Manado, Indonesia – A Paradise for Non Divers Too!

 

2 May 2012, Singapore – Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province of Indonesia,  offers a favourite dive site for many diving enthusiasts with clear visitbility of 30 metres deep down and more than 70% of fish species from the Indo-Western Pacific.

 

What Is Available In Manado If You Don’t Dive?

Manado is a city surrounded by wonders of nature. Here you can explore its untouched beautiful scenery.  The three volcanoes of Manado,  Mount Klabat, Mount Lokon and Mount Mahawu have turned into prominent landmarks and these make great photo memories of your visit.

Visit the Gardenia Country Inn for tea or lunch and soak in the beautiful view of Mount Lokon. The peak of Mount Lokon is always covered by clouds and only a lucky few will get to see it’s peak with a clear blue sky.  The food served at Inn were decent, but be prepared to spend two hours for your lunch, as the service was very slow.

 

The glorious Mount Klabat is the tallest volcano in Sulawesi and it takes the shape of a “stratovolcano” similar to Mount Fuji in Japan. From the backyard of Hotel Novotel Manado, you can catch the perfect sunrise view of the volcano if you can wake up at 5am. The view of Mount Klabat with the greens and trees off the hotel’s golf course is magnificent.

 

Hotel Novotel Manado is an international grade hotel located 6km from the Sam Ratulangi International Airport, only 10 minutes drive from the airport.  The hotel is away from the hustle and bustle of the Manado City and offers cozy rooms and well equipped facilities so that you feel right at home. The superior rooms comes with en suite bath or shower, work area, satellite TV and complimentary internet access and broadband connection.  These rooms are priced from as low as USD$63 a night which is definitely value for money.

 

Take a 45 minute boat ride out to Bunaken National Marine Park, put on your snorkeling gears,  jump into the deep blue sea and explore the amazing marine eco system. The water is crystal clear, so don’t forget to bring along a waterproof camera to capture all the moments while snorkeling.  I had the latest Sony Cybershot TX10 and managed to capture a few photos.  I was hoping to  spend a little more time in the water exploring further but time was not on my side.

 

When you are in Manado City, visit the historical Ban Hing Kiong Temple, and learn about the many miracles that had happened at this Chinese temple through it’s history. The temple was built in 1819 but was burnt down in 1970 during World War II and subsequently rebuilt between 1971 to 1975.

 

Majority of the population in Manado are Christians and spotting a church in town is a common sight. One of Manado’s man made landmark is the Jesus Blessing Monument which stands at 50 meters tall and ranked as the fourth tallest Jesus statue in the world.

Have an early evening dinner at the authentic Bumi Beringin Restaurant in Tomohon, indulge in your meal while viewing the sun setting off the the horizon overlooking the cityscape of Manado Town.

 

If budget is no issue to you, try spending a couple of days at the eco boutique resort, Lembeh Hills Resort, located off the Lembeh Straits.  All 23 villas in the resort over look the secluded bay of Lembeh Straits, with in house diving facilities, great if you want to pamper yourself.  The villa rate starts from USD$248++ a night.

 

The food served in Manado are flavourful and yummy, with an option of spiciness as chili is usually served separately with the dish. The addictive Bubur Manado which means Manado Porridge is a must try dish.  This dish is rice porridge cooked with corn, pumpkin and mixed vegetables, served with an anchovies fritter and Chili Belacan. Chili Belacan is very commonly found in Manado dishes. It is even served as a dip for banana fritters called “Pisang Goreng Bumi Beringin” which is a famous dish from Bumi Beringin Restaurant.

 

Traveling to Manado from Singapore takes about 3 hour 40 minutes by plane.  Silkair operates four scheduled flights between Singapore and Manado each week.

 

 

 

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