Dive Resorts:

Accommodation and Scuba Diving on Bunaken

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(updated in March 2013)

If you arrive as a backpacker...

As soon as you have arrived on Manado airport and are waiting  for your luggage, you are surrounded by a number of porters, taxi-drivers  and so-called "guides" and each of them would like to take you to a homstay or a dive resort, of which he claims that it is the best one on Bunaken. There you would get the best meal and the cheapest accommodation of the island. Of course it is clear to you that these kind of helpers, who as a rule are employees or partners of a dive resort, do not advise you out of the goodness of their heart. You will finally sit in a taxi or the privat car of a resort and be brought to the port of Manado and then with the public or a private boat to your new "home" on Bunaken. ( If you are lucky. If not, you are too late, the public boat has already left and you must charter an expensive private boat or spend a night in a Hotel).
Just arrived in the homestay on the island you will choose one of the free cottages, move in and take a shower. If something displeases you at first sight now, though, you will stay, because you don't like to plod along from homestay to homestay with your heavy luggage in the tropical heat. In brief, someone, who has just settled down, as a rule will not change the place within the next few days. Even if he is not quite pleased or if he has learned from other travellers in between, that an other accommodation/divecenter at a distance of 2 km or on the other side of the island would rather comply with his wishes.
However I could watch also single backpackers who strove from Homestay to Homstay trying to find the cheapest Cottage or a putatively better cuisine.

You've got information on the Internet?

You, however, belong to the ones (otherwise you would not have reached this site) who surfes the net. You type the keywords "Bunaken" or "Sulawesi" and "diving" at Google or Yahoo and already see the addresses of many resorts listed. One klick and you will land in a "picture book" with beautiful tropical fish and traditionally built cottages surrounded by blossoming gardens. Colourful online-leaflets which try to convey an impression to the visitor, as if these fish only could be seen, if one dives with this unique divecenter and as if the lovely sunset is only to experience living in this homestay. All-to-easily too, you are impressed  by the promise "Cottages with sea view". This of course is not the untruth, however, may only apply to few cottages which then may already be occupied if you arrive there. Also, of course, the chance to experience the unique world under water in the Bunaken National Park can be offered to you by every Dive Center because at the end of the day each of them visits with you the same dive spots. How then, do they compare with each other?

I was often asked whether I can recommend an "good" and "inexpensive" Resort/Homestay on Bunaken. Then usually I had laboriously to investigate in an extensive e-mail correspondence the different wishes and to find out which price the guest is willing to pay. Others wrote very detailled about their previous diver's life and where they already have travelled around. Possibly believe some of them that I am a travel agency or a pensioner who has no other more interests, than to sit daily on its computer reading and replying e-mails. - No, this is not the case!!!

Now I want to give you some assistance. Read over the following carefully, so that you know what expects you on Bunaken.

Differences among resorts regarding their offers

Broadly speaking there are on the island three kinds of offers :

• Simple Homestays for backpackers or "globetrotters"
• Resorts with upper standards for the guests who would like to stay for about 1-2 weeks on Bunaken and want to enjoy unforgettable holidays while this relatively short time.
• A very attractive, inexpensive offer for groups

Between the simplest lodging without particular demands on dinner, hygiene and furnishings up to the luxury resort with elegant ambience, demanding cuisine and special offers like 24 hours of electricity, warm shower, equipment for UW photographers or even air-conditioning there are on Bunaken many stages with the adequate prices. I would suggest that you answer first of all the following question:

How much am I ready to pay (per night / person inclusive 3 meals; prize margin)?

On your financial opportunities depends of course which demands you can make to your lodging or the dive centre. At the choice of your resort you will then have to come to a compromise. Hence, it is important that you understand about your priorities, before you collect information. Read through the following food for thought and follow then my links further below to read my experience reports.

Here a few possible questions:

Depending on your wishes and the price there are all sorts of offers available for you. They are different in the following essential points:

Location

The location of the Resort is very important to many a guest. This generally is not dependent on the price. Almost all of them are located near the beach. There are both cheap and expensive Resorts or Homestays with clean beach and lovely house reef. However, there are some on the other hand with a beach which is soiled particularly after strong rains with garbage having been washed up. Some Resorts make every effort to clean the beach again. Some of them dig holes in the sand and let the collected rubbish disappear there. Everybody can guess what happens at the next high tide... Most resorts lie close to each other. Some can afford it to have the beach cleaned by its employees daily. Some cannot. So can happen to you that you go on a clean swath to the beach, but you mustn't turn your view to the right or to the left on the way. I have already met some visitors who told me the diving had been unique, but they would not come again because the beach is so dirty "on the island". I could only reply them that they had chosen wrong accommodation.
There are also many places with beautiful, clean sandy beach and shady trees on Bunaken.

It is also important to snorkellers that their house reef is not frequented too much by fisherman or excursion boats. Who rather loves the seclusion and quiet will be very disappointed, if he has landed in a resort at whose beach an active weekend tourism (tripper from Manado) takes place. Of course there wasn't to read about it, neither in the travel brochure nor on the web page in question.

Many guests also attach importance to the location of their bungalow within the Resort. Then the clear view over the sea from the balcony may be very important for them. Since all cottages naturally cannot stand in front, one must already book very early in well frequented Resorts. Otherwise one "enjoys" the view of the rear part of the neighbour cottage if one is unlucky.

Every Resort has a restaurant, almost always in an exposed location with sea view, bar often integrated. The beach bars are popular, particularly with young guests. Events frequently take place there with live music and common singing. These parties produce a certain noise level especially around midnight. The tired not participating diver then has problems with falling asleep in the directly neighbouring cottage. Who attaches importance to his night's rest, should rather choose a bungalow with a sufficient distance to the bar. In some resorts the problem is solved quite well. The dwellings are there located in sufficing distance from the beach on a hill. One has both advantages then: View at the sea and quiet and seclusion. A little disadvantage is connected with that, though. One must overcome the difference in altitude by climbing stairs repeatedly everyday. However, one can regard this also as a sports.

Another point of view should be the distance to the neighbour bungalow. Who often stays in hotels during the whole year, this one will not want to live in his holidays wall to wall with his neighbour either.
A quiet clean private beach has a high importance for non divers and guests with children particularly. In other words, they prefer a beach directly in front of the Resort in seclusion, where one is not permanently ogled or annoyed by dealers or by locals. Unfortunately, there is a beach section on Bunaken where a guest sunbathing in front of its "hotel" must exhibit himself involuntary this way. At smaller local homestays the compressor and the generator is often in an immediate neighbourhood to the cottages so that one permanently is accompanied by the noises.

Cottages/Bungalows and their Furnishing

The cheapest huts...

were built by the mostly local owners themselves, as a rule, made of the wood of the coco. The roof consists of coconut mattings and is more or less rain permeable, depending on age - or of corrugated sheet metal. The ceiling is made of plywood. Usually a bedroom with a double bed and a small cupboard with mirror stands for living at the disposal. On the walls there are often nails, on which you can hang up your clothes. A ventilator provides cooling in the night and a mosquito net offers protection against gnats and other intruders. If you are lucky, the net is not yet damaged. Otherwise you better install one of your own or you mend the available one with clothes-pegs, sticking plaster or the like.

As a rule, only one electrical outlet is in the room. You should therefore rather carry with you an electrical outlet strip of your own for your electrical devices. Caution is always advised with the electrical installation because it got also carried out by themselves or by "expert" relatives. It is frequently faulty and dangerous. Therefore a thorough check has to be recommended before moving in. The beds are often do-it-yourself, too. The mattresses have frequently hollow like deepenings in the place where the "pre-tenants" have lain. Fleas or mites have settled in it from time to time, cause cleaning particularly with infection means or a ventilation in the sun after the statement of a guest only seldom takes place.

A bathroom with toilet is next to the main room. Both are separated by a door which is closeable with a latch or hook. This room is accessible from the outside by a 2nd door. From there the water for shower is deliverd. A balcony is located in every hut with a little table as well as two chairs or armchairs. These are often self-made or of coloured plastic. The ceiling lighting consists in the simplest case of a socket with light bulb. There frequently already are energy-saving lamps, too. It is clear that you cannot demand high standards to a tasteful equipment paying for a back-packer hut only 20 euros per night and person, inclusive of 3 meals. They are seldom renovated or equipped with new furniture, because for investments hardly any money is left.

From 30 euro upward...

however, you can expect quite beautiful, spacious bungalows with pure furniture, western toilets, shower and running water. The furniture is solidly built. Some are even decorated tastefully or imported by Bali. There are shelves, cupboards and wardrobes for the clothes and contents of your suitcase. Bigger balconies enlarge the bedroom with shady roofs, clean hammocks and armchairs. Some Resorts offer bungalows for families with 3 beds or an additional side room with single bed. Spring beds protect the guest from a backache. It is more difficult to find hot-water or even rooms with air conditioner at this price range.

Only a few dive resorts on the island are equipped with 24 h electricity and special facilities for uw-photographers, such as compressed-air spray guns, rinse tanks onboard etc. and not least computer with card reader, CD writer and photo editing software. Who carries his own laptop, finds offers with internet access and Wireless local area network in a few resorts. And who has already experienced that the sensitive electronics of the diving lamp or the laptop computer was destroyed because of the often strong current fluctuations sometimes, will by sure greatly appreciate a stabilized current regulator in his bungalow or in his resort..

Kitchen and Hygiene

Once I was pleasantly surprised, when I watched the kitchen staff thoroughly cleaning the table with a disinfection spray before every meal. Some guests do not care. Main thing for them is that the table is not dirtier than their ownT-shirt. In this point exist nice distinctions.

You often find great differences in the kitchen. Look in when you are there! Also the behaviour of the kitchen staff is different.
Are e.g. the employees clearly conscious of the fact that Western people don't appreciate to watch Indonesians spitting on the floor or picking their nose? But this is by no means a question of the price but a question of the awareness of the management.

Primarily the freshness of the used foods is decisive for the taste of the meals. Since not sufficient enough foodstuff is produced on Bunaken, its condition depends on how often the owner of a homestay goes shopping in Manado. Furthermore how are meat, fruit and vegetables kept? In the refrigerator (in resorts with 24 h current) or in any corner of the kitchen? For hygiene and taste furthermore is very decisive, whether it is shopped in a supermarket with cooling installations or in the local market, where the foods were often exposed to the heat and the flies for hours. Also, whether the food is cooked with aqua (filled drinking water) or with water coming out of the own well.

Fish, however, is fresh everywhere on the island.

Bathroom with Toilet

Since my first stay on the island a lot has already changed there. Nowadays also in most of the cheaper homestays you will find western toilets. The only difference is, whether the flush is carried out automatically or by you using a scoop and whether toilet paper is available or not. In most of these bathrooms there are still basins or plastic buckets with water for taking a shower ("mandi"). The water is filled up again and again as soon as the container is almost empty. This usually happens without a thorough cleaning. Of course this method always entails the danger that germs can establish and increase. After my last serious infection which had developed from a small unnoticed injury we always have a disinfectant with us, when we stay in very cheap homestays. With this we clean thoroughly all couple of days our bathroom, before all the water tank .
One finds running water at the wash basin or from the shower only in the Resorts of the more elevated price range. As said in another place already, fresh water is particularly rare on the island in the dry season. Only some resorts have a well of their own with sufficiently salt-free water. For the rest the water must effortfully be bought and transported from Manado or from the village. Only a few Resorts offer you hot-water (most continuous-flow water heater). The bathrooms can be tiled, be provided with natural stone walls or only consist of concrete and plywood sheets. This is not only matter of taste but also a criterion for hygiene. Important for you too may be, whether the bathroom is cleaned daily or whether one must take over this task himself.

Atmosphere:

The atmosphere depends essentially on the management and the crew. On the websites mostly the complete staff is shown and everyone smiles friendly. Unfortunately, the reality on the spot then does not always correspond to these impressions. What real hospitality is, usually will turn out, when e.g. the resort is full or if you live there for some time. You then can learn how your hosts behave, if e.g. you criticise the service once. Of course it also depends on you yourself, whether you are treated friendly or coldly, also whether small surprises or attention which is not part of the duty circle of your hosts (photo) is granted to you. Last but not least it is important to people coming from industrial countries whether one can rely on agreements.

Some guests appreciate it, if one grants your special desires and if the Indonesian employees are instructed to helpfulness by the management. Also important is: Do they keep the necessary distance? It was reported to me by a guest that the employees of an homestay watched him at night while sex by the cracks of the walls .
I have also made the experience that some female guests are expecting erotic adventures with Indonesians on Bunaken. Since this, however, is not the rule, one should expect restraint from the male staff in this respect. In some rather cheap Resorts it is also not unusual that male guests rent a cottage together with an Indonesian acquaintance, not primarily, to go diving...

This example may already bring to mind that the atmosphere also is marked by the guests who live in the homestay or Resort in question. Is it frequented mainly by backpackers and students or rather by holiday-makers of middle age and better situated? Are there in the majority younger people who like to listen to live music in the evening and to participate in parties in the late night? Or are there mainly people who prefer to enjoy the quiet on their holidays? One also should know, up to what extend one is ready to tolerate excessive consumption of alcohol by the employees (particularly the dive crew), before booking.

The dive instructor always has a special position in every dive resort, also because he is a model for his staff. He contributes fundamentally to the well-being or to the discontent of the guests by his way to treat them. There are competent and experienced dive instructors also on Bunaken who authoritarianly and arrogantly handle their customers, though. What's the use of the most beautiful bungalow and the fantastic sub-water world then if the mood was spoiled by a guy like this?

The atmosphere of a Resort not least is also determined by its size. Some people love a hotel similar atmosphere with guests as numerous as possible in their immediate proximity. Others rather love a smaller Resort with privacy. The free air restaurant is usually a place of the sociability there to which one can go or also avoid - depending on mood .
The atmosphere finally depends on your partner, however, too. But this is another chapter.

Service while Staying

Which service you can expect, depends not only on the number of the staff but also on the competence and readiness for work . Of course! Who asks only € 20 per night from his guest, can hardly afford employees and does all work from the kitchen up to hut cleaning and garden care himself. I do not have to describe you what this means, when the homestay is fully occupied. Total occupation is by the way an advantage in one respect: The choice of the food is then usually more extensive.

I had a look at some rather new and not quite cheap homestays during my last (two month) stay in Bunaken. I wondered, why some of the bungalows were not occupied and found out the answer quickly. The externally beautiful buildings proved to be untidy and dirty inside. The employees nevertheless loafed lazily in the area without being conscious of their actual tasks.

There are often little things that can spoil you the stay, e.g. a hammock which is still visibly sweat-soaked by your predecessor. Or one, that is sufficiently big for an average Indonesian, but in which a European can take his nap only in embryonic position. Very disgusting are also pillows in some cheap backpacker homestays, which are not cleaned or aired sufficently and therefore stinking strongly .

It is also a lack of consciousness of both the managements and the staff, when in some restaurants the food is served on tables which either were not cleaned sufficiently or on which real coloumns of ants have formed. By the way, animals: In good resorts dogs do not have access to the restaurant or to the bungalows. There are also taken measures against disturbing insects (not only mosquitos), particularly in the evening.

On the other hand there are also Resorts where the owner has devolved the control to a local manager. Once, I have not been able to sleep for many nights in such a one because the pups howled constantly. My complaints were fruitless because obviously the dogs of the manager had a higher importance for her. Enough the examples!

Think twice, which kind of service you expect while choosing your resort!

e.g.

• Good, varied meal i.e. not only fish
• Extra preparation of a vegetarian meal
• Aqua (fresh drinking water for self-service) all day available
• Any time cold drinks (particularly a cold beer) (Bir Bintang) available
• Regular cleaning of accommodation
• Laundry service
• Hammock(s) on the balcony
• Bar
• Barbeque at the beach
• Massage service
• Depositbox for your values
• Pool
• Dive courses
• Audiovisuals in the classroom
• Television
• Computer with burner and film/photo processing software
• Internet connection
• WiFi
• 24 h current
• Power stabilizer

Service while Diving:

The prices for a dive vary from approx. € 25 to approx. € 38 per boat diving. Some dive resorts require extra charges for the equipment, some not. Everywhere you pay extra for night dives (+ torches) and excursions to remote diving places. As a rule, you dive two times a day, either twice in the morning or once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The planning is usually carried out in the evening before. Depending on interest a night dive or dawn dive takes place.
There are pretty differences between the dive resorts and they are not only dependent on the price. Therefore you should consider what is important to you before your booking.

Some dive centers are too parsimonious in the acquisition and maintenance of diving equipments . The wetsuits then often are not available in sufficing number in the respective size there. Every diver knows what it means, if he must squeeze into a too tight wetsuit or when his feet are painful after diving because of the all too small booties.

It is also annoying, when you notice your valve bubbling after the jump into the water, because the O-ring is leaking. A substitute then should at least be available on the boat and the staff should be able to execute small repairs on board itself. Any diver also knows the significance of a regular maintenance of the compressor for safety and well-being.

Talking of safety: The existence of first-aid box and oxygen kits is not a matter of course on all dive boats yet. Some Resorts even have, however, a "Speedboat" for case of a necessary transport to the hospital in Manado with re-compression chamber. It is also decisive that the diving staff is trained well in the assessment of accidents and can take up the corresponding first aid measures.

Even the most sporting diver will appreciate it very much if the transport of his equipment over the reef (particularly at low tide) to the boat is done for him. Everybody also likes to be supported on board while preparing his gear. The diving pleasure is not least dependent on the number and size of groups under water. Everyone of the mostly local dive guides is very experienced. Their behaviour is often very different, though. Some run ahead of the group, to be able to point as much as possible. They often do not have any feeling, that some divers would rather stay a little at the place. Only a few meet the individual requests of UW photographers with competence as well. For the latter there are some specialized dive resorts, which have also the necessary facilities on board, e.g. a fresh water basin for rinsing the cameras and a place for drying them.

Some boats carry drinking water, tea and coffee to the self-service, a few also offer fresh fruits or even a little snack after the dive.

Not least is the qualification and character of the dive instructor of great importance. Who includes a diving course in his plans on Bunaken should already know before, which courses are possible. The linguistic competence of the dive instructor and his patience could also be an important issue (primarily for beginners).

Special offer for groups and families: Diving, Snorkelling, fishing etc. on your own

During or latest stays on Bunaken (October/November, 2008, 2009 and 2011) we have been using a very attractive way of enjoying our holidays with friends or alone. That could also be interesting for you - particularly with regard to the financial aspect:
We rented in a foursome a boat incl. boatcrew, diveguide and scuba equipment and drove this way independently diving, snorkelling, fishing, delphine-watching, whenever and whereever we wanted. Fuel was paid depending on consumption. The number of the filled tanks was also charged extra. For little money a local dive guide accompanied us . Our resort gave us the catering for day trips . Where we liked the beach best, we had a picnic or barbecue. The boatmen cared about preparation and execution.

With its two 40 hp engine it is also possible to drive with this boat from Bunaken to the neighbouring islands or to Lembeh in order to live and dive there.

If you are interested, then ask FERDINAND, the owner of the boat in Manado, a Duch friend of mine to make a detailed offer to you. And, if you liked, this also includes a fitting accommodation for you.

His e-mail address: [email protected]; however, I urgently advise you to point out your mail to him at the same time by an SMS, because he has not received e-mails.quite often. His mobile phone number is: +62 811 4302018.

You can find a detailled description here.

During the 8 weeks of our stay in October/November 2011 we lived every week in another Resort. I can recommend five of them to you because of their very good price-performance ratio.

If you plan your vacation in North Sulawesi and if you are confused of that many great Internet sites (self-advertising of the Resorts) , it may mean a little help in reaching a decision, to read my report about that (Diving) Resorts in which we have felt very well in every regard. Because we could afford not only expensive accomodation during the long period of two months, our experience refers to different price ranges. With a click you can read about our experiences in these Resorts .

Cheap accomodation up to 30€ p.person

• BUNAKEN SEA GARDEN RESORT
• RAJA LAUT
• HIGHLAND RESORT (Tomohon)

Accomodation up to 80€ p.person

• LIVING COLORS DIVING RESORT
• BUNAKEN ISLAND RESORT

Luxury accomodation up to 180€ p.person

• GANGGA ISLAND RESORT & SPA (Gangga Island)

I advise you to book at least 1-2 months before your planned arrival. Because in my experience the most popular and most inexpensive Resorts are booked up already more than 2 months before.

If you want to pass a small comment on this web site or if you like to write about own experiences, then take a little time for my guestbook . You may help other travellers by this.