Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve

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Wild, mysterious and culturally diverse, the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is one of only a few regions in southeast Asia that continues to be spared from mass tourism. In July 2013, Roberto, Davide and I visited the province of North Sulawesi, initially for its world class diving, but also for all that it has to offer on land. Indeed, the region has a huge amount to offer to the lover of marine and terrestrial flora and fauna alike, not to mention some unique cultures. The coasts of North Sulawesi are bathed by the warm waters of the Celebes Sea, which harbours two thirds of the world's species of reef-building corals, forming some of the most bio-diverse coral reefs in the world. Our 2 week journey across the Northern peninsula took in five days on the mainland, in the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, whilst the rest of the time was spent diving on the islands of Lembeh and Bunaken. In fact, most visitors to this region come to dive the beautiful reefs, spectacular submarine walls or the murky, volcanic sands of the Lembeh Strait that harbour some of the most unusual sea animals on earth. Life on land is just as varied as it is below the surface; the landscape is littered with dormant and active volcanoes, all around which is beautiful primary rainforest that harbours a great deal of endemic animal life, including the absurdly cute spectral Tarsier and the cheeky, but endangered black macaque. Whilst visiting the mainland we made use of a local guide, Irawan Halir, who is involved in local animal research, and has an in-depth knowledge of the area and its wildlife. We stayed at family run Tangkoko Lodge, which conveniently sits at walking distance from the entrance of the National Park. In addition to the great home-cooked meals, we were lucky enough to be in the company of a truly skilled tree climber, which meant access to fresh coconuts! One of our local jaunts took us to a volcanic beach accessible only from the sea, the hope being to see some Maleos, a large bird endemic to the area. This endangered Megapode, a relative of the turkey, nests mainly in loose, geothermically heated volcanic sand, which serves to incubate its eggs naturally. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to locate a single individual despite hours of hiking and waiting in high hides. It probably says a lot about their imperilled conservation state, and with ongoing poaching we risk losing them forever. Still, we did find a few feathers, as well as recently dug nests, which was encouraging. Lava formations punctuate the coastline, and black sand beaches are the norm. In many spots, you can dig down just 30 centimetres to find seawater that is almost uncomfortably hot to the touch, which just goes to show how significant the geothermal forces at play are. In fact, just 130 km to our north is the most active volcano in all Indonesia, Karangatang, which has erupted 41 times since the 17th century, claiming many lives. Where there's heat, there's respite, and on more than one occasion, we stopped at the roadside for ais kacang, a shaved ice dish peculiar to Malaysia and Indonesia that is garnished with rose syrup, condensed milk, pandan jelly and all manner of other toppings. Exploring the depths of the Tangkoko Nature Reserve on foot is a real treat; the reserve takes its name from two of the three volcanoes that lie within the park. The most commonly visited part of the reserve is the lowland area between Mt Tangkoko and the shore. This area consists mainly of secondary forest whichs harbour two threatened endemic primates, the aforementioned Crested Black Macaques, and the cute, insect devouring Spectral Tarsiers. Crested Black Macaques are critically endangered. There are a couple of resident troupes here that are habituated to human presence. We managed to follow them during their morning routine, which generally involves mating, playing, travelling, grooming, foraging, mating, drinking, chasing forest pigs, mating and grooming some more. The remarkable crested macaque is a diurnal rainforest dweller. It is primarily terrestrial, spending more than 60% of its day on the ground, foraging for food and socialising, but sleeping in the trees. It is frugivorous, with 70 percent of its diet consisting of fruits. It also consumes leaves, buds, seeds, fungi, birds and bird eggs, insects, and the occasional small lizard or frog. Because it devastates crops and fields, the Celebes crested macaque is hunted as a pest. It is also hunted by local Christians, who have no religious dietary restrictions, to provide bushmeat. Rainforests clearance of course threatens its survival further. Since 2006, the Macaca Nigra Project has studied the biology of this primate, and worked to promote its conservation. The project, a collaboration between the German Primate Center and the Bogor Agricultural Institute, run by Antje Engelhardt, is located inside the Tangkoko reserve, which is actually home to the largest remaining crested macaque population. This is a spectral tarsier eating a grasshopper. These nocturnal bundles of hyperactivity may look like they're high on stimulants, but these fantastically well adapted animals are hypersensitive to their surroundings, with exceptional visual and aural acuity that allows them to locate forest insects in near darkness. An exciting find was an endemic temple viper, Tropidolaemus laticinctus, right in the middle of shedding its skin. Other animals we encountered in the reserve included Draco volans (the flying lizard), a massive Sulawesi Black Tarantula, Hawk Eagles, Hornbills and even Cuscus. During travels around the wider area of the peninsula, we came across a waruga site. Waruga are stone sarcophagi once used by the local Minahasa tribes to bury their dead. Historically, their dead were buried in a squatting position with their heads facing north, looking towards the origins of their northern ancestors. The practice was banned by the Dutch in the 1860s, as it was believed to be responsible for local outbreaks of disease. Modern medicine would dispel that as myth, of course, but the era also coincided with the spread of Christianity in the region, which saw people bury their dead beneath the ground instead. During our visit, a documentary crew for TVR Manado arrived to make a segment about these fascinating tombs, interviewing me in Bahasa Indonesia for an outsiders' perspective. In my view, this site is unique in the world, and that spot there beautiful and fascinating. The Tomohon market is a blaze of colour, smells and tasty, as well as unusual, eats... bat meat and dog both feature heavily in one section of the market. This market is the biggest in the area, and is an important source of business and food for people living in the highlands. The various market sections are clustered together, so a visit to the meat section isn't a requirement - the fruit and cooked food areas are a must, though, with many local delights to be sampled. A little way away, a fumarolic site is used as an area of pilgrimage and offers fascinating viewing. A few minutes of exploring among the sulphurous vapours will leave your eyes burning, as sulphur dioxide solubilises in your eyes to form sulphuric acid. Most fascinating of all was the two giant stone heads that overlook the fumarole field, mainly because the hair of each head consisted of hundreds of vines of one of the carnivorous plants that I study, Nepenthes maxima! Yes indeed the hair of the daity up there are form Nepenthes maxima which couldn't be more apposite in my case, although I'm not religious that's as close as I come to religion. Heavenly. We managed to visit a couple of volcanic sites. One was the caldera of the Mahawu volcano, which offered a brilliant panorama of the Mahawu crater. To the rear is the smoking crater of an adjacent volcano, Lokon-Empung. 3 kilometers from Tomohon city and 30 km from the provincial capital, Manado, is Lake Tondano, a large freshwater lake famous for its fish restaurants. Many different dishes are on offer, but the most popular include Goldfish (a type of carp), Mujair (tilapia) and small minnows. Lake Tondano is the "heart" of North Sulawesi, representing the main source of water for a large proportion of the population. It is also a source of water for gravity-irrigation of crops at lower altitudes, including rice. The lake has also been dammed to generate hydroelectric power. Our diving in North Sulawesi was based out of the Two Fish Divers resorts in Bunaken and Lembeh island respectively. Bunaken is located off the north coast, near Manado, and surrounded by other small islands with rich diving opportunities. Lembeh, on the other side of the peninsula, is more secluded, but situated near a busy port. Despite the industrial surrounds, it is one of the most famous diving locations in the world because of the incredible animals that you are likely to encounter on most dives there. There are no big fish, but this is speciality diving for those with a serious interest in marine organisms. The biodiversity is astounding and the fact that critters are so easy to spot makes it incredibly fun. Smack in the middle of the Lembeh Strait is the Mawali wreck, a Japanese freighter that sank in 1944 at the hands of the US during World War II. The 90 metre vessel lies on its side along a gradient that puts it at between 15 and 30 metres depth from shallowest to deepest point. The wreck is still in relatively good condition, and a dive around the wreck will take you around the propeller, cargo holds and bridge. The topside supports significant coral and crinoid growths and was a good spot for nudibranchs and reef fish, including spotted barramundi, scorpionfish, lionfish, nudis, pipefish, jacks, batfish, mantis shrimps and crabs. The Two Fish Diver resorts are operated by expats who have settled in the area. The resorts are simple, but wonderful, with excellent food, wonderful locally hired staff and very professional dive facilities. The sense of family makes these resorts special, and they're well worth checking out. One of the advantages of destinations like Sulawesi, that remain below the mass tourism radar, is that you will not be hassled by locals trying to sell you things you don't need; the guides are happy to customise your tours based on your interests and local people are far more willing to engage with you out of sheer curiosity. Not to mention the fact that you're more likely to get up close and personal with local beasties, something which is impossible in busier areas. Whilst the logistics aren't always as simple as they might be in a tourist zone, you're guaranteed a much more memorable adventure.