Untold Miles - Chapter 4 - Hot Springs, Banana Fritters & One Crazy Tuk-Tuk Ride
After saying goodbye to our new friends in the village, we hopped back onto our scooter with huge smiles on our faces.
It had already been one incredible morning.
A beautiful ride through North Sulawesi.
A hidden waterfall.
A wonderful local family.
And a brand-new Indonesian word permanently added to our vocabulary...
"Hati Hati!"
Now it was time for our second destination of the day—Lowian Hot Springs.
Riding Through a Postcard
The ride itself was worth every kilometre.
This is something I love about road trips.
Sometimes the destination becomes secondary because the journey steals the show.
The roads were smooth, winding gently through villages, farms and rolling hills. Every few kilometres the scenery changed.
One minute we were riding past colourful colonial-style houses.
The next, endless green fields stretched into the distance.
Towering coconut trees lined the roads, flowers bloomed in every direction, and the cool mountain breeze made us forget we had already been riding for hours.
There were moments when we simply slowed down—not because we had to, but because we wanted to soak it all in.
North Sulawesi had a way of making you appreciate the simple things.
Lunch Break
By afternoon, our stomachs reminded us that waterfalls and photography don't count as lunch.
We stopped at a small local restaurant along the way.
Like most places we'd visited so far, nobody spoke much English.
But honestly...
Food has its own universal language.
Point.
Smile.
Nod.
Done.
The food was delicious, fresh and surprisingly affordable.
We were beginning to realise that eating in Sulawesi was becoming one of our favourite activities.
Google Maps... Are You Sure?
After lunch, Google Maps confidently announced,
"You have arrived."
We looked around.
Fields.
A narrow road.
Absolutely no hot springs.
Just another classic Google Maps moment.
We found ourselves standing at a small T-junction with no signs whatsoever.
Not again...
Luckily, a car was parked nearby.
Standing beside it was a couple who looked just as curious as we did.
This time, they spoke English.
Even better—they were tourists too!
They were from France, and like us, were exploring North Sulawesi.
We started chatting about our travels before asking about the hot springs.
"Oh yes," they smiled.
"You're very close."
Then they gave us an interesting warning.
"There are actually three hot spring lakes here."
Three?
That definitely caught our attention.
Three Lakes. Three Personalities.
The first lake looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie.
Steam rose continuously from the surface.
The water bubbled.
The smell of sulphur filled the air.
Our French friends laughed.
"Don't even think about getting in."
Fair enough.
We weren't planning to become boiled tourists.
The second lake was the complete opposite.
Warm.
Calm.
Crystal clear.
Perfect for swimming.
The third lake lay further inside the fields, releasing thick clouds of steam into the sky.
Even standing nearby felt incredibly hot.
Nature certainly knows how to put on a show.
Spa by Mother Nature
Without wasting another minute, we changed and stepped into the second lake.
What an experience!
The warm mineral water immediately relaxed every muscle after a long morning of riding.
Well...
At least it relaxed my wife.
I lasted around ten minutes before surrendering.
"It's too hot!"
Meanwhile, she looked completely at home, happily floating around the lake as if she'd booked herself into a luxury spa.
I think she could have stayed there for another hour without complaining.
The water reflected the surrounding trees so perfectly that the whole lake looked like a giant mirror.
No matter how many photos we took, none of them captured what it actually felt like to be there.
Some places simply refuse to fit inside a camera frame.
Sharing the Lake
As the afternoon went on, a few local villagers arrived carrying towels.
This wasn't just a tourist attraction.
It was part of their daily life.
People came here after work to relax, chat and enjoy the warm water.
We quietly moved to one side, making sure we didn't disturb their peaceful routine.
Watching local life unfold around us made the experience even more special.
We've visited a few hot springs before.
But this one?
Without question, it became our favorite.
Smoke Rising from the Earth
As we began riding back towards Manado, something unusual caught our attention.
Steam.
Every few hundred metres, smoke appeared to be rising straight out of the ground.
For a second, it looked as if the earth itself was breathing.
The volcanic activity in this region is incredible, and seeing steam naturally escaping from the ground reminded us just how alive this landscape really is.
North Sulawesi never stopped surprising us.
The Famous Tomohon Market
During the ride back, I remembered something.
Tomohon is famous for a market that many travellers visit—not because of souvenirs, but because of the unusual variety of meat sold there.
Snake.
Dog.
Rat.
And several other animals.
I asked my wife,
"Do you want to stop and have a look?"
She answered before I had even finished the sentence.
"No."
Not even a second of hesitation.
To be honest, I wasn't planning to eat anything there either.
I was simply curious to see it.
But with one very firm "No," the discussion was officially over.
Sometimes married life is wonderfully simple.
Banana Fritters to the Rescue
Instead, we stopped at a small roadside stall selling banana fritters.
They looked remarkably similar to the ones back home.
Perfect!
Or so we thought.
After taking a bite...
They were good.
Not unforgettable.
But then came the sambal.
That spicy tomato-chilli paste completely stole the show.
Suddenly the banana fritters tasted much better.
A hot cup of local coffee completed our little roadside break.
Sometimes it's these tiny, unplanned stops that become your favourite memories.
A Viewpoint That Came Too Late
Before reaching Manado, there was one final place marked on my itinerary—Pineleng Viewpoint.
I had originally planned to visit during sunset.
Instead...
We arrived after dark.
Oops.
We could still see the city lights twinkling in the distance and a huge cross standing proudly on top of the hill.
It was beautiful.
But I couldn't stop imagining how spectacular the view must be during daylight.
Looks like we had accidentally given ourselves another reason to return someday.
Welcome to the Party Bus!
Back at the hotel, we freshened up but weren't ready to call it a day.
Instead, we decided to explore Manado one more time.
This time, we hopped into a local blue tuk-tuk.
Well...
Calling it a tuk-tuk doesn't really do it justice.
Imagine stepping into a tiny van fitted with colourful LED lights, loud music and enough flashing effects to rival a nightclub.
It felt less like public transport...
...and more like a mobile DJ party.
Neither of us expected that.
We couldn't stop laughing.
Only in Sulawesi!
Ending the Day Perfectly
For dinner, we picked another local restaurant close to our hotel.
Thankfully, this one had pictures next to almost every dish.
Ordering suddenly became much easier.
As always...
One main course.
Two juices.
Shared between the two of us.
Some travel habits never change.
Completely exhausted after riding more than a hundred kilometres, trekking through rainforests, swimming in hot springs and dancing (well... almost) inside a disco tuk-tuk, we finally returned to our room.
Before sleeping, there was just one important discussion.
"What should we try for breakfast tomorrow?"
Because every great travel day deserves an even better breakfast.
With alarms set once again, we switched off the lights.
Tomorrow would bring another new adventure.
And Sulawesi still had plenty of surprises waiting for us.
To be continued...