Sulawesi Deluxe – Bangka & Bunaken – Boutique Resorts
Travel period
Features
Starting from
Discover the most beautiful dive sites on Bangka & Bunaken
Enjoy a wonderful diving vacation in Indonesia that offers the perfect balance of comfort, adventure, and relaxation for two weeks. This diving trip includes stays at two luxury boutique resorts: the Coral Eye and the Siladen & Spa Resort. As a diver, you’ll not only enjoy fantastic dives here, but also exceptional comfort, high-quality cuisine, spa treatments, and, of course, carefree luxury. . In addition, there are also fun shore excursions planned during the trip so you can explore nature and culture on land as well.
Dive into the diversity of Sulawesi
You begin your diving vacation at Bangka Island, where the unique volcanic black sandy bottom provides the backdrop for the vibrant and diverse wildlife and corals found here. You’ll find a variety of both hard and soft coral. Fans of macro diving can also prepare for smaller marine animals such as pygmy seahorses, ghost whistle fish, and angler fish.
Then on this diving trip, you will head to Bunaken National Park, a true paradise known for its breathtaking drop-offs and abundance of sea turtles. With more than 90 different types of coral and more than 390 species of fish, Bunaken National Park is one of the most bio-diverse diving experiences in the world, even giving you the chance to spot large schools of tropical fish alongside the occasional shark.
Luxury stay at the beach
Your home base during this dive trip begins on Bangka at the Coral Eye resort, The location is not only beautiful, it combines the grandeur of a luxury resort with the personal touch and intimacy of a boutique hotel .After your stay on Bangka you will transfer to Bunaken where you will stay at the Siladen Resort & Spa. This resort is a dream location with bungalows right on the beach. The staff knows your name and creates a personal atmosphere, perfect for beach lunches and dinners. Enjoy delicious cocktails and the restaurant’s excellent cuisine, with the option to dine on the beach.
Best time to visit Sulawesi for a diving vacation
The best time to dive in Sulawesi is between April and (early) November. This period is considered the “dry season” with the least amount of rainfall and the calmest seas. Visibility is also at its best during this time, allowing divers to fully appreciate the vibrant coral and varied marine life the area is known for.
Average Temperatures
Wetsuit advice for Bunaken & Bangka
A 3 mm wetsuit is recommended. Water temperatures in Bunaken and Bangka range from about 28-29°C throughout the year.
What will you experience on this diving vacation?
View itinerary here
Days 1 & 2 | The Trip to Sulawesi
Today begins the journey to Manado in Sulawesi. From Europe, you go either via Singapore or via Jakarta to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi. The trip takes about 20 to 25 hours, depending on the route and airline. Many airlines, including Garuda Indonesia & Singapore Airlines, offer good flights to Manado. If desired, we will arrange a hotel at the first stop ( e.g. Singapore) so you can continue your journey the next day rested.
On Day 2 you will arrive in Manado and be picked up at the airport by the Coral Eye Resort and taken to Bangka Island. In about an hour you drive to the coast and catch the boat for another half hour. After you have checked into the resort, the rest of the day is all about resting after the long journey.
Days 3–5 | Diving around Bangka Island
The next 3 days will be entirely devoted to diving around Bangka Island. You’ll make a total of 8 dives—6 boat dives and 2 shore dives—including one night dive.
There are more than 30 different dive sites around Bangka. You’ll find a wide variety of underwater landscapes, ranging from volcanic sand slopes and colorful coral reefs to impressive pinnacles and mangrove areas. Most dive sites are a 5- to 40-minute boat ride from Coral Eye.
The volcanic sand slopes with their black sandy bottoms are of interest to enthusiasts of small marine life. Here, you may encounter, among other things, unusual nudibranchs, fish, and other small marine creatures. The dive sites around the pinnacles are covered with soft corals and offer a completely different underwater landscape. Depending on the conditions, there may be stronger currents here.
The coastal reefs are also teeming with marine life, featuring vast coral gardens and a wide variety of reef fish. Near the mangroves, the environment changes once again. Among the roots and in the surrounding seagrass, various species of small fish and other marine animals thrive.
Right in front of Coral Eye, there’s also a beautiful house reef where you can easily enter the water from the shore. This is also the location for the guided night dive. After sunset, a different kind of marine life emerges, making this dive a great complement to the boat dives.
Day 6 | Land excursion to Tangkoko National Reserve
Today’s itinerary includes an excursion to the Tangkoko National Reserve, one of the most famous nature reserves in North Sulawesi. The reserve consists of tropical rainforest, volcanic landscapes, and a wide variety of plants and animals. Accompanied by an experienced local guide, you’ll venture into the forest in search of the unique animals that live here.
Tangkoko is best known for the tarsier, one of the smallest primates in the world. These small nocturnal animals have strikingly large eyes and are mainly active at dusk and at night. The black macaque, an endemic monkey species found only on Sulawesi, also lives here. During the hike, you’ll also have the chance to see various bird species and other inhabitants of the rainforest.
Another unique species found in Tangkoko is the Maleo, a striking bird that buries its eggs in warm volcanic soil. The Sulawesi cuscus, a tree-dwelling marsupial, is also among the animals you might encounter here.
The hike takes you through the dense rainforest and gives you a wonderful glimpse of Sulawesi’s unique natural environment. Since many animals are good at hiding, it’s always a surprise which species you’ll actually see during the excursion. That’s what makes every hike different.
Day 7 | Transfer to Siladen & Spa Resort
Today is your last day at the Coral Eye Resort. After breakfast, your transfer will be waiting for you: a boat. This boat will take you to the Siladen Resort and Spa, located on Siladen Island. Perhaps the best part of this transfer is that you’ll stop along the way to go on two dives. That way, you’ll be on your way to your next destination while still getting to dive.
Siladen is a small tropical island with a sandy beach stretching a full 600 meters. The boat docks right at the Siladen Resort & Spa. Here, you can spend the rest of the day enjoying the island, relaxing, or exploring. There are various activities you can book here, such as excursions, a cooking class, a yoga session, or a spa treatment.
Day 8 to 10 | Diving in Bunaken National Park
The next three days are again completely devoted to diving. All dives in the Bunaken Marine Park are conducted from a boat because of the unpredictable and often strong currents that make shore diving here unsafe.
You have a total of 6 dives in your dive package. Good for two tank dives daily in the morning. Optionally, you can book one more tank dive in the afternoon. Twilight and night dives are available upon request.
Bunaken is known for its vertical walls, extensive biodiversity and especially its macro life. Divers can spot pygmy seahorses, graceful ghost pipefish, hairy squat lobsters and blue-ringed octopuses among other creatures. Although larger pelagic species such as napoleon fish, tuna and giant groupers occasionally visit, the park’s waters are also home to whitetip reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks, and white-spotted eagle rays often appear.
One of the highlights of the Bunaken Marine Park is its healthy turtle population, especially around Bunaken Island, where it is not uncommon to see numerous turtles during a dive, including green, hawksbill, loggerhead, warana and leatherback turtles.
Visibility in the park is generally excellent, averaging about 30 meters on the walls and can easily exceed 40 meters on a clear day. They closely monitor tidal excursions and weather, as these can significantly affect visibility.
In mainland North Sulawesi, the seabed consists mainly of mud or white sand. This area is ideal for muck diving at black sand sites, where divers can spot unique marine life that has adapted to harsh conditions. There are also beautiful coral reefs at white sand sites and an accessible wreck covered in sponges.
Day 11 | Land Excursion to the Minahasa Highlands Tour
From Siladen Resort today you will take the boat to the mainland for a day excursion. The first stop is the fantastic traditional market where, depending on personal taste, you will be surprised by the local version of a Western supermarket! You will then travel to the village of Woloan to see how local Minahasa houses are built.
You will then have lunch at the region’s largest lake, Lake Tondano. Enjoy the traditional and delicious fish dishes, fried or grilled. Bring a sweater as it may be chilly.
After lunch, visit the village of Polutan, a pottery industry for making ceramics a short distance away. On the way back you will pass Lake Linow, which shows breathtaking color changes due to its sulfur content. You’ll also stop along the way to look at handicrafts in Tinoor – traditional hats and bamboo handicrafts are just a few examples.
Day 12 | Relaxing, shopping for souvenirs, packing
Today is already your last full day of the trip. You have the whole day free to do whatever you like. Enjoy the beach and the pool one last time, find a quiet spot in one of the hammocks, book one more massage, or take your time packing your things. Or maybe you’d like to take one last dip in the water. This day is all yours.
Still want to get out and about? There are several excursions to choose from. For example, you can take a dolphin-watching tour that lasts about three hours or spend half a day in downtown Manado—perhaps to pick up some souvenirs. If you’re looking for a little more action, you can opt for the White Water Rafting Wet and Wild Tour or a Hike to Mt. Mahawu .
Would you like to go on one of these excursions during your stay? Let us know, and we can check the options and current availability for you.
Day 13 & 14 | Return home
The beautiful diving vacation in North Sulawesi really comes to an end today. The resort will transfer you to Manado airport, where you will board the plane back home.
Don’t you want to go home at all yet? Then consider extending your stay with yet another region of Indonesia, such as Bali or Raja Ampat. Both easily accessible from Manado.
The accommodations
The stay and surroundings
Coral Eye Marine Outpost
Coral Eye is a unique boutique resort on the island of Bangka in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Originally established as a marine research outpost, the resort has evolved into a destination where divers, underwater photographers, marine biologists, and other enthusiasts of the underwater world come together.
Coral Eye is designed to foster a relaxed and social atmosphere. For example, the large dining table takes center stage during meals, making it easy for guests to connect with one another and share their experiences.
Your stay at Coral Eye includes full board. The day begins with a hearty breakfast featuring freshly baked bread and croissants, homemade jams, eggs cooked to your liking, fresh fruit, juices, muffins, tea, and coffee. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are used for lunch and dinner. The cuisine combines European dishes with Indonesian flavors. Fish is sourced directly from local fishermen on Bangka Island, with a focus on freshness, quality, and sustainability.
The resort also features a spa where you can book a variety of massages. The treatments use natural, locally made products, including coconut oil and a variety of fragrant massage oils.
You don’t even have to leave the resort to go diving. The dive shop is located on the Coral Eye grounds, and dive boats depart directly from the adjacent dock to the dive sites around Bangka Island.
At Coral Eye, you’ll stay in a spacious Garden Villa. This detached accommodation, measuring approximately 100 m², is set in the tropical garden and features a double bed, an indoor and outdoor lounge area, a large closet, and an open-air bathroom. The room also includes a minibar, a water dispenser, and coffee- and tea-making facilities.
Would you prefer to stay closer to the sea? Then you can stay in a Beach Villa. It offers the same amenities as the Garden Villas, but with a different view. There are also Beach Pool Villas, featuring the same comfortable layout, located right on the beach and equipped with a private pool. There’s also a Beach Pool Villa with an extra bedroom, two bathrooms, and a private pool.
In addition to the villas, there are Superior Rooms in the main building. These rooms feature a private bathroom and two extra-wide single beds or one double bed. They are located on the first floor, and guests have access to the shared balcony with a view of the sea.
Depending on availability, the various types of accommodations can be booked as an upgrade or an alternative.
Siladen Resort & Spa
Siladen Resort & Spa is located on Siladen Island, in the heart of Bunaken National Marine Park in North Sulawesi. The resort sits directly on a long white-sand beach and is surrounded by tropical gardens and the crystal-clear waters of the national park. From the beach, you can look out over the sea, and on clear days, you can see the Manado Tua volcano on the horizon.
Your stay at Siladen includes full board. The restaurant is located right on the beach and offers both indoor and outdoor dining options. The cuisine combines European, Mediterranean, and Asian influences and uses fresh ingredients whenever possible. During the dry season, barbecue evenings are regularly organized on the beach. A private dinner on the beach is available upon request.
For relaxation, head to the saltwater pool, which features comfortable lounge chairs and a nearby bar. On the beach, there’s a traditional wooden treehouse—a lovely spot to relax. Yoga classes and presentations are also held here. The treehouse was built by traditional woodworkers from Woloan, a village known for its wooden houses.
For divers, everything is right at your fingertips. The dive shop is located at the resort, and there’s also a special camera room where you can set up and maintain your underwater camera and other equipment.
Siladen Resort offers a variety of villas, scattered throughout the tropical garden and located right on the beach. This package includes a Garden Room as standard. These are the former Garden View Villas and offer comfortable accommodations in a quiet spot in the garden, just a short distance from the beach. The Garden Rooms feature a private terrace and a luxurious open-air bathroom.
Would you prefer to stay right on the beach? Then you can choose a Beach Pool Villa. These villas are located on the beach and feature a private pool, a spacious bedroom and living room, a large terrace, and a king-size four-poster bed. For families or two couples, there’s also a Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villa, with an extra bedroom, two bathrooms, and a private pool.
New at Siladen are the Garden Pool Villas. These spacious villas are located in a quiet and more secluded part of the tropical gardens and also feature a private pool.
All villas are equipped with individual air conditioning, cotton bed linens, a safe, a minibar, a television, a telephone, tea and coffee-making facilities, and a private open-air bathroom that includes a hair dryer.
Travel costs
What is included
This diving vacation to North Sulawesi is available from € 3.499 per person based on two people in a Garden Bungalow. The diving trip can be expanded as desired. A number of things are included by default in this travel package.
Prices are subject to price changes, increases or changing exchange rates. Flights are always based on the cheapest possible booking class.
Want to know more about this luxury diving vacation to Indonesia? Get in touch with us!
Included in this diving trip, from € 3.499 p.p.
- Coral Eye Marine Outpost
- 5 nights in a Garden Villa
- Accommodation on full board basis
- Diving package with 10 dives: 6 boat dives, 2 shore dives, 2 boat dives during the transfer to and from Siladen
- Nitrox for certified divers
- Field Trip to Tangkoko National Reserve
- Siladen Resort & Spa
- 6 nights in a Garden Room
- Accommodation on full board basis
- Diving package with 6 boat dives
- Nitrox for certified divers
- Land Excursion to the Minahasa Highlands Tour
- General
- Return transfers
- VZR & Administration fee
Excluding
- Flight to Manado from € 1.100 p.p.
- Dive and travel insurance
- Bunaken Marine Park Fee 150,000 IDR approx. € 9 one-time
✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe. However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide. Booking your own flights is of course also possible.
Optional
- Diving equipment with dive computer, per day ±€ 27
Email this diving holiday
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Frequently asked questions about this diving holiday
Diving in North Sulawesi general information
Coral Eye: Both shore and boat dives. Expect to see soft corals, sea slugs, pygmy seahorses, and anglerfish, among other things. A beautiful night dive on the house reef!
Siladen: Boat Diving. Beautiful dives along walls including many turtles and fish. Opportunities for black water diving.
Both resorts average between 10 and 20 minutes of boating.
You can make a maximum of 4 dives per day. In the morning 2, in the afternoon 1 and then another night dive.
Yes definitely, at Coral Eye is a fantastic house reef where you can spot lots of unusual critters and Siladen offers Black Water diving!
At Coral Eye yes, at Siladen no.
Yes, both resorts offer PADI courses. At Siladen, you can also take SSI courses, including the SSI Freediving course.
Yes, in both cases on-site
Diving equipment
Both tanks are present.
Yes. They are free to use, but these tanks are in limited supply.
Yes, nitrox is included free of charge at both resorts and during the boat transfer for divers who are certified to use it.
Yes, the cost for a complete set, including a computer, is 550,000 IDR per day, which is approximately € 28. If you rent for more than 3 days, you’ll receive a 10% discount.
Activities, Excursions and Wellness
This vacation is also perfect for snorkelers!
Coral Eye: Guests can enjoy excellent snorkeling from the beach at Coral Eye on our house reef for free. Alternatively, resort guests can join our boats in the morning and/or afternoon to snorkel at various sites with a snorkeling guide (maximum 4 guests per guide). Snorkeling by boat costs 25 euros per session (70 minutes). Fins and masks can be rented at the Dive Center.
Siladen: All reefs around the islands of the Bunaken National Marine Park are suitable for snorkeling, as they rise to a depth of only 3 meters. Guests can enjoy excellent snorkeling from the beach on Siladen, near the old jetty, just a few minutes’ walk from the resort entrance. Alternatively, resort guests can join our boats in the morning and/or afternoon to snorkel in the Bunaken Marine Park with a snorkeling guide (maximum 4 guests per guide). Snorkeling by boat costs 25 euros per session. Fins and masks can be rented at the Dive Center.
Coral Eye: spa, snorkeling, kayaks
Siladen: Weekly yoga class, snorkeling, spa, kayaks, sups.
Coral Eye: Entertainment on the beach
Siladen: Swimming pool
Babysitting service can be provided for parents with children; however, this must be recorded in advance. On the ground, that no longer works.
Yes definitely, both resorts have a spa.
Coral Eye: Tangkoko National Park Tour, this park is known for the smallest primate in the world, the Tarsius, and also the Black Crested Macaque, is quite close to Bangka Island. In addition, they also offer a Minahasa Island Tour for those who want to learn more about the culture of North Sulawesi. But for this trip, you already do that tour from Siladen.
Siladen: Dolphin tours where you go by boat to look for dolphins. After spotting dolphins, you will go snorkeling with turtles. So in addition, they have the Minahasa Island Tour for those who want to learn more about North Sulawesi.
Accommodation / Resort
Yes, in the common areas.
Of course. At both resorts you will stay on a Full Board basis. The restaurants serve a variety of Mediterranean and Indonesian cuisine, and fish, meat and vegetarian dishes are always available. They take special diets into account and kindly ask you to indicate in advance if there are any special diets or food allergies so that they can offer the best possible options.
Coral Eye: No
Siladen: Yes – salt water
Yes, this is possible at both resorts if indicated in advance (while booking the trip so there is enough time to arrange this).
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