From Raja Ampat to Bunaken: My Honest Experience & Recommendations
When I was in Raja Ampat, a few other divers kept telling me, “You have to go to Bunaken.” So after finishing up there, I decided to see it for myself. The diving here is completely different. Bunaken is known for its dramatic wall dives — you descend alongside towering coral cliffs that plunge straight down into the deep blue. It feels almost surreal, hovering beside a reef wall that seems to drop off forever.
MY HONEST EXPERIENCE
Even if you don’t scuba dive, it’s still worth joining a boat trip. A few people on mine were snorkeling only, and it was just as beautiful from the surface. After a few days, though, I’ll admit the dives began to look a bit similar. Unless you’re doing a certification or simply love being underwater nonstop, you don’t need too many days here. I dove daily and then took a day trip to Tangkoko National Park, which was such a refreshing change of pace — swapping coral and fish for jungle and wildlife.
If I had more time, I would have continued on to Bangka and Lembeh. Everyone I met swore Bangka was their favorite island, though accommodations there are pricier and hostel options are limited. It’s definitely on my list for next time.
It’s also worth noting that reaching some of the smaller surrounding islands, like Nain or Siladen, can be complicated and expensive — especially if you’re traveling solo. Most people come to this region specifically to scuba dive rather than island-hop.
Evenings were slow and peaceful — reading on the dock, watching the sunset melt into the sea, and spotting the occasional turtle surfacing for air.
Getting Here and Around
From Raja Ampat, Wasai, I was able to fly into Manado and stayed the night in Manado and arranged a pickup in the morning through my hotel to get to Bunaken — definitely the easiest option. Know that if you fly into Manado later in the day, you will likely have to spend the night in Manado. On the way back to Manado, 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. Note though that the beach isn’t the type of beach you want to just lay out on. The other side of the island has some resorts but they are more remote and not as much there. There isn’t a long strip of beach as well, but I did like the restaurant Cocoblue Cafe. The restaurants on the island overall aren’t very appealing so I was happy that my accommodations served all the meals included in my stay.
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 and/or scuba dive
Truly, 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.
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.
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.
