The Dampelas Lake area is definitely un-touristed! Such friendly people! Easy to reach! Instead of going to Lake Rano, our group decided to stay on the Manimbaya peninsular coast and hire a boat to explore the coral under a very clear sea with lots of fishing jumping around. Rano Lake, has only been visited once, but is worth doing, as it is connected to the coast by a 4 km. plantation trail over the hills.

For pictures from both lakes, please click Here.

Click Here to See Detailed Map.

Cycling at sunrise on Tomini Gulf, south of Tinombo

Some of the interesting faces of the people, south of Tinombo

A natural breakfast along the way, south of Tinombo

All of our journeys start in Manado, North Sulawesi. We then go to Gorontalo either by cycling parts of it to include the Minahasa Highlands or by air-con kijang van directly to Gorontalo to save time for the trips to the Two-Lakes district described below. If there is time, we can explore the beaches southeast of Gorontalo for cycling, snorkeling, out-rigger canoe sailing or diving.

The second leg of the journey, after motoring 276 km. from Gorontalo to Moutong, has us cycling from Moutong to the Kasimbar junction, 205 km in 2 days. The people are very friendly. Very few foreigners ever stop here, either. After the second overnight stop, we then cross the spine, only 32 km. wide but a bit steep in places, reaching the coast at Tambu, just north of the Manimbaya Peninsula. We then cycle the last 32 km. to Telaga, on Lake Dampelas where Pak Ibrihim and family are our hosts for our 2 days there.  If there is time, we can stop for a day and a night at Tanjung Karang beach before covering the last 37 km. to Palu for the flight back to Manado. On the last trip, the day before we flew back to Manado from Palu, we visited our guide Nurlin's village 8 km. from Palu to witness a Kaili martial arts ceremony usually performed at weddings and after Ramadan. This is great fun, especially when a chubby housewife challenges one of the men, to the immense enjoyment of the villagers and visitors! You'll have to see who wins!   In Manado, there is shopping and nice food. The next day, we return to the airport for the cyclists' return flight.

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