KristyManado is the capital of North Sulawesi and the gateway to some of the island’s most famous dive spots. It’s an energetic coastal city with crowded malls, an eclectic traditional coffee culture, and some of the friendliest city folk you’ll ever meet.
For many travelers, Manado is just a jumping-off point for the region’s major highlights, but if you love culture, the city is a destination in its own right. Below, you’ll find tips on where to stay, how to get around, and what to eat and explore in Manado.
How to Get There
The only direct flights to Manado are from Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi. If you’re coming from Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, or anywhere else in Indonesia, you’ll connect through Makassar. The airlines Lion Air, Batik Air, Citilink, and AirAsia Indonesia can all get you there.
Where to Stay in Manado
My top recommendation is a stylish boutique hotel called S Loft Manado. A clean, modern room with a double bed, hot shower, air-con, and good Wi-Fi costs about 300,000 IDR (18 USD) per night. We stayed here three different times, and it was always a relief to come back.
If you want to save some cash or are just passing through, MY PLACE Kost & Guesthouse is around 12 USD per night. We spent our first night there and weren’t thrilled with the cleanliness, location, or overall vibe, but it’s a workable option if you’re on a tight budget.
How to Get Around
Grab is the main rideshare service in Manado. Most of our rides around the city cost 3 USD or less. There are also a few scooter rental companies to choose from. We rented a brand-new Honda Vario 150 cc from Vallery Scooter Rental for under 5 USD per day. You can reach them on WhatsApp at +62 852-9882-1987. We originally booked the scooter for 10 days but came back early. They refunded the difference without hesitation, so they get a solid 5/5 for customer service!
The Coffee Scene
Manado has a vibrant traditional coffee scene that deserves to be explored. Coffee, called “kopi” in Bahasa Indonesia, is a significant part of the Manadonese lifestyle. The city is full of small traditional coffee stalls known as warungs, and many of them brew coffee using a simple old-school method with locally grown arabica beans.
One of my favorite experiences in Manado was spending a morning at Rumah Kopi Tikala, a coffee shop that opened in 1939. We ordered kopi susu (coffee beans brewed over coals and served with condensed milk) and ended up talking with a local gentleman who, like many others, comes in every day. The coffee is very strong, so sip it slowly and enjoy chatting with the people around you.
Best Places to Eat
Manado’s food scene pulls from a mix of cultures. It’s a bold, spicy blend shaped by Chinese cooking, Indigenous Minahasan traditions (the Minahasan people are native to North Sulawesi), colonial Dutch influences, touches of Portuguese and Spanish flavors, and the region’s long seafaring history. Some restaurants we loved include:
- Sondo Misoa Bar for steaming hot miso noodle bowls and a cool, local vibe
- Iban Bakar Sari Laut, a must for sampling locally caught grilled tuna
- Carpe Diem when you need pizza
- Rumah Kopi Mie Bintang Wajang for Chinese steamed buns called “biapong”
- Mie Gacoan, an Indonesian fast-food noodle joint where you can choose your spice level (I tolerate spice very well, but even the level three was WAY too hot for me). We paid less than 2 USD for two meals with fancy drinks.
Manado’s Night Markets
Like many places in Southeast Asia, Manado is full of lively night markets. Our favorites were the coastal market across from Iban Bakar Sari Laut, a beautiful sunset spot; the market across from Carpe Diem, where you can watch locals paddleboard; and the one at SUNBAE Manado, another great place to watch the sun go down.
Day Trips and Excursions
There are plenty of options for day trips and longer excursions from Manado, including:
- Siau Island: Siau is a volcanic island in the Sitaro Regency, about 4.5 hours from Manado by speedboat. The island is home to the massive and very active Karangetang volcano as well as the Siau tarsier, hot springs, and a pristine archipelago with snorkeling sites. Visiting Siau was one of the highlights of our time in Sulawesi. The ferry to Siau Island is found at Pelabuhan Manado. Find my Siau field notes here.
- Tomohon: The city of Tomohon is about one hour from Manado in the Minahasa Islands. It is most famous for its exotic traditional market, but Tomohon has so much more to offer than that. There’s a lot to see in this area, including the awe-inspiring Bukit Kasih—one of the coolest and most unique places I’ve seen in my travels. Find my Tomohon field notes here.
- Bunaken Island: We’ve heard mixed things about Bunaken. Some say the corals and biodiversity are unmissable, while others were disappointed by the rubbish. If you go, Frangky’s Homestay is the place to stay.
- Tangkoko National Park: This park gives you the chance to see rare, endemic wildlife found only in Northern Sulawesi, like the spectral tarsier and the Celebes crested macaque. It’s about 1.5 hours from Manado, and visiting with a guide is required.
- Bangka Island and Lembeh Strait: Bangka is known for its white-sand beaches and colorful coral gardens that are great for both snorkeling and diving. Lembeh Strait is world-famous for muck diving and rare macro marine life you won’t see anywhere else. Both are easy to reach from Manado and make excellent side trips if you’re into underwater exploring.
Getting Out and Where to Go Next
Northern Sulawesi has two main roads—the north road and the south road—and both connect to Gorontalo, which is the usual route for travelers touring the island from north to south. The north road is in better condition, but the south road is more scenic and has nicer stops, including Tomohon, Tumbak (snorkeling and mangroves), and a crystal-clear watering hole in Ratahan (search for “Aer Konde Ratahan” on Google Maps).
The bus to Gorontalo takes about ten hours from Manado and follows the north road. Tickets cost about 7 USD per person and are sold at Malalayang Manado bus station. The bus leaves from this station at 6 AM, and ours was full, so I recommend buying your ticket at least a day or two in advance. More on Gorontalo here.
