Northern Sulawesi is mainly known for its world-class scuba diving spots, but if you make the effort to leave behind Manado, the “capital” of the north and the coastline, you will be rewarded with a unique cultural experience. So just head into the highlands!

The mountainous area south of Manado is known as the Minahasa Highlands, which received its name from the Minahasan people, a native ethnic group.

Minahasan are of austronesian origin and were divided into clans, who were fighting with each other in the past. A reminder of this period is the Kabasaran, the local martial art and war dance, which is performed in blood-red costumes decorated with animal skulls. As a result of these conflicts, the Minahasan are also diverse linguistically with five different languages spoken in the region.

Another peculiarity is the Minahasan cuisine, which is also described as extreme by many because of the exotic meats and impressive amount of chili they use. 

During colonial times, Minahasan adopted Christianity and as a result, North Sulawesi, unlike most parts of Indonesia, is predominantly Christian.

Minahasa highlands

The best place to learn about Minahasan culture is Tomohon and the surroundings of Tondano Lake. In the area, you can see many of the traditional Minahasan wooden houses and old stone sarcophagi (Waruga). In Sawangan village there is also an archeological park with a huge number of Warugas with the oldest ones dating back to 900AD.

The Warugas were carved out of a single piece of stone and served as a resting place for the whole family. I was explained when I visited the place, that the Waruga used to be carved out by the local men and had to be completed before they got married.

In Tomohon itself you can visit the local museum, the “extreme food market”, the handicraft market, Linow Lake with hot springs and fumaroles around it, and just a few km away from the center, the crater of Mahawu Volcano.

Minahasan Cuisine

Traditionally, Minahasan used to eat literally anything that moves! Apart from the usual meat sources, dog meat is also an everyday part of the menu, and exotic animals, like bats, snakes, and forest rats are also consumed. Monkeys also used to be eaten, but the government already banned that. The “extreme market” in Tomohon is the best place to get an idea about the meat-eating habits of Minahasan, where you will see all these creatures on sale.

Hot springs, fumaroles and hot lakes

The Minahasa highlands are dotted with active volcanoes and thanks to this geothermal activity, the area is full of hot springs! The best places for dipping into a hot spring are beside Lake Linow and around Tondano.

Linow Lake also has a geothermal area with boiling mud pools and sulfuric fumaroles at its shores. This area has a very interesting atmosphere with smoke and vapor all around it! Keep in mind, that there are no secured trails there, so if you happen to step on an unstable, hot point, you can get a serious burn!

Tangkoko National Park

This national park is another place, that I would really recommend visiting. The park is home to a large number of endemic species, including the Celebes crested macaque, hornbill, bear cuscus, and the spectral tarsier.

The superstar number one of the park is the tarsiers, they are the most important reason why the park is receiving so many visitors. They look amazingly cute and they can melt your heart with their huge eyes.

Tarsiers are nocturnal creatures, they have their favorite trees where they rest in holes during the day and they wake up first around sunset.

The national park also has some nice, black sand beaches around it, which are also worth to be visited.