Manado

Introducing Manado

In 1844 Manado was levelled by earthquakes, so the Dutch redesigned it from scratch. Fourteen years later the famous naturalist Alfred Wallace visited, and described the city as ‘one of the prettiest in the East’. That was 150 years ago and time hasn’t been kind to the place. Vestiges of the colonial period have succumbed to a swarm of mikrolet and the superb coast has been swallowed by shopping malls. Unattractive though it may be, Manado is a well-stocked base from which to visit the surrounding Minahasan region and islands to the north. It boasts the best wining and dining in North Sulawesi and locals hit the town on weekends.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009