Tropical paradise on the tip of Sulawesi
Tropical paradise on the tip of Sulawesi
TONGKAINA, Molas, North Sulawesi (JP): If work stress burns
you up consider taking a break in a place where you can hear the
voices of nature.
North Sulawesi province offers sea and mountain lovers many
places of interests. Manado's only resort hotel, the Santika
Manado in the Molas district village of Tongkaina is located ten
minutes by speed boat to the world famous scuba diving site of
Bunaken.
As soon as you leave Manado airport you will immediately feel
the tranquil village atmosphere in your 45-minute trip to the
hotel.
Santika Manado is nestled on a hilly seafront surrounded by
mangrove forests, shrubs and trees with a long pier into the sea.
The hotel boasts 99 guest rooms including 28 bungalows and a
large swimming pool. It also has a five-star diving club, the
Thalassa, which provides scuba diving lessons.
Guests are completely isolated from the modern world and sleep
to the serene humming of crickets, wake to the chirping of birds.
In fact the birds sing all day long. This is a place to fish a
feast of inspiration.
Santika Manado, one of a chain of nine hotels, eight in major
Indonesian cities, is constructing a conference room and a tennis
court scheduled for completion in March next year. There is a
nine-hole golf course 25 minutes drive from the hotel.
At sunset, the panorama of sea and islands, including Bunaken,
Manado Tua and Siladen fades to one of the most romantic sights
in the world.
Bunaken has more than 40 diving spots and is home to 90
percent out of the 2,200 species of fish in the world. Its
underwater cliffs drop 300 meters or more.
If you are not a diver you can still enjoy the colorful fish
and reefs by snorkeling. Or ride a boat with a glass bottom. Or
simply lay back on the white sandy beach.
Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi is a much slower-paced
town compared to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi. But
traffic in the city has been heavier in recent months. Residents
attribute it to migrants from Jakarta and Maluku who came to
Manado to escape from riots or communal unrest.
Besides water sports, visitors can make an easy one-day
excursion to Tomohon and Tondano, famed for their flower and
agricultural products.
For more adventurous travelers, the Tangkoko natural reserve
is only 85 kilometers away. A two-hour afternoon walk and nature
lovers will arrive at a location where Sulawesi tarsiers, the
smallest primates in the world, can be observed. They come out
from the trunks of trees at twilight to forage.
The lowland forested area which is close to the magnificent
Bitung port also offers mountain climbing in nearby Dua Saudara
(twin peaks) mountains.
A number of airlines fly to Manado, the capital of North
Sulawesi including Bouraq, Garuda, Mandala and Silk Air.(hbk)
More information on North Sulawesi tourism industry can be
obtained from www.northsulawesi.com