underwater world has long captivated international divers

The beauty of Gorontalo’s underwater world has long captivated international divers and has earned it the nickname, “Indonesia’s best kept secret”. This new province also offers hospitality a plenty, thanks to the earnest demeanour and smiles of its residents. Sari Widiati and photographer Jan Dekker traversed streets filled with bentor and explored every corner of Gorontalo.

Gorontalo was still fast asleep as I stood looking at it from the top of the old fort known as Otanaha. Under my feet there were three piles of stones standing in solitude. They formed a circle and were decorated with a few gaps. My eyes zoomed in on the lowermost part where they eventually found the green pool of water and I caught sight of the panorama of the well-known Limboto Lake.
I was imagining the Portuguese—who it is believed were the first foreigners to visit Gorontalo—building this fortress in 1525 after reaching an agreement with King Ilato. What was Limboto’s appearance back then—when it was said to have been so full of water that it looked like an ocean?
Otanaha was built to strengthen the defences of the northern part of Sulawesi. Now it has headed into retirement though and become a historical asset instead. While Otanaha is being eradicated by time, Limboto is dying as it is buried in mud. This lake now looks more like a swamp, and its width and depth decrease every year. In 1932, its area was 7,000 hectares, but now this has more than halved to 3,000 hectares. Meanwhile, its depth is down to three metres from its previous 14 metres.
The lake is getting shallower because of silt and the death of most of the water springs in the 23 rivers and tributaries that flow into the Limboto. It seems like the die has been cast and the lake will soon become grassland if no solution is found to revitalise it.
The mountains to the north were also clearly visible from Otanaha. They looked like a wall that was hemming in the valley and Limboto. In an instant I was reminded of what a Suwawa tribe resident had said to me in his local dialect. He claimed that Gorontalo used to be a sea whose seabed pushed up to the surface when the seawater receded. Many others have said the same thing, and this is indeed a plausible theory if one looks at the area’s physical geography.

In order to take a look at life around the lake, I descended from the fortress by way of its 348 step staircase, which really sapped my energy! I continued walking to Museum Soekarno. Inside there were photographs of a visit made by the First President of the Republic of Indonesia to Gorontalo, along with a few other historical objects. Across from the building there sits a park in which one can enjoy the lake. It was here, precisely at Iluta Quay, that President Soekarno landed in his Catalina seaplane when he visited Gorontalo that first time, 61 years ago.
I stopped right in front of the sacred graveyard of Ju Panggola in the Sub-District of Kota Barat. Although on that particular day it was very quiet, the place is usually crowded with dozens or even hundreds of pilgrims who come to pray at the Ju Panggola Mosque and then sit down and offer their prayers and petitions. A number of sources mention that Ju Panggola was a sacred ulama who lived during the fifteenth century.
I then boarded a boat and began to explore Limboto. Morning is the ideal time to get a good look at the life of the people around the lake. The boat moved slowly each time it encountered the water hyacinths that grow so thick and uncontrollably that they cover almost the whole surface of the lake. There were many fishermen on the lake looking to catch freshwater fish. They were also building a complex of karamba to trap fish.
The stillness of Limboto suddenly vanished as I set foot in the town centre. Bentor were roaming the streets, clogging them up and making a noise. A bentor is a hybrid of a becak (pedicab) and a motorcycle. It has the structure of a becak, but is powered by an engine.

This means of transport, which is used by pretty much everyone at one time or another, can be found in practically every corner of the town, just as ojek (motorcycle taxis) are in Jakarta.
The transformation of a motorcycle into a bentor is a relatively simple process. Various workshops scattered around town will disassemble the front part of the motorbike, attach a semi-open cabin that can carry two people, and then erect a kind of cover on top to keep the sunshine and the rain out.
Rivalries between proud bentor owners has led to some serious design creativity. Some bentor drivers offer their passengers a little entertainment by equipping their beasts with sound systems, complete with decorative lights—“Pimp My Ride” a la Gorontalo! In the evening they look like bright music boxes as they flash through the town’s streets. Bentor owners also like to paint their vehicles in a rainbow of bright colours. Haggle over your fare and these bentor will take you all around the town, as well as to nearby districts.
Gorontalo has the status of a city, but do not imagine that it looks anything like big cities such as Jakarta or Surabaya. You won’t find skyscrapers here. Indeed, the only building that can be classified as being truly tall is Menara Keagungan Limboto (Limboto Majesty Tower) which rises up 65 metres into the sky and is architecturally similar to the Eiffel Tower.

Morning life pulsates strongly in the Pabean Fish Auction Market on Jalan Yos Soedarso. Here one can experience Gorontalo’s real wealth: fish and a range other produce from the sea. Ships of various sizes dock in the harbour and disgorge their fresh fish, which then find their way into local people’s kitchens. One of the most popular local varieties is the yellowfin tuna.
This fish market sits on the same stretch of shoreline as Lahilote Beach, which is also famous for its well-known icon, Botu Liyodu, a rock shaped like the sole of a foot. As legend has it, this footprint belongs to a young man named Lahilote. According to the story, he was madly in love with a fairy named Boyilode Hulawa, so Lahilote recklessly stole her wings and married her. However, Lahilote’s married life did not run smoothly and his wife flew away, leaving him.
With a flick of his magic rattan stick, Lahilote caught up with his wife and found seven fairies who looked exactly the same as his wife. This stubborn young man realised he was not good enough to marry all seven of them, so he would have to choose. He asked a firefly to help him by landing on his wife’s hair bun.
The couple from two different worlds then returned to earth. The wife let her husband back down to earth using a length of her hair as if it were a rope. Unfortunately, the hair broke and Lahilote plunged to earth, upright, resulting in his right foot leaving a permanent print in the stone. This story has not been adapted for the silver screen yet, but the legend is powerful enough to attract visitors (including myself!) to come from faraway places just to see the footprint left by Lahilote.

The morning was wearing on, so I hurried to Tomini Bay, a diving paradise south of Gorontalo. The blue waters looked just perfect. The rivers that divide Gorontalo into sections, disgorge their waters into this very wide bay. A captivating view spread out below the limestone precipice on which I was standing: a group of cheerful fishermen were hauling nets that bulged with hundreds of nike fish. These small transparent fish with dark lines on their bodies are a popular food in Gorontalo. Before being eaten, the fish are ground up, mixed with spices, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed inside a piece of bamboo.
Gorontalo has many beautiful beaches. The closest one to the town centre is Karang Citra, which is about 20 minutes away by bentor. This shallow water beach has become a place where lovers of seafood gather. Heading towards Kota Selatan, we soon arrived at Pasir Putih Beach, which is always crowded during holidays and at weekends.
Another interesting attraction is Boalemo Beach in the District of Boalemo. I went there by car and it took me about two hours. Located in the Sub-District of Botumoito, which is 30 kilometres from the town of Tilamuta, this beach sports a wide expanse of flat, white sand, and when the tide recedes, the coral is clearly visible.
Officially founded in 2001, Gorontalo is one of the youngest provinces in Indonesia. The region relies on its cultural wealth and underwater charms to attract tourists. Its marine potential is indeed amazing, so much so that an esteemed Asian diving magazine has nicknamed it “Indonesia’s best kept secret”. In addition to Tomini Bay, another popular diving spot is the Olele Marine Park in Tanjung Kerbau.
Another delight that Gorontalo offers is its people. From fishermen and government officials to bentor and pedicab drivers, everybody seems enthusiastic when receiving and greeting guests from other places. A smile is a mass produced item that you can get for free here!