Pelni Ferry Guide: Two Nights at Sea from Bitung to Wakatobi and Bau-Bau

Pelni (Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia) is Indonesia's state passenger shipping line. Its large white ships link regional ports across the whole country on long routes that other companies do not serve. For most visitors, the best choice is Class 2: a locked four-berth cabin with air conditioning. Class 1 costs about twice as much. Avoid Ekonomi.

In eastern Indonesia, a Pelni ship is sometimes the only practical way to cross. If you have time, it is also a slow and rewarding one. This guide explains how to get through a two-night passage in comfort.

The examples come from KM Tilongkabila, the hard-working ship that sails from Bitung in North Sulawesi to the Wakatobi islands and on to Bau-Bau. The same advice works on any medium-sized Pelni ship.

Choosing a class

Pelni ships sell five or six classes. For a visitor, the choice is simple: Class 2 most of the time, Class 1 now and then, Ekonomi never.

Class 1

• A cabin with two berths.
• A private bathroom.
• A door that locks, and air conditioning.
• Breakfast included.

It is the nearest thing to a hotel room on board. If you book one berth, a stranger may take the other. If your budget allows, book both.

Class 2

• A cabin with four berths.
• Shared bathrooms in the corridor.
• A door that locks, and air conditioning.

This is the class we recommend. You share with three other people, but the door locks and your bag stays safe inside. It costs about half the Class 1 fare.

Ekonomi

You get a numbered space on an open deck and a thin mat. Cooling comes from a fan and an open window. The crowd and the noise never stop, and you must guard your bag for the whole trip. The saving over Class 2 is small. It is not worth 48 hours without sleep.

Buying a ticket

Use the official Pelni app, or go to the Pelni office at the port you leave from. The app works better than people say. Each ticket carries a passport number, and the system blocks duplicates, so touts cannot resell tickets.

Packing list for 48 hours

A small kit makes a big difference.

• Water. Bring 3 litres each. Water on board is expensive, and it often runs out on the second day.
• Snacks. The canteen is not generous. Bring instant noodles, biscuits and some fruit. Every deck has hot water for noodles.
• A small padlock. Use it on the inside of your cabin door. In Ekonomi, use it on any locker you find.
• A sarong or light blanket. The crew gives you a thin sheet, and the cooling is strong, even in Class 2.
• Earplugs. The engines never stop, and announcements are loud.
• A torch. The power often goes off for short periods, especially when the ship enters or leaves a port.
• Toilet paper. The shared bathrooms have none.
• Seasickness tablets, if you need them. Seas on the Banda and Tomini crossings can be rough.

Leave behind: glass, anything with a strong smell, and your laptop unless you can lock it away.

Life on board

A medium-sized Pelni ship carries 1,200 to 1,500 passengers. The layout follows the classes. Cabins are on the upper decks and Ekonomi is lower down. Every ship has a mosque, a small clinic and two or three canteens. The open deck at the stern is where people meet and talk.

You spend most of your time on that deck or in your cabin. Life moves slowly. By day you see flying fish, and sometimes dolphins near small islands. At night the ship shows little light and nothing breaks the horizon, so the stars are bright. Bring a book or two. The ship has wifi on paper. In practice it reaches Class 1, slowly.

A day at sea

• 06:30: breakfast on deck, before the sun is strong.
• Morning: read and walk the decks.
• Midday: lunch in your cabin from your own supplies.
• Afternoon: sleep.
• Sunset: back on deck.
• Evening: dinner from a canteen, then talk with other passengers at the stern.
• 22:00: sleep.

The shower problem

Nobody warns you about the showers. In Class 2, each corridor has two bathrooms for about twenty people. Hot water comes and goes, and at 07:00 the queue is long.

The fix: shower at about 10:00. Most passengers are on deck by then, and the corridor is quiet.

In Class 1 you have your own bathroom, but the water pressure falls when the ship is in port and loading passengers. Shower while the ship is at sea.

Delays

Pelni publishes a timetable and usually keeps to it within a day or two. On the Bitung to Bau-Bau route of the Tilongkabila, the planned 48 hours can become anything from 46 to 54. Port calls also stretch. A stop at Wakatobi planned for three hours can last six if there is a problem with cargo.

Leave at least 24 hours between the planned arrival and your next connection. Do not expect an apology from the crew for a slow passage. The ship arrives when it arrives.

When Pelni makes sense

Take Pelni when you cross eastern Indonesia on a route that airlines serve poorly. Bitung to Wakatobi is a good example. A flight needs a change in Makassar and costs more than a Class 1 ticket. The ship goes direct and gives you two nights of enforced rest. From Wakatobi to Bau-Bau, the ship is also faster than the indirect flights.

Do not take Pelni if:

• You have a tight connection inland at the other end.
• It is the monsoon season.
• You have a health problem that does not travel well. A Pelni ship is a poor place to fall ill.