Manado Indonesia – Your Quick Travel Guide

In a nutshell

Manado is a brilliant destination for the adventure seeking, metropolis living and new experience pursuing traveller. Welcome to the land of underwater wonders and loosely termed ‘adventurous cuisine’. You’ll love it here.

Why go to Manado

If you’ve made it to this page, then you’ve no doubt been doing your research about your upcoming trip. There is also a strong chance that you are no Kuta seeking, club going, midday waking youngster. Indeed, Manado will appeal to and is well suited to the adventurous and outdoorsy tourist.

Being far off the beaten track taken by the typical tourist in Indonesia, the natural wonders here are often in very good condition and not overused for the financial gain of locals. Of these natural wonders, the marine parks and dive sites are extremely well-looked after. Bunaken National Marine Park and the sites off Bunaken Island are well worth the trip for the any avid diver.

Mt Lokon allows you to hike along an old lava flow until you reach its summit and experience views of the surrounding islands. As if the volcanoes, dive sites and fast flowing rivers didn’t provide enough entertainment, there are also a couple of waterfalls in Manado that are waiting to take your breath away. In annoyingly typical Indonesian fashion, Tekaan Telu Waterfall is astounding. You’ll find yourself reviewing the photos you took when you’re home for a good period of time. We are not promising that this part is going to be fun.
The adventurous continue to strike it lucky in Manado. The Nimanga River is famous for its difficult stretches of river that appeal to the more experienced rafters. The trip down the river is no joke and should not be attempted by the feint hearted, regardless of how experienced your guide may be.

The spoils of adventure need not be only for the risk takers, the early risers and the light packers. The less physically robust and even families could easily manage a summit up Mt Mahawu. The volcano requires a relatively simple one hour hike before you can take in the expansive views of Manado from its summit. There is also sulphur spewing out of the lake in the crater of the volcano, which will no doubt have you feeling mystified and small in the world.

When to go to Manado

The tropical beauty of these parts of the world doesn’t come without a cost. The endless verdant forests and thriving wildlife enjoy, and actually necessitate large amounts of rain. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has visited these parts in the low season trying to score a deal on lowered hotel rates. Indeed, it is in your best interests to avoid the rainy season. While it won’t rain all day, the hotel packages are a lot more competitive, and the hordes of tourists will have all but disappeared, it is doubtful that your tropical experience will match up to the one that you had in your head should you opt for a trip during the rainy months. Your best bet for dry and warm weather is the months of August, September and October. These are also the months with the lowest humidity.

Where to stay in Manado

Options for a night’s stay are plentiful in Manado. There is a good range of backpackers who offer very competitive packages. A great option is Rumah Singgah Manado. The hostel is popular and is always full of other travellers. Catch up with them in the shared lounge where you’ll no doubt find the friendly owners striking up a conversation with some foreigners. The rooms are clean, the Wi-Fi is great, and the food available from the kitchen is delicious – some real home-cooked goodness. Beds are cheap and start at 100,000 IDR. It may well be worth spending just 20,000 IDR more for your own room with them, too. Manado Green Hostel is a fantastic option for someone wanting to be very well located. The property is just a few minutes’ walk away from the Harbour, the Mega Mall, as well as the Town Square. Beds run for 160,000 IDR and also include a breakfast. Less well located, but supremely comfortable and clean is the Manado Grace Inn. This was undoubtedly our favourite budget friendly accommodation in Manado. Private en suite rooms go for 160,000 IDR.

The best offerings in Manado are, without a doubt, in the mid-range sector. For some inexplicable reason, there is a wealth of guesthouses and hotels offering incredible rooms and amenities at beyond reasonable prices. One such example is the Novotel Manado Golf Resort. A pool bar, infinity pool looking onto fields of green and a fitness centre make the 900,000 IDR asking price hard to say ‘no’ to.

However, we think it gets even better than that. Prime examples include Tasik Ria Resort and the Four Points Sheraton Manado. These resorts are nothing short of astounding, all the while appealing to completely different aesthetic tastes. Bathe in a private bath surrounded by boulders and big green plants, or swim in a pool that has views further than your eye could hope to see, watch the sunset go down in the privacy of the resort’s own pier and the attached bar. Really, the mid-range sector is where you need to be looking – there are just so many truly wonderful places.

There are some higher end places that provide all-inclusive packages to their guests. However, these resorts pale in comparison to the far more reasonably priced mid-range properties.

Where and what to eat in Manado

See, the first thing that you need to understand is that chilli is so much more than just a flavour or a food here. It’s part of the very fabric of the city. Chilli this, chilli that, chilli everything. Chilli everywhere. Chilli. Chilli, chilli.

The second thing that you need to understand is that Manado is filled with food that you almost certainly haven’t had before. Ever eaten dog? What about bat? Rat? How about a snake? The people of Manado don’t discriminate when it comes to how they plan to fill their stomach.

More customary must-haves includes the omnipresent Soto. However, here in Manado you may just be able to find the rarer Pork Soto. The meat is extremely tender and the soup very flavourful. It’s fantastic. Being a coastal city, seafood is also a prominent dish. Manado is a wonderful place to grab some lobster cooked in a way you’ve yet to experience. The same can be said for salted fish – a great dish for the whole table. Another must have is coconut crab; cooked with pepper sauce, this dish also fits into category of things you’ve had done in entirely new ways.

There is also a good supply of Western food around the Mega Mall and around the Manado Town Square, so you don’t have to be an especially adventurous eater to get fed in Manado.

How to get around Manado

Mikrolets are the predominant form of transport around Manado. So much so, in fact, that you will struggle to turn a street corner without seeing at least five. Getting around with the mikrolets is pretty easy. The name of the destination is displayed on the front of the car. If not, there are always designated pick up and drop off spots located in and around the city. If you’re unsure, a local will easily be able to you.

Beyond mikrolets, there are several options for you. You can rent your own scooter for around 150,000 IDR a day. This is always a good option for those seeking some independence during their travels. It will allow to you go to places off the beaten track with much greater ease and much less stress about how to get it down with public transport.

There are also several taxi companies in Manado that still run trips off a meter. These companies include Trust Taxi, Celebrity Taxi and Blue Bird. Alternatively, Grab Taxi also have a presence in this area.

If you’re willing to sit in some traffic as the cost of your comfort and safety, you can also rent a car in Manado. Prices for typical sedans begin at around 500,000 IDR and head upwards to north of 1,000, 000.

If all is lost and you can’t find or use any of the aforementioned options, there is always a motorbike taxi hovering around, ready to take you to where you’re going. Hold on tight!

How to get to and from Manado

Getting to Manado is certainly one of the easiest places to access in Sulawesi. Travel through the area is notoriously difficult and lengthy bus and boat rides are common. As such, you should count yourself lucky that planes exist and that Manado has the facilities to host one! Now, to scurry up the change to pay for the flight…

By air

If you’re already in Indonesia, you’ll have a host of flights to choose from as there are daily trips leaving from the busier parts of Indonesia like Bali and Jakarta. Lion Air, City link, Batik Air and Garuda Airlines are a few of the airlines that run the route. If you’re coming straight to Manado from London or some other far away destination, first head into Singapore. From here you can easily catch a plane with Silk Air directly to Manado.

By bus

If you’re already in the province of Sulawesi, then you’re unfortunately in for a bit of a bus trip. There are public busses, taxis, private minibuses that ask you to pay just for your seat, and even car rentals. Your best bet for long trips to and from Manado are the private minibuses. They are the greatest compromise between comfort and expense.

Is Manado a safe place to visit?

Manado is the biggest city in the province of Sulawesi. As such, you need to be more aware of your belongings here than you would need to in the countryside. Within big cities, people have a certain level of anonymity. This fact can sometimes give rise to petty crimes that would otherwise not occur. Insofar as you look after your belongings and are wise about your decisions, there is a low probability that any harm should come to you.