I took a ferry from Balikpapan (Kalimantan) to Pare-Pare (Sulawesi) on 13.03.24. The ship was scheduled to leave at 8am local time. I was told to be there before 7am and was able to board at 6am. The ferry was scheduled to arrive at 2am, but I was able to drive off it at 0:15.

I paid 250.000 for myself and 805.000 for my bike. Although the bike size (> 1000cc) might not be mentioned on the website, a ticket for it can be bought at the counter: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nmV6PNzM5ykHjFvf9

The ship's name was "Dharma Kartika IX" and is operated by DLU: https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9140023

DLU seems to have the best working mobile app out of the Indonesian ferry companies, but unfortunately they don't answer emails.

Before boarding I received a red wristband and a paper recipe for the included meals, which is checked and torn to make sure I didn't get more meals than I was supposed to.

Lunch was served at noon, dinner at 5pm. It was good, but not a lot. There's also a food stand, and two cafe's, one small one for smokers and a bigger one with the information and a second floor with couches and charging stations. Outside of the kitchen there's hot water for instant noodles.

There are two dorms, one almost empty, the other one pretty full with a lot of families with small children. Cockroaches can be found in both, but never saw a big one.

The toilets are basic, and there was no soap, so I recommend bringing hand sanitizer.

What surprised me was a playground including an area with gym devices. A stationary bicycle might come in handy for when one gets the zoomies on long voyages.

There's another room with comfortable airline seats, but the room is closed when there's no show on the stage. So unfortunately not a room for relaxing. In the afternoon and in the evening there was a band including two singers.

The fact that I took the ferry during Ramadan seemed to have no influence. It was even an advantage when I was checking out of the hotel very early and they were already serving breakfast.

I took some pictures and added descriptions: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KSghPWTknhGYmanp6

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