Manado Loop

Joko_Londo

Joko_Londo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2016
Location
Yangon, Myanmar
Bikes
Kenbo 125
This isn't a report as this is a planned trip of mine for April-May this year, but there don't seem to be any reports on North Sulawesi.

As for kilometers driven, this loop I'm proposing isn't all that long, but it'll be on a little step-through bike, so there we are.

Anyone toured here? Any advice? Given that I'm going to have two and a half weeks for this trip, I'm thinking about going a bit further, making my way down to parts of Cetral Sulawesi.

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Hi,

I think for two and a half weeks you could make a full loop on Sulawesi. If your start and finish will be Manado, why not try the whole island :)

Makassar - Manado via west coast took only 5 days. Quite a boring straight road. On the eastern coast should be very interesting, through Luwuk and make it all the way to Kendari. Never tried this myself, but a friend just got back and it took him only 5 days to travel around Luwuk and Makassar.

Well the timing is really depend on how you gonna travel. When there are many activities beyond riding, the time would not be enough. Took me 45 days to travel Java all the way, done over three years.

Have a great ride buddy!


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I did rode from central java to manado in 2013,route is solo-surabaya-(by ferry) makassar-mamuju-palu-gorontalo-manado.Sulawesi got washing machine corner.on some area you just count 1-2-3 and corner and corner again.my advise,you will need new tire except heidenau stone tire haha.
that time road condition was 90% good and 10% semi offroad.but some of my friend said last year was lots of damaged road.but who know for now.
One of my friend from norwegia did this route in return.be very carefull on sulawesi for local rider/driver they are so careless.lots of stunning and natural scenery.beaches and some mountain.
 
Well, my time here in North Sulawesi is almost up, and lots has happened over these last 2 and a half weeks. As related to motoring, I had no problems renting a nice, brand new, zippy Honda 150 scooter in Manado, and in the contract was a provision that I could not leave the North Sulawesi province. Fine, fine, I was only planning to leave it briefly to Gorontalo. In the second of these two vids you'll see what happened.

You'll note the posts start with Part 5... I spent a couple days on Bunaken Island before beginning the touring, and that didn't involve any motorcycle touring. If you'd like to see the opening 4 vids, there on a YouTube Playlist. There's also more to the stories behind the vids along with pictures at my blog.

In Part 5, I finally hit the road.

In Part 6, it's one of the longest legs of the journey.
 
Tonight is my first night back in Yangon, Myanmar, the place I call home right now. The three weeks in Sulawesi is over.

Parts 6, 7 and 8... First, Amurang to Boroko, the longest and perhaps most beautiful leg of the journey..


In that video, I learned that my rental motorcycle had a GPS device installed on it somewhere. My plan was to go to Gorontalo, the capital of the next province over. When I rented the bike and the contract said "YOU CAN'T LEAVE NORTHERN SULAWESI", I ignored it, and lied and said I wouldn't. Then, I got the text threatening to deactivate my motorcycle. WHat the?!? So, in part 7, tail between legs, I head back towards Manado, to Kotamobaru.


SO now that my itinerary was totally messed up, I had to look for new options...

 
Wow man - really great video clips and comments. You even got to the Mahawu volcano and the (in)famous market in Tomahon. Brought back some great memories indeed. Btw Im the norwegian guy Rocketz mentioned earlier in this thread. I rode around on Sulawesi for almost 4 weeks in 2015, from Makassar to Manado and back almost without doubletracking myself. Its was the highlight (of many highlights) on my 3,5 months Indonesia ride. Roads are very narrow and winding and the parts on the southern route Manado-Gorontalo was very steep up to Kotamubago! But what a ride and what a scenery. And so far away from any 'western civilization' and exotic. Oh - made me wanna go back....and one day I will.

Thanks for sharing btw...
 
Did you happen to stay at the Sendowan Baru Hotel near Amurang? The hotelier there told me of other motorcyclists he'd hosted there. That southern road sounds wonderful. It's a shame the GPS device on my rented bike prevented me from taking it.

Part 11

 
No unfortunately I didnt stay at the place you mentioned. I spent a couple of nights in Manado (at Hotel Celebes) a couple of nights in Tomohon (cant remember what the place was called) and a couple of nights in Gorontalo (at New Melati hotel) a night upwards and one night when returning. Took a ferry from Gorontalo over the gulf of Tomini to Pagimana and continued to Luwuk. Planned to continue south the east coast but I had to return 150-200 kms after Luwuk as the roads were impassable, dirt roads and heavy rain. But I still enjoyed it a lot...
 
Have you ever wondered why we feel so attached to monkeys? In this blog, which has lots of pictures and words, I venture into the jungle to meet the endangered black crested macaque in its natural habitat. The video with it is a lot less David Attenboroughly dramatic, but I still like it. Following the park, I get on the bike and explore the town of Batuputih...

Here's the blog.



 
Click here to see the details and pictures of what proved to be the most convoluted leg of the journey. When I left that morning I had a goal of where I wanted to go, and when I got there, it didn't suit me. Then what? Back to what was one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever come across.

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I've taken my time finishing up the series, but here it is, the final episode. I return the scooter the rental company, spend a final evening in Manado and make a fort on the floor of the Singapore Airport. Thanks for watching, everyone!

 
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