Join this small group tour with renowned SCUBA magazine editor and underwater photographer Simon Rogerson, exploring the rich marine life of Indonesia's Bunaken and Bangka regions. Travel with like-minded people, combining excellent company with exquisite diving.
This Indonesian experience starts in the diverse waters of Bunaken National Marine Park, based at Murex Manado on the western shore of North Sulawesi, for six nights. Clear waters, plunging walls, and shelving reefs host a variety of marine life of all sizes. Pelagic fish and reef sharks patrol the deep while turtles aplenty find the perfect perch to watch the underwater world go by. Frog fish and pygmy sea horses can be spotted by the keen-eyed diver, and bumphead parrotfish glide through the shallow waters. A blackwater dive is also on the menu to observe the other-worldly.
The next stop is Murex Bangka for an additional five nights. No time is wasted on the way, with two boat dives included while transferring between resorts. The Bangka Archipelago is home to white sand beaches accompanied by gentle sloping reefs of soft corals and towering pinnacles. Resident dugongs and dolphins can be seen along with reef sharks, eagle rays, schooling jacks and barracuda. On the vibrant reefs, blue-ring, wonderpus, reef and mimic octopus bustle for their spot alongside tiger shrimp, ghost pipefish, and fusiliers.
With up to 21 guided and unguided house reef diving in both locations, this itinerary is ideal for those looking to explore some of the best diving in Indonesia in the company of like-minded divers.
"Join me on a dream trip exploring the fabled dive sites of North Sulawesi. Bunaken Marine Park offers a riot of life, with technicolour coral walls in the park and excellent muck diving on the Manado mainland. If your dives until now have been short on turtle action, I can guarantee that will be remedied! Then to Bangka Island, a white sand hideaway where the reef is dominated by soft corals and must-see critters such as the giant frogfish and broadclub cuttlefish.
Along the way we’ll have talks on marine biology and conservation. I’ll be presenting sessions on the private lives of sea turtles, Bunaken’s conservation story, and the vertical migration of deep-water organisms. As ever, I’ll be offering informal talks and hands-on advice for underwater photographers of all levels, as well as the ever-popular photo review sessions. Above all, my trips are about having fun and coming to a deeper appreciation of the location and its ecology. Come along and enjoy truly world-class diving with a group of fellow ocean addicts." - Tour Leader Simon Rogerson
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart the UK for Manado
Fly from the UK to Manado on an overnight flight, normally via Singapore.
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Day 2:
Arrive & Transfer to Resort
The first stop on our trip is Murex Manado, a welcoming beachfront retreat on the tranquil coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, ideally positioned for exploring the renowned dive sites of Bunaken National Marine Park and Manado Bay.
The resort is set within beautifully landscaped botanical gardens, providing a peaceful atmosphere both above and below the water. Guests can enjoy a swimming pool, beachfront bar, spa treatments, and an open-air restaurant serving a mix of local and international cuisine.
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Days 3-7
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Enjoy Two Dives per Day & House Reef Diving around Bunaken National Marine Park
This group tour includes two boat dives and unlimited unguided house reef diving. A short boat ride away is Bunaken National Marine Park, famous for its vibrant coral walls, sea turtles and exceptional marine biodiversity. Suitable for divers of all experience levels, those with underwater cameras and those without.
The group can also participate in a blackwater dive during the stay. Taking place over deep water, divers can experience the ocean's largest daily migration as zooplankton and other small animals ascend from the “twilight” zone between 200 and 1,000 metres to feed in shallower waters. This migration brings an extraordinary variety of life, including transparent larval fish, tiny squid, crustaceans, and the juvenile stages of species such as eels, crabs, and shrimps.
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Day 8:
Enjoy Two Dives during the Boat Transfer to Bangka Archipelago
Today's not any standard travel day. The group are transferred to Bangka Archipelago via boat with two exciting dives along the way.
Upon arrival at Murex Bangka, you check in then can relax under swaying palm trees on a white sandy beach. The resort offers a peaceful atmosphere combined with easy access to some of the region’s world-class diving sites. The beachfront restaurant serves buffet-style meals blending Western and Asian flavours, prepared with fresh locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible.
Beyond diving, guests can enjoy guided snorkelling trips, kayaking through mangroves, tropical nature walks, and rejuvenating spa treatments.
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Days 9-12
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Enjoy Two Dives per Day & House Reef Diving around Bangka Archipelago
This group tour includes two boat dives and unlimited unguided house reef diving. Dive boats can access more than 30 dive sites, showcasing vibrant coral reefs, reef sharks, turtles, dugongs, and fascinating macro life. Soft corals are the star here, adding splashes of colour to each pinnacle.
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Days 13-14
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Depart Indonesia & Return to the UK
Here you have the option to extend your stay on a tailor made basis, with Lembeh close by, or Raja Ampat and Ambon a short domestic flight away. Contact our expert team to discuss your extension options.
Otherwise, after saying goodbye, the group is transferred back to the airport by boat and by road. Your international flight via Singapore lands in the UK the following day.
Please note: Blackwater diving requires divers to have experience in night diving and excellent buoyancy control to participate.
