Bunaken

Bunaken it's a beatifull sea park located at Manado, North Sulawesi. It's a beatifull place to visit. You can swimming, diving, or fishing. Bunaken National Park is very representative of Indonesian tropical water ecosystems, consisting of seagrass plain, coral reef, and land/coastal ecosystems. The northern part of the Park area covers the islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Montehage, Siladen, Nain and Nain Kecil, and part of the Tanjung Pisok coastal area. The southern part of the Park covers part of the Tanjung Kelapa coast. On land, these islands are rich in species of palm, sagu, woka, silar and coconut. Among the animal species that live on the land and the beaches are black-crested macaques (Macaca nigra nigra), Timor deer (Cervus timorensis russa), and bear-cuscus (Ailurops ursinus ursinus).

The mangrove forest of the Park contains, among others, Rhizophora sp., Sonneratia sp., Lumnitzera sp., and Bruguiera sp. This forest is also rich in species of crab, lobster, mollusc, and sea birds such as gulls, herons, sea doves, and storks.
At Bunaken live about 91 species of fish, among them being the emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator), almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana), spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), yellowstripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira), four saddle rock cod (Ephinephelus spilotoceps), pinkish basslet (Pseudanthias hypselosoma), two-lined monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus), etc.; and species of mollusc such as the great clam (Tridacna gigas), horned helmet (Cassis cornuta), pearly-chambered nautili (Nautilus pompillius), and ascidians.
There are five islands in the Park where visitors can enjoy diving, snorkelling and marine tours.
Cultural attractions outside the Park include the Anniversary of Manado in July and Menulude in January, in Manado.May to August.
You can reach this destination from Manado harbour, the Nusantara Diving Centre (NDC) Marina in Molas sub-district, and the Blue Banter Marina. From Manado harbour by motor boat to Siladen Island takes 20 minutes; to Bunaken Island, 30 minutes; to Montehage Island, 50 minutes; and to Nain Island, 60 minutes. From Blue Banter Marina heading to the recreation area on Bunaken takes 1015 minutes by cabin cruiser. From the NDC harbour to the dive sites off Bunaken takes 20 minutes by speedboat.

The mangrove forest of the Park contains, among others, Rhizophora sp., Sonneratia sp., Lumnitzera sp., and Bruguiera sp. This forest is also rich in species of crab, lobster, mollusc, and sea birds such as gulls, herons, sea doves, and storks.
At Bunaken live about 91 species of fish, among them being the emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator), almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana), spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), yellowstripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira), four saddle rock cod (Ephinephelus spilotoceps), pinkish basslet (Pseudanthias hypselosoma), two-lined monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus), etc.; and species of mollusc such as the great clam (Tridacna gigas), horned helmet (Cassis cornuta), pearly-chambered nautili (Nautilus pompillius), and ascidians.
There are five islands in the Park where visitors can enjoy diving, snorkelling and marine tours.
Cultural attractions outside the Park include the Anniversary of Manado in July and Menulude in January, in Manado.May to August.
You can reach this destination from Manado harbour, the Nusantara Diving Centre (NDC) Marina in Molas sub-district, and the Blue Banter Marina. From Manado harbour by motor boat to Siladen Island takes 20 minutes; to Bunaken Island, 30 minutes; to Montehage Island, 50 minutes; and to Nain Island, 60 minutes. From Blue Banter Marina heading to the recreation area on Bunaken takes 1015 minutes by cabin cruiser. From the NDC harbour to the dive sites off Bunaken takes 20 minutes by speedboat.

http://www.indonesia-sultan-tours.com/day_tours.html

Volcanoes Lokon and Mahawu ( Rurukan Village )

Volcanoes Lokon and Mahawu ( Rurukan Village )

Mount Lokon (1.580 m) and Mahawu (1.311 m), both have crater lakes of considerable beauty, duck-egg blue and smoking. Lokon is usually considered to be more beautiful of the two, but right now it is to risky to there since there was a warning from local goverment. Mt Mahawu is ok and normally they walk from Rurukan Village. It takes only 1 hour walking from Rurukan Village to the top of Mt. Mahawu. Walking condition is good, you are welcome to do trekking in this mountain.



http://www.visit-manado.com

Kiagawa Village

Japanese Cave ( Kiawa Village )

These caves were built by the Japanese during the World War II mainly used as a storage for supplies. You can visit the caves while driving along the road between Kiawa and Kawangkoan, two scenic countryside villages.

http://www.visit-manado.com

About Manado

Manado, the capital city of North Sulawesi, is known affectionately by divers and snorkellers for its spectacular reefs that form the epicenter of the marine biodiversity in the Indo Pasific Ocean. It is also a town rich in aglicultural product including coconut, vanilla, clove plantations as well as fishing.

Strong in foreign cultural influences from its spice trading years, Manado gained a reputation of being one of the prettiest towns in all of South East Asia. It is still clean and attractive and its people one of the higgest standarts of living in Indonesia.

Manado is a great starting point for daily excursions to the famed Minahasan Highlands and the world's smallest primate, Tarsier Spectrum. The most famous diving spots are the walls and reefs in and around Bunaken National Park, a marine reserve just a short boat ride away fro the city.

Climate : wet season (November-April), dry season (May-October)

Best time to go : the wet season are not very pronounced (there is no monsoon in Manado) so Manado is a pretty much a year-round destination.

Flavours : grilled seafood that is extremely fresh is a must. Dip it in dabu-dabu (a spicy chili dip)

Activities : diving, snorkeling, rafting, rainforest exploration (Tarsier Spectrum), volcano trekking.

Events & Festivals : Tai Pei Kong festival at the Kien Teng Ban Hian Kong Temple (february), Bunaken Festival, a series of activities by the operators and residents on Bunaken.

Source : Silkwinds Magazine