Discover Bunaken: Coral Walls, Crystal Waters and, 30 Turtles in One Dive

Bunaken is a small island located just off the coast in northern Sulawesi, easy to reach from the main city Manado. It is known as one of the best diving and snorkeling spots in Indonesia. They call it turtle paradise as you can see 30 turtles in a single dive! Sulawesi is still not on the main tourist map, even though it has world class diving. Especially if you compare it to Bali or the Gili Islands, Bunaken has far fewer visitors. It still feels like a remote paradise. Nevertheless, it’s not completely undiscovered and it is one of the most popular destinations in northern Sulawesi. This means that there are plenty of options for accommodations on the island. Here I’ll tell you about all the best places to stay, the best dive spots and how to get there! Basically, everything you need to know for your trip to Bunaken.

Are you a diver? Also check out my guide to the Togean islands.

What to do in Bunaken

Diving

You may have guessed it already. The main attraction here is diving! It’s specifically known as turtle paradise, because you can see 30 in a single dive. The guides don’t even point them out anymore. Besides turtles, you can see octopus, frogfish, moray eels, trevally, sharks, rays, dolphins, nudibranch and all kinds of reef fish. There are a lot of really great dive sites, but some of the best ones are ‘Mandarin’, Likuan II and Likuan III.

If you are not a diver or snorkeler, I’d skip Bunaken and go somewhere else instead. Even though it is worth taking a walk around the island and getting to know the lovely people in the village.

Do a Dolphin or Whale tour

If you’re set on doing a whale tour, ask before booking if they have seen any recently. They are not observed as frequently as dolphins. The species that are seen most frequently are 3 varieties of Spinner dolphins (Stenella). Striped-, Pantropical spotted- and Longsnout spinner dolphin, often in mixed groups of over 200 individuals.  If they are not being chased by boats and are relaxed they might come really close to the boat.

Explore the island

The main attraction is definitely the marine life, but it’s nice to hop on a scooter and see what local life is like on the island. Even though my stay at the resort included dinner, I took a trip into the local village one evening to try a restaurant there. I wouldn’t say it’s particularly special, but just a nice change if you feel like doing something besides diving.

How to get there

There is a daily public boat departing from the Ferry terminal in Manado at 14:00 PM. It costs 50.000 IDR for the trip. The boat trip takes around 45 minutes to an hour. It is best if you ask your hotel or guesthouse to pick you up from the dock in Bunaken. I stayed at Panorama backpackers and ended up paying 2 separate motorbikes, because my bags didn’t fit on one. Therefore I paid 100.000 total. The boat from Panorama to the dock is only 50.000, so that is a better option. Ask them well in advance, because they don’t always respond right away.

Best time to visit

May to September is considered the dry season, but that doesn’t mean much anymore these days. In the wet season, underwater visibility can be slightly lower. If you want to avoid the high season in July and August, go in May or September. The temperature is always around 30 degrees during the day. The water is also nice and warm, averaging between 25 and 30 degrees. I visited in April and had perfect weather!

Where to stay in Bunaken

There are some really beautiful accommodations on the island. A great affordable option is Panorama cottages or Panorama backpackers. They are located right next to each other. The rooms are relatively basic (no hot water), but clean and a comfy bed. The price includes all meals and the diving offered is fantastic! They let us do longer 80-90 minute dives if we still had enough air and we were always diving with only 2 people per guide. All the equipment was also great and Sven advised me on what dives I would enjoy the most as I was on a budget. I loved that I could just choose which dives I wanted to join and sometimes sit one out.

If you’re looking luxury, I think the nicest accommodation you can find on the island is probably Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa. This is 5 star luxury dive resort with incredible service & facilities. The rooms are stunning and spacious, it has a pool a chef that caters to any diet and everything you need while diving. If you really want to treat yourself, this is a once in a lifetime type of holiday stay.

If you want something in between, then The Village Bunaken is a little more luxurious and comfortable than Panorama. A beautiful pool, nice bungalows with hot showers!