Gardenia Country Inn
Tomohon, North Sulawesi

Set high in the cool Minahasa Highlands, Gardenia Country Inn is a place where nature takes centre stage. Surrounded by flower-filled gardens, organic vegetable plots and panoramic views of Mount Lokon, it feels more like staying in a private country retreat than a conventional hotel. For travellers looking to pause, breathe and immerse themselves in the slower rhythms of Tomohon, this is a quietly enchanting base.

The accommodation is scattered across the gardens in a series of cottages and villas, each built in a traditional Minahasa style with wide verandas and large windows that open out to mountain air. Interiors are homely rather than lavish, think polished wood, local textiles and simple comforts, but the sense of space and the views more than compensate. Some villas have their own fireplaces for chilly evenings, a welcome touch in this cooler climate.

Food is one of Gardenia’s great pleasures. Much of the produce comes directly from the inn’s gardens, so expect farm-to-table dishes rich with local flavour. Breakfasts are hearty and fragrant with mountain-grown coffee, while dinners are relaxed affairs, best enjoyed on the terrace as the sun dips behind Lokon’s slopes.

The gardens themselves are a highlight; seven hectares of orchids, medicinal plants and organic fields alive with butterflies and birdsong. Wander the paths at your own pace, or join one of the inn’s guides for a walk through nearby villages and forests. Tomohon’s famous markets, volcanic craters and lakes are also close by, making it easy to explore by day before returning to the inn’s serenity.

Gardenia Country Inn is not about luxury in the conventional sense, it is about space, atmosphere and authenticity - the rustle of bamboo in the wind, the scent of frangipani at dusk and the kind of warm, unpretentious hospitality that makes you feel like a welcome guest in someone’s home. For those seeking a more soulful experience of North Sulawesi, it is the perfect retreat.

Travel is the only thing that you buy that makes you richer.
Proverb