Active Minahasa Highlands to Raja Ampat

📍 Manado International Airport – Tomohon (40 km): 1 hour 20 minutes Visit at Ekayana Pagoda (a few hindred meters): walking distance

Arrive this afternoon at Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado (MDC). Once immigration and customs is cleared, be greeted by the local guide and tour leader for a North Sulawesian wildlife and ocean adventure.

Transfer from the airport to the small town of Tomohon in the Minahasa Highlands and onward to check-in at the Gardenia Country Inn. The Gardenia Country Inn is a small boutique hotel overlooking the majestic and active Lokon Volcano. It remains the private residence of political hero, Sam Ratulangi’s family. Be welcomed with a drink at the lobby, which is actually the hallway and terrace of the Ratulangi’s family home.

After checking in, visit the neighbouring Buddhist Ekayana Pagoda. Be amazed by the 18 gold-coloured ‘Lohan’ statues that depict sinners who have returned to the right path. With some weather luck, enjoy a panoramic 360-view of the surrounding highlands - the Tomohon Town, Tondano Lake, Manado and the majestic Mahawu and Lokon volcanoes.

At the turtle lake, try to hit a rotating bell with a coin, which may fulfil a chosen wish of yours!

Overnight at Tomohon.

Inclusions:

📍 Gardenia Country Inn – Tomohon market (4 km): 10 minutes Tomohon market – Tondano Lake (10 km): 25 minutes Cycling at Tondano Lake (15-20 km mm): 2 hours Tondano Lake – Pulutan (5 km): 10 minutes Pulutan – Linow Lake (10 km): 25 minutes Linow Lake – Pinaras Waterfall (15 km): 35 minutes Pinaras Waterfall – Tomohon (12 km): 30 minutes

Embark on a discovery of the Minahasa Highlands today.

After breakfast visit Tomohon market, a bustling market with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Be sure to find exotic animals like bats, rats and many more on sale for consumption  – certainly not everyone’s taste.

Continue on a cycling tour along the shores of Tondano Lake, the largest lake of North Sulawesi.  Tondano Lake is nestled among the rolling hills of the Minahasa Highlands. Enjoy a fresh breeze and the lush landscape while cycling past aqua-culture farms and seafood restaurants. Lunch is a typical Sulawesian meal at one of these seafood restaurants.

Take a closer look of Pulutan, a pottery village, where nearly every household is involved in pottery. Pieces such as pots, vases or also sets of small pottery tables and chairs have traditionally been produced for the local market and nowadays are mostly commissioning works for customers outside of Sulawesi and Indonesia. Apart from the local families involved in the production of pottery, a training center provides the community with the respective skills and ideas for new shapes and means of production.

The next stop is Linow Lake where the smell of sulphur fills the air and the fascinating turquoise-coloured lake indicates its volcanic origin. Enjoy a local delight, fried banana with spicy chili sauce, distinctive to North Sulawesi. Relax with a cup of tea or coffee by the lake shore.

On the way back to Tomohon, stop by Pinaras Waterfall for a short trek down the 180 stairs , to experience the fresh spray of the 40 meter high waterfall. (Note: stairs can be slippery towards the waterfall)

Return to your hotel for an early rest.

Overnight in Tomohon.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Tomohon – Mt Lokon and v.v. (3 km): 15 minutes Tomohon – Bitung (60 km): 2 hours 15 minutes Bitung – Tangkoko National Park (15 km): 45 minutes Tangkoko National Park – hotel at Lembeh Strait (30 km): 1 hour 15 minutes

Depart this early morning at 04.30am to start your trek to the summit of Mount Lokon. The trek begins as the foot of the mountain and ascends slowly across old lava flow. Witness the sunrise over the highlands as you climb the mountain. Cross a gravel field in order to reach the rim of an active crater lying on a slope below the summit. From here, you have the panoramic views of the surroundings and the adrenaline of standing at the edge of the bubbling crater beneath.

(Note: A good level of physical fitness and balance is required for the trek to Mt Lokon crater rim; the path can be narrow and is partly steep, the lava flow can be slippery. Good, sturdy shoes with a strong profile under the soles are definitely required, sneakers may be too slippery. A warm jacket is not reqiured, but functinal clothing and a windbreaker may be advised. Trek  approx. 2 km / way = 1,5 - 2 hours / way, depending on the speed, partly steep, a few sections require hands.)

Descend to the foot of the mountain and return by vehicle to your hotel for breakfast. Get fresh and prepare for check-out and onward by road through the Minahasa Highlands towards Lembeh Strait.

Lunch will be served en route at a local restaurant in Bitung city. (Note: only basic bathrooms available here)

Take a relaxed walk in the deep, lush forest of Tangkoko National Park. Search and spot the amazing wildlife native to the region and protected in the national park zone. There’s never a quarantee to see any wildlife species, but the probability to come close to the jungle dwellers is very high. Apart from the famous celebes crested macaque and the cute tarsier, there are 127 mammals, 233 birds and 104 reptile and amphibian species, among them are the Sulawesi bear and dwarf cuscus and birds such as the knobbed hornbill, Sulawesi hornbill and maleo.

Take the time to observe the unique features and habits of the wildlife. A highlight is certainly an encounter with the celebes crested macaque or black crested macaque, locally known as Yaki or Wolai. As it gets darker, look out for the Tarsier and learn more about this species from the local guide.

Return to the entrance of the national park and continue on the journey towards Lembeh Strait for check-in at hotel at the fringe of a black sand beach.

Overnight at Lembeh Strait.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Lembeh Strait hotel – Tassikoki Wildlife Reserve (25 km): 50 minutes Tassikoki Wildlife Reserve – Manado (50 km): 1 hour 45 minutes

After breakfast check-out and depart for an educational experience at the Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Centre. Meet one of the researchers and activities at the visitor and education center to understand the dimensions and implications of the illegal trade of protected species in Southeast Asia and strategies to curb these activities. Learn about how animals that have been kept in captivity are rehabilitated and prepared for survival in the wilderness and fulfill important roles for the ecosystem.

At noon time move to the observation tower by the shore to enjoy a panoramic overview over the rescue center, surrounding forest, the Lembeh Strait and the vast ocean. In the kitchen and community room of the lodge where the environmentalists live and work, a simple local lunch will be prepared for you.

After lunch, drive to Manado and check in at a hotel in Manado for an interim night before flight to Sorong.

Afternoon at your leisure.

Overnight in Manado.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Recommended flights (Not included and quoted separately– Tariffs and schedule subject to change without prior notice): Garuda Indonesia from Manado (North Sulawesi) to Sorong (Papua): GA 472, departing at 06:00 (GMT+8) and arriving at 08:30 (GMT+9) daily.

Wake up early morning and drive to the Airport to catch a flight to Sorong.

Recommended flights (Not included and quoted separately– Tariffs and schedule subject to change without prior notice): Garuda Indonesia from Manado (North Sulawesi) to Sorong (Papua): GA 472, departing at 06:00 (GMT+8) and arriving at 08:30 (GMT+9) daily.

Upon arrive in Sorong the hotel’s representative will welcome you and transfer you to Papua Eco Resort’s partnering hotel lobby where meals provided while waiting for departure time at 14:00 to Papua Paradise Eco Resort.

Check in for 3 nights at Papua Paradise Eco Resort.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Raja Ampat.

NOTE:

Free transfer from Sorong to Papua Eco Resort takes around 135 minutes by car (15 mins) and boat transfer (1 hour 20 mins).

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

Spend relaxing days at the Papua Paradise Eco Resort in full board. Enjoy free kayak rentals for for the first hour at the resort.

(Note: There are a variety of additional tours during your stay at Papua Eco Resort but they can only be booked at the resort as they are subject to weather/sea condition.)

Overnight in Raja Ampat

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Recommended flights (Not included and quoted separately– Tariffs and schedule subject to change without prior notice): Garuda Indonesia from Sorong (Papua) to Manado (North Sulawesi): GA 471, departing at 14:15 (GMT+9) and arriving at 14:35(GMT+8) daily.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Around 09:00 transfer by boat to Sorong (2 hours +/- by speedboat).

Arrive in Sorong continue by car to the airport.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast