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Frequently Asked Questions

Transportation - Recommendation - Tickets - Animals - Currency - Money Change - Malaria - Tour Guides - Hotels - Weather - Rent Cars - Electricity

 

To be continued....

 

How do I reach Bunaken from Manado?
Can you give me information where to get cheap plane tickets ?
Are there poisonous or unpleasant animals e.g. spiders, scorpions millepedes...on the island?
Which currency is accepted on Bunaken?
Where can one change or withdraw money?
How high is the danger to get malaria and shall I have myself vaccinated against it?
About what should I be mindful in the case of choosing a so-called "guide" or "tour guide" ?
Which hotels are cheap and recommendable in Manado?
Can one rent a car in Manado?
How is the weather like on Bunaken in the month xxx?
What does it look like with electricity on Bunaken?

 

How do I reach Bunaken from Manado?

If you have booked accomodation in a recommended Resort, you are usually transported from the airport (taxi) or the port of Manado (boat) to Bunaken depending on agreement. As a backpacker you have two possibilities: You either reach the PUBLIC Boat to Bunaken before departure (depending on tides daily at about 14.00 h, apart from Sunday) - have a look at the map "Taxi Boote" at the river on my web site http://www.bunaken-klaus.com/manado_e.htm. Or you charter a private boat at the port (see the same map). This will be more expensive, though. As third possibility you can look for a reasonably priced hotel and spend a day in Manado and then take the PUBLIC BOAT next day.

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Can you give me information where to get cheap plane tickets ?

No, to this I simply lack the experience.
Generally it is recommendable to book inland flights in Indonesia, if possible. They are much cheaper than in the travel agency of your country..

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Are there poisonous or unpleasant animals e.g. spiders, scorpions millepedes...on the island?

Primary note: My information is based on my own experience inclusively what I know from conversations with locals. I don't take over responsibility if you meet a dangerous animal on Bunaken which I haven't mentioned. If e.g. you are consumed by a boa.
There are poisonous animals, such as scorpions and millepedes, on the island of Bunaken. They like to hide with pleasure in your clothes or in the wetsuit overnight. Don't have hung any garments in the bathroom. Examine always before you put on a garment, whether it was selected by a perhaps poisonous animal as a hiding-place. Never go barefootedly in the evening either. Neither the short routes from your bungalow to the restaurant!
Besides of sea urgins you should pay attention to little luespotted ribbontail rays which may have burrowed into the sand of the shallow water. Therefore never go barefootedly into the water.
Hopefully you have learned in diving courses that one shall not grasp anything sub-water. I would like to point particularly to stonefish, all kinds of scorpion fish, coral catfishes, cone shells, sea snakes, but also corals.
Uninvited guest on your balcony in the evening are often cockroaches and flying ants.

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Which currency is accepted on Bunaken?

You can pay with Indonesian Rupiah and Euros in most Resorts on Bunaken. Some also take U.S. $. But the banknotes shouldn't be dirty or damaged and the print date not older than in 2001, though. One can pay also by Visa or MasterCard in "better" Resorts. (see the corresponding internet page.)

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Where can one change or withdraw money?

Not on Bunaken up till now anyway. We use to draw our money in Manado at the cashpoint of the Bank of Asia (BCA) by our VISA card in Indonesian currency before our transfer to the island. This is free of charge. Have al look at the internet page of your bank and ask about the conditions or partner banks worldwide.
You can usually exchange cash (U.S. $ or euro) very favourably at money changers into IR. Examples:

  • Stenly (see here or photo here ), 1°29'36.34"N; 124°50'28.95"E ; near harbour
  • A Chinese rice merchant and money changer, 1°29'40.20"N; 124°50'31.17"E; near harbour
  • BT Manado Inter Moneey Changer, 1°27'44.39"N; 124°49'34.18"E; Manado South

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How high is the danger to get malaria and shall I have myself vaccinated against it?

The danger of infection is generally evaluated as low in North Sulawesi . Mosquitos more frequently appear during the rainy seasons. I myself have no more taken prophylaxis within the last 8 years. Instead I had stand-by medicine with me for the case my travel destinations is remote of Manado, where medical care may not be available. However, I had never to use these.
In any case I advise you, to consult your GP. He knows your medical history and has access to the current information about the risks at your vacation spot. Don't forget to mention that you are a diver during the diskussion about the medicine.

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Which hotels are cheap and recommendable in Manado?

 

 

Can one rent a car in Manado?

In Manado city it is hard to rent a car for driving yourself. Mostly all the car owners will include a driver. But everywhere you can easily get motorbikes to rent.
Only at the airport Sam Ratulangi you can find some rental car companies.

If travelers ask me about rent a car in Indonesia, I always advise them to take a car with driver because of the risk. In case of an accident your driver is responsible. If you have been driving , you have to pay, no matter if you are at fault or not.

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How is the weather like on Bunaken in the month xxx?

"What is the weather like in Paris in June?" - A similar ...question.
One can say generally that you can dive on Bunaken all over the year, though. The water always has a temperature of 28-30 °. In the rainy season (November - end of March ), as the word already says, it rains more frequently than in the dry season. The NW monsoon winds can then blow quite intensely and occasionally bring rain for days . There nevertheless are periods of sunshine now and then, too. Usually you never feel cold. I myself have often felt the cooling winds and the rain as a release from the tropical heat. If you come back on the boat after 80 minutes diving time, though, you often cannot be warmed up by the sun. Then you must get dressed warmly (don't forget to protect your ears!).
You need not be afraid either that the rains soil the water around the island how this is often the case nearby rivers at the mainland. Often the island is spared from dark rain clouds, while a look to Manado shows that it rains intensely there.

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What does it look like with electricity on Bunaken?

 

 

About what should I be mindful in the case of choosing a so-called "guide" or "tour guide" ?

Besides some travel agencies in Manado there are many Indonesians who offer guided tours not only to the North Sulawesi area, but also to the Togian Islands, Tana Toraja and even to Flores, Komodo and Bali. Since everybody can call himself a "tour guide", with or without a special qualification one should already take care to whom one entrusts himself. Before all: Have a look at his licence to avoid unpleasant surprises!
It is primarily an important prerequisite that he masters the English language well. Detailed knowledge should be included over the regions, the people of Minahasa and their culture, as well as the fauna and flora. Anyhow you should make conversation with your guide before and test his qualification. Not least also liking and confidence are an important issue.
An important topic is also the price. Make clear before what's included and how much you must pay extra (e.g. ask about transportation, full board, entrance, guide, overnight stay).On stopovers one also expects that you buy for your guide as well as the driver a simple drink and meal.
Due to my experiences and reports of travellers I must advise you: Don't pay the complete price before the tour. If you already plan the tour from your country, of course a cash in advance is required for large tours for booking hotels and flights in time. The remaining payments then can be carried out step by step. To not let become your tour an incalculable financial adventure, you shouldn't transfer your cash in advance to a dubious Indonesian private account.
To prevent misunderstandings, it is also advisable to fix the course of the planned tour including all services in note form and have confirmed the price by signature.

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will be continued...
 
   
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