Non Divers (or resting divers)
Apart from complete relaxation, non divers who stay at Mapia Resort can enjoy fascinating land tours. The most famous are:
Minahasa Highlands tour
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A cultural trip along villages, paddy fields, volcanoes, hot springs, lakes.
You will visit: one of the active craters in the area, Mt. Lokon or Mt. Mahawu with a breathtaking view.
Tondano Lake with its paddy fields and fish farms.
Danau Linow, the volcanic lake changing colour, with sulfur hot springs.
Woloan, the village of traditional Minahasa wooden houses builders.
Tangkoko National Park tour
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The stunning virgin rainforest with endemic monkeys and tropical birds.
While walking through the Tangkoko forest nature reserve amongst dazzling plants for 2-3 hours it is possible to see: Celebes Crested Macaque Monkey, moving in small groups and unafraid of man.
The Flying Dragon - a lizard gliding between these enormous trees.
The dramatic Hornbill, the large male bird entraps the female in a hollow tree to guard the nest.
At dusk one of North Sulawesi most popular critters becomes active - the Spectral Tarsier, a small insect eating primate, with its large rounded eyes.
Another option is to join the divers for a day on one of the dive boats for snorkeling. Bunaken reefs are ideal for swimming and observing the sea life with mask, fins and snorkel. All dive sites have a similar topography: the reef starts very close to the water surface and then drops toward abyssal depths. While divers enjoy exploring the depths, the non-divers can explore the colourful reef fronts teeming with life. Snorkeling is never dangerous as the sea is calm and the currents are rarely strong. And the boat is always on hand in case of any difficulties.
Due to Mapia's proximity to Manado, you can visit the city and stroll around Manado downtown in the late afternoon or evening. This main town of North Sulawesi is rapidly developing and offers an array of tourist attractions. Enjoy the chaotic, colourful markets next to the modern shopping malls where you can find real bargains at a very good price. The night life evolves around a few pubs: cold beer and live music until late night.