NORTH SULAWESI TOURS
Bunaken island – Minahasa – Tomohon – Tangkoko
North Sulawesi tours offers a wide array of tours, rich in biodiversity, adventure, and culture. Here’s a general overview of some popular tour options in the region :
1. Marine and Island Tours
- Bunaken National Park: One of the most famous marine parks in Indonesia, Bunaken is known for its vibrant coral reefs, deep underwater walls, and rich marine life. Snorkeling and diving tours here are top-notch, with opportunities to encounter sea turtles, reef sharks, and a variety of tropical fish.
- Siladen Island: Located within Bunaken National Park, Siladen is a quieter, less crowded destination, perfect for snorkeling, beach relaxation, and dolphin tours. The shallow reefs and sandy beaches make it ideal for snorkeling enthusiasts.
- Manado Tua Island: This volcanic island offers a mix of activities such as trekking to the summit for panoramic views of the surrounding islands, or snorkeling and diving in the clear waters around the island.
- Mantehage Island: Mantehage is a more tranquil destination, known for its mangroves and coral reefs. Tours here often focus on exploring the local fishing villages and mangrove forests, as well as snorkeling.
- Nain Island & Pasir Timbul: Famous for its seasonal sandbar, Nain Island offers unique sandbar tours combined with seaweed farming visits and traditional local experiences.
2. Mountain and Volcano Adventures
- Mount Lokon: An active volcano near the city of Tomohon, Mount Lokon is a popular destination for hiking and adventure seekers. The trek to the crater is moderately challenging and offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes.
- Mount Mahawu: Another nearby volcano, Mahawu offers an easier trek compared to Lokon, with the added bonus of a crater lake at the summit.
- Tomohon: Known as the “City of Flowers,” Tomohon is also a hub for cultural tours, where you can visit local markets, explore traditional Minahasan villages, and witness ceremonies or festivals.
3. Cultural and Historical Tours
- Manado City Tours: Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, is a bustling city that offers a mix of cultural and historical experiences. Highlights include visiting the Ban Hin Kiong Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Manado, and exploring World War II relics.
- Waruga Stone Graves: Located in Sawangan Village, these ancient stone graves are a unique cultural site, showcasing the burial traditions of the Minahasa people.
- Tondano Lake and Traditional Villages: The area around Lake Tondano is home to scenic landscapes and traditional Minahasan villages. Boat tours on the lake and visits to local houses provide insight into local life and culture.
4. Wildlife and Nature Tours
- Tangkoko Nature Reserve: This famous nature reserve is home to endemic species like the tarsier (one of the smallest primates in the world), black crested macaques, and maleo birds. Guided wildlife tours allow you to explore the dense jungle, observing these animals in their natural habitat.
- Lembeh Strait: Known as one of the world’s best muck diving spots, Lembeh Strait offers unique underwater tours for divers and photographers, featuring rare critters like frogfish, pygmy seahorses, and mimic octopuses.
5. Adventure and Eco Tours
- Diving in Bunaken & Lembeh: Dive tours focusing on the amazing coral walls of Bunaken and the macro diving of Lembeh Strait are among the most sought-after activities.
- Dolphin Watching: In the waters around Manado and Siladen, boat tours are available to spot dolphins and sometimes even pilot whales.
- River Rafting in Nimanga River: For thrill-seekers, white-water rafting on the Nimanga River near Tomohon offers an exciting adventure through the lush highlands of North Sulawesi.
6. Multi-Day Tour Packages
- Island-Hopping Tours: These typically last around 5-8 days, covering Bunaken, Siladen, Manado Tua, Mantehage, and Nain islands. These tours combine snorkeling, diving, hiking, and cultural experiences.
- Volcano and Highlands Tours: 2-4 day tours focusing on trekking Mount Lokon, visiting the hot springs, waterfalls, and cultural sites around Tomohon and Tondano.
- Eco-Tours: These can last between 3-6 days, combining visits to Tangkoko Nature Reserve, river rafting, and cultural immersion in traditional Minahasan villages.
ITINERARY
- Attraction : Culture, Diving/Snorkeling, Trekking, Rafting, Horseback Riding
- Tour area : Tangkoko, Tomohon, Timbukar, Bunaken Island.
- Duration : 11 Days / 10 Nights
- Grade : Easy – Intermediate
- Start – End : Manado
DAY 01 : MANADO ARRIVALS – TANGKOKO FOREST.
- Upon arrival at Sam Ratulangi Airport, meeting service according to your time arrival, or meet up you at hotel lobby or somewhere in Manado. And then we are going to the destination in Tangkoko forest at Batu Putih Village. It takes about 1,5 hours driving through the dense of the forest and Minahasan villages. On the way there are some attraction to see and things to do. Noon arrivals, get a free tea or coffee and take a bit relax. Afternoon trekking to the forest to see the flora and fauna, especially the smallest primate of the world caled Tarsius Spectrum within 15 cm height and 20 grams weight. Nocturnal wildlife which you can see in the evening. Early evening we return to homestay, to have dinner and sleep overnight. Lunch at local restaurant (Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 02 : TANGKOKO MORNING TREKKING – TOMOHON
- Early morning, walking to explore the tropical rainforest and enjoying your discovery of, black ape, bear cuscus, hornbill, etc. After the morning trip we will drive up to Tomohon. On the way we will stop at Waruga in Airmadidi. Drive up to Tondano area according of the river side of Sawangan, Afternoon arrive in Tomohon. Free at leisure in the hotel. Overnight at Hotel. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 03 : MINAHASA CULTURAL TOURS
- Breakfast at resort. Drive arround Minahasa, a windy and cool breeze of weather, famous for flowers garden city, volcanoes, rice field. And traditional food market where you can see local life style in trade traditional spices. The Woloan village where the local people made a wooden traditional houses. Linow lake famous as a sulfur and changing color lake. Tampusu hill is a place where you can see the exotism the panorama of Minahasa landscape. Pulutan village is the places where we can see the people make pottery in a traditional way. Tondano lake with is fish farming. This lake also famous for restaurant as a lunch stop places. Get refresh with having bath at a Rano Lewo natural hotspring. Return to Tomohon and overnight at hotel. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 04 : TREKKING LOKON VOLCANO.
- Early morning start of trekking to Lokon Volcano + 1580 above sea level which its crater lake of considerable beauty, duck-egg blue and smoking. Starting earliest time is best time to avoid over heat at the crater site. It’s chalenging you to explore the crater of the one of the most active volcano in North Sulawesi. It takes about one and half hours walking up. On the way, possible to see a carnivore plants and Before return to hotel we can visit some other interesting places. Return to resort.Dinner.Overnight.
DAY 05 : TREKKING MAHAWU VOLCANO
- We will going start the Mahawu Volcano trekking early morning. Depart the hotel and going to Rurukan village near by the volcano. On arrival at the starting point we will start walking up to the crater, within 200 meters by the concreete path. Walking arround the crater side is possible, our proffesional guide wiil guide you and can show you a pitcher plants, and the crater lake of the volcano. Return to starting point and our team has prepared a breakfast. After breakfast, we continue to a panorama foto point in Temboan. Dawn, to another larger crater lake named Tondano lake.
DAY 06: RIVER RAFTING -BUNAKEN ISLAND
- Breakfast at hotel, and then we do check out, to driving for Timbukar village as a starting point of the white water river rafting. On arrival at the starting point we will get the short break for rafting technical briefing. Weary with full safety helmed, life vest, we will take 1 – 2 hours on the rubber boat along the rivers with wall green landscape panorama at the riverside as a view. Short break on the way to having bath at the waterfalls. After that continue the rafting. Lunch at local restaurant near by to Amurang after the trip. Return to Manado harbor and directly transfer to Bunaken Island. On arrival check in at the resort. Free at leisure. Overnight. Dinner at resort.
DAY 07 : BUNAKEN SNORKELING TOURS
- Breakfast in the morning and we are going for a diving or snorkeling excursion in Bunaken National Marine Park by private boat. Explore renowned spots like Lekuan, Sachiko’s Point, or Fukui, famous for their vibrant coral walls, diverse marine life, and excellent visibility. Lunch at resort and in the afternoon, continue with another dive or snorkeling session. Keep an eye out for sea turtles, reef sharks, and a myriad of colorful fish. Afternoon return to resort. In the evening easy relax at the resort, with an optional night dive. Dinner and sleep overnight.
DAY 08 : SNORKELING BUNAKEN ISLAND
- Morning breakfast and then we go for dive or snorkeling at different sites around Bunaken Island. Visit spots like Mandolin, where you can see larger pelagic fish, or Alung Banua for its dramatic coral gardens. In the afternoon we had prepare a picnic lunch on the boat or a secluded beach. After enjoy the lunch, we are going to continue our underwater exploration at another dive snorkeling site or just spend the afternoon relaxing. Enjoy the evening island fish barbeque party in the resort for dinner and beach party.
DAY 09 : DOLPHIN AND SNORKELING IN SILADEN ISLAND
- Depart early morning for a dolphin-watching tour around Siladen Island. Siladen is known for frequent dolphin sightings, especially in the early morning on the way back to Siladen we will take a simple brekfast. On arrival we will spotting, anchor off Siladen Island for having and snorkeling. The shallow reefs are perfect for beginners and feature vibrant coral formations and a variety of reef fish. Enjoy lunch on the boat, followed by more snorkeling or relaxation on the island’s beautiful beaches. Afternoon return to Bunaken Island for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 10 : SANDBAR TOURS AND SEAWEED FARMING TOURS
- Long journey by boat, morning we are set out for Nain Island, known for its unique sandbars that appear during low tide. Walk along the sandbars, take in the panoramic views, and enjoy a light breakfast on the sand. At the late morning visit a local seaweed farm to learn about the traditional methods of seaweed cultivation used by the island’s inhabitants. Engage with local farmers and learn about their way of life. In the afternoon after lunch, we will return to Bunaken Island for dinner and relaxation. Overnight at resort.
DAY 08: DEPARTURE TO MANADO OR AIRPORT
- Breakfast at resort, we transfer you by boat return to Manado. Depending on your flight time, you may have a chance to visit some of Manado’s attractions, like the Ban Hin Kiong Temple or the Tunan Waterfall. After lucnh we transfer you to Sam Ratulangi International airport for your departure. Home sweet home.
This itinerary offers a well-rounded experience of both underwater exploration and cultural immersion, making the most of what the Bunaken area has to offer
Sam Ratulangi Airport – Manado, North Sulawesi
Black Macaque – Tangkoko forest, North Sulawesi
Tomohon traditional food market – Nort Sulawesi
Lokon volcano trekking – North Sulawesi tours
Bunaken white sandy beach – North Sulawesi tours
RATES :
EURO /person, based on 2 person
Tour package includes:
Accommodation hotel or resort base on Bunaken Island and Manado, Transportation based on air-condition coach and long diving boat, Rafting boat, Skipper, Professional local dive master, Ranger in Tangkoko Nature reserve, Entrance fee per itinerary, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Aqua drinking water, Tea, Coffee.
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