NORTH SULAWESI INFORMATION PAGES

Manado - Bunaken - Tangkoko - Minahasa - Sangihe/Talaud - Gorontalo - Togians

News from North Sulawesi and Indonesia

July 10, 2006

Visa Facility Expanded to 52 Nations

The Indonesian Government increased to 52 the number of countries whose nationals can enjoy the Visa on Arrival Facility (VOA) upon landing at an Indonesian international gateway.

Visa Free on Arrival
Only 11 countries and territories are eligible for a "Visa Free" facility, they are: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.
Nationals of the aforementioned countries and territories will be issued with a 30-day stay permit without charge upon presentation of a valid passport with 6 months remaining validity.

Visa on Arrival
Nationals of 52 countries can obtain a "Visa on Arrival" processed at the gate of entry following the payment of an official fee: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, People's Republic of China, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Suriname, Taiwan, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America.

The Visa on Arrival fee for citizens of eligible countries is US$ 25 for a 30 day visa and US$ 10 for a 7 day visa.

Citizens of countries not included on a visa-free or visa-on-arrival lists must apply for a visa overseas before arriving in Indonesia.

Visa on Arrival at Limited Gateways
The visa on arrival facility is only available at the following international gateways:

• Airports: Medan, Pekanbaru, Padang, Soekarno-Hatta (Jakarta), Halim Perdana Kusuma (Jakarta), Surabaya, Bali, Manado, Yogyakarta, Solo, Mataram (Lombok), Balikpapan, Makassar, Kupang.

• Seaports: Batam, Tanjung Uban (Bintan), Belawan (Medan), Sibolga (Sumatra), Dumai, Teluk Bayar (Padang, Sumatra), Padang Bai (Bali), Jayapura (Papua), Padang (Sumatra), Bitung (North Sulawesi), Tanjung Balaikarimun, Tanjung Mas (Semarang), Kupang, Pare Pare (South Sulawesi), Makassar (South Sulawesi).

Applying for Visas Before Arrival
Citizens of countries not included on a visa-free or visa-on-arrival lists must apply for a visa overseas before arriving in Indonesia. Citizens of any country wishing to stay more than 30 days must also apply for an appropriate visa at their nearest Indonesian Embassy or Consulate before traveling to Indonesia.
It seems that a 60 day visa can be issued on request in most Asian countries for all nationalities within 2 days. You may check with your local Indonesian Embassy as well, where you will probably need to give a viable reason why you need a 60 day visa vs a 30 day visa.

Special Facilities

A certain number of special facilities are being introduced in connection with the new visa policy, including:

• Tour Agents are able to arrange express handling for groups at no additional charge by presenting the completed immigration cards, passports and applicable visa fee.

• Passengers who overstay their visa period for a short period of time can be processed immediately at the airport by paying US$ 20 for every day they "overstayed" their 30 day visa.

• Airlines that experience technical difficulties or delayed flights can apply for their passengers to be exempted from paying any "overstay" penalties.

Source: Bali Discovery

August 27, 2005

Bunaken wins Conde Nast Traveler Magazine's top ecotourism spot

Condé Nast Traveler Magazine's Green List

Destinations in Indonesia, South Africa and Mexico won the top spots on Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s annual "Green List", which names the best ecotourism experiences around the world.

The magazine’s top three were Bunaken National Marine Park in Indonesia, Shangana Cultural Village in South Africa, and Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.

The winners were chosen based on their environmental preservation efforts, their contributions to local culture, and the quality of the guest experience.

December 28, 2004

North Sulawesi unaffected by earthquake and tsunamis

The North Sulawesi tourism operators would like to extend their heartfelt sympathies to the families of victims of the tsunamis that have befallen Southeast Asia, and especially those who have perished or sustained injuries in Indonesia.

Fortunately, due to the geographical distance from the epicentre, North Sulawesi was unaffected by both the earthquake and the tsunamis. This region was shielded by the vast expanse of Kalimantan and no noticible change in sea patterns for this time of the year were experienced. In particular, the coral reefs surrounding the islands off Manado including Bunaken and Manado Tua have not sustained any damage.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to drop us an email: info@north-sulawesi.org

PATA North Sulawesi, North Sulawesi Tourism Promotion Board

November 08, 2004

Daily Service Now Connects Two of Indonesia's Best Tourist Destinations

Effective November 5, 2004, Star Air will operate a daily service connecting Bali with the North Sulawesi destination of Manado.

Star Air now operates three services to Manado, flying from Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali.

The new Bali-Manado service is being operated with MD82/83 aircraft with a total passenger capacity of 162 passengers.

Quoted in the Indonesian language Bali Post, the airline's President Director, Ale Sugiarto, said he was optimistic that load levels of 85 percent would be achieved on the new service opening the way for increasing the once daily service to twice a day.

The new Star Air service from Bali to Manado departs each day at 2:40 p.m. (5H723), connecting with a flight from Surabaya to Manado (5H642) that leaves at 5:50 p.m. arriving in Manado at 9:20 p.m..

The flight from Manado to Bali (5H643) departs North Sulawesi at 7:00 a.m. to connect with a Surabaya flight to Bali (5H722) departing at 9:15 a.m. and landing in Bali at 11:00 a.m.

Source: Bali Discovery

December 08, 2003

British Airways Honors Bunaken National Marine Park for ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ Award

LONDON, Dec. 8, 2003 - A national marine park in Indonesia has been voted the global winner of this year’s British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow awards.

Bunaken National Marine Park in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, beat more than 70 other entrants in the worldwide competition, which raises awareness of the world’s leading role models for responsible tourism.

The judges assess how projects benefit the local community, protect the natural and cultural heritage, control energy and water use, educate local people and visitors and contribute towards a better life for future generations.

Bunaken’s management has brought an end to damaging environmental practices in the park such as coral mining, mangrove cutting, and blast and cyanide fishing. At the same time, it has helped improve livelihood opportunities for 30,000 local residents and made education a priority, through scholarship programs and links with local schools and universities.

The marine park’s beaches have been cleaned and a joint patrol of villagers, rangers and police officers established to safeguard its valuable natural resources. In the last two years live coral cover has increased in the park by more than11 per cent.

Almost a third of the park’s entrance fees are used to fund conservation and development projects which are proposed and implemented by the community. The local community has a strong input into the park’s management initiative, as five of its fifteen board members are local residents

Speaking about the global winner Professor David Bellamy, chairman of the judging panel said, “Bunaken is what natural parks and nature based tourism are all about. It is a biodiverse area of great beauty and importance to its nation and the world.

“The park is sustainably managed by the local community, safeguarding their own heritage, a rich living resource which they can hand on to their children. This Global winner is a perfect mix of national pride and tourism that doesn’t cost the earth more than it can afford.”

Lord Marshall, chairman of British Airways announced a change to the awards program, which will in the future be managed and presented in conjunction with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

He said: “Over the years, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have clearly grown in stature. From the beginning, the objective has been for the scheme to evolve in a way that would progressively increase scope, influence and effectiveness.
“Now, British Airways and WTTC will be working together to launch the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards into a new and exciting stage of development.”

Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president, WTTC added: “Travel and tourism is one of the world’s largest contributors of wealth and prosperity, accounting for more than 198 million jobs worldwide. Furthermore, if developed and managed effectively, our industry can actually nurture cultural and natural environments across the planet.

“For the last 11 years, the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have led the field in promoting and encouraging sustainable tourism development. WTTC is delighted to partner with British Airways, helping to raise the profile of Tourism for Tomorrow across all sectors of the industry worldwide.”

For more information on the Global Travel & Tourism Summit please visit www.globaltraveltourism.com.

July 18, 2003

Mount Soputan Erupts

JAKARTA (AP): A volcano erupted Friday in Eastern Indonesia, spewing lava and clouds of dust high into the air, officials said.

Villagers living close to Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi had not been advised to leave their homes, said Jemmy Runtuwene, an observer at a monitoring post close to the 1,783-meter (5,849-foot) peak.

Dust and ash from the volcano had fallen on the provincial capital Manado, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the mountain, he said.

A slow-moving lava flow was also visible at the rim of the peak, Runtuwene said.

Soputan, around 2,160 kilometers northeast of Jakarta, last erupted in 2000. It is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Indonesia volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire" - a series of volcanoes and fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

Source: Jakarta Post Online