minahasa_is_called.htm

North Sulawesi, in the Indonesian archipelago, is a fortunate region.
You can find animals like the Babirusa – a frightening looking grey colored one-tusked gentle and shy herbivorous wild pig. Other exotic inhabitants in the forests of Minahasa include the magnificent Maleo bird, the Flying Dragon and the Tapir. Endemic wildlife and the myriad species of fish, flora and fauna are reasons enough to explore the region. Crystal clear rivers and streams, enchanting waterfalls, and lakes add to the fairytale landscape. Not to be missed is Lake Linow; its waters are known to change from dark blue hues to intense turquoise, green and sulfur yellow; this phenomenon is due to the volcanic hot springs, which bubble close to the lake. Bountiful padi fields, aromatic spices, fruits like pineapples, mangos and rambutans are another of Minahasa’s gift to its inhabitants and visitors. That is why it is called the place of the smiling people.

PEOPLE, RELIGION AND OTHERS

Traditional house of Minahasa

Topography and climate
Minahasa with a total area of 4,167.87 km2 is the most heavily populated and highly developed district in North Sulawesi. Only 20% of its land remains under forest, and the population density has soared to over 300 persons per square km – less than half of that of Java, but still very high.
Minahasa is extremely mountainous, with a narrow coastal fringe, and an interior plateau, where irrigated rice fields provide abundant harvest. Minahasa has abundant rain and clove trees grow well in the upland hills as do vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and cabbages.
People and Religion
The Minahasa are numerically and culturally the dominant group in North Sulawesi, living in the relatively densely populated valleys and plateau’s of the interior. They were appreciated by the Dutch for their administrative and teaching abilities, Protestant work ethic, soldiering, and maritime skills. There is still considerable Eurasian admixture in the population. Minahasans are especially hospitable to Westerners. Their houses reflect European tastes. Urban Chinese have intermarried with the Minahasans to a large extent. There are also small immigrant communities of Bugis, Makassarese, and Arabs and transmigrant colonies of Javanese and Balinese.
Minahasa district is the most Christianized part in Indonesia, with about 90% of the people Protestants and 10% Catholics. The excellent education system is due to intense competition among the different church schools, plus a lot of church money. The Minahasans take Christianity as seriously as the Makassarese and Bugis practice Islam in the South.
Christmas is celebrated joyfully and with great pageantry in Manado and surrounding areas. Surviving are animist beliefs in supernatural spirits contacted through native priest.

Agriculture
Agriculture still underpins the wealth of the district today. Rice was the first crop to interest outsiders. Coffee was important during the 19th century, but copra, coconut oil and their by-products are the major revenue earners today.
Most of the coconut trees are grown by smallholders but are old and less than optimally managed, and need now replacement. More recently, fortunes large and small have been made from cloves, which are mainly grown on the slopes of the Minahasa region. The phrase "clove fever" well describes the atmosphere of the 1970s, when everyone seemed to be planting, growing, harvesting or trading cloves. The cloves are exported to Java, largely to be used in scented kretek cigarettes. Clove oil is also pressed from the leaves of the tall cloves trees; the oil is used for relief from toothaches, among other things.
Spices are also important crops including nutmeg and vanilla. Waterspinach (kangkung), a cheap and widely eaten vegetable is also commonly grown. Corn, cassava and rice are also important crops in Minahasa.
The sea around Minahasa is very rich in various species of tuna. A fishing port with modern processing facilities has been developed on the north-eastern coast, but much fishing is still carried out by small craft instead of by the large seagoing vessels once envisaged.
Significant of freshwater fish are also taken from lake Tondano or raised in fishponds. A bit of manufacturing, largely the processing of agricultural products such as coconut, is found throughout the district, mainly in the Manado-Bitung region.
Livestock
Minahasa has a reasonable livestock potential, with 102,851 pigs, 4,365,085 chickens and 46,986 cattle, 141,141 ducks, 9,532 horses and 9,446 goats.
Cattle
Ongole and Bali cattle are kept in Minahasa for three purposes: animal traction including ploughing and for transportation; social and cultural reasons - to provide money for hospital fees or to raise cash or provide meat for weddings, funerals or another ceremonies; and a small number are kept for export. Beef cattle are often left to graze under coconut trees, wheras working cattle are usualkly grazed near the road or on the rice fields after harvestin and are brought in at night.

Pigs
Pork is consumed in great amounts by the people of Minahasa most household have at least one pig. Local breeds are mainly kept on a low input base, around the house and are fed kitchen and crop left-overs such as maize meal, rice bran, etc. Some specialised pig farmers keep betwen 10 and 20 upgraded meat breeds in pig houses and feed them concentrate, maize and rice left-overs. Both kind of pigs are either sold, slaughtered or used for own consumption. Since 1995/1996 the number of pigs decreased dramatically, since there was an outbreak of classical swine fever, since when many farmers have been afraid to keep pigs again.

Horses
Many horses are kept in Minahasa, for transportation, both for humans as for goods. The so-called ‘bendi’ keepers own often two horses, so the horses can replace eachother, when needed. The horses are kept in an extensive way, fed with grass and maize leaves and stem before and after work. After harvesting the rice, the horses graze in the fields.
Horse racing is also popular in Minahasa is racing, although mainly by rich people, as a hobby.

Chickens
Most households and farmers in Minahasa keep a few chickens. Although there are some farmers who keep large numbers in an intensive way for meat and egg production, the majority only keep a few in an extensive way. With hardly any inputs, chicken are kept as scavengers around the houses. Often they are shut up at night and released during the day to obtain food from the surrounding area, sometimes supplemented by kitchen and crop left-overs. Chickens are slaughtered for own consumption or sold to the market or anyone who needs a chicken.
Ducks
Ducks are also kept in an extensive way, although there are specialised duck keepers who keep over 500 ducks. Ducks are mainly kept for the eggs. During night time they are shut up, but in the day time they are moved to harvested rice fields. The ducks mainly feed themselves with whatever they can find, although some supplements such as maize and rice are given. In Minahasa, there are some farmers who move with their ducks to every place where the rice has just been harvested, to provide the ducks with feed.

Goats
There are not many goats kept in Minahasa. Some farmers keep goats in a very extensive wayleaving them to graze on any place where grass is available and moving them when the grass is finished. Goats are sold on local markets or slaughtered when needed.
Fish
Fish are mostly kept for home consumption in Minahasa. Both gold fish (ikan mas) and freshwater fish (ikan mujair) are kept in the fishponds in Lake Tondano. Most fish farmers buy small fish and feed them until they are big enough to sell to the market or to restaurants.
The sea around Minahasa is also rich in various species of tuna.

Majority of Minahasa is christian

THE MINAHASA HIGHLAND

Highland resort north Sulawesi

If you want to explore the attraction rich Minahasa Highlands, best is to stay in Tomohon, about 25 km away from Manado. To get an idea about the many things to do in this cool, mountainous area, have a look at the homepage of the Highland Resort in Kinilow, a few km from the center of Tomohon. This is an ideal place to base yourself and explore the area, or just relax for a couple of days. It is very quiet and the cottages, made from palm wood, are spacious and comfortable. Even small things are well taken care of, the food is good and the staff friendly and helpful. All this at a very reasonable price. Recommended!
Cheaper are Happy Flower Homestay (the homestay pioneer in Tomohon), Volcano Resort and Lokon Valley Homestay in Kakaskasen II. At the other end of Tomohon: Wawo Hotel and Kawanua Cottages.
At the upper end of the scale is the Gardenia Highland Resort with beautiful gardens and surroundings, and excellent food!
What you shouldn't miss: The two easy-to-climb active volcanos Mt. Lokon and Mt. Mahawu and the colored Linow Lake. At Tondano Lake have lunch at the "Danau Tondano Restaurant" near Remboken: it's a lot more idyllic than the Government run resort in Remboken itself. In the meantime more restaurants have opened along the shore.

Like to do some whitewater rafting? Try Waraney, a professional and safe operator. Booking through Manado Safari Tours.

The Volcanological Center in Tomohon is constantly monitoring the three active volcanoes in the area; go there before you climb one of them and get information about the actual state of activity. There are also some photographs from recent eruptions.

At the southern coast of North Sulawesi's peninsula is the remote Bentenan Beach Resort which recently has re-opened again. According to my information the road leading to the resort has been fixed, so access should be a lot easier now than it used to be. There is also a dive center but I haven't visited the place since a couple of years, so I don't really know what the actual situation is. If you want to go there it's best to contact them before at info@dive-bentenan.com.