Manado

Local knowledge

Taxis

Taxis are available – particularly in Manado City – though many of them are meterless, and you may have to bargain the price down; once you've arrived at your destination you can't question the price, so make sure you've agreed on one before setting off. The journey from the airport to Manado City will take about 20 minutes, and should cost Rp 70,000. We recommend hiring a car, but if you need a taxi, get your hotel to ring one or try Dian Taxi (+62 (0)431 851 010): these metered blue and white cabs have air-conditioning.

Tipping culture

Most hotels add government tax and a service charge totalling 21 per cent to bills. Where not included, a nominal tip of a couple of thousand Rupiah is always appreciated.

Siesta and Fiesta

Nothing much in Manado stays open late (apart from the odd karaoke bar), and there’s a fairly uniform nine-to-five culture where shops and banking are concerned. Your real reasons for visiting the region – the beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife of North Sulawesi – are available 24/7.

Packing tips

Mosquito repellent; avid divers will want their PADI or BSAC certification, log book and favourite bits of kit.

Recommended reads

Kill time between dives with Patrick Woodrow's watery thriller Double Cross, or 'wet' your appetite for underwater exploration with Jacques Cousteau's The Human, the Orchid and the Octopus.

Cuisine

Compared to the rest of Indonesia, Manadonese cuisine is spicier and tangier (making it very spicy and very tangy), with rice and fish as staples. Dabu-dabu is a hot, salsa-like relish of chopped tomatoes, onions, lime and chillies. Locals consume this with almost everything – including deep-fried sweet bananas. Rica-rica is another classic Manadonese dish of grilled chicken or pork topped with a spicy sauce made of chilli and onions. For a taste of authentic local food, head to the back of Bahu Mall, where you’ll find an eye-popping stretch of vendors hawking traditional cuisine along the boulevard. If you’re particularly adventurous with tastes that run to the exotic, try Minahasan food. Within Indonesia, Minahasans are renowned for their diverse cuisine: fruit bats and wild forest rats as well as domesticated animals (including dogs) are all considered delicacies. If you see the letters ‘RW’ on a restaurant’s menu, chances are they serve dog meat.

Currency

Indonesian Rupiah (Rp). £1 is worth roughly Rp 19,000. Since the smallest coin denomination is Rp 100, most amounts are rounded up to the nearest few hundred when paying for anything.

Time zone

GMT +8.

Dialing codes

Country code for Indonesia: +62. Area code: 0431.

Do go/don't go

August to November are the driest months; December to April are the wettest, although it will still be hot and humid. The peak tourist season is June–October and at Christmas; to see the island at its greenest and least crowded, go in April.