When I told people that I was going to North Sulawesi for my next trip, all I got was confused looks. No one seemed to know where it is. Which is a pity, because it’s a truly amazing place. But it’s also nice, because there are not a lot of tourists. So if you like beaches, diving and volcanoes and want to have all those places pretty much to yourself you should definitely add Sulawesi to your bucket list.
So where is North Sulawesi and how do you get there?
Sulawesi is an indonesian island east of Borneo. It’s covering an area of 174,600 km2 – so it’s about 30 times larger than Bali- and consists of a main island and several smaller island groups. So there is really a lot to be seen. I’ve only been to the very northern part, and there’s already plenty of things to do and see. The capital of the north is Manado, which has direct flights to and from Singapore, so it’s quite easy to get there. From Manado you can get around by bus or taxi. It’s easy, but takes some time, as the roads are often narrow and there’s lots of traffic in the cities.
Why should you go there?
1) The landscapes – both under water and above
Sulawesi is best known among divers, since it has some of the world’s best dive sites. I couldn’t agree more. It was my first time diving in the sea and I was just blown away by the diversity of the underwater fauna and flora and by the crystal clear water. Some people just spend their whole holidays diving, without visiting the rest of the island. They are definitely missing out. From amazing –still active- volcanoes to lush jungles with rare animals to lonely beaches, North Sulawesi has it all.
2) The people
Probably indonesian people are nice in general, but in Sulawesi they are really not used to tourists. I felt like they haven’t really figured out how to make money from the tourists yet, so they don’t consider you a walking bag of money. No one bothers you and wants to sell you a taxi ride or a tour or sunglasses. They are just happy about everyone visiting their beautiful island and treat strangers really friendly. If you go to some of the smaller villages everyone will wave and smile at you and want to take a picture with you.
3) The low prices and few tourists
As there’s not really any big tourism industry yet, food, accomodation and transport are all quite cheap. The downside is that there’s not a lot of hostels or other budget accomodations, so if you are travelling solo you will have to pay for double rooms most of the time. But even then it’s still quite cheap for what you get. Also the fact that there are few tourists doesn’t mean that you are going to be all alone. There’s at least some hotels or homestays in most cities and villages, so you can always find some fellow travellers. Most importantly, I felt very safe there, even as a solo female traveller.
My favorite places in North Sulawesi
Bunaken Island
This is one of the most famous places in North Sulawesi, especially for diving and snorkelling. Bunaken has some of the best wall dive sites in the world. It’s just 40 min by boat from Manado, so very easy to reach. I spent an amazing week there, just diving, reading a book in my hammok and taking sunset walks on the beach. Compared to other places on the island it’s a bit more touristy, but definitely not crowded. Between your dives don’t miss out on exploring the 3 tiny villages on the island.
Sunset on Bunaken island
Tangkoko National park
Tangokoko is a beautiful little nature reserve in the Bitung area. You can reach it from Manado in a few hours, either by bus (switching buses 3 times) or by taxi. Tangkoko is full of amazing animals like the black macaques, the nocturnal tarsiers and the colorful hornbill birds. Some people just do a day tour, which means that they are brought from their dive resort to the park by bus, get out and run to the tree where the tarsiers hide, take some pictures and run back to the bus. It’s an option, but I would definitely recommend to stay in the village of Batu Putih at least for one night. Like this you can take a day and a night tour to the park and you can visit the village, observe the local fishermen unload the catch of the day, and take a walk along the endless black sand beach.
Face to face with the cute Tarsiers
Tomohon
Tomohon is a city in the highlands of North Sulawesi. It has some amazing scenery, steaming volcanoes, lush forests, rice plantations and nice wooden houses. There’s plenty of things to do and see there. You can climb the volcanoes, see amazing waterfalls and lakes, and check out the big market in Tomohon. The meat section of the market is quite famous, as they sell everything – from pythons to bats to cats and dogs. If you have a weak stomach, better stick to the colorful fruit and vegetable section. I only spent 3 nights in Tomohon and really wished I had more time to explore it.
Colorful market in Tomohon
Bangka Island
Bangka is another island group off the coast of Sulawesi, which is famous for its diving. It’s a bit less accessible than Bunaken and there’s really only one small village and a few diving resorts. It’s a bit more expensive, but if you have some extra money to spend, go there and you won’t regret it. It’s like paradise. White sand beaches flanked by mangroves and you have it all for yourself. In the resort I stayed there were only 2 other guests, we were treated like family and the diving was just amazing.
Paradise beach on Bangka island
So those were the highlights of my Sulawesi trip. I hope I encouraged some of you to check out this amazing place. And if you go, go soon, because it won’t remain a secret for so long…