Diving Par Excellence
The city of Manado is the gateway to North Sulawesi and the island's port of entry for most visitors particularly, those visiting the Bunaken Marine Park and the Lembeh Strait.
Indonesia is a volcanic country and the Manado vicinity seems to sport more than its fair share. The backdrop to this small city is row upon row of rising green peaks and it sits facing the volcanic island of Manado Tua. The nutrient-rich land that volcanoes produce is evidenced by the lush verdance of the hillsides and the stunning quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables in the local cuisine.
Most tourists that come here do so for the Manado scuba diving in Bunaken, Lembeh Strait and Bangka, but for those who fancy a few days off or something a little different, there is plenty to do to experience this intriguing part of the country.
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The Beaches of Manado
Manado has recently been introduced to plastic. As has been the case elsewhere there often follows a period where the people treat this new material much as they did the old. Banana leaves which previously contained all manner of items were simply discarded to rot. The replacement plastic has received the same treatment and this now means there is a serious rubbish problem here.
Peering over the seafront roadside to what now resembles a landfill site is heartbreaking. Some of the islands in the Bunaken Marine Park should have gorgeous golden beaches but are also blighted by this modern plague, although not in front of the resorts which keep their stretches of beach clean. On the mainland the beaches are black volcanic sand.
Manado's Climate
North Sulawesi enjoys an equatorial climate, which means it's sunny all year round. There are only two seasons - the wet season and the dry season.
The wet season usually falls between November and February and is characterised by intermittent downpours during largely sunny periods. Often the rain does not last long and dries up seemingly instantly. The usual temperature range is from 23°C to 31°C, on very hot days it may rise up to 33°C. It is cooler in the mountainous regions. The weather is more changeable from December to March but very rarely would the time of year interfere with the diving schedule.
You should be aware that during the peak season months of July and August, Bunaken gets very busy. Many of the better Manado dive operators will not be able to accept walk-ins during high season since they are fully booked and you must try to book several months in advance. It is also worth noting that although the diving is good during peak season, at this time warm water brings more plankton and reduces visibility. We recommend September to June for the best Manado diving conditions. Furthermore your chances of cetacean (whales and dolphins) spotting are best around August and September.
Sightseeing and Things to do in Manado
The Provincial Museum in Manado includes an interesting display of traditional costumes and modes of transport like the bendi (a small horse trap) which is still in use in many places. There are ceramics from China, Japan and Europe, furniture that was used during the independence struggle by some of Indonesia's war heroes as well as an impressive display of weaponry.
There are several inland tours available including those to volcanic peaks, local markets and natural hot springs. One interesting spot is Bukit Kasih or the "Mountain of Love". It has been likened to a miniature version of the Great Wall of China. At the top of the climb you can fall to your knees and beseech your god in any of the several places of worship you can find there: a Catholic church, a Protestant church, a Mosque, a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple.
One of the many reasons to visit the Tangkoko National Park forest is to seek out the delightful sight of a tarsier clinging to a branch in a wide-eyed glare. The 12 cm species is endemic to Sulawesi and make great photographic subjects.
Entertainment & Nightlife
If you have only a few days in Manado itself you are unlikely to find too much by way of entertainment. Your best bet is to tag along with any locals you may have met who work in the dive resorts and who know where to go. Otherwise you may have a great old time crooning in one of the many karaoke bars or drinking dens where the locals let down their hair.
The Manado waterfront has seafood restaurants and stalls galore, offering intrepid visitors a taste of Minahasan cuisine. Some like it hot and, if you are one of them, check out the Ikan Tude, a traditional fish recipe which will blow you away. Hot dogs here mean just that. Barbecued pooches are not uncommon fare in the market. Bats, rats and various other stomach churners are neatly laid out for your perusal. Just help yourself!
Shopping in Manado
The main stores of Manado offer plenty of well priced original brand name products such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Polo and Pierre Cardin. Interestingly, many tourists pick up a few items of eye care products in some of the many shops in Manado, selling a wide range of contact lenses, lens care products, and a great range of frames, including all the major brands.
The People of Manado
The people of Manado are proud of their ancient Minahasan traditions. However over the centuries communities of Chinese have made North Sulawesi their home. This means that most modern Manadonese have some Chinese blood and many are part Philippino so there is little chance of any racial tension here. In fact North Sulawesi is a very ethnically stable region with a tolerant and pluralist society.
Given the profile of the diving in the area one might think that the locals would be well accustomed to the sight of visitors from abroad. However most proceed directly from the airport to the Manado diving resorts outside the city. This means that a stroll around downtown will have you waving to children and responding to "Hello Mister" (regardless of your sex) as if you were the first off the boat.
History of Manado
Rice surpluses from the Minahasan region first made Manado an important port for traders sailing to Maluku. Spain first established a fort in 1627, but the Dutch soon forced them out with the help of their local allies.
The Dutch introduced cheap coffee cultivation into the area and despite huge subservient suffering, the Minahasans continued to support the Dutch in regional and local disputes.
Manado was occupied by the Japanese from 1942-5 in World War II and was suject to intensive Allied bombing. During the war of independence that followed there was bitter division between Indonesian unitarians and pro-Dutch federalists, and in 1958 the city was bombed again, this time by Indonesian troops.
These days Manado is a peaceful and prosperous city that belies the economic crisis gripping the rest of Indonesia.
Religion
You will be struck by the overt nature of Christian worship in Manado. Crucifixes adorn the landscape from hilltops to roadsides, as if warding off an imminent plague of vampires. If you are sleeping within singing distance of a church you may well wake up to the sound of heartfelt 'Halleluliahs', and the proliferation of churches is astounding. Even the smallest village seems to sport two or three large ornate churches and for every three pristine houses of worship there is one standing half-complete, having run out of funding. Your taxi may have to slow down when passing a church under construction as there are men in the road holding out plastic buckets for running contributions.
The 19th century Ban Hin Kiong temple, the oldest in east Indonesia, is the worship place of Chinese Buddhist believers and can be found on Jalan Panjaitan in the centre of Manado.
Art and Architecture
If you can see past the blandness of the new retail blocks being erected on the reclaimed land on the seafront of Manado, the city does harbour a few buildings of interest. There is some interesting Chinese architecture to be found with temples and traditional shops dotted in and around the markets area, most notably the 19th century Ban Hin Kiong temple.
Throughout the city you can find natural wood carvings and weavings in Minahasan style including savage looking men replete with a shock of horse hair. Traditional tribal penis gourds could make an interesting present for the folks back home. They are elongated cone shapes, sharpened to a fine point so need to be handled carefully or you might feel a bit of a prick.
Local Transport
Mikrolets abound in Manado and are cheap as chips but can be fumy, uncomfortable and loud. Several of them throb to tha' latest gangsta trip at several decibels above pleasant. Many tourists prefer to jump in a standard cab where you should be sure to insist on the meter running from the off, otherwise they will triple the price in their heads.
How to Get There
Air
Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado has regular international flight service to/from Singapore (Silk Air), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia Airlines) and Davao/Philippines (Bouraq, Merpati). Flights from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airlines have a short stop over in Kota Kinabalu, where divers often board who have just been to the legendary Sipadan.
Sea
PELNI has fourteen large passenger boats calling at Bitung (about 45 minutes from Manado), Makassar and Pare Pare, plus there are many smaller ferries leaving from Manado itself. They call at ports along the coast, go north to Tahuna (Sangihe) and Lirung (Talaud) or over to Ternate and Ambon.
Interested?
Are you interested? If you're keen to discover scuba diving in Manado - whether it's Lembeh Strait, Bunaken, Bangka or Sangihe - then click below to check your options now for:
Be sure to book up in plenty of time to avoid disappointment! Due to the very limited number of dive boats, the best Manado diving opportunities are booked by repeat customers who book well in advance to ensure their reservation!
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