NORTH SULAWESI INFORMATION PAGES

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

The Sangihe Talaud Archipelago

Travellers with plenty of time should not miss the chance to go to this seldom visited group of islands. As there is hardly any tourist infrastructure you should be a bit adventurous. Some words of Bahasa Indonesia are also very helpful. What you will find is: virtually untouched white sandy beaches, uninhabited small paradise islands, excellent spots for snorkeling, active volcanos (one under water!) and friendly, very interested people. At Siau Island you have a chance to see one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Be aware the weather conditions during the monsoon season (end of October - early April) can be a lot worse than around Manado - rough seas and large amounts of rain are common. Especially during this time there is also a higher Malaria risk than elsewhere in North Sulawesi.

Accommodation and Information: The Rainbow Losmen in Tamako, about 2 hours by public transport from Tahuna/Sangihe, is a very basic, but from my own experiences a pleasant and clean place, with good food, a very nice family and an owner that can arrange excellent boat and land tours. There have been occasional negative reports but I guess it depends on what you expect. This is not the Grand Hyatt, and if you want to get a bit of a real local feeling you should go for it.

Small hotels are available in the main towns Tahuna and Lirung. One place that has been highly recommended to me is the guesthouse "Penginapan BINTANG UTARA" in Tahuna, located about halfway between the harbour and the city center. Address: Jl. Pahlawan Lama No. 46, Tahuna; Phone (+62) 432-21375. Room rate was Rp. 35,000 in April 2001. Rooms are in good condition and clean, and the hotel has a large, friendly lobby and helpful staff.

A good source of information in Lirung/Talaud is an English speaking official at the harbour who at the same time is a member of the Indonesian Guide Association (Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia, HPI). His name is Eddie Terok, email address hpiworld@yahoo.com. He can also arrange accommodation.

Elsewhere you will have no problem to find people renting out rooms in their private homes. Even if communication is difficult you will easily find locals helping you to get a place to sleep and with other things. As western tourists are still a rare sight on these islands it might be a good idea to report to the local police or village chief, especially in small villages.

Transportation is easy: from Manado harbour there is a number of boats going to various islands in the Sangihe Talaud Archipelago, like Tahulandang, Siau, Sangihe Besar (Tahuna), Makalehi, Talaud and others. For most of them departure is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, going back on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It takes about 10 hours to Tahuna and 20 hours to Lirung.
Faster is the relatively new speed ferry "Oseana II" (see schedule below), which goes to Siau and Sangihe. Moreover PELNI has a big vessel going from Bitung to both places every four weeks.

Schedule MV Oseania 2

Days	Manado dep	Siau arr/dep	Tahuna arr
Mon, Wed, Fri	08:00	12:00/12:30	15:00

Days	Tahuna dep	Siau arr/dep	Manado arr
Tue, Thu, Sat	08:00	10:30/11:00	15:00

Merpati Airlines has recently started operating a weekly flight to Sangihe and Talaud again, on Monday morning. Don't rely too much on it, most likely it only takes place if there is enough demand.

Scuba diving: There are no dive operations on these islands. The only way to explore the underwater world is by liveaboard from Manado. Best option: Murex Manado. They have almost weekly trips to Sangihe Talaud.

Bird watching: Especially the Talaud Archipelago is a paradise for bird lovers. New species are still discovered regularly: Bird Watching in Sangihe-Talaud

Other Links:
Mt Karangetang (Siau) - Volcanic Activity Report
News on Volcanic Eruptions