dedhed
Registered
I flew into manado via Singapore on a jet filled with divers. I wondered if Bunaken Marine Park would be crowed, if a plane full of western divers were arriving each day, maybe my secluded dive holiday would be a bit more busy than I thought. My fears were unfounded and my two weeks in Sulawesi would be a trip to be relished.
Most all of the folks from the plane stayed in all inclusive resorts around Manado. I was picked up at the airport by staff from Sulawsi Dive Quest, who ferried me by boat to Bunaken Island a quiet, tropical paradise in the marine sanctuary where I was to spend most of my two weeks. We arrived in about 45 minutes and checked in at the SDQ dive shop on Bunaken. I unloaded my equipment and was briefed about the next morning dives before i was given room options. I chose Panorama Cottages, located on a cliff above the beach, a two minute walk from the dive shop. The cottages were very basic, it had a mandi-style bathroom (no running water, squat toilet with a large bucket and pail to flush and bathe), mosquito netted bed, with a veranda overlooking the sea. Meal were included and were served family style with the other guests. Great food, grilled fish, sauted vegetables, chips, rice, fresh fruit, more then we could finish. All this for $9 a night.
Diving in Bunaken is almost all walls, but some of the best walls in the world. Horizontal planes of life that in some spots drops off to over a mile in depth. The corals were wild with fish and creatures. The living reef extended below our max depths and made for underwater vistas that were beyond belief. I dove the walls on Bunaken for 4 days and then headed off to SDQ's operation on Lembeh Island. Diving was $20 per dive tax included and if you seperate the $15 park fee $50 per day all included is amazing.
The SDQ staff drove me the 1 1/2 hours to Bitung harbor for the ten minute boat ride across the Lembeh Straits to their operation on Lembeh Island. SDQ has a five cottage, beach front resort on a private cove just minutes from most of the famouse muck diving sites of Lembeh. The accomodations are beautiful. Brand new bungalos with western bathrroms and porches on the beach. The meals were restaurant quality with eggs for breakfast and different hot lunches and dinners ever day. This step up in lifestyle cost a little more, $30 per day and $30 a dive, but it was worth it. The diving in the Lembeh straits IS all it's cracked up to be. Within six minute of submerging on my first dive, my guide showed me the first of many pygmy seahorses. In four days diving blank volcanic sand slopes, I was able to confront dozens of frogfish, stargazers, guannards, octupi, cuttlefish, 30 different species of nudibranch and much more. In eight dives I saw more than 50 kinds of fish and creatures I had never seen before.
I went back to Bunaken for four more days of wall diving and headed home. Since there is not much in the way of nightlife or souveniers, I stayed fourteen days, dove 24 times and spent, everything included, $750. Ive been diving all over the Caribbean, the Egyptian Red Sea, the Great Barrier Reef and other places not of such reknown, and Sulawesi ranks as the best of the bunch. Combine the world class diving with the low price of staying and you got what I feel is the best value in diving! I hope who ever reads this finds it helpful and if it motivates you to go to Sulawesi you will not be dissapointed. If my style of travel is a bit basic for you, don't worry every type of hotel and resort is available, from $9 to $200 a night.
Dive safe, but makes sure to dive!
Peace,
Stephen
Most all of the folks from the plane stayed in all inclusive resorts around Manado. I was picked up at the airport by staff from Sulawsi Dive Quest, who ferried me by boat to Bunaken Island a quiet, tropical paradise in the marine sanctuary where I was to spend most of my two weeks. We arrived in about 45 minutes and checked in at the SDQ dive shop on Bunaken. I unloaded my equipment and was briefed about the next morning dives before i was given room options. I chose Panorama Cottages, located on a cliff above the beach, a two minute walk from the dive shop. The cottages were very basic, it had a mandi-style bathroom (no running water, squat toilet with a large bucket and pail to flush and bathe), mosquito netted bed, with a veranda overlooking the sea. Meal were included and were served family style with the other guests. Great food, grilled fish, sauted vegetables, chips, rice, fresh fruit, more then we could finish. All this for $9 a night.
Diving in Bunaken is almost all walls, but some of the best walls in the world. Horizontal planes of life that in some spots drops off to over a mile in depth. The corals were wild with fish and creatures. The living reef extended below our max depths and made for underwater vistas that were beyond belief. I dove the walls on Bunaken for 4 days and then headed off to SDQ's operation on Lembeh Island. Diving was $20 per dive tax included and if you seperate the $15 park fee $50 per day all included is amazing.
The SDQ staff drove me the 1 1/2 hours to Bitung harbor for the ten minute boat ride across the Lembeh Straits to their operation on Lembeh Island. SDQ has a five cottage, beach front resort on a private cove just minutes from most of the famouse muck diving sites of Lembeh. The accomodations are beautiful. Brand new bungalos with western bathrroms and porches on the beach. The meals were restaurant quality with eggs for breakfast and different hot lunches and dinners ever day. This step up in lifestyle cost a little more, $30 per day and $30 a dive, but it was worth it. The diving in the Lembeh straits IS all it's cracked up to be. Within six minute of submerging on my first dive, my guide showed me the first of many pygmy seahorses. In four days diving blank volcanic sand slopes, I was able to confront dozens of frogfish, stargazers, guannards, octupi, cuttlefish, 30 different species of nudibranch and much more. In eight dives I saw more than 50 kinds of fish and creatures I had never seen before.
I went back to Bunaken for four more days of wall diving and headed home. Since there is not much in the way of nightlife or souveniers, I stayed fourteen days, dove 24 times and spent, everything included, $750. Ive been diving all over the Caribbean, the Egyptian Red Sea, the Great Barrier Reef and other places not of such reknown, and Sulawesi ranks as the best of the bunch. Combine the world class diving with the low price of staying and you got what I feel is the best value in diving! I hope who ever reads this finds it helpful and if it motivates you to go to Sulawesi you will not be dissapointed. If my style of travel is a bit basic for you, don't worry every type of hotel and resort is available, from $9 to $200 a night.
Dive safe, but makes sure to dive!
Peace,
Stephen
