Blogs from Menado, Sulawesi, Indonesia, Asia

It’s not often that I write a blog about one specific place, it’s not my style you could argue. I like my tale to encompass a larger geographical range, if possible. Not to get your hopes up, this one isn’t any different. But the pictures are of one spot only and that spot is called Tangkoko National Park, well the official name is longer, but I think Tangkoko will suffice. Why just one spot? Because, I didn’t do anything that was worth taking a photo of until I got here, which incidentally doesn't mean that there wasn't anything worth taking a photo of (a better person than yours truly would have found ample opportunity to use the camera, no doubt presenting you with a mesmerising glimpse of everyday life along the lesser travelled roads of Sulawesi). ... read more

Four nights in Paradise? Well perhaps not paradise but pleasant none the less, there is a mosque opposite the island which is a little annoying at 430am, the lack of running water and power during the day kind of sucked and the steamy mosquito filled nights were terrible but for $25 a night full board who am I to complain. The first full day we visited Malenge Island hoping to see some wildlife, there aparrently is some there we just didn't see any, the jungle hike was extremely hot and comfortable although the guide cracked a few coconuts open so we could have a drink. Finally we reached the other side of the island and popped out at an eco Resort where we had lunch and a lot of h2o. We then headed out to Hotel ... read more

We got onto a boat with Mike and Michelle for the last time as we headed over to Manado. The guys at the resort look every small but picked up our 20kg bags 2 at a time without straining. At the port in Manado, we docked next to another boat and had to walk through it and up a makeshift ladder to get to dry land. Again the bags were transported by the guys as if they were light as a feather.We said goodbye to Mike and Michelle and also to our wonderful diving guide, Adi. He was going back to the mainland for a day off with his family. It was actually quite sad to leave them all. We hadn't booked a car to the hotel and were just going to get a taxi but ... read more

Bangka/Sauhong island lies just to the north east of Manado, across the banka strait from the Lembeh Strait. I went there to dive a particular spot which was as stunning as I had been told - I often ask dive guides there favourite spot and this one kept coming up, so I knew I had to get there. Bangka isnt the easiest of islands. There are three dive resorts and liveaboards do visit. Trips from Bunaken and Lembeh and vice versa are available. Your resort will arrange pickup from the airport and take you to Pantai Surabaya (which of course is nowhere near Surabaya) where your boat whisks you away to one of those rare places still largely devoid of bloody tourists. I spent a night on the mainland due to my Lion Air flight being ... read more

5.8. Herätys oli jo 05.25, jotta ehdimme näkemään auringonnousun rannalla. Vähän jotain härmää taivaanrannassa, mutta hienolta se silti näytti. Ei tehnyt yhtään mieli lähteä vielä pois, vaikka Bunakenilta lähtiessä molemmista tuntui siltä, että vois hyvin lähteä kotiin. Oli jo tehty ja nähty niin paljon ja ehditty rentoutua, että alkoi olla valmis palaamaan, mutta Pulisanin jälkeen olis voinut taas jatkaakin. Pikaisen aamupalan jälkeen oli lähtö highland tourille klo 06.30 tutustumaan Pohjois-Sulawesiin ja sen suurimman ryhmän, minahasa-heimon, kulttuuriin. Ajeltiin ensin melkein pari tuntia yhteen kylään, jossa on 144 hautaa, sarkofageja, vanhimmat 1200-luvulta. Ihmiset haudattiin niihin savivadissa istuen kaikki korut tms mukanaan, uusi edellisen päälle kun se on jo maatunut. Oli aika hauskoja, kun ovat raapustaneet niiden kylkiin kuvia sen ajan ihmisistä ja uskomuksista. Harva ... read more