| Bunaken Marine Park is considered as one of the | | | | will cost you from USD$ 40 to USD$ 60, |
| best places in the world for diving and snorkeling. | | | | depending on where you are going. This price |
| Located just offshore the North Sulawesi capital | | | | usually includes the car rental, gas, and all the |
| of Manado, Bunaken offers untouched beauty of | | | | information that you want to know from the |
| nature. It was first established as a national | | | | guide. |
| marine park in 1991 and it covers an area of | | | | The next day, I went for my first bunaken diving |
| 89,605 hectares. It is one of the most beautiful | | | | experience. Important to remember: Make sure |
| places that I have ever visited in my lives. | | | | you already have your diving certificate. You can |
| There are a couple of ways to enjoy the diving | | | | also complete your diving certificate here if you |
| experience at Bunaken. | | | | want to do so. I went to Bastianos diving resort |
| * First option, you can stay in Manado and take a | | | | to arrange my diving itinerary. I can only say one |
| boat in the morning to the nearby islands to start | | | | thing of my diving experience: It was marvelous. |
| your diving trip. | | | | Clear visibility up to 30 meters, warm refreshing |
| * Your second option is to actually stay in one | | | | water temperature, 3,000 types of fish and 300 |
| the five islands around Manado and enjoy the | | | | types of coral. It was nothing like I had ever seen |
| ultimate diving experience as soon as you get up | | | | before. |
| from your bed. | | | | Diving price here usually varies from resort to |
| It does not matter which options you choose, | | | | resort. One thing for certain is that you need to |
| you will be inspired by the beauty of Bunaken. | | | | pay for admission to enter the marine park, |
| During my visit, I decided to stay in Manado | | | | whether you are diving or not. Daily admission is |
| because I wanted to explore the other attractions | | | | USD$ 5 or USD$ 15 for a full year admission. As I |
| of North Sulawesi. I stayed at Ritzy hotel, located | | | | have mentioned before, diving package usually |
| 10 minutes walk from the harbor. The hotel is one | | | | varies from resort to resort. There are five main |
| of the upscale hotels in Manado. As soon as I | | | | islands that you can choose to visit: Bunaken, |
| arrived, I visited the mainland attractions, such as | | | | Manado Tua, Montehagen, Nain and Siladen. Each |
| Lake Tondano, located in the Minahasa highland. | | | | island offers different ecosystem, thus different |
| Lake Tondano offers a serene environment deep | | | | diving experience. If you are an experienced diver, |
| in the mountains. I had the luxury of hiring a guide | | | | you can go for more challenging dives near |
| for all of our trips. A guide is highly recommended | | | | Siladen Island. |
| for various reasons, especially comfort. A guide | | | | |