Tangkoko Sanctuary Villa & Spa

You simply MUST stay at Tangkoko Sanctuary Villa if you are planning an overnight trip to Tangkoko Nature Reserve! It was one of the most pleasant boutique hotels I've ever stayed in, and this is coming from someone who's lived in Asia for almost 11 years and has travelled extensively around the continent. Linda is a wonderful and exceptional hostess, who went out of her way on the day of my arrival to help organize my Sulawesi wildlife adventure that spanned both Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Gorontalo Province. Similarly, any activites around the region that you want to do, including Tangkoko wildlife tours, can be organized directly through Linda! Amazing hospitality. The hotel itself is lovely, nestled atop a lush hill on the border of Tangkoko Nature Reserve. There are a number of villas for guests to stay in at the hotel---all are beautifully decorated, spacious, and impeccably clean. The food is home-cooked and delicious, and can be customized to fit any dietary requirements or preferences you might have. And on that note, the staff of Tangkoko Sanctuary Villa are like one tight family; all are incredibly sweet and hardworking. I didn't spend much time at the hotel due to my packed itinerary, but its charm and comfort still rubbed off on me. It was bittersweet leaving the hotel on my final day in Sulawesi, but I know I'll be back soon enough!

Added a two night stay to a business trip in Manado so that I could see the wildlife. Andi picked me up on time from the conference hotel in Mando. The hotel arranged morning and evening bird spotting with Ober, who was an excellent and knowledgeable guide. He even summoned his nephew to take me on the back of his bike to avoid walking 2km after it started to rain. Also saw rafflesia, couscous, tarsiers, scorpions and tarantulas. The sleeping owl was the cleverest find. I spoke mainly Bahasa with Ober but his English was good enough to explain everything we saw. Got some great photos (not yet transferred so cannot post here). Generally the guides do not respect the privacy of the animals enough eg shining lights at the Tarsiers. But on the other hand the fact that they get tourists means the locals are less likely to hunt or catch the wildlife and overall they seem to respect the national park (even though they were expelled from their village and resettled by the government in the interests of conservation). The food and hospitality at this hotel was excellent. Much better than usual for small hotels in Indonesia. And I did appreciate the foot massage.

We had three nights here in order to try and see as much wildlife as possible. And we weren't disappointed. Ana was a magnificent host and very accommodating regarding the picky eater writing this review. All the food was excellent and the staff very welcoming. It's a bit of a hike from the garden rooms up 70+ steps but not too difficult really. Room was large and very comfortable. Very close to the National Park.

Many guests just came for 1 or 2 nights, some even arrived late at night after a long day of traveling - but that is really a pity as this place is so relaxing, wonderful and special! Try to spend at least 3-4 days here and you won't regret it! For us, the 4-night-stay marked the end of our 3,5 week trip throughout Sulawesi and we could not have ended it better! Ana, the host and manager really knows how to make you feel welcome, she is always available, speaks excellent English and has a great attention to detail! As most reviews say, the food is delicious and the best part is that it is really "tailormade" to your wishes and preferences. Our son is a bit of a picky eater, and Ana and her team always managed to accommodate our suggestions or came up with great proposals. Of course we also came for the jungle walks and did the morning safari as well as the afternoon trip and were so lucky to see many beautiful animals, of course mostly thanks to the Villa's private guide Sakar who spotted them all. But the area also has some nice surroundings and beautiful beaches to offer if you are prepared to drive 30-60 minutes (motorbike or car). During our stay in July during weekdays, most beaches were quite empty and very clean! We did not make any trips to Bitung or Lembeh, but that is another option to spend your time. The journey to Manado airport took around 90 minutes by car (friendly driver arranged by Ana, of course). Thank you so much, we want to come back!!!