Traveling Across the Sonder villages in Minahasa Highland

Sonder is a small subdistrict town of Minahasa regency in the Republic of Indonesia. It is surrounded by farmland, and forest.  It is a highly recommended destination fo visitors who are interested in nature, and culture. Most of local villagers work as farmers. They grow food crops such as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, red beans, carrots, peanuts, and etc.

Farmland and rice field in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency

Butterfly and flower garden in Tincep village

People in Tincep village grow beautiful flowers in front of their houses. The flowers are sold to Manado city and other towns in North Sulawesi.

There are two or three waterfalls near Tincep village. I recommend that tourists visit Tincep to see those beautiful flowers, rice fields and waterfalls, travelers can enjoy white water rafting in Timbukar village. Don't forget to wear life jacket when you get into the boat.

Manado city - the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. It is the flight destination for tourists who want to explore Minahasa highland. 

Minahasan people are full of smile and laughs. They like singing folk songs, playing music as well as drinking saguer. For this drink, many tourists who travel to this region say that the refined one is strong enough to make you hang over the next day before continuing your trip. When saguer has been fermented and distilled, the end product is called Cap Tikus. Its alcohol content is probably higher than whiskey. 

So, don't drink too much if you plant to leave the village early in the morning. If you still have time, you can take a short trip to Leilem to see how the local craftsmen make furniture. 

If you are interested in visiting Minahasa land to see its villages and people as well as enjoy its beautiful landscape, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read: 

• Wildlife Trip in Tangkoko and Minahasa highland
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa regency
• Birding and Butterflywatching in Sonder of Minahasa highland

Wildlife Trip in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland of Indonesia

The nature reserve of Tangkoko and the protected forest of Mount Mahawu have become important destinations for visitors who are interested in wildlife. Various kinds of wild animals could be seen there. 

Scaly-breasted Kingfisher

Birdwatchers like to visit Tangkoko because they could observe colourful tropical birds such as Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Black-naped Oriole, Knobbed Hornbill, Minahasa Racquet-tail, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Lilac Kingfisher, Green-backed Kingfisher, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, Pale Blue Monarch, and etc. 

Yellow-billed Malkoha

Mammals could also be seen in Tangkoko's forest. They include Sulawesi Bear Cuscus, Celebes-crested Macaque, and Gursky's Spectral Tarsier.

The rainforest of Minahasa highland is an interesting site for birdwatching and butterflywatching. Visitors who take a tour to Mount Mahawu and Sonder's farm forest could watch such birds as Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Superb Fruit-dove, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Myzomela, Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Drongo, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, and a lot more. 

Gursky's Spectral Tarsier

Butterflies are important attractions for anyone who are keen to see beautiful insects. Blanchards Wood Nymph, Blanchards Ghost, Lime Swallowtail, Manado Yellow Tiger, Gigon Swallowtail are some of the many butterflies which visitors could see during the wildlife tour in Minahasa highland. 

Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly

For accommodation, visitors could stay in a lodge in Tangkoko and in a hotel of Tomohon town. 

Taking a good photographic device such as a camera with telephoto lens that is mounted on a tripod will greatly enhance the wildlife tour. For birdwatchers, a pair of binoculars and spotting scope will be useful to observe birds in distant trees. 

Birdwatching in Sonder Farm Forest of Minahasa highland

The duration of the tour is usually 7 days/ 6 nights. 

Flight Destination to Manado city

To take this tour, visitors need to fly to Manado city which is the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. 

Manado city, the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia

• Visitors could fly from their country to Jakarta or Denpasar and then continue their trip by taking domestic flight to Manado city. Domestic airlines such as Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, SuperAirjet provide regular daily flights between major cities in Indonesia and Manado city.
• There is direct flight between Manado city and Singapore provided by Scoot Air.
• There is direct flight between Manado city and Guangzhou of China. 

Flight route to Manado city

Accommodation

As a tourist guide, I could arrange an accommodation for participants in a lodge in Tangkoko and in a hotel in Tomohon town.

Choice of Accommodation

Booking

To book your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Related Post:

• Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland of Indonesia
• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland of North Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi