Intro •
About Eco Divers •
Bunaken Marine Park •
Counter
Currents
Lembeh and Bangka •
Circus Critter •
Relaxation •
Memories for Life •
Still Life Gallery
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From snowy white sandy beaches, palm trees and long drinks on Bali to steaming hot and still unchartered jungle on Kalimantan and West Papua. And everything in between nicely catering for the rest of us…
The country consists of more than 18,000 islands. The distances are enormous, the infrastructure may leave a bit to be desired, and not all regions are quiet and peaceful. Unrest and most disturbances, however, are considered an internal matter between various factions, who would like to see more or less autonomy.
Relaxed Religion
Religion plays an important part in everyday life though most Indonesians are quite relaxed about it. In many regions you’ll find enclaves with minorities and different religious beliefs living peacefully side by side.
One of these enclaves is called Minahasa on North Sulawesi. “Minahasa” or “Minaesa” means “to become one”, and Minahasa is quite representative of the unity the ethnic groups of North Sulawesi constitutes.
One of the main reasons for this unity grew from the need to be able to defend the area from outside dangers – especially pirates. The region is well-off compared to many other Indonesian regions, and most people are interested in a peaceful co-existence.
Decidedly Asian
On 27th September 2001 we boarded a flight from Singapore Airlines in Copenhagen on our way to Manado, the region’s principal city.
The next day on our way from Manado airport to the Tasik Ria Resort we drove through a town that looked decidedly Asian: Lots of traffic, noise and exhaust fumes, apparently unstructured and chaotic. And not very many tourists, it seemed.
Welcome to Tasik Ria
Hence our surprise when we saw Tasik Ria, a really beautiful resort med a large, free form swimming pool, waterfalls, bungalows and – naturally – a built-in dive shop, Eco Divers. And when we discovered that they made ice cubes on mineral water and sprayed against malaria mosquitoes we chilled completely.
