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Where is Bunaken, Manado and Lembeh?
Manado is on the northern-western tip of an island called Sulawesi, in the region of North Sulawesi. It is a city of about 400,000 people, and the surrounding area is known as Minihasa which has a concentration of about 90% christianity.
Manado has an international airport that has regular flights from
Singapore and Phillipines. There are also daily flights from Jakarta,
Bali and other cities in Indonesia.
Where is Bunaken Island?
Bunaken Island is about 45 minutes by boat from the town of Manado. The international airport of Manado is about 45 minutes drive outside the town therefore you can be on the island within 2 hours of landing!!
Flights
Whether you dive Manado and Bunaken or dive Lembeh, you will have to fly into the Manado International Airport. There are regular international flights from Singapore and Phillipines, as well frequent domestic flights from most major cities in Indonesia.
The easiest way is to fly direct to Singapore which is situated on the southern tip of Malaysia - there are many direct flights from most major cities like London, Paris, Frankfurt, etc.
From Singapore you then then fly direct to Manado, Indonesia - there are regular flights every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with Silk Air (subsidiary of Singapore Airlines), and it takes approximately 3.5 hours. For prices, check out the Silk Air web site.
If you check with your travel agent, sometimes there are some really good deals if you fly direct with Singapore Airlines/Silk Air Europe-Singapore-Manado, and sometimes even cheap over-night stay in a 5-star hotel in Singapore.
There are regular flights from most European cities to cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta & Bali. Your travel agent can advise on best options, but cheap flights are with middle east airlines like Emirates, Gulf Air and Qatar Air. The only problem is that they go via a city in middle east like Bahrain and Dubai, and there is often long wait for flight to Indo.
From Jakarta & Bali it is possible to take internal flights to Manado, and these are very frequent. We can actually booking these internal flights cheaper for you with Garuda and Batavia. They issue eTckets, this means that we can book the flights for you and send you the tickets via email. Check out our web site booking flights for more information.
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Booking Internal Flights
Its cheaper to book internal flights from inside Indonesia. Garuda and Batavia issue eTckets, this means that we can book the flights for you and send you the tickets via email. Check out booking flights for more information.
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Visa on Arrival
On February 1 2004 there was a change in the visa policy. This meant
an end to visa-free arrivals into Indonesia for foreign visitors
arriving by air in Bali, Jakarta, Medan (Sumatra), Manado (North
Sulawesi), and Padang (West Sumatra); and foreign visitors arriving
by ship would experience the changed policy at the following ports:
Batam, Sibolga, Belawan (North Sumatra), Jakarta, Surabaya and Jayapura
(Papua).
11 Countries with Visa-free facility - there are 11 countries
whose citizens are granted the 30-day visa-free facility on arrival:
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines,
Hongkong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative
Region, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.
Visa-On Arrivals for 20 other countries - the nationals of
other countries will be able to purchase a visa for either 3 or
30 days upon arrival in Indonesia: the United States, Australia,
South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, the Arab Emirates, Finland,
Hungary, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea,
Norway, France, Poland, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
The cost for purchasing a 3-day visa is US$ 10, and the 30-day
visa is US$ 25. Note that you have to have US$ cash.
Other countries - citizens of countries not on the visa on arrival or visa free lists
will be required to apply for a visa before entering Indonesia.
The list of countries may have changed so its best to contact your
local Indonesian embassy. Note that some of our guests have managed
to get 60-day visa, but only by applying and paying extra for these
at their local embassies.
Deposit & Payments
For reservations, we ask for a minimum of US$100 per person deposit, and this will guaranee your cottage/room. The reason for the deposit is that we have had some people who book but do not turn up. This deposit can be paid by Paypal or by bank transfer.
For the balance you can pay Two Fish Divers in cash, and this is the cheapest way. We accept most major currencies such as US Dollars, Euro's and Singapore Dollars as well as the Rp.
We can accept payment by Visa/Mastercard and we make a charge of 5% for this. We also accept travellers cheques but they have to be American Express US Dollar - don't ask why but the money changers & banks sometimes do not accept anything else. We do however make a charge of 3% as a result of the poor exchange rate.
More information about payments and deposits can be found by clicking here.
Currency
The local currency is Indonesian Rupiah (Rp) and like the Japanese Yen it contains alot of zeros. The exchange rate fluctuates alot, and the important exchange rate used by most of Asia is the US$ - currently the rate is around Rp9,000 per US$.
If you need local currency, there are a number of ATM machines in the banks in Manado and Bitung, and if you have your PIN you can withdraw up to Rp 5,000,000 (or the limit of your card) against your Visa/Mastercard as well as your Cirrus card.
The banks will also give you a cash withdrawal against your Visa/Mastercard in Rp but typically the limit is Rp 4,000,000 per day and there is a charge is Rp 50,000. You will also have to get to the banks in bank hours: Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2.30pm.
Climate & Viz
The air temperature in North Sulawesi stays around 29-32C all year-round. We do have a dry and wet season:
Dry season is from April to November when the wind blows from south-east and the sea stays relatively calm. This is the best time to guarantee blue skies and sun, and it offers the best viz: 20-25m in Bunaken (sometimes 30m+) and 10-15m in Lembeh.
Wet/rainy season is from December to March with cooler winds from north-west, and this can bring heavier rains and rougher seas in Feb. The wind and rain can reduce viz slightly to 10-15m in Bunaken and 5-10m in Lembeh.
Please don't let the term "rainy season" deter you. We do not get the typical monsoons that they experience in other parts of Asia and it is unusual to have continuous rain during the day. The norm is for it to be blue skies and sun in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon, and rain at night that ends by early morning. Occasionally it may rain in the afternoon but typically does not last long.
We never let the weather spoil our diving though, and being based on Bunaken and Lembeh islands where most of the diving is concentrated means that we can choose the best sites for the conditions. We have never cancelled dives as a result of rain.
Our view is that the diving is good all year round.
Wetsuits & Clothes
In-Water Protection - Bunaken - with water temperatures between 27-29C, not too much thermal protection is required. We suggest a 3mm one-piece longsuit which also provides protection against any stinging hydroids.
In-Water Protection - Lembeh - water temperatures can drop to 25C so more thermal protection is required. A neoprene vest under a 3mm one-piece longsuit should be enough, and add a hood for those night dives.
Land Clothing - normally shorts and t-shirts are sufficient for the day (even if it rains, because it's warm tropical rains), and light trousers at night, perhaps with a long-sleeve shirt for bugs 'n mosquitoes. We will provide a towel for you, but some guests prefer to bring one themselves as well.
Night Flights
Its possible to get some cheaper night flights to Manado that are scheduled to arrive at about 10pm, for example with Lion Air. If you take one of these flights then we cannot promise that we can transfer you to the resort that night. There are two reasons for this:
in our experience these flights are always delayed until about 1-2am. There is never any information from the aiport/airline, we just have to sit and wait for the plane to eventually arrive, and its just too difficult to expect boats and resort staff to wait for the transfer/check-in as well. its dangerous to drive the boat at night, especially for the 45-60min transfer to Bunaken, as there are many logs in the water that can be hidden in the dark.
We will try and transfer you that night, but it may be that you have to stay a night in Manado and then transfer to the resort early the next morning. If this is the case, the person meeting you at the airport will have all the details of the hotel and the transfers.
Arrival in Bunaken
Bunaken Island is subject to high and low tides. If you arrive at low tide, the boat will not be able to reach the beach and you will have to walk through the shallow waters to reach the resort. Please pack a pair of shorts and sandals such as teva's (or dive booties) at the top of your bag to be ready to change into if you arrive at a low tide.
Voltage & Plugs
Both resorts on Bunaken and Lembeh have 24 hour electricity. This electicity is 220v, plugs are 2 x small round-pins, and every cottage has at least 1 plug point and an international adaptor.
Safety Issues
There are always many reports of problems in Indonesia and this is very frustrating for those of us who have lived and worked in this country for many years. There are probably more murders in any capital city in the US than the whole of Indonesia but this does not stop embassies from recommending not to travel to US!
The recent attacks in London show that this is a global issues and not an "Indonesian thing" so please don't let the terrorists win by staying away. For those who are concerned please read our text on Why its safe in Manado which points out that we are more than 2,000km from recent hot-spots, we are in a mainly christian area (70-80%), and have not had any unrest in the last 6 years that we have been in operation.
Health
North Sulawesi is tropical and so malaria cannot be discounted, but there is no malaria in Manado, Bunaken Island or Lembeh. However, if western medical advice is to take malaria tablets then this should be followed when visiting this area.
If you are going to take malaria tablets and you will be diving, we do not recommend taking Larium as there is some advice from diving doctors that this is not safe. We suggest you follow your doctor's advice regarding malaria tablets.
There are some mosquito's on Bunaken Island and Lembeh Island but not too many, and there are NO other biting insects such as sand-flies. We recommend that you bring some anti-mosquito spray for your your arms and legs, and we can provide mosquito coils for your cottages.
The odd case of dengue fever has been reported in North Sulawesi, though these tend to be in the villages where rubbish is sometimes not properly cleared.
There are plenty of chemists in Manado and Lembeh which can provide most drugs. In Manado we recommend Bhakti Pharma II near the Hotel Kawanua Besar where the owner can speak English.
If you require a doctor, you can go at any time of the day to the hospital. We recommend going to one of two in Manado: Malalayang which is just outside Manado, and Pancah Kasih which is very central. The latter is the better one as it is smaller and cleaner, and the doctors are generally better.
Most of the doctors leave the hospitals at the end of the day and open up their private practices between 6pm-9pm. These are generally located behind the pharmacies so if you need a doctor at night then try the pharmacies.
There is no public health service, and everyone has to pay. Be prepared by taking money with you, its pretty cheap and Rp200-300,000 should be enough for a basic consultation and medicine.
Buy Low-priced Dive Equipment
When you visit us, why not take advantage of the low prices for dive equipment in Indonesia. We can supply the popular makes of Suunto computers, and soon we will be able to supply some limited Aqualung dive equipment.
 Computers
Click Suunto for more details.
Suunto Mosquito only US$330!
How to Order - we carry limited stock so please email us to make sure we have stock when you arrive, or allow for 3 days delivery when you are here.
Tourism Awards
"Bunaken is the best"
says British Airways
On 2 December 2003, it was announced in London that Bunaken National Park was chosen as the global winner of the 2003 British Airways Tourism for Tommorrow Award - considered by many to be the most prestigious award in EcoTourism. In October, Bunaken was chosen as the winner in the national parks category, and at a celebrity awards ceremony they announced Bunaken as the overall global winner as well. This final selection was based upon presentations to a panel of judges as well as site visits by well-known ecotourism journalists. View the full BA Press Release.
Find out more from British Airways.
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