Mount Tongkoko, Stratovolcano in Bitung City, Indonesia.

Mount Tongkoko is a stratovolcano in Bitung City whose summit holds an elongated, deep crater. On its east flank sits Batu Angus, a flat lava dome. The Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, named after the volcano, covers the surrounding slopes.

Mount Tongkoko is a stratovolcano whose recorded eruptions fall in the 17th and 19th centuries, including a possible VEI 5 eruption in 1680. The Indonesian Wikipedia entry notes that eruptions were recorded only once, in the nineteenth century. The Batu Angus lava dome on the east flank is the visible result of that volcanic past.

The Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, named after the volcano, protects the Celebes crested macaque and the spectral tarsier. The reserve takes its name from the mountain and the nearby Batuangus area, and the two names are used together for the whole conservation area in North Sulawesi.

Visiting the volcano is best done with a local guide who knows the trails and can explain what you are seeing. Plan to go during the drier months when conditions underfoot are more stable and the walk is more enjoyable.

The Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, named after the volcano, protects the Celebes crested macaque and the spectral tarsier. The reserve covers the northern part of Sulawesi around the mountain, so the animals visitors meet on its trails live in a named conservation area rather than open countryside.