Blue Banter Home About Us Bunaken & Lembeh Strait More than Diving... Package Prices Contact Us   Tarsier, Tangkoko THE CULTURE Minahasans are famed throughout the country for their vocal skills. A kolintang orchestra consisting of several wooden xylophones often accompany the songs, which are popular for all festive occasions. The Kabasaran dance is a traditional dance which is popular as a welcoming dance. THE LAND This is an agricultural land where coconut, clove, nutmeg trees and flower gardens fill the land with the same beauty and serenity found in their smiling people. The City of MANADO is the bustling capital of North Sulawesi and sprawls over the low, palm clad hills around a wide bay. There is World War II memorial monument and the colourful Chinese temple Ban Hin Kiong Built in the early 19 th century it is also popular for the festival of Cap Go Meh (a Chinese festival). TOMOHON, known as the city of flowers, lies between two active volcanoes (Lokon and Mahawu). Two hours climb from Kakaskasen, will get you to the top of this magnificent mountain BUKIT KASIH or Mountain of Love is quite a place. The complex is build around a moonscape mass of rock, at the very top there is Catholic Church, a Protestant Church, a Mosque, a Hindu Temple and a Buddhish Temple, All are places of worship representing the main religions practiced in North Sulawesi. LAHENDONG, KAWANGKOAN & PULUTAN. Next to Tomohon is Lahendong, the local highland market town, with its changing colour Lake "Linow". Kawangkoan with its Japanese cave, and Pulutan a traditional ceramics and pottery making village. TONDANO The lovely Lake Tondano is waiting to be discovered. The drive to Tondano passes through charming villages and sprawling clove plantations. There are plenty of restaurants providing famous local food. BITUNG About 40km northwest of Manado, Bitung is the 2nd biggest harbour in East Indonesia. Famous as an industrial Town, with a lot of Tuna Canning companies, we can also observe in detail how coconut meat is processed in the traditional way into copra, oil or flour at the Sukur village, the making of juice or jam frow sweet nugmeg at Karegesan village, and see the "Waruga" (traditional grave stones) at Sawangan village. TANGKOKO NATURE RESERVE About 60km from Manado, the Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Dua Saudara hills offer the opportunity to see not only the unique TARSIUS SPECTRUM (claimed to be the smallest monkey in the world) but also rare birds, black apes and many old tropical plants.