Sonder Tours in Minahasa Peninsula of North Sulawesi

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa highland of North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. It is surrounded by hills, rivers, waterfalls, paddy fields, farmland and forest. This short article provides info about tours in Sonder which visitors can enjoy during their trip in Indonesia.

Hiking Tour in Sonder of Minahasa Regency

Trekking tour across the hills and valleys is an interesting activity which visitors could enjoy to see the beautiful landscape of Minahasa. Farm Tour - Most of the Minahasan people who live in Sonder are farmers. They cultivate their land and plant them with various kinds of food crops such as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, red beans, peanuts, coconut, and etc.

While enjoying the walk through the agricultural land, we could see farmers plowing, planting, or harvesting food crops in their farm fields. The houses of local villagers are often covered by concrete floor to enable them to dry grains such as peanuts, red bean, rice and corn. Most farmers still do manual works in their farms. Some of them buy hand tractors, and milling machines which very important in cultivating their land, and processing their agricultural produce.

The farm forest of Sonder is the habitat of a lot of species of butterflies and moths, beetle and dragonfly.

Butterfly watching Tour - Some of the butterflies that we could see include: The Clipper, Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly, Common Birdwing, Blanchard's Ghost, Blanchard's Wood Nymph, Lime Swallowtail, Celebes-banded Swallowtail, The Great Orange Tip, and etc.

Celebes-banded Swallowtail

Birdwatching Tour - In addition to butterflies, the farm forest of Sonder is the habitat of a lot of species of birds such as 

Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove,

Green Imperial Pigeon,

Superb Fruit-dove,

Zebra Dove,

Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon,

Yellow-billed Malkoha, 

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, 

Pygmy Hanging Parrot, 

Ashy Woodpecker,

Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, 

Pale Blue Monarch, 

Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, 

Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, 

Snowy-browed Flycatcher,

Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker,

Yellow-sided Flowerpecker,

Gray-sided Flowerpecker,

Sahul Sunbird, 

Crimson Sunbird, 

Brown-throated Sunbird,

Black Sunbird,

Black-naped Oriole, 

Scaly-breasted Munia, 

Chestnut Munia, 

Black-faced Munia, 

Hair-crested Drongo (white-eyed),

Sulawesi Drongo, 

Sooty-headed Bulbul,

Finch-billed Myna,

Sulawesi-crested Myna,

Barred Rail,

Buff-banded Rail,

White-browed Crake

Purple Heron,

Sulawesi Crow,

Cattle Egret,

Little Egret, 

Purple Heron,

Brahminy Kite,

Black Kite,

Sulawesi Goshawk,

and etc.

Pale Blue Monarch

Birdwatchers in Sonder of Minahasa

To watch birds, visitors need to bring 8×42 mm, 10×42 mm or 10×50 mm binoculars manufactured by Swarovski, Leica, Nikon or Olympus. Those who like to take pictures could bring point and shoot cameras such as Nikon P1000, Canon SX70HS, Sony Cybershot RX20 IV.

Bird Photography Trip in Lake Linow of North Sulawesi

Where is Sonder and how to go there?

Sonder is a small subdistrict town that is located in Minahasa regency of Indonesia. It can be reached by car from Manado city for approximately 1 hour. 

Car route between Manado city and Sonder

Foreign visitors need to fly to one of the major cities in Indonesia and then continue their trip by planes to Manado city. There are daily flights between Manado city and major cities in Indonesia served by Lion Air, Super Airjet, Batik Air, Garuda Indonesia, and Wings Air. There are also international direct flights between Singapore and Manado city by Scoot Air, and between Guangzhou and Manado city by TransNusa and China Southern Airlines. 

Flights to Manado city

Accommodation

There are homestays in Sonder for visitors who want to spend several days in Sonder. There are also hotels in the nearby Tomohon town for visitors who are traveling in bigger groups. 

If you are interested in taking a tour in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa highland, please, contact us by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Related Posts:

• Sonder Bird
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Birding in Sonder and Mount Mahawu
• Butterfly watching Tour in Sonder Town
• Farmland Tours in Sonder Town of Minahasa Highland

Trip to Minahasa Highland

Minahasa highland is a beautiful destination for visitors who love nature. It can be reached by motorized vehicle from Manado city in 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on what village or place that visitors want to go to. Some of the interesting places which tourists can visit are described below: 

The District town of Sonder with its agricultural land

Sonder town - This is a small town that is surrounded by farmlands. Clove trees used to dominate the hills of Sonder. Clove flower was expensive commodity in 1970s to 1980s. Tounelet village has got small forest that is good for birdwatching and butterfly watching.  Sonder as a whole is a great destination for birdwatching in North Sulawesi. Birds that can be watched include Sahul Sunbird, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Cattle Egret, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Black-naped Oriole, Sultan's Cuckoo Dove, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Black-faced Munia, Barred Rail, and a lot more.  Now local farmers gradually replace them with coconut, corn, vannila, and vegetable plants. Butterflies that can be seen include the Blanchard's Wood Nymph, Blanchard's Tree Nymph, Graphium meyeri, Graphium anthedon, and The Sylvia Clipper. There is a hospital in Tounelet village of Sonder town.

In wetland area, visitors could see terraces of ricefields. Some farmers grow tomatoes, long beans, aubergine and other vegetable plants. The rivers have been devided into many small pools and are used for fish farming. There are restaurants that sell fried and grilled fish that is served with various kinds of stir-fried vegetables and sambal (chilli sauce). 

There are farmers in Rambunan village who collect sweet sap of aren tree and heat it using large cooking pans to make palm sugar. 

Tomohon town

Tomohon is another important town in Minahasa highland. A lot of schools could be found there. Tomohon is also the transportational hub of Minahasa region. The famous Mount Mahawu could reached by car or motorcycle from Tomohon. There is traditional market that sells unusual meat to Minahasan people, such as dog meat, snake, ricefield rat, and flyingfox meat. Woloan village that exports knocked-down wooden houses could be visited from Tomohon. 

Kawangkoan is another distric town that is famous for food. Visitors can buy steam buns filled with pork and boiled eggs or black nut paste.

Tondano - This is the capital of Minahasa regency. It is also the location of the State University of Manado. Lake Tondano is located in the south of the town. Restaurants and lodges could be found along the road that circles the lake. The air temperature of Tondano is cool especially early in the morning. 

Lake Tondano in Minahasa regency of North Sulawesi

This tour to Minahasa highland can be combined with trips to Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen and Lembeh Strait. 

Please, book your tour

If you are interested in taking a tour to Minahasa highland and want me to organize your trip and guide you, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Manado Tours
• Manado City Tour