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City in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Photo: Heidi Soosalu, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tomohon is a city in Northern Sulawesi. It is the fourth-largest city in the province of North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara), after Manado, Bitung, and Kotamobagu. Tomohon is south of Manado.
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Gunung Mahawu
A stratovolcano. Be careful on the stairs when wet; the stairs have an inclination that make them extremely slippery.
Mount Lokon (1,580 m), rising above Tomohon, is one of North Sulawesi’s most active volcanoes, known for its steaming Tompaluan Crater. A 1.5–2 hour hike leads across farmland and volcanic slopes to the crater rim, where sulphur vents and ash landscapes create a stark, otherworldly scene. Conditions can change quickly due to volcanic activity, so check local advice before visiting.
Bukit Inspirasi
Jalan Salib Mahawu
A quiet area for Christian pilgrimage. It has 'Via Dolorosa' at Mahawu (Jalan Salib Mahawu) to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ when he died on the cross. Inside the area is a Chapel of Virgin Mary, amphitheatre Mahawu, and man made grotto. All welcome.
A Buddhist religious and meditation complex. Chinese culture preserved in architecture of statues, Kwan Im goddess palace and pagoda. Religious service every Sunday 15:30.
Danau Linouw
A volcanic lake.
Painting Gallery
Pasar Beriman
Traditional Market, Fresh Market, and Extreme Market (the latter is where they sell various exotic meat such as dogs, bats, snakes). It is called 'extreme" for a reason. If customer buys an animal alive, it will be slaughtered on the spot. Not for the faint-hearted. Come in the morning before 08:00 if you want to see the Extreme Market, it gets quiet after 10:00.
Several incredible birds can be found in Mount Mahawu and Mount Lokon in Tomohon and in the other parts of North Sulawesi, such as Rufus Bellied Eagle; Brown Cuckoo Dove; Mountain White Eye; Dark Fronted White Eye; Scarlet Honey-eater; Crimson Crowned Flowerpecker; Sulawesi Spotted Goshawk; Sulawesi Serpent Eagle; Bay Coucal; Yellow Bellied Malkoha; Superb Fruit Dove; Citrine Flycatcher; Streaky Headed White Eye; Grey Sided Flowerpecker; Island Verditer; Sulawesi Dwarf Woodpecker; Mountain Tailorbird; White Browed Crake; Cinnamon Bittern; Scaly Breasted Munia; Cinnamon Munia; Little Egret; Wandering Whistling Duck; Ziting Cisticola; Lesser Coucal; Glamorous Reed Warbler; Javan Pond Heron; Black Kite; Bhraminy Kite; Blue Breasted Quail.
The best pig ribs in the city. A full meal of white rice, 3 pig ribs (costellata), braunebonen (red beans) soup and vegetable only cost Rp 15,000.
Restoran Risoma
The best Minahasan cuisine. It is located out of Tomohon city, and unfortunately the restaurant is hard to achieve just by microlet service. The menu includes Pangi, Acar, Tinorangsak (pork cooked in bamboo), RW (dogmeat), Paniki (fruit bat meat), Braunebonen (red bean soup), Sayor pait (bitter vegetable), and many more.
Restoran Heng Mien
The famous Minahasan cuisine restaurant in Tomohon. Unfortunaley, this restaurant is also located out of Tomohon city on the road to Manado. The menu are almost all the famous of the Minahasan cuisine such as RW, Paniki, Pangi, Sayor Pait, Acar, and so on. To get here, you can charter a mikrolet, the fare starts from Rp 75,000 per trip, or ask the hotel to arrange the dinner here.
A famous Javanese restaurant in Tomohon. It served mie ayam, bakso Malang, nasi goreng, tahu telor and so on.
About 30 minutes from Manado centre, this countryside inn has bungalows, chalets, and standard rooms. Rates start at US$88 for a single bed in the chalet, including free breakfast, welcome drink, a fruit basket, mineral water, tea and coffee in your room, afternoon tea and coffee with traditional snacks, and free Wi-Fi. It has a garden with fish ponds, tropical flowers and plants, along with unique birds and butterflies give it the feel of an environmental sanctuary. In another part of the garden, you will find different organic crops like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, tropical exotic fruits, and local herbs like basil, chilies, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and so on, which is used by the kitchen there.
Highland Resort and Spa
Right outside of Tomohon city and a 400 m walk from the main road. There are five types of rooms: Standard, Superior, Deluxe, Highland Suite, and Highland Grand Suite. All have private bathrooms with hot and cold water showers. Other amenities that are provided for your comfort in all our rooms are satellite TVs and large, comfortable beds. Free internet. Tour arrangement from highland tour to volcano trekking and whitewater rafting.
It is a 15-minute ride on a public Microlet from Terminal Beriman Tomohon, and in front of Cool Supermarket. The homestay or inn have hot and cold shower. Mobile contact +62 813 4036 3553
A ten-minute walk from the Highland Resort. The bungalows are spaced further apart from each other than the Highland Resort and are also quite new. Rp 250,000 per night.
Five minute ride on a public mikrolet from the Terminal, and a five minute walk off the main street. Or you can charter a mikrolet for about Rp 15,000. Wooden bungalows with attached cold showers cost Rp 200,000 per night. Economy double rooms are Rp 100,000. Includes breakfast.
Mountain View Resort & Resto
This mountain resort features 12 traditional bungalows: double and twin bed, bathroom with western toilet, hot water shower and terrace. Flatscreen television, free Wi-Fi and mineral water. Own spa with several wellness treatments. The restaurant serves specialties from the Minahasa highland, as well as Indonesian, Chinese, and western dishes. Try the home-made Mountain View Grog. They offer an early-bird breakfast if you have a morning flight to your next destination. The resort is run by German management, and offers a wide range of tours into the area, as well as rafting and kayaking trips, caving, volcano trekking, waterfall tours, horseback riding, mountain biking, birding, cooking classes, ...
double room, mattress on floor, fan (not really needed in evening or night but seems to warm a lot in morning when closed door), towel, toilet paper, wifi (upper floor, two rooms in total). One shared bathroom+toilet, cold+hot water (average to low pressure), toilet gun. Nice view on Gunung Lokon.
The first supermarket in Tomohon, very close to Bethesda Hospital. Selling many kinds of daily needs as well as fashion, computer, multimedia, and so on.
Very nice supermarket in southern Tomohon. Selling many kinds of daily needs such as vegetables, herbs, fruits, and the other stuffs, as well as fashion, books, mechanical tools.
A popular supermarket chain with restaurants and arcade on the upper floor.
Pasar Beriman Tomohon
Sell various kinds of vegetables, meat, spices, herbs, fish, meats, fruits, flowers, clothes. Comprises of the Fresh Market, Traditional Market, and Extreme Market (where they sell various exotic meat such as dogs, bats, snakes).
This is one of the souvenir shops in Tomohon. Various kinds of souvenirs are displayed in this small shops.
Locates in Kaaten, Matani 1 - Central Tomohon, BLPT is a coconut wood and arenga palm production. They make various kinds of furniture such as tables, chairs, desk, cupboards, beds, and small items like toys, and also knockdown houses from coconut wood.
By ship
Tomohon is also reachable (indirectly) by ship, and the nearest harbour is Manado harbour for the provincial area, and Bitung harbour for national and international service.
By bus
Tomohon is reachable also by public transport buses, or rental and taxi cars from cities in Sulawesi or Celebes Island, such as Makassar, Pare-Pare, Toraja, Poso, Tentena, Palu, Toli-Toli, Ampana,…
By car
Get a rental car direct from the airport on arrival. Cost around Rp 500,000 per day included driver, or self drive approximately Rp 300,000 per day, can be used for around Minahasa.
By cart
Bendi is a local name for horse-drawn cart, and can be a second option to go around Tomohon. Just like mikrolet, bendi also operates on set limited routes.
By ojek
Ojek is an Indonesian term for public motorbike taxi. The fares vary depending on the distance of a particular destination, but it usually starts from Rp 3,000 up to Rp 20,000.
By taxi
Daily in front of Bethesda Hospital, in the city centre, you can find many taxi cars queuing. They are called 'black taxi' or 'rental car'.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Manado · International · MDC
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