Hotels rent motorbikes for 150,000Rp per day (including petrol).
Around Tomohon
Vulcanic Gunung Lokon (1580m) contains a simmering crater lake of varying hues. You can hike to it from Tomohon in about three hours, with another hour to reach the peak. However, it's highly active, and it's essential to check out its current status; ask at your hotel. You should also report to the Vulcanology Centre (Kantor Dinas Gunung Berapi; %0431-351076; Jl Kakashashen Tiga; h7am-5pm), roughly 3km from the centre of Tomohon, which is worth a visit in person for its maps and photographs (but the staff does not speak English).
For more volcano thrills, you can drive almost all the way to the top of Gunung Mahawu , where you’ll be rewarded with views over the whole region and into a 180m-wide, 140m-deep sulphuric crater lake, which you can walk around in less than an hour. There’s no public transport to the volcano. This place gets swarmed by locals on the weekends.
There are numerous other places to explore from Tomohon, accessible by mikrolet. Danau Linow , a small, highly sulphurous lake that changes colours with the light, is home to extensive birdlife. Take a mikrolet to Sonder, get off at Lahendong and walk 1.5km to the lake.
Danau Tondano is a huge lake fringed with pretty villages, a small hot-spring-fed swimming pool, and has fish farms which you are welcome to visit.
WORTH A TRIP
TASIKOKI WILDLIFE RESCUE
Tasikoki Wildlife RescueWILDLIFE REFUGE
(%0857 5747 1090; www.tasikoki.org; W)F
About 9km southwest of Bitung, Tasikoki is an entirely volunteer-run organisation that rescues and cares for animals confiscated from smugglers. Goals are to rehabilitate the animals and release them back into the wild. You can make a day visit to the centre (donations appreciated); stay in the very comfortable ecolodge (per person including three vegetarian meals per day from US$70); or sign on longer as a volunteer. Note: if you turn up unannounced you will be curtly sent on your way.
There are more than 200 animals of 40 different species (including sun bears and sea eagles) at the centre, and during a visit you'll learn about the illegal animal trade and the animals themselves.
Bitung
%0438 / Pop 196,000
Bitung is the chief regional port in North Sulawesi and home to many factories. Despite its spectacular setting, the town is unattractive, so most travellers make for Manado or nearby Pulau Lembeh as soon as possible.
Regardless of what time you arrive by boat in Bitung, there will be buses going to Manado.
There's a selection of hotels in town and lots of rumah makan in the town centre and near the port. All the dive lodges are either on Pulau Lembeh or along the Lembeh Strait.
8Getting There & Away
Buses and shared cars leave regularly from Terminal Paal 2 in Manado (11,000Rp, 1½ hours). Drivers stop at Terminal Mapalus, just outside Bitung, from where you can catch another mikrolet (10 minutes) into town or to the port.
The port is in the centre of Bitung, and home to a Pelni (%0438-35818; h7am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri) office. Useful Pelni ferries include the Tilongkabila, which sails up and down the coast of Sulawesi to ports including Gorontalo, Luwuk, Kendari, Bau Bau and Makassar. The Sangiang sails to Ternate and ports in Malaku every two weeks.
DON'T MISS
WEIRD & WILD CRITTERS OF THE LEMBEH STRAIT
For the uninitiated, welcome to an alien world on our very own planet. The wonderful creatures that inhabit these murky depths are much admired by underwater photographers and have probably inspired more than a few movie monsters. Here's just a sample of what you may find:
AHairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus) Camouflaged to look like a rock, covered in whispy-coral-like hairs and with a frown only the keenest diver could love, these guys are best known for the built-in appendage on their forehead, which they dangle like a worm to draw in prey. They don't swim like normal fish, but walk on their fins.
AMimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) This recently discovered underwater thespian can convincingly imitate more than 15 other animals including sea snakes, crabs, stingrays and jellyfish. It does this by contorting its body into a new shape, changing colours then mimicking the behaviour of said species.
APygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) Less than 2cm tall, these hard-to-spot cuties have the same texture and colour as the fan corals on which they live.
Pulau Lembeh & the Lembeh Strait
The Lembeh Strait between Bitung and the large island of Pulau Lembeh is world famous for its muck diving and now has around a dozen scuba centres. There are also some reef dives, five wrecks for exploring, and fantastic night dives lit by phosphorescence.
Lembeh tends to attract hardcore divers from all over the world, including many photographers and geeky types intent on ticking off long lists of the bizarre sea critters that live here in profound numbers. Frankly, above land the physical environment isn't particularly attractive: the endless flow of container ships and close proximity to the ugly port of Bitung doesn't add up to a conventional holiday location. But if you've any interest in macro life it's well worth a dive or two here.
Two-tank dives cost around €70 and PADI Open Water Diver courses are usually about €375.
4Sleeping & Eating
As Lembeh’s fame grows, so does the number of dive resorts. All are set in their own secluded bays, but without your own boat it's near-impossible to travel between them and there's little to do besides dive.
NADDIVE RESORT$$$
(%0813 4026 2850; www.nad-lembeh.com; three-night packages per person incl five dives & all meals from US$395; aW)
This easy-going place is moderately priced (for Lembeh). It is very well set up for anyone with an interest in dive photography, as one guide is assigned per two divers. House reef dives are free. Choose from stylish, attractive, recently renovated rooms or sea-view bungalows. There's a small dark-sand beach out front.
Black Sand Dive RetreatDIVE RESORT$$$
(%0811 437736; www.blacksanddive.com; s/d per person incl all meals €125/100; aW)
Enjoys a serene location on the mainland bay and is very well set up, including with a Nitrox facility and a dedicated camera room. It's a boutique operation; you'll get plenty of personalised attention and the owner is particularly passionate about local wildlife.
Lembeh ResortDIVE RESORT$$$
(%0438-550-3139; www.lembehresort.com; cottages per person incl all meals from US$125; aiWs)
This Balinese-style resort gets top marks for service, and has many returning customers. The pool area, strewn with day beds and loungers, is gorgeous, and you'll find a spa and plenty of nondive tours on offer.
SANGIHE-TALAUD ISLANDS
Strewn across the sea between Indonesia and the southern Philippines are the volcanic island groups of Sangihe (also called Sangir) and Talaud. There are 77 islands, of which 56 are inhabited, with a total population of 224,000. Spice cultivation (vanilla, nutmeg and cloves) is a key industry. The two capitals are Tahuna, on Sangihe Besar, and Melonguane, in the Talaud group. Other major settlements are Lirung, on Pulau Salibabu, and Pulau Siau, which has a busy port.
The islands offer dozens of unspoilt sandy beaches, a few crumbling Portuguese forts, several volcanoes to climb, many caves and waterfalls to explore, and some superb diving and snorkelling (bring your own gear). Transport connections to the islands have improved a lot in recent years, and there are hotels, guesthouses and simple beach resorts, as well as ATMs and internet cafes in the main towns.
Speed ferries operate daily from Manado to Siau (160,000Rp, four hours) and on to Tahuna (180,000Rp, 6½ hours). Tickets and information are available from Majestic Kawanua ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0851 0540 5499; [email protected]; Komplek Marina Plaza, Jl Piere Tendean; h8am-5pm) in Manado.
Wings Air flies from Manado to Tahuna (474,000Rp, 50 minutes, four weekly) and to Melonguane (595,000Rp, one hour, daily except Sunday). An airport is also under construction in Siau.
Nirwana Sangihe (%0813 5434 2869
; www.nirwanasangihe.com) is a good tour guide for both islands. Pak Nirwan speaks English and knows both of these archipelagos very well. Mikel from Mountain View Resort in Tomohon also leads tours.
Tangkoko-Batuangas Dua Saudara Nature Reserve
With 8800 hectares of forest bordered by a sandy coastline and offshore coral gardens, Tangkoko is one of the most impressive and accessible nature reserves in Indonesia. The park is home to black macaques, cuscuses and tarsiers, maleo birds and endemic red-knobbed hornbills, among other fauna, and rare types of rainforest flora. Tangkoko is also home to a plethora of midges, called gonones, which bite and leave victims scratching furiously for days afterwards. Always wear long trousers, tucked into thick socks, and covered shoes, and take plenty of insect repellent. Sadly, parts of the park are falling victim to encroachment by local communities, but money generated from visitors might help stave that off.
Bring plenty of cash as there are no local ATMs.
1Sights & Activities
Entrance to the park is 100,000Rp per person; guides (mandatory) cost 70,000Rp per half-day. Most people arrive at the park entrance at Batuputih in the afternoon, and take a guided afternoon/evening walk to see tarsiers (when sightings are nearly guaranteed). Morning walks are better for birdlife. Consider staying longer to enjoy the gorgeous beach setting at Batuputih and to take a variety of other tours available, including dolphin-spotting and snorkelling tours (full day up to 4 people 700,000Rp), and birdwatching (full day 350,000Rp) or fishing tours (5hr for up to 4 people 750,000Rp). All tours and walks can be arranged at your guesthouse, which will invariably be swarming with guides.
4Sleeping & Eating
You'll find several guesthouses in and around Batuputih village, but there's nothing in the way of luxury.
oTangkoko HillGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0813 4030 2444; www.tangkokohill.com; r incl all meals 400,000Rp; a)
About 1km inland from the village, this lovely new place is the best option in the area, with hyper-clean rooms, quality mattresses, desks and TVs. The genial owner speaks good English and fine local food is served in the attractive dining room.
Dove VillasGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0813 5624 5160; www.tangkokodovevillas.com; d incl breakfast 350,000Rp)
At Dove Villas you get your own thatched, spacious villa with fan, mosquito net and cold-water bathroom. It's very friendly and serves good food. Located 8km south of the park entrance.
Tarsius HomestayGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0813 5622 5545; Batuputih village; r per person incl all meals 150,000Rp; aW)
Clean, pleasant rooms, some with attached bathrooms and air-con. It's family run, superfriendly, and food portions are ample and tasty. Wi-fi is not great.
Mama RoosGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0813 4042 1454; [email protected]; r per person incl all meals 150,000Rp; W)
The tiled rooms are pretty bare and could use a little TLC at this long-running guesthouse. Serves big but basic Indonesian meals. There's wi-fi in the evenings only.
8Getting There & Away
To get to Batuputih from Manado, take a bus to Bitung (11,000Rp), get off at Girian (about 4km) and catch a mikrolet or pick-up truck (8000Rp) to Batuputih.
Tangkoko tours are possible from all over North Sulawesi, including Pulau Bunaken (a long, tiring day trip).
DON'T MISS
TARSIERS
If you’re visiting Sulawesi’s Tangkoko-Batuangas Dua Saudara Nature Reserve or Lore Lindu National Park, keep your eyes peeled for something looking back at you: a tiny nocturnal primate known as a tarsier. These creatures are recognisable by their eyes, which are literally larger than their stomachs, so big in fact that they cannot rotate them within their sockets. Luckily, their heads can be rotated nearly 360 degrees, so their range of vision isn’t compromised. Tarsiers also have huge, sensitive ears, which can be retracted and unfurled, and disproportionately long legs, which they use to jump distances 10 times their body length. They use their anatomical anomalies and impressive speed to catch small insects. Tarsiers live in groups of up to eight, and communicate with what sounds like high-pitched singing. They are found only in some rainforests of Indonesia and the Philippines.
Southeast Sulawesi
Few visitors make it to Southeast Sulawesi, but if you're yearning to explore and have a passion for coral reefs and off-grid travel you'll be rewarded here.
The top attraction is Wakatobi Marine National Park, located in the remote Tukangbesi Islands off the southern tip, which offers some of Indonesia’s best snorkelling and diving.
Transport links are surprisingly good, with daily flights from Makassar and boat connections from Pantai Bira.
History
Some of the earliest records of life in Southeast Sulawesi are depicted in prehistoric paintings on the walls of caves near Raha. The red ochre paintings include hunting scenes, boats and warriors on horseback.
The region’s most powerful precolonial kingdom was Buton, based at Wolio, near Bau Bau. Its control and influence over other regional states was supported by the Dutch colonialists. Buton came under direct Dutch rule after the fall of Makassar in 1669, and was granted limited autonomy in 1906.
Other local trading centres maintained a low profile, probably for reasons of self-preservation. Kendari was one of the busiest.
The civil strife of the 1950s and 1960s was a time of extreme hardship for the people of the province. Farms and villages were plundered by rebel and government forces alike. Today Southeast Sulawesi's economy is dominated by mining, fishing, agriculture and timber.
Kolaka
%0405
The port of Kolaka is readily accessible by boats from Bajoe in South Sulawesi. The centre of town is grouped around the bus terminal, about 500m north of the ferry terminal. There are ATMs but not many other facilities.
All day and night, plenty of buses, bemos and Kijangs travel between Kolaka and Kendari (80,000Rp, six hours). A daily ferry travels overnight from Kolaka to Bajoe (75,000Rp, 10 hours). Up-to-date information is available at www.indonesiaferry.co.id.
Kendari
%0401 / Pop 319,000
The capital of Southeast Sulawesi province has long been the key port for trade between the inland Tolaki people and seafaring Bugis and Bajau traders. Kendari is a bustling city with little to recommend it except its range of decent accommodation.
Kendari begins in a tangle of lanes in the old kota (city) precinct adjacent to the original port in the east, and becomes progressively more modern in the suburbs to the west. One very, very long main road has most of the facilities, except the bus terminals.
Festival Teluk Kendari (Kenari Bay Festival; Apr) is the annual highlight of the social calendar, with dragon-boat races, traditional music and plenty of partying.
4Sleeping & Eating
The night warungs lining the esplanade along Jl Bung Tomo are a popular hang-out in the evening.
Hotel CendrawasihGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0401-312-1932; Jl Diponegoro 42; r with fan/air-con 120,000/170,000Rp; aW)
A long-running cheapie, just off the main road, with friendly staff. The fan rooms are dated, but have balconies. The air-con rooms are in better shape.
Dragon InnHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0401-313-1889; http://dragoninnhotel.net; Jl Edi Sabara 8; r 250,000-440,000Rp; aW)
Offering a slice of urban style, this zany-looking lime-green-and-orange hotel on the bay road has a good choice of small but well-presented rooms. There's a cafe-restaurant for meals.
Swiss-Belhotel KendariBUSINESS HOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0401-312-8777; www.swiss-belhotel.com; Jl Edi Sabara 88; r/ste from 640,000/992,000Rp; aWs)
This is mainly a business hotel, but it has a fine pool and gym, and the staff is eager to please. Rooms and suites (in no less than six price categories) are in decent shape and spacious.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Kendari airport has a modern terminal. Flights connect to Makas
sar with Sriwijaya Air, Wings Air and Garuda; to Bau Bau with XpressAir; and to Jakarta with Lion Air ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0401-329911; Jl Parman 84) and Garuda.
Boat
Kendari has infrequent Pelni ferry connections; every fortnight the Tilongkabila heads to Kolonedale, Luwuk, Gorontalo and Bitung. In the other direction the same boat goes to Raha, Bau Bau and Makassar (22 hours). You'll find the Pelni ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0401-321915; h8am-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) office on top of a hill near the dock.
Two fast boats leave the Pelni dock: the Super-jet at 7.30am for Raha (137,000Rp, four hours) and Bau Bau (170,000Rp, six hours), and the Sagori at 1.30pm for Raha (120,000Rp, four hours). You can buy tickets by the dock.
Bus, Bemo & Kijang
The main terminal is at Puwatu, about 10km west of town. From there, plenty of buses, Kijangs and bemos go to Kolaka (75,000Rp, six hours). It’s more convenient to book a ticket (and board the bus) at one of the agencies in town along the main drag. Most buses leave Kendari at about 1pm to link with the 8pm ferry.
8Getting Around
The airport is 28km southwest of Kendari. Shared taxis (35,000Rp) are available into town.
To the airport, taxis cost 90,000Rp. Airlines also run buses; contact the airlines' airport offices for information about pick-up points and departures (usually 2½ hours before flights).
Kendari is very spread out, but there are plentiful becak and pete-pete, as well as taxis – call Ade Taxi (%0401-300-5014).
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 136