enchanted manado
YOUR ONE-STOP DESTINATION FOR DIVING, DINING… AND MUCH, MUCH MORE…
Journey to the east
Getting to Manado is a pretty straightforward affair. If you’re already somewhere in Sulawesi (Manado is the provincial capital of North Sulawesi, by the way) there are plenty of buses heading towards Manado on the Trans-Sulawesi highway. From Jakarta, you can opt to take a PELNI ship heading for the port of Bitung, which is situated a mere 45 kilometres from Manado. Far easier though to hop aboard one of the eight flights per day (from 5am until 8pm) that leave from Soekarno Hatta for Sam Ratulangi International Airport. There are also two international flights to and from Manado each day from Singapore, courtesy of Silkair.
Accommodation is easy to come by in Manado, with plenty of options on hand to suit various tastes and budgets. Backpackers on a budget may want to take a look at the Travello Hotel on Jalan Sudirman (www.travellomanado.com), which is affordable yet classy and comfy, and only minutes away from the airport, with easy access to Manado’s malls and nightlife district. Fancy something a little more elegant? Then try the Sedona Manado (www.sedonahotels.com.sg), the biggest and most distinct resort hotel in town. The Sedona offers all the comforts one would expect from a five-star deluxe hotel, as well as stunning views of the pristine lagoon that is situated right outside your window. Finally, if you’re feeling adventurous and want a more exotic place to stay, you’ll find plenty of small, family-operated bungalows and beach houses along Manado’s entire coastline. Another enjoyable option is to head south out of town, up towards the gorgeous hill town of Tomohon, where you’ll find a number of resorts nestled in among the mountain ranges that ring Manado. There’s the Gardenia County Inn (www.gardeniacountryinn.com), with its dozen or so beautiful wooden bungalows; and the Tomohon Highland Resort and Spa (www.highlandresort.info), which is famous for its lush vegetation and rich birdlife. Perfect if you’re looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of city life, as well as the tropical heat of Manado.
time to dive
But of course you haven’t come all the way to Manado to stay in your hotel room playing Angry Birds on your iPad, right? So, you might as well look into the one activity that has really put North Sulawesi on the map: diving. In the area’s clear, warm waters that offer visibility of up to 30 metres and an average temperature of a balmy 29C (that’s 82F), an abundance of sea life and corals, not to mention underwater volcanoes, can all be found, making Manado a diver’s paradise.
Now, you’ve probably already heard something about the much-celebrated Bunaken before. This world-renowned sea garden, along with its neighbouring islands of Siladen, Manado Tua, Mantehage and Nain, are what most divers have in mind when they visit Manado. Sadly, trash from the mainland sometimes makes diving here a tad uncomfortable – so, it might be a good idea to take the roads less travelled and opt for some relatively lesser-known diving spots, such as those that can be found in the Lembeh Strait, which lies an hour’s drive from Manado. A favourite for macrophotography enthusiasts, the waters of the Lembeh Strait might be a little murky (they call it “muck diving” in fact) but are home to a dazzling variety of small and unusual sea creatures, such as the bright-blue Mandarin fish, various types of colourful nudibranches, the pygmy seahorse, and much, much more. There are at least three diving resorts on the island of Lembeh, so you can easily book a trip and explore the area.
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