Manado is the capital city located in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is located near the Manado Bay surrounded by mountainous terrains, facing the vast South China Sea. The city currently has more than 670,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in Sulawesi after the city of Makassar. The name Manado, which is derived from the Minahasan language, comes from the word 'manadou' or 'wanazou' meaning "on the far coast" or "in the distance" and originally referred to the further of two islands which can be seen from the mainland.

Airports in Manado, Indonesia

1. Sam Ratulangi International Airport (MDC)

This airport, located 13km away from the city of Manado, serves the city and its neighboring provinces is one of the 11 main gateways to entering Indonesia through the Northern part of Sulawesi. This airport serves as a hub for Lion Air, Garuda Indonesia, Silk Air and many more. The airport is also connected to several cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar and others. From this airport, tourists can take the Damri buses that serve this airport and to Downtown Manado.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Manado, Indonesia?

Traveloka is a search engine catering for your travel needs, making it easy for travelers to search for the cheapest and most affordable flight tickets to Manado. What you need to do is download the application into your smartphone and go to the search box. The application itself will provide recommendations and suggestions based on the preferences that you set; budget, type of accommodation and range of flight ticket. Traveloka also has a price alert features in which you can enable it to be notified of the latest cheapest price of flights to Manado.

Best Time to Fly to Manado, Indonesia?

Manado experiences tropical rainforest climate, much alike in the Philippines where there is no real dry season with a constant rainfall dotting throughout the year. The wettest month, however, is in January with annual precipitation of 121 millimeters while the month with the least rainfall is in September. This is due to the changing monsoon season as its located is near the equator. Temperature is constant throughout the year and is one of the cities with cooler temperatures.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Manado, Indonesia?

1. The Boulevard -This is the biggest business district in Eastern Indonesia, where shopping malls and shops line the place. The district was built on a 76 hectare reclaimed land and besides the four major malls which are Boulevard Mall, IT Centre, Manado Town Square and Mega Trade Center, there is also a large distribution of shops, restaurants and offices.

2. Malalayang Beach -One of the most visited beaches in Manado is Malalayang Beach, which is located only 4 km away from the city centre. During the weekend, you will see a rather large crowd of locals and foreigners alike swarming the area, especially during the evenings. Snorkelling is also one of the most popular activities to do here aside from swimming. Dotting the area are stalls selling fresh coconut water and even local delicacies like fried bananas and many more. From this beach also, you can see the island of Bunaken and Manado Tua.

3. Tunan Waterfall -Reaching the site will require a somewhat long trek, so this is one of those locations for the true adventurer. You can expect a four to five-hour trek before you’re gifted with a wonderful view of the falls, but we promise that the experience is entirely worth it! Note that this experience is best encountered as a local tour, as the foliage is quite dense in some areas, and the best in local experts are more than willing to answer all of the questions you may have regarding the region. However, if you do elect to visit the waterfall without the tour package, you can make the journey in substantially less time. The falls, the gem of Talawaan Village, is only a fifteen-minute easy walk from the trailhead. Additionally, there are a number of food stalls that are located onsite, if you're looking to grab a bite to eat, or a quick drink, without leaving the glory of the falls! Visitors visiting this waterfall should make earlier preparations to avoid wasting time getting there or trekking the trails.