Capital of Sulawesi Utara, MANADO is chiefly of interest as the departure point for spectacular diving and snorkelling at nearby Bunaken Marine reserve. You can either base yourself in Manado and do day-trips to the reefs, base yourself just outside Manado at one of the dive resorts which offer all-inclusive packages or, the cheapest but least reliable option, base yourself on Pulau Bunaken itself . Day-trips from the mainland cost from US$65 for two dives, plus US$30 for full equipment. Blue Banter, Floor 2, Novotel, Jalan Piere Tandeau (tel 0431/862135), has good equipment, facilities and dive crew.

Downtown Manado is a couple of blocks of markets, squares and roundabouts on the north side of the city immediately below a shallow, silted harbour , with other businesses south of here along the first kilometre of Jalan Sam Ratulangi, which runs parallel to seafront Jalan Piere Tandeau. There's actually little to see here, aside from the fish market at Pasar Bersahati on the north side of the harbour. Manado's microlets converge downtown at the top of Jalan Sam Ratulangi at Pasar 45 ("Pasar Empat Lima"), an area of back-lane stalls, supermarkets and ferry agents next to the dock.