Manado
Reef walls of the Bunaken Islands and secret critters of Lembeh StraitIndonesian waters are among the richest in the world and have the highest fish and coral species count on the planet. North Sulawesi is at the heart of this great underwater biodiversity, and here, divers can find some of the most remarkable and rarest marine creatures to be found anywhere.
The gateway into North Sulawesi is Manado, and from here you can venture over to the western side of North Sulawesi to dive the Bunaken Islands, a beautiful and lush covered group of five volcanic islands with prolific fish life and pristine coral walls and drop-offs.
Over on the eastern side, between Sulawesi and Lembeh Island, is the world renowned Lembeh Strait – the ‘muck diving’ capital of the world. The black sandy slopes and corals here are home to some of the most magical and exotic marine critters that divers could hope to find anywhere in the world.
Easily combined, these two destinations offer divers an unparalleled Indonesian experience.
How to get there
Manado is easily reached with one stop en-route from the UK with a journey time of around 18 hours. The most straightforward routing is via Singapore with Singapore Airlines. On arrival into Manado it takes around an hour or so to get to your chosen resort on the Bunaken side of Manado, or around two hours to get to Lembeh Strait.
Stay a bit longer
Diving the Bunaken Islands and Lembeh Strait works brilliantly as a combination, with just a two and a half hour private transfer between each area, so spending a week in each area is highly recommended and very easy to do.
There are some wonderful places to explore top-side too, with the Tangkoko National Park being one of the most famous and a must-do experience. Exploring the jungle with a guide is exhilarating and here you might see crested Black Macaques monkey, hornbills and the small, Tarsier monkeys.
If you fancy breaking up your journey, then a one or two night stopover in Singapore city works really well. If you’d like to add on to your Manado trip we’ll be happy to guide you and assist with your travel needs.
Exploring Indonesia
Indonesia is vast and varied, with stunning scenery and superb diving. Visit our Indonesia section for an introduction on where to go throughout this country, including Bali, Manado (Lembeh Strait and the Bunaken Islands), Raja Ampat and Komodo National Park.
Quick Guide: Manado
- Location: North eastern tip of Sulawesi
- When to go: All year but Mar – Dec is best
- Average air temp: Tropical 30°C
- Average water temp: 26°C – 28°C
- Recommended diver level: Good for all levels
Dive Lembeh Strait
DIVE INTO LEMBEH
NAD-LEMBEH RESORT
LEMBEH RESORT
Dive Bunaken Islands
BUNAKEN OASIS DIVE RESORT & SPA
SILADEN RESORT & SPA
TASIK RIA RESORT & SPA
Indonesia by region
Bali
Rich culture, stunning mountain rice terraces and excellent shore diving
Komodo National Park
Critters, wall diving, mantas - and dragons!
Raja Ampat
Jungle covered islands, hidden lagoons and idyllic white sandy beaches
Manado
Reef walls of the Bunaken Islands and secret critters of Lembeh Strait
Ready for your next adventure?
Great Escapes Diving Holidays Ltd
Combs Tannery
Tannery Road
Combs
Stowmarket
Suffolk
IP14 2EN
United Kingdom
Office hours: Mondays to Fridays, 9am - 5pm
Tel: 01449 535010
Email: info@greatescapesdiving.com
All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate
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