Baubau, the island’s capital, is a bustling little town and pretty developed (but not commercialized) for its tourism.
Baubau sports lovely beaches all along its coast and on the surrounding uninhabited islets. The most well-known among these is Nirwana Beach on the main island, a long stretch of beach bookended by short cliffs and usually the prime holiday destination for locals and tourists alike.
Another significant destination on the island is Desa Tenun (weaving village), famed for its weaving and woven textiles.
The village’s houses, most of which retain the traditional architecture, are painted in bright, loud colors that are also distinctive to the woven fabrics of Buton.
But Buton’s main draw is its historical site, Benteng Keraton Buton (Buton Palace Fortress), which claims to be the “broadest fort in the world” at 23,374 hectares.
The chalkstone walls, originally held together with egg white mortar, stand atop a strategic hill above Baubau and features 12 entrances and 16 cannons pointed toward the coast. Built in the 16th century by the extant Buton Sultanate, the walls initially served to protect the sultan’s palace that sits on a road above the fort. The Buton Palace Fortress held off enemies for nearly four centuries and is one of the primary reasons why the sultanate continues to exist today.
As a traveler sets off from Buton’s only airport in Baubau deeper into the island and ponders their surroundings, they would definitely notice the abundance of statues, ornaments and even streetlights adorned with a figure or image of dragons and pineapples.
Small ornaments of the fruit can be usually found atop streetlights or rooftops, while dragon statues are seen in public spaces and as architectural ornaments. So why the symbolism?
There are many theories about the dragons. The most accepted is that the first historical ruler of Buton Island was a Chinese empress, or one of Chinese ancestry. Another interpretation says that the local people see the dragon as a symbol of strength.