North Sulawesi - is it safe?

[Tonester]

Hi,

I've worked and traveled around the globe, so I'm a bit embarrased to sound like the paranoid tourist, but is North Sulawesi safe? I am planning a trip there this summer and went to the British Consular website and was horrified to find the following report on Central Sulawesi:

"On 31 December 2005, a bomb explosion in Palu, Central Sulawesi resulted in at least eight deaths and 46 injured.

You should avoid all travel to Central Sulawesi Province. There continues to be intermittent violence and sporadic sectarian clashes in this area. On 29 October 2005, a group of Christian schoolgirls were attacked near Poso in Central Sulawesi. Three schoolgirls were beheaded and one injured. At least 21 people were killed in two bomb attacks in a market in Tentana on 28 May 2005."

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front...7029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385558

How anyone could do something so horific is beyond me.

It seems like some of you have been to North Sulawesui recently and many times, so can you put my mind at rest?

Thanks and i apologise for posting something so dark to the forum.

Tonester.

 

[AlanWald]

North Sulawesi is safe. I spent a month there in 2004 and 2005.

Central Sulawesi where the bomb was, if you don't fly, takes a very long time to get to by road from North Sulawesi.

It is pretty unlikely the problems are going to move all the way to North Sulawesi.

Manado is a lot safer than most American cities.

Also you will be either in a boat or dive resort most of the time. I found the people of North Sulawesi to be very friendly.

 

[vladimir]

I was in North Sulawesi in September and it seemed safe to me. I think any place in Indonesia that has a large Christian population, such as N. Sulawesi, is a potential flashpoint. There is no recent history of problems there, however, unlike Ambon and Central Sulawesi. I'm sure the subtleties of regional interfaith relations are lost on me, but I'd take comfort in Manado's relatively peaceful recent history.

 

[Batfish]

Amazing how such things don't make the news, but I guess Central Sulawesi is not a tourist zone...if it happened in Bali, different story.

North Sulawesi is a very stable and safe area. Enjoy yourself!

Manado Tourist Information

 

[Nut Bubblefish]

I was in Manado 3 weeks ago. No problem at all. I have not stayed in town, but you won't neither will you? Diving resorts are perfectly quiet, no worry. And divers are always as friendly as usual.

What happened in Central Sulawesi is unfortunately nothing very new. Clashes between Muslims and Christians happen regularly. No one knows as well how much gangsta stuff is going on there, but there is some.
Bad things used to happen in Poso so far. What happened in the market of Palu is rather exceptional. But all in all, it is domestic business, it happens a couple of times a year, and as a foreigner, if you stay neutral in your look, behavior and speach, you will not be involved. And don't go with the crowd, of course....

I will be in Dongala (1h30 from Palu) in 10 days. I am not aware of any diving spot in Palu itself. I made contact with my good friends there and they have not mentioned anything bad neither.

Anyway, there is no safe place on earth anymore, and no one knows about tomorrow...so, I'd rather be underwater!

 

[pelan-pelan]

Manado is as safe as anywhere. North Sulawesi is Christian. From the point of view of going into town and walking around you should not have any more trouble there than in any crowded town in the world. If you walk around with notes hanging out of your pocket and gold and diamonds hanging off then I would expect you could run into trouble - just like you would in London, Paris, Rome, Berlin.

Was there last summer and often shopped in town. We never had any problems.

Violence with respect to religion - it is happening all over the world. Manado is not likely to be more dangerous than London, Paris etc.

 

[AlexBryant]

I'm not very sure what North Sulawesi being Christian has to do with it being safe, as religion is irrelevant, but rest assured North Sulawesi, especially Manado, Bunaken & Lembeh are as safe as most major tourist destinations.

The majority of the trouble in Sulawesi is in the south area, this may include what is considered central, but there has been trouble in South Sulawesi for years and it has not to my knowledge affected North Sulawesi at all.

Go there and marvel at some of the most beautiful diving in the world.

 

[Liangness]

I go to Manado and Bitung (North Sulawesi) once or twice a year and also business trips to Jakarta at least twice a month.

North Sulawesi is safe and it has little to do with them being majority Christian as pointed out in the earlier message. It is just that Manado's visitors are mainly divers whom confined themselves either at the resort (scattered all over Manado) or underwater the sea, that's why it is not a good bombing target!

People in Indonesia are generally very friendly.

Liang

 

[Bowmouth]

Bad things happen ALL over the world; every day and every where. They happen in your town and maybe even in the street you live.
You can lock your doors and windows and stay in your chair at home with Bad news in your news paper and Bad news on your TV screen.
You can also decide to live your life and do the things you love to do. Your airplane can still crash, your luggage can still be stolen, you can still get a horrible disease and people will still get hurt and killed all over the world.
But at least you came out of your chair and did the things you liked to do and made this world a better place.
Choose wisely; you only live once...