Liwulompona – a small settlement on the southeastern coast of Celebes, in Buton Tengah regency
Liwulompona is a settlement belonging to the administrative area of Kecamatan Talaga Raya, which is situated within Kabupaten Buton Tengah (Central Buton) regency, in Sulawesi Tenggara (Southeast Celebes) province, in the eastern part of Indonesia. Based on its coordinates (approximately 5.48° south latitude and 122.08° east longitude), it is located in the island archipelago between the Celebes Sea and the Banda Sea, in the area of Buton Island. The province to which the settlement belongs had a total population of 2,848,747 in the first half of 2025, and its area encompasses nearly 38,140 km² of land, while together with marine areas it exceeds 110,000 km². Based on available sources, no independent, detailed statistical or encyclopedic information is available about Liwulompona itself, therefore the following description relies largely on the generally characteristic features of Kecamatan Talaga Raya, Kabupaten Buton Tengah, and Sulawesi Tenggara province.
General overview
Liwulompona belongs to the administrative unit of Kecamatan Talaga Raya, which itself functions as part of the relatively young Kabupaten Buton Tengah — the latter was separated in 2014 from the former territory of Kabupaten Buton. Buton Tengah regency extends across the central and southern bands of Buton Island, where the landscape is characteristically hilly, in some places marked by karst limestone surfaces, and near the coast extensive mangrove forests and shallower sea bays are found. The local economy traditionally is based on fishing, small-scale agriculture, and the exploitation of natural resources; the Buton Island region was also historically known for its asphalt (natural bitumen) deposits, which are documented in Indonesian mining literature. Liwulompona itself is a small settlement, likely serving an agrarian and fishing community, whose regional level of recognition is limited, and which does not yet hold a prominent place in the broader tourism and investment cycle. The infrastructure of Kecamatan Talaga Raya and Kabupaten Buton Tengah — road networks, public services — is in a developing state, similar to other peripheral areas of the province.
Real estate and investment
Independent, factual real estate market data specific to Liwulompona is not available in accessible sources; therefore, the following reflects only the general investment context of the broader Sulawesi Tenggara province and Kabupaten Buton Tengah. The real estate market of the southeast Celebes region is overall less liquid and transparent than that of more developed Indonesian provinces such as Bali or Java; transactions take place predominantly among local actors, and property prices are significantly lower than in touristically developed areas. Under Indonesia's land ownership regulations, foreign nationals generally cannot acquire full ownership (Hak Milik) of real estate; long-term lease arrangements (Hak Sewa, Hak Pakai) are available to them, whose details must always be discussed with local legal experts. In the territory of Buton Tengah regency, growing interest has been shown in recent decades in coastal plots, primarily due to the potential of fishing tourism and nature-oriented development, however this process is slowed by limited infrastructure. Before making investment decisions, on-site due diligence and prior consultation with local administrative authorities are essential.
Safety and security
Factual, settlement-level statistical data concerning public safety specific to Liwulompona is not available. Sulawesi Tenggara province generally ranks among moderately developed Indonesian regions; in rural, smaller communities — such as Liwulompona likely is — public safety is typically determined by local norms based on personal and community relationships, with the risk of organized crime kept at a low level. However, road conditions and the quality of transportation infrastructure influence accessibility, which can also be an indirect safety factor, particularly during the rainy season. Generally, it can be said that in smaller villages located in the southern and southeastern island world of Celebes, the sense of community safety is relatively stable, though regular attention to current Indonesian travel recommendations and foreign ministry advisories is nonetheless appropriate.
Tourist attractions
In available sources, no named tourist attractions are identified in connection with Liwulompona. However, the broader Kabupaten Buton Tengah and the Buton Island region is an area rich in natural and cultural resources: Buton Island's long-established appeal lies in its underwater world, documented in local diving literature, and the historical heritage of the Buton Sultanate, whose most well-known memorial is the Keraton Buton (Buton sultanal palace and fortress) located in the nearby city of Baubau — though the latter is situated at a considerable distance from Liwulompona, on the territory of the neighboring Kota Baubau. In the area of Kecamatan Talaga Raya, the natural landscape — bays, mangrove shores, tropical forest areas — represents potential appeal for those interested in ecotourism, but these are not currently documented as connected to organized tourism infrastructure. Visitors arriving in the region should seek information from local municipal authorities or the provincial tourism office regarding currently available programs and road conditions.
Summary
Liwulompona is a small settlement belonging to the administrative unit of Kecamatan Talaga Raya within Kabupaten Buton Tengah, in Sulawesi Tenggara province, in the southeastern island world of Celebes. As no independent, detailed data source is available about the settlement itself, a picture of it can be formed based on the general characteristics of its surroundings — the province, the regency, and the district: a semi-peripheral, agrarian and fishing-oriented community that shares the natural and cultural attributes of Buton Island. In terms of real estate market and investment perspectives, the opportunities and constraints of the broader region are relevant; regarding public safety, the general conditions of the province are characteristic. For those interested in the less explored rural areas of southeastern Celebes, Liwulompona represents one of the typical, undisturbed small settlements of Buton Tengah regency.
