Tangkoko

NORTH SULAWESI

Tangkoko

WILDLIFE & RAINFOREST TREKKING

Tangkoko

Tangkoko is small, under 90 square kilometres, but it is home to several animals found only in Sulawesi. The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra), Gursky's spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrumgurskyae) and the knobbed hornbill all live here.

The reserve sits on the coast an hour north of Lembeh. Most visitors come as a day trip from a Bunaken or Lembeh stay, but a night in Batuputih village pays back. The tarsiers come out at dusk, the macaques settle for the night just before, and the dawn forest is the loudest hour.

Two macaque groups are used to people, and most walks meet at least one of them. All walks in the reserve are led by rangers: you pay the park entry and a ranger fee at the gate.

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Tangkoko Nature Reserve, on the coast near Bitung in North Sulawesi: spectral tarsiers, crested black macaques, hornbills and other endemic animals.

When to go and how to get there

Rain in Tangkoko, month by month, and the journey in from the nearest airport.

Driest months

Aug

August is the driest month, with 79 mm of rain on average. December is the wettest, with 309 mm.

  • Driest months
  • In between
  • Wettest months

January: 279 mm, February: 256 mm, March: 257 mm, April: 238 mm, May: 189 mm, June: 205 mm, July: 132 mm, August: 79 mm, September: 112 mm, October: 194 mm, November: 256 mm, December: 309 mm

Rain: CHIRPS v2.0, Climate Hazards Center, UC Santa Barbara, average of 1991-2020. See the weather in Sulawesi by month

Getting there

  1. 01 · Fly

    To Manado (MDC)

    Same airport as Bunaken and Lembeh. Daily direct from Jakarta. Scoot flies from Singapore five times a week (from 26 October 2026).

  2. 02 · Drive

    Manado → Batuputih

    2 h by Grab or private driver through Bitung. The road is paved the whole way.

  3. 03 · Walk

    Village → ranger hut

    Five minutes from the homestays. Guides meet you at the gate at four in the afternoon.

Tangkoko weather by month

The average rain, temperatures and sea of each month, measured over many years.

MonthRain (mm)High / low (°C)Sea (°C)Rough for small boats (% of time)
January27929 / 2528.618
February25628 / 2528.421
March25729 / 2528.69
April23829 / 2529.12
May18930 / 2529.11
June20529 / 2528.85
July13229 / 2528.324
August7929 / 2427.825
September11230 / 2528.118
October19430 / 2528.65
November25630 / 2529.11
December30929 / 2528.93

Rain: CHIRPS, 1991-2020. Temperatures: NASA POWER, 2001-2025. Sea temperature: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, 1991-2020. Waves: NOAA WAVEWATCH III, 2017-2026, in the open sea about 37 km away. Bays and straits are calmer. Rough means waves of 1.25 m or more, BMKG's warning level for small boats.

See Tangkoko on the live weather page

Tangkoko travel guides

The Sulawesi.com guides that cover Tangkoko.

Tours that go to Tangkoko

Every published trip that reaches this part of the island.

Experiences in Tangkoko

Day trips and activities in and around Tangkoko. Each one has its own page.

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Where to stay

See all 14 places to stay in Tangkoko

Local businesses in Tangkoko

Contact each business directly.

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