Four Nights in Bunaken
When I was in Raja Ampat, a few other divers kept telling me, “You have to go to Bunaken.” So when I finished up there, I decided to see it for myself. The diving here is completely different — it’s all wall dives, where you descend along these dramatic coral cliffs that just drop straight into the deep blue. It’s a little surreal, floating beside a wall that seems to go on forever.
Even if you don’t scuba dive, it’s still worth joining one of the boat trips — there were a few people on mine who only snorkeled, and it was beautiful from the surface as well.
After a few days, though, I’ll admit the dives started to look a bit similar. You really don’t need too many days here unless you’re doing a certification or just love being underwater nonstop. I dove every day and then took a day trip to Tangkoko National Park, which was such a nice change of pace — full of wildlife and jungle instead of coral and fish.
If I had more time, I would have continued on to Bangka and Lembeh. Everyone I met swore Bangka was their favorite island, though the accommodations were pricier and there weren’t many hostels. It’s definitely on my list for next time. It is difficult to get to the other islands, such as Nain Island or Siladen Island and it will cost you alot to get there, especially if you are traveling solo. Most people come to this area to scuba dive, not island hop.
I spent my evenings reading on the dock, watching the sunset, and seeing the occasional turtle pop to the surface.
How to get here
I flew into Manado and arranged a pickup through my hotel to get to the island — definitely the easiest option. On the way back, I took the public boat instead since the timing worked out, and it was a fun, more local experience.
Because Bunaken is part of a national park, there’s a small entrance fee you’ll need to pay when you arrive on the island.
Where to stay
You can stay pretty much anywhere on Bunaken since the island is quite small, but I’d recommend choosing a place along the main strip (Pantai Liang Beach) — it’s where most of the dive shops, restaurants, and boats are based. The beach isn’t a type of beach you lay out on.
I stayed at Happy Gecko Resort and most of the hotels/homestays you can book the dives through them. They have a three-day minimum for diving, which worked out perfectly for me. It’s also worth reaching out to hotels or dive resorts directly on WhatsApp instead of booking through sites like Booking.com — the prices are usually cheaper that way.
What to do
Snorkel or scuba dive, there’s really not much else. Sure you can take a dolphin cruise or go to the other islands, but the main reason to visit here is to snorkel or scuba dive. The beach isn’t that great to lay out on and because of the tide you have to swim quite far to get to the coral reef area for snorkeling from the beach.
Important Helpful Tips
Three nights of diving the walls around Bunaken felt like the perfect amount of time for me — especially after spending two weeks diving nonstop in Raja Ampat.
If you plan to continue on to Bangka Island or any of the other islands for more diving/exploring, it’s a good idea to book ahead since accommodations can fill up and it’s not that easy to go to different islands.
The island itself isn’t very walkable (though I did give it a solid try!). Most of the walkways aren’t well established, and distances between spots are longer than they look on a map. The beaches aren’t really the kind where you’d lay out for the day — the beauty here is definitely underwater.
The resorts and homestays serve meals family-style, which I actually loved. One afternoon when I went exploring, I found a cute spot called Cocoblue Café and Resto, which also has a little shop attached — a nice change of pace.
If you’re vegan or have dietary restrictions, make sure to tell your homestay or resort in advance. Most are happy to accommodate if they know ahead of time. In remote islands in Indonesia I always felt forced to eat nonvegan because I didn’t want to waste food.
Tangkoko National Park
From Bunaken, I took the public boat back to Sulawesi and then a private cab to my hotel. The ride was easy enough and a nice way to see a bit more of the local life along the way.
The day tour of Tangkoko National Park was completely worth it. Many travelers choose to stay overnight, but I managed to see all the main animals — including tarsiers, black macaques, hornbills, and a cuscus — in just one day. It felt like the perfect amount of time without rushing.
I stayed at Tangkoko Sanctuary Villa and booked my tour through them and over WhatsApp before arriving.
