Things to do in Bunaken
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bunaken
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season: calmest crossings, best visibility, peak crowds in July to September.
Shoulder: often very good and emptier, with more rain and choppier afternoons.
West monsoon: roughest crossings, possible boat cancellations, lower visibility and debris on exposed shores.
What's on
- Independence Day 17 August
Village games, races and community celebrations across the island settlements.
- Christmas and New Year 25 December
Church services, carols and family feasts in largely Christian villages, in the roughest sea months.
Best things to do in Bunaken
Bunaken National Marine Park
Snorkel a shallow reef flat that drops into a deep coral wall, with turtles cruising along the edge.
Froggies Divers Bunaken
Small Liang Beach dive base for guided wall dives in small groups, minutes from the main sites.
Panorama Diving Resort
Budget dive resort with a turtle rich house reef, shore snorkelling and night dives from Liang Beach.
Where to stay in Bunaken
Liang Beach and Pangalisang, east and south east coasts
first stay, divers, easiest transfers
Main jetty and most resorts, with the shortest boat rides to the east coast wall sites.
Tanjung Parigi and the west coast
quiet, sunsets, slow stays
Fewer resorts facing Manado Tua, reached on foot or by boat, with village life over a strip.
Siladen Island
beach, gentle snorkelling, couples and families
White sand and a coral garden reef in the same park, with the Bunaken walls a short boat ride away.
Best restaurants in Bunaken
Bunaken Village
The village on the south west coast is the island only real cluster of local warungs and small shops.
Deco Stop Cafe N Bar
Small cafe bar near the village side, the island closest thing to a night out, with occasional live music.
Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa
Panoramic resort restaurant and the island top end table, mainly for guests, Asian and international menus.
Outdoor things to do in Bunaken
Pantai Liang
The island main east coast beach and jetty strip, with house reefs a short swim from the resorts.
Siladen Island
White sand island with the park prettiest shallow coral garden, gentler than the Bunaken walls.
Manado Tua
Dormant volcano cone island for a steep village guided hike, then snorkel stops on the boat back.
Best hotels in Bunaken
Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa
Twelve hillside villas above Liang Beach with pool, spa and small dive boats, the island luxury benchmark.
Bastianos Bunaken Diving Resort
Mid range Liang Beach resort with jetty dive centre and sister resorts for a multi island dive circuit.
Two Fish Divers Bunaken
Small PADI resort at Pangalisang Beach, simple cottages, communal dinners and four divers per guide.
Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort
Small cottage nature resort at Tanjung Parigi, quiet, full board and strong home cooking over a house reef.
Siladen Resort & Spa
Villas on white sand facing the sunset, with pool, spa and the park best house reef snorkelling.
Bobocha Siladen Boutique Resort
Eight villa boutique resort inside Siladen village, beachfront, food led and a fine house reef.
Is Bunaken expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | IDR 550,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | IDR 1,600,000 a person |
| Splurge | IDR 4,800,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Bunaken National Marine Park: a few days ahead
- Froggies Divers Bunaken: a few days ahead
- Panorama Diving Resort: a few days ahead
- Siladen Island: a few days ahead
- Manado Tua: a few days ahead
- Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa: a few days ahead
- Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa: weeks ahead
- Bastianos Bunaken Diving Resort: weeks ahead
- Book Liang Beach and Siladen resorts weeks to months ahead for July to September and Christmas.
- Agree in writing whether your boat transfer and the IDR 150,000 park fee are included.
Is Bunaken safe?
- Follow dive guides on wall currents, dive within your certification and insurance limits, and keep Manado hospital transfer time in mind. Emergency 112.
- Use repellent in the evenings against dengue mosquitoes, and carry a surface marker buoy if you snorkel away from a boat.
- Mount Ruang, a separate island volcano well north east of Bunaken, does not affect Bunaken, Siladen or Manado.
Bunaken travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Arriving without cash: there are no ATMs on Bunaken or Siladen.
- Planning resort hopping dinners: after dark there is no easy way across the island.
- Expecting a swimming beach holiday on Bunaken itself: shores are mangrove and reef flat, and Siladen is the sand island.
Getting around Bunaken: public transport and more
- No cars and no car roads on Bunaken: walk village paths, use locally arranged motorbike taxis, and boat everywhere in the sea.
- Resort speedboats from Manado harbour take roughly 30 to 45 minutes; public boats are slower and leave in the morning.
Who Bunaken suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Bunaken your trip
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