Live Your Best Lives
Do you know the top five best snorkeling and diving spots in the world? Do you know Manado?
This place was once jointly rated as the number one diving holy land by the world's five major diving organizations, the so-called "Mecca of the diving world", with seabed visibility of 40 meters deep, more than 70% of the Pacific Ocean's biological species, and a seabed coral coverage rate of more than 95%. Today I will reveal to you the secrets of this little-known paradise on earth.
Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia, formerly known as Manado, is blessed with one of the world's most beautiful natural harbors. Known as "Bali 20 years ago," it's also known as "God's Fish Bowl" and a mecca for divers. Many worry about their budget for this hidden gem, but even a monthly salary of NT$4,000 is easily accessible. While the cost is comparable to Southeast Asian prices, the quality is ten times higher!
[Route] Direct flights from Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan and other places to Manado Samratulangi Airport, the fastest time to arrive is about 3.5 hours
[Fee] Different departure places
[Route] Bali Ngurah Rai Airport to Manado Samut Seri Tulangi Airport
[Fee] RMB 980 to RMB 2230
The Mecca of diving, 70% of the world's beauty is here
In the world's top diving rankings by the five major diving organizations PADI, CMAS, SSI, NAUI, and BSAC, Manado's Lek Barrier Reef, along with the Maldives, Palau, and the Red Sea, ranked first. Discovery Channel considers the waters of Manado the origin of life, with new species still emerging every 20 years.
There are 72 dive sites, each with its own unique characteristics, offering diverse diving experiences, including wreck diving, wall diving, day and night diving, and more. Diving in Manado is generally divided into four areas: the coastal Manado Bay, Bunaken in the east, Lembeh Strait in the west, and Banka in the north.
Recommended reason: The essence of Manado diving
Recommended dive sites:
1. Li Guang: magical seabed faults and diverse marine life
2. Mandolin: picturesque whether snorkeling or diving
3. Black Rock: a paradise for photographers of underwater wonders
4. Fukui: a different underwater world created by the gentle seabed topography
5. Mike's Point: the best dive site for cliff diving
6. Sachiko Cape: a place to watch large fish and fish storms
7. Arunbanuwa: the gathering place of "undersea camouflage masters"
8. Raymond Cape: you can dance with corals in the ocean current
Some say there's no better place in the world for diving than Manado. Its clear waters and vibrant marine life guarantee a truly exceptional diving experience. Many renowned dive sites are located in Bunaken, a world-class cliff diving destination. The breathtaking coral walls, known as the "Underwater Great Wall," offer a breathtaking view, like gazing from a cliff into a bottomless valley. A variety of marine life, including bumphead parrotfish, sea turtles, and scalloped breams, are common visitors.
Business Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
Transportation:
1. Speedboat: Take a speedboat from Manado Pier to Bunaken Pier, approximately 30 minutes.
2. Public Boat: Departs from the pier around 2:30 PM, takes approximately 1.5 hours. Service is suspended on Sundays.
3. Chartered Boat: Departs in the morning and returns in the afternoon.
4. Day Tour: Relatively affordable and offers a more convenient itinerary.
Recommended: The Lembeh Strait is the world's premier underwater macro photography paradise. A narrow strip of water, 15 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide, it's home to 70% of Earth's marine life and is said to be the birthplace of marine life. With stable year-round currents and abundant nutrients from the monsoon, these unique conditions make this a haven for marine life. This truly deserves its reputation as the world's premier underwater macro photography paradise, offering excellent models for octopuses, squid, pygmy seahorses, and a variety of other fascinating creatures.
Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM .
Transportation: Day trips are more affordable and offer a more balanced itinerary, lasting approximately two hours.
Follow the Ex-3 and explore the same route as Lin Jia
Recommended: The chance of seeing dolphins here is as high as 99%.
Transportation:
1. Public Boat: Take a public boat from the pier to Siladen, a 30-minute ride.
2. Day Tour: Affordable prices and more convenient itineraries.
If you want to vent your overwhelming sadness, take a boat out to sea, feel the breeze, and experience the speed and excitement of the ocean. Siladen is a pristine environment with clear waters and a thriving population of wild dolphins. On clear days, you can see hundreds of dolphins leaping and diving on the surface, their long whistles chatting with their companions. Sharing the ocean with these adorable creatures is a delight. Perhaps you can follow Lin Jia's example and chase the dolphins, who glimpse freely and nimbly in the water.
Recommended: Crystal-clear waters, endless coral reefs, and the near-familiar Nemo—it's like a fairytale.
Transportation:
1. Public Boat: Charter a boat, typically departing in the morning and returning in the afternoon.
2. Day Tour: Affordable prices and a more convenient itinerary.
Baisha Island is uninhabited and shows no signs of development. A small family is entrusted with maintaining the island's environment and cleaning up trash. Stroll along the endless sandy beach, where schools of giant crabs occasionally file past. Through the shimmering waters, you can even catch an octopus as long as your forearm. The waters here fluctuate between calm and turbulent, but their one constant is their crystal-clear, azure blue. A visit here soothes any heartbreak.
Get to know Manado and live like a local
Recommended: Besides being a popular diving destination, the area also boasts two breathtaking active volcanoes, making it a truly remarkable destination.
Transportation: The following attractions are all accessible by car, though the locations are relatively scattered, with each taking approximately 30 minutes to
an hour. The Tomohon District boasts two breathtaking active volcanoes—Mount Loken and Mount Ipu. The surrounding scenery and abundant hot springs attract numerous tourists. Nearby is the renowned "Horror Market," selling a variety of exotic and bizarre ingredients. A visit to Tomohon offers not only unique natural scenery but also a unique cultural experience.
Mount Loken
A famous local tourist attraction, it belches smoke year-round, and from a distance, its shape resembles Mount Fuji, creating a breathtakingly beautiful and majestic scene. Within the crater lies a tranquil sulfur lake, its surface reflecting a dazzling array of light and shadows like a mirror.
Five-Colored Lake
Climb to Five Color Lake and admire the dazzling, multicolored landscape created by sunlight refracting through the sulphurous lake. The water's vibrant colors change dramatically depending on the weather and season. Experience a natural underwater hot spring—the sight and feeling are truly unforgettable!
Recommended: As the second-largest Christ statue in the world and the largest in Asia, it's a must-see.
Address: Ciputra, a one-hour drive from downtown Manado.
Hours: No admission fee, open 24 hours.
90% of Manado's residents are Christian, and churches are ubiquitous. This fosters a simple and honest local culture, and even chatting with locals on the street will earn you warm invitations for photos. Built in 2007, the Christ the Redeemer statue stands 30 meters tall, the second-largest in the world and the largest in Asia, and a landmark in Manado. Unlike traditional Christ statues, the one in Manado features open arms and a soaring figure, symbolizing an embrace for every visitor to Manado.
A foodie paradise, a destination for adventurous eaters
Choose from wild shellfish, sea urchins, abalone, lobster, and over a thousand varieties of fish. Enjoy a variety of game, including pheasants, teals, moose, wild geese, and yellow leopards, fried, baked, steamed, and grilled. Manado's mountainous and coastal location has given it a rich culinary culture, offering everything you could imagine. Local delicacies include spicy kawaok (fried woodrat), tough and pungent spicy dog meat, stewed bat, and vegetable congee—all delicious and nutritious!
The "Horror Market" is actually part of Manado's Tomohon Market, selling foods commonly eaten by the Minahasa, Indonesia's earliest indigenous people. These include snakes, bats, rats, and more. Because the animals on sale are extremely gory and grotesque, those with a weak stomach are advised not to go. But aside from that, Tomohon Market is a typical local market, stocking everything from fruits and vegetables to dried seafood, spices, daily necessities, and clothing.
It's located in Ciputra, a one-hour drive from downtown Manado.
Opening hours: 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM.
Note: More photos may cause discomfort to readers, so they are not included in the guide.
The Shancheng Market is a great place to buy local specialties. The most worthwhile mountain products include coconut sugar (purely extracted, pure, and fragrant, with the aroma of both coconut and brown sugar), spices, and freshly ground coffee.
Locals are willing to eat anything, whether it's legs or no legs, flying or crawling! That's why you'll find many "specialty barbecue stalls" at this market, selling specially grilled bats, snakes, dogs, beef, or voles, all served with special sauces.
Here, there's no clamoring crowds, no signs of excessive commercialism, only endless beaches and a pristine blue ocean. Manado, this blue jewel of the Pacific, has healed countless lives and soothed countless hearts. Yet, most people have never heard of this stunning place, and even fewer have visited it! I hope this guide will help you understand Manado and discover this world-class diving destination, accessible for less than NT$4,000 a month!
