Bunda Maria Park in Fodo Village, Nias Regency - Indonesia

Enjoying comfortable atmosphere and peaceful nuance at Bunda Maria (the Virgin Mary) Park becomes a new trend among tourists who visit Nias Regency these days. This park is located in Fodo Village, South Gunungsitoli Sub-District. It is true the park is mainly visited by local prayers, but it has been visited by regular tourists over time. They usually come to the site to conduct recreation and spend a holiday with families or friends. It is true adults should pay the entrance fee (donation), but the kids are not required to pay it. Isn’t that great?

The Nuance
In terms of size, the park has the width of about 1 hectare and it features clean comfy environment. Also, various plants and trees reside near to the park, providing a shady nuance to the site. Do not forget that the park comes with beautiful flowers too! Another interesting charm is the formation of religious statues including the Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. Also, many tourists (usually the locals) are seen in the park during weekends. Sometimes, several people who come from other regions are also seen there. This explains why the place never runs out visitors regardless of the occasion.

Exploring Bunda Maria Park
The guests have a different motive to come to the park. Most of them, though, come to the site for praying. Not only these people come to the site on Sunday, but they are also seen on other days even during the working days. Also, the park accommodates both locals and outsiders when it comes to praying or other types of activities. As long as visitors take care of environment and obey any available rules given by the management, they can explore the park wholeheartedly.

Aside from praying, the guests usually come to the park to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the park. The green plants and unique statues make the site comfortable, after all. Even though it doesn’t come with sophisticated facilities, the park is convenient enough to spend a family vacation or even a recreation with friends. Also, do not forget to light a candle at a certain place, as the sign of worshipping. It doesn’t have to be the Christians to be able to pray on this park, after all.

The most crowded time to visit Bunda Maria Park is during weekends and holidays. The fact is that hundreds of people might come to the site at those times. It is because the park has a good popularity among travelers. Another recommended time to visit the location is either before or after the New Year. Why is that? It is considered the right time to pray.

Nearby Attractions

• Nias Heritage Museum
• Togindrawa Cave
• Humogo Waterfall
• Laowomaru Beach

How to Get There
From Gunungsitoli City, two routes are available to get to Fodo Village. First, it is Diponegoro Street, having the distance of 21.6. Another choice is Pattimura Street, having the distance of 23.9 km. That means tourists should spend about 50 minutes to get to the park, riding any type of local transportation service.

Where to Stay

• Mega Nasional Hotel
• Soliga Hotel
• Sthree Hotel
• Nasional Hotel
• Binaka II Hotel
• Nias Palace Hotel