Visit Bitung, the city across Lembeh island! which was awarded the title of one of the cleanest and healthiest cities of Indonesia for 8 years in a row, 2007-2014.
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OVERVIEW OF BITUNG CITY
Ocean deep, Mountain high. From Lembeh Strait to Tangkoko Nature Reserve
Many events are held each year. Most notably Festival Pesona Selat Lembeh with concerts, parades, boat racing, and as well planting corals and mangroves, is Tulude (the yearly traditional thanksgiving day of the Sangihe people), the yearly celebration of the Minahasa tribes and many other events. With some luck you can witness the traditional war dances Kabasaran, Cakalele, Maengket, Gunde and dances related to fishing and harvesting. At these events you can often also listen to the unique traditional bamboo music.
Even from within the city center, you often have an excellent view of the volcanoes, the jungle of Tangkoko National Park, the famous Lembeh Strait and the ocean. Bitung has tens of kilometers of beachfront both on the mainland and the famous island of Lembeh. The 220.000 people living here are a mixture of different ethnic groups which may differ in culture and religion but live together in peace and harmony.
Other things to see in Bitung are:
- Pasar Tua Culinary – Popular night food stalls, known for seafood and local snacks.
- Pelelangan – Traditional Fish Market by the sea, only openearly in the morning.
- Pasar Winenet or Pasar Girian– Traditional Markets of Bitung, most activity in the morning.
Animal Rehabilitation Center
If you want to have a closer look at the animals living in North Sulawesi and other part of Indonesia, it is worthwhile to pay a visit to Tasikoki, the rehabilitation center for endangered species in Tanjung Merah.
MONUMENTS OF INTEREST
In Bitung and on Lembeh Island you can see many churches, mosques, and a beautiful Chinese temple. Historical events are honored by several monuments such as the monument Trikora Mandala Sakti and the Japanese monument.
CULTURE
Although Bitung is a modern city with money machines, you still can find much of the traditional Indonesian life and culture if you look for it. For example at the local markets and the night food stalls. But also during events such as Tulude, the traditional thanksgiving day of the Sangihe people and the yearly celebration of the Minahasa tribes.
When to go, and how is it organized?
If you only do half a day of diving you can consider to do this easy tour/walk in Bitung in the afternoon. Or, at a non-diving day, you can go in the early morning. The walk starts from Ruko Pateten (the harbor that services all taxi boats from Lembeh) to the city centre of Bitung. You can stop at the small harbor beside the container port, with many traditional sailing boats transporting cargo from islands around Sulawesi. If you want you can also visit the Passenger harbor of Bitung. Then you continue to Pasar Tua station, with many small open shops on the road: clothes shops, barbershops, tailors, etc. There is a nice Buddhist temple about 5 minutes from the station via “mikro” -the small blue bus. A guide will also join you to give you directions during the tour.
Price
This Includes: Guide, boat transport from and to the resort, drinking water, snacks, fruits, and packed breakfast.
- Single person: IDR 800,000
- Two persons, per person: IDR 400,000
- Three persons, per person: IDR 267,000
What to wear/bring
- Small Indonesian currency (IDR 5,000 – IDR 2,000) notes incase you’d like to use the public buses.
- Shoes/Sneakers/Sandals, any footwear will do
- Semi-formal clothing if you’re planning to visit any temples/churches
- Phone with Mobile Data reception if you’d like a sense of direction via Google Maps.
Links
- You can also see the rates in EURO/USD in our Rates and Booking page.
- Google Maps of Bitung City & the harbor Ruko Pateten
Thank you for reading!
