Manado (also Menado) is in the capital of North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Understand
The capital of the province, the former stronghold of the Dutch and the cultural center of the Minahasa people, for a long time Manado prospered through trade with the nearby Philippines and the spice trade with the rest of the world. Alas, the bombings of World War II and the suppression of a local insurgency in the 1950s flattened most of Manado's older buildings. While by Indonesian standards still relatively prosperous, most visitors will be rather less impressed and head straight to the islands and reefs of nearby Bunaken.
Get in
Manado is quite far from the rest of Indonesia and most visitors arrive by plane.
By plane
Manado's Sam Ratulangi Airport (MDC) is an airy, modern facility last expanded in 2001. The airport fields some international flights to Singapore (Silk Air, 4x weekly, 3h) and Davao, Philippines (Merpati, 1x weekly, 1h), with visa on arrival possible. There are also frequent flights to Jakarta (3h) and Makassar (1.5h), as well as some flights to Denpasar (Bali), Ternate (North Maluku) and Sorong (Papua). A taxi from the airport to central Manado takes about 30 minutes and costs Rp. 70,000 (bargaining may be necessary).
Departure tax from Manado is Rp. 75,000 for international flights and Rp. 30,000 for domestic flights. The terminal has an Internet cafe in the public area and the standard array of restaurants and gift shops inside, but note that there is nothing once past immigration.
Get around
The main ways of getting around are ojek/ompreng, moped taxis that can be a bit scary, or with Mikrolets (mikros), the blue mini buses that you jump on just standing by the street. They all have a certain route and within a day one should figure out how it works.
By taxi
Dian Taksi has a fleet of white and blue station wagon taxis lounging near major hotels, you can either use the meter or bargain. Figure on Rp. 10,000 for most hops around the city, or Rp. 60,000 from airport to city.
See
Do
Manado is famous throughout the region for its diving areas. Bunaken is one of the finest and maybe the most well-kept national marine park in Indonesia.
Eat
Manadonese food is famous throughout Indonesia for two things: the Minahasa eat absolutely anything, and the flavor of choice is very, very spicy. Sugar is used little if at all, with flavor added through lemon and herbs. Being Christian, the Minahasa also often marinate meat in alcohol and favor pork. More exotic protein options include bat, field rat and dog, the last of which is the obligatory centerpiece of any wedding ceremony or Christmas feast. Classic dishes include:
Dutch settlement here has also brought in a few surprising influences, notably:
Drink
This two kind of drink are made from Palm tree:
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
The Mercure Manado, owned and operated by the international Accor chain, is due to open in early 2007.
Get out
Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. Manado is located at the Bay of Manado, and is surrounded by a mountainous area. The city has about 417,548 inhabitants. The municipality of Manado is divided into nine districts: Malalayang, Sario, Wanea, Wenang, Tikala, Mapanget, Singkil, Tuminting and Mapanget.
History
The Dutch East India Company built a fortress in Manado in 1658. As with regions in eastern Indonesia, Manado has undergone christianization by Dutch missionaries, including Riedel and Schwarz. The Javanese prince Diponegoro was exiled to Manado by the Dutch government in 1830. The English biologist Alfred Wallace visited Manado in 1859, and praised the town for its beauty. The city was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II. In 1958, the headquarters of the rebel movement Permesta were moved to Manado. When Permesta confronted the central government with demands for political, economic and regional reform, Jakarta responded in Manado by bombing the city in February 1958, and then invading in June 1958.
Tourism and Places of Interest
As the largest city in the region, Manado is a key tourist transit point for visitors. Sam Ratulangi International Airport of Manado is one of the main entry ports to Indonesia. In 2005, not less than 15,000 international passengers entered Indonesia via Sam Ratulangi International Airport. Ecotourism is the biggest attraction in Manado. Scuba diving and snorkelling on the nearby island of Bunaken are popular attractions. Ban Hin Kiong Temple is another tourism spot in the city, especially during the chinese new year celebration. Souvenirs shops are located on B.W. Lapian street. Other places of interest are nearby Lake Tondano, Lokon Volcano, Klabat Volcano and Mahawu Volcano.
Shopping Malls
It is easy to find places to shop around Manado, since many of the shopping malls are located on Piere Tendean Boulevard.
Image:Manado_town_square.jpg|Manado Town Square
Image:manado_megamal.jpg|Mega Mall
Image:Boulevard_mall_manado_logo.JPG|Boulevard Mall Manado
Language
The local language spoken in Manado and the surrounding area is called Manado Malay.
References
