We rent a boat from Lihaga Beach Club, and depart from Dermaga Om Bara (Om Bara Port). It takes 1.5 hours by car from our hotel: Novotel Manado Golf Resort & Convention Center. We stay 2 nights and 2 rooms (Room only), and extra bed (+ breakfast) for the second room. We used our Accor Plus voucher for free room upgrade and breakfast, total price are IDR 2,995,550.
Arrived at Om Bara Port, we call Lihaga Beach Club contact person and he said to wait approx 15 mins. The speed boat feels more shaky compares to the one we rent to Jiko Beach, maybe because this one doesn’t use ‘balancer’ or because the high sea. Anyway we feel scared and request to slow down the speed if possible, after 15 mins of tight grip finally we arrived at Lihaga Island.
We took off from the docked boat, and walk through this bridge without guardrails. Beautiful, yet scary. We can see clearly turquoise water without anything that obstruct the view. At the end of the bridge, there is a building/kiosk to buy food and drink. We already ordered lunch beforehand all together when we rent the boat. So we just ordered a fresh coconut, and sit while waiting for our lunch.
No time to waste, we start ate our lunch: grilled fish, fried chicken, steamed rice, some vegetables (lalap/kangkung). There are many wild creatures that want our food also such as flies, ants, cats, so we must be careful. After ate, grandparents rest in a rent bed. Agnes rent a bicycle, and we who can’t rode a bicycle walking around to explore the island.
We found some rocky beach, beautiful for taking photo but dangerous for playing/swimming. It’s a small island, the road only leads to circle back and some into dead end forest. We can see some cabin for people want to spend the night here, or for the island dwellers. Turns out near where we dock, in the opposite side it’s prettier.
Many people playing and/or swimming here, but more chilly because of the wind. We play longer here, we can find more beautiful rock and empty shells (yes, all kids -include us when we were little- love treasures. We must have an empty tin can filled with our ‘treasure’), a cute and scary crab, some people were also snorkeling.
We play around 30 minutes and Emma start to sneeze because the wind became stronger, we back to the beach side near where grandparents rest. More time to play for the kids, and without noticing another 30 minutes has passed. It’s already 3PM and we start prepare to go home, afraid of the wind and wave. Public toilet here is clean, but still we can smell bad odor.
The way back feels more safer, maybe because they also slow down the speed boat. Now I confident can take some photos and videos, without afraid my phone will fall when the boat shakes. The speed boat has roof to cover us from harsh sun, but also makes us difficult to hop on/off. Turns out we can ask to open the roof of the boat, makes it easier for us to hop off. I pay IDR 20K as tip for the speedboat rider.
Oh, in Lihaga Island we can settle our payment in the building at the end of the docking bridge. Also they accept credit card and QRIS, so convenient. All in all we paid IDR 1,164,500 already include the speed boat, lunch, bed, bicycle, also some snacks to eat in a 1.5 hours car drive. We enter Manado City already evening, time to find some dinner.
We already full of seafood, we want to try something else. We missed Chinese Food, and after some googling and ask my cousin, we decide have dinner at Tao Yuan Chinese Restaurant located at Four Points by Sheraton Manado. Frankly, the taste is not lived up to our expectation. We can find many more decent Chinese Food in Jakarta than this, but to close our day with warm dumplings and Chinese Food, this one is okay.
Total price are IDR 975,541. They actually held a private event, but since we came early and hungry we beg to have dinner first. Phew, overall today was a memorable experience: speed boat, beach fun, and close our day with Chinese Food. Nice!
Endo & Nes 