I guess it's all relative but a medium-sized city with no sectarian violence, relatively well educated, respect for women, booze, and pork, great location, half an hour to snorkeling, under an hour to the hills, great food and local produce, good looking men and women, good infrastructure, great weather, beautiful bay, good university.....What is exactly beautiful about Manado?
Not everyone can make a living in the forest but you can definitely do much worse in Indo than Manado.