Bunaken National Marine Park

Map of Sulawesi

Manado or Menado is your setting off point to stunning Bunaken National Marine Park

Protected since 1991 for its fantastic reefs and mangroves and outstanding biodiversity. The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep, clear, refreshing in temperature (27 to 29 °C). Bunaken National Marine Park is home to some of the world’s best year-round snorkeling and scuba diving. Check out the Bunaken Island Group – Bunaken, manado Tua, Siladen, Montehage and Nain – each ringed in part by a pristine white-sand beach.

Map of the island group (Click on the pic to zoom it)

Flat Bunaken and its southern beach in front, volcanic Manado Tua in the back

In shallow water just a few meters offshore lies a band of eye-catching reefs, while further out, in the 60 to 120 foot zone another band of coral reefs teams with all sizes of fish, brilliant in hues and decoration, swimming around you in dizzying numbers, almost bouncing off your wetsuit.

Clear water in Bunaken water

In the thousands of little nooks along the wall you will spy delicate pencil-thin blue-ribbon eels, clear and reddish-striped coral shrimp, lurking lobsters and scuttling crabs. In deeper waters will really get your heart started, as if it wasn’t hammering with adrenal jazz already.

Bunaken Marine Park has become an important example of how Sulawesi, and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its natural resources.

Fees/Permits
All visitors to the Bunaken National Park (divers and non-divers) are required to pay an entrance fee, in accordance with North Sulawesi Provincial Government Provincial Law Number 9/2002. The entrance fee for locals is Rp2,500 a day and for foreign visitors is Rp 50,000 per daily ticket (approximately US$6), or Rp 150,000 (approximately US$17) for a waterproof plastic entrance tag (can be attached to your diving gear) valid for the full calendar year.

GET IN
Bunaken is about 45-60 minutes by boat from Manado. Most resorts will arrange transfers from the airport for their guests. Alternatively, a public boat leaves daily except Sunday at 2PM, or you can charter a boat anytime.

HOW TO GET THERE
There are now international flights to Manado.
Singapore Airlines' regional airline SilkAir flies from Singapore to Manado four times a week - every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The flight takes about three and half hours. nd from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysian Airlines via Kota Kinabalu.

From Indonesia
Manado is well connected with most Indonesian cities. Daily flights arrive from Jakarta and Surabaya in Java, Ujung Pandang in South Sulawesi, Denpasar in Bali, Balikpapan in Kalimantan as well as Sorong in Irian Jaya. Connecting flights from other cities fly usually via Jakarta or Ujung Pandang.

The following airlines fly to Manado:
Batavia Air
Garuda Indonesia
Mandala Airlines
Merpati Air

From Manado to Bunaken Island
In case you wish to come to the island on your own you can get a public boat, which leaves from the harbour at around 2pm every day except Sundays, or you can charter a private boat at any time. The boat ride takes 45-60 minutes. The public boat will drop you off in Bunaken Village from where you can walk (about 30 minutes) or hire a boat at anytime.