kingdoms in eastern Indonesia, and the highlands have always been a place where people from the coast came to escape the heat and reconnect with the land.

8. Sudiang Community Eco Homestay, Sudiang

Out in the Sudiang district, on the eastern edge of the city, this community-run homestay is the kind of place you only find if a local takes you there. It is operated by a neighborhood association that wanted to create an alternative to the big hotels near the airport. The five rooms are basic but clean, and the compound includes a small fish pond and a vegetable garden that supplies the kitchen. What makes it worth going to is the food. The communal dinner, served family-style every evening at 7 PM, features dishes from the Bugis culinary tradition, including pallubasa, a rich beef offal soup that is one of Makassar's signature dishes. The best time to stay here is during the weekend, when the neighborhood association sometimes hosts traditional music performances in the courtyard. One detail most tourists would not know is that the homestay was funded partly by a grant from the Makassar city government's environmental program, which supports community-based tourism initiatives. It is one of only a handful of such projects in the city. The location is far from the main tourist areas, so you will need to take a ride-hailing service or rent a scooter to get around. This homestay represents the future of green travel Makassar could become, where local communities take ownership of tourism and ensure that the benefits stay in the neighborhood.

When to Go and What to Know

The best time to explore the sustainable hotels Makassar has to offer is during the dry season, which runs from April to October. Rainfall between November and March can be heavy, and some of the smaller eco lodges and homestays reduce their operations during this period. If you are planning to visit the highland retreats like Malino, bring layers. Temperatures up there can drop to 15 degrees Celsius in the early morning, which feels shocking after days in the city heat. For the beachside places like Pantai Kupa and Bira, bring reef-safe sunscreen. Many of the eco-conscious owners will ask you not to use chemical sunscreens near the coral, and some will even sell you a locally made alternative. Transportation in Makassar is still dominated by ride-hailing apps and rented scooters. Public buses exist but are not reliable for reaching the more remote eco lodges. If you are staying at a place outside the city center, negotiate a daily rate with a local driver rather than relying on apps, which sometimes do not work well in rural areas. Always carry cash. Many of the smaller eco homestays and community-run places do not accept credit cards, and the nearest ATM might be several kilometers away.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days are needed to see the major tourist attractions in Makassar without feeling rushed?

Three to four full days are sufficient to cover the main attractions, including Fort Rotterdam, Losari Beach, the floating mosque at Barombong, and a half-day trip to the Ballalompoa Museum. Adding a day trip to Malino or Bira requires an extra two days minimum.

Do the most popular attractions in Makassar require advance ticket booking, especially during peak season?

Fort Rotterdam charges an entrance fee of 10,000 rupiah and does not require advance booking at any time of year. The floating mosque and most beach areas are free to visit. Smaller eco lodges and homestays outside the city often require direct booking by phone or WhatsApp, especially during the July to September peak season.

What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Makassar as a solo traveler?

Ride-hailing apps operate throughout the city and are generally safe for solo travelers, with trips within the city center costing between 15,000 and 50,000 rupiah depending on distance. Renting a scooter is common but requires an international driving license and confidence in heavy traffic. Avoid unmarked taxis at the airport.

Is it possible to walk between the main sightseeing spots in Makassar, or is local transport necessary?

The historic center around Fort Rotterdam and the old Dutch quarter is walkable, covering roughly 2 kilometers on foot. However, reaching attractions like the Ballalompoa Museum or the Barombong waterfront requires motorized transport, as distances exceed 5 kilometers and sidewalks are inconsistent.

What are the best free or low-cost tourist places in Makassar that are genuinely worth the visit?

Losari Beach is free and ideal for sunset viewing. The Paotere Harbor, where traditional Bugis schooners dock, costs nothing to visit and offers a genuine look at the city's working waterfront. The central market, Pasar Sentral, is free to enter and provides an authentic sensory experience of local food culture.