Manado, Tomohon

In the first night in Manado, we slept well after a long journey. The next day, we walked around Manado in the heat of the midday sun, feeling motivated despite the 35°C temperature. 🥵😅 The city doesn't have any remarkable sights and there wasn't much for us to do. However, it was a good introduction to the Indonesian way of life. The people were extremely friendly, waving at us, greeting us, wanting to take photos with us...even though we are not blue-eyed, blonde Europeans. 😁

Although Manado now has an international airport, the city mainly serves as a gateway to the world-famous diving area of Bunaken, which can be reached by ferry from Manado. Unfortunately, we don't have a diving license and don't have time for it on our current route. But if we have another chance to visit Sulawesi, we will definitely visit Bunaken. It's supposed to be truly worth it.

We mainly used the day to prepare for our upcoming journey. We got an Indonesian SIM card, withdrew money several times (unfortunately, only a maximum of 1,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah = 60€ per transaction is allowed here), which is very important because ATMs are only sporadically available, did some shopping, and of course, ate well.

Conclusion about Manado: For us, Manado is not worth a separate trip, but it's perfect for getting rid of jet lag.

On the 2nd day, we started early at 9:30 am with our driver Christian to Tomohon, where we visited the market. This market is not for the faint-hearted. Like on normal markets, you can buy fruits, vegetables, flowers, clothes, fish, etc. here. What makes this market famous is the section with live animals. The Minahasa people who live in this region are known for eating or selling anything that has 4 legs or moves. Chickens, cows, rats, snakes, flying foxes, bats, you name it, they are all prepared and cooked on-site.

Around noon, we continued for another 2 hours by car to Batu Putih, the gateway to Tangkoko National Park. Upon arrival at our accommodation, the Ranger Homestay, we checked into our rooms for the first time. Then we enjoyed the evening atmosphere on the black natural beach, which is right in front of the national park, where we will embark on our first tour tomorrow at 6 am.

We're excited! 😁