Diving Bunaken Island from Manado

[bowlofpetunias]

Makes a person kind of reluctant to say anything with responses like that Harley!

 

[Harley1962]

I am sure that WestCoastRoller appreciates your post ...

For me I hope that you are a little more polite with your students than you appear to be .... If you notice in my post I stated it was over 10 years ago I dived Bunaken and I said that the time estimate was FROM MEMORY.

I do hope you listen to people more closely than you have shown to via your post ... thanks again.:no

I did indeed read your post very carefully, and I am sorry if you feel I "offended" your sensibilities in any way. That wasn't my intention.

However, given that your estimated "memory" of the travel time to Bunaken was significantly off, I felt it appropriate to set the record straight on the ACTUAL travel time from Manado to Bunaken. Other posters have done the same, and verified my comments. Whether the OP prefers to stay on Bunaken (as many have suggested as a better option), or on the Mainland (near Malls, Restaurants), it is a question of simple convenience and/or personal taste : "different strokes for different folks" I suppose!

While "memories" are certainly nice to have, and from your detailed description it appears you had some lovely memories from 1997, FACTS are what people ultimately need and appreciate on this Forum, especially when they spend considerable time and money in planning their dive holidays.

For that reason I (and MANY other posters in this same thread) thought it wise to post their experiences and let the OP make their own decision. I think the OP wanted accurate information and several others have verified the boat trip times.

I take diving very seriously, and as somebody that makes their living in the Dive Industry, I try to give direct, unbiased information. I am sorry if you felt I was impolite in doing so.

Lastly, if you were to contact ANY of my students (of which there are HUNDREDS throughout the world, even in Australia where you live!), you would find to a person they DO find me extremely polite and caring, as well as disciplined and professional. Without having rules and standards, people get hurt.

Happy trails!
HB

 

[thanksforallthefish]

I did indeed read your post very carefully, and I am sorry if you feel I "offended" your sensibilities in any way. That wasn't my intention.

However, given that your estimated "memory" of the travel time to Bunaken was significantly off, I felt it appropriate to set the record straight on the ACTUAL travel time from Manado to Bunaken. Other posters have done the same, and verified my comments. Whether the OP prefers to stay on Bunaken (as many have suggested as a better option), or on the Mainland (near Malls, Restaurants), it is a question of simple convenience and/or personal taste : "different strokes for different folks" I suppose!

While "memories" are certainly nice to have, and from your detailed description it appears you had some lovely memories from 1997, FACTS are what people ultimately need and appreciate on this Forum, especially when they spend considerable time and money in planning their dive holidays.

For that reason I (and MANY other posters in this same thread) thought it wise to post their experiences and let the OP make their own decision. I think the OP wanted accurate information and several others have verified the boat trip times.

I take diving very seriously, and as somebody that makes their living in the Dive Industry, I try to give direct, unbiased information. I am sorry if you felt I was impolite in doing so.

Lastly, if you were to contact ANY of my students (of which there are HUNDREDS throughout the world, even in Australia where you live!), you would find to a person they DO find me extremely polite and caring, as well as disciplined and professional. Without having rules and standards, people get hurt.

Happy trails!
HB

Harley let me most emphatically inform you that in no way was I OFFENDED by the facts in your post.
I am pleased that you were able to set the record straight on my estimate of the travel time.

When I am wrong I appreciate being corrected, however my concern was with the MANNER of your statements not the content.

As you have pointed out others verified your fact about the times, however their manner, to me, seemed much more polite.

I posted about my "memories" of staying on the mainland and travelling to Bunaken to dive, at that time there were no Resorts on Bunaken.


Yes we all want facts, but memories and experiences can also be invaluable.

 

[WestCoastRoller]

Thanks for the feedback on the ride to bunaken, sounds like the boat ride can be a bit of a downer and we definately arent there for the pool, were there for diving!

 

[bowlofpetunias]

WestCoastRoller please let us know things go for your holiday. Keep safe and enjoy blowing bubbles

 

[Bosun]

We stayed at Siladen and the diving was great and short boat trips. We also did several Mandarin Fish dives.

 

[JenM]

Well, ANY Resort on MANADO (mainland) takes a MINIMUM of 45 minutes and if its Tasik Ria even longer to Bunaken sites...even Tasik Ria's "fast" fiberglass craft takes 55-60 minutes, to Murex is maybe 5-10 minutes closer..

Actually, this is not true. You can easily reach Bunaken from the Santika resort north of Manado in 15-20 minutes. (I was there 2 years ago so my memory is not playing tricks on me about the length of the boat rides!). The Santika is a great place to stay - food is decent, not great, but the grounds are beautiful and the rooms (all with a/c) are comfy. Furthermore, the dive op (Thalassa Divers) is one of the best I've ever dove with. Great DMs, small groups, no limits on bottom times, and very flexible. They came back to the resort after every dive so you could do three or four dives each day, or just one or two (and you could sleep in and still get in 3 dives). They have no beach but they do have a nice pool if you decide to take a break from the diving.

Personally, I feel strongly that the more development is encouraged on Bunaken island (right in the Marine Park), the more the quality of the diving will be degraded there, so I much prefer to stay on the mainland, especially since I can still have short boat rides while doing it.

 

[Wiggsy]

Hey - another option is to stay near Bunaken on Siladen Island. We stayed at Siladen Island Resort and Spa and I recommend it most highly. A brilliant resort - quite upscale but not very expensive at all (they did us a great deal as I had a group of 31 friends. The snorkelling at Siladen House Reef....the superb beach...the fantastic food...massages....it was simply brilliant.

 

[pelan-pelan]

I think these posts sum up the wonderful diversity of the area. Sincerely - I enjoyed some of the contention here.

Bunaken - fantastic walls and shore diving - but long-term issues of further development to the ecology.

Manado side - well there is the trip over if you want to get 4 dives/day in, I see the problem there. But then there's the dolphins and the pilot whales. And then you can sunbathe and read during the trip if you want to do a little "relaxing by the pool" kind of thing.

For muck diving there is Lembeh, which you can drive to easily from Manado, maybe do an overnight or two there. And of course there are critters on the Manado side as well.

Then there is the issue of luxury or not.

Many of the dive ops in the area are operating to very high standards. There is a Dive Association and I believe they are genuinely trying to preserve the environment and maintain standards. And of course they should, it is their livelihood and the future of the families of the people they employ. Local dive guides seem to be the norm.

Result - lots to choose from, lots of opinions - so just try to work out what you want and go for it.

Hope you get to love the place as much as we do. Roll on summer 2009!