Welcome to a Bunaken dive experience.
Bunaken Dive experience is a small dive operation located on Bunaken. Although we are located inside Cakalang resort, we are a independent operation. You can meet us also at other resorts. Diving with us does not mean you have to stay with us.
We can offer you a wide range of activities.
First of all the fun dives, we have standard fun dives, but also special >dive arrangements, or even trips to other islands who are outside the Bunaken marine park.
The rules are easy, our customers comes first. Except for the night dives, there are no dive time limits provided by us. If you are good on your air we let you dive longer.
Dives are always boat dives made in very small groups unless on request. One guide on maximum four divers. When arriving at a dive site with already many divers, the boat will move to another quieter site.
We provide Padi and Naui dive courses. And if you are not sure yet if you want to do this, a trial dive is also possible. In case this results in a course, the trial is free. Courses are available from beginner (open water) until divemaster.
Our equipment is the latest. Everything brand new. BCD's and regulators are Aqua lung and Mares.
For the non divers or those who want a rest, we can also arrange snorkel trips for you. By boat more of the beautiful reefs are accessible. Those trips can be made complete with BBQ or a lunch on a pretty beach.
Combinations are also possible, go dolphin watching or whale spotting. A lunch somewhere and additional some snorkeling. (just an idea)
You can create your own. We are open for good suggestions.
Diving
The main reason people visit Bunaken is to sample the world-famous diving. The walls here are jam-packed with vivid coral, alien-alike sponges, and a wide variety of sea-dwelling critters and fish. Many resorts here offer fun diving courses where you can discover this breath-taking underwater world for yourself.
For those who have never tried diving, there are several instructors on the island who can initiate you into this addictive past-time. Introduction dives are available, as are full training courses. If you are already a qualified diver but would like to upgrade your license or simply learn more, this is the place to do it.
We at Bunaken Dive Experience also offer a range of dive courses.
Our instructor is trained to teach in both PADI and NAUI systems. Courses are available in four languages. English, German, Dutch, and Bahasa. If you want your book in another language, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese are also available.
Interested? Send us an e-mail or give us a call. Find our details under the ‘Contact Information’ tab.
For those divers who fancy something a little different, we can offer private dive tours with competitive rates.
Dive courses
Padi and Naui courses available
We offer all dive courses from entry-level Scuba Diving qualifications to Dive Master. Usually, there are only one or two students, so you receive a lot of personal attention and one-on-one time with your instructor. This gives you the opportunity to learn to dive in a private and relaxed atmosphere.
Our instructor from Holland can teach you in English, German, Dutch, or Bahasa.
Prices for these courses can differ in different resorts. If you book your trip directly with us you only pay the price quoted in this publication.
Padi Open Water Dive Course
The Padi Open Water licence is accepted all over the world.
With this first level qualification you will be able to dive independently.
You are allowed to rent tanks and other equipment at any dive centre.
This course will take at least four days, during you will dive a total of six times as well as attending several theory sessions.
The final test is a written exam to test your theoretical knowledge.
The course is taught in a relaxed manner designed to make you feel comfortable and at ease during your training.
The price for a Padi Open Water course is €390.
This price is for one person. If multiple people join the same course there is a huge discount.
Padi Advanced Open Water Course
This course will take you to another dimension in diving.
A total of five dives will be made, with each dive focusing on a specialist subject, including a deep dive and a navigation dive.
The remaining three dives are left to your discretion.
Available choices include: night dive, wreck dive, drift dive, and search and recovery.
Your instructor will be able to assist you in your choice, and tell you any other available options.
You need at least three days to complete this course, and it costs €295.
This price is for one person. If multiple people join the same course there is a huge discount.
Special arrangements
Bangka Lehage Tour
If you are staying either on tranquil Bunaken or in the bustling city of Manado and would like to try a new diving experience, booking a Bangka tour may be a good option for you.
Whereas the diving in Bunaken is mainly based around the wall, Bangka offers fantastic coral gardens alongside its wall. Here you have a much stronger likelihood of spotting some amazing aquatic life including frog fish, octopuses, and ghost-pipe fish. Some of the dive spots resemble those found at Lembeh.
Using a speedboat, it usually takes between two hours to two and a half hours to get to Bangka, whether coming from Bunaken or Manado.
The Bangka trip starts at 06:00 and takes a whole day. You will return to either Bunaken or Manado at about 18.00 in the evening.
The program for a standard day-trip to Bangka looks something like this:
Leave at 06:00 from your resort either in Bunaken or Manado.
Arrive in the area at around 09:00 and make the first dive.
A short break, where coffee, tea, and other refreshments are available.
The second dive will start between 11:00 and 12:00.
Following this, there is a stop for lunch at a scenic spot, such as one of the many idyllic white sandy beaches which surround Bangka (a BBQ option is available). This stop generally falls between 13:00 and 14:00, and we aim to finish at around 15:00.
A third dive option is available. Your guide will probably suggest that you visit Paradise, a site very similar to popular dive spots in Lembeh. Here you can see an assortment of superb aquatic life, including sea horses, frog fish, and ghost-pipe fish, alongside a great many lionfish.
Once everybody is safely back on board, the boat will return you to your original resort, aiming to arrive in Bunaken/Manado at around 18:00.
If you would like to be a little more creative with your tour, we welcome all suggestions and will cater to your wishes wherever possible.
This tour costs around €500 all-in for four people (prices may vary due to availability or price of gasoline). There is a maximum capacity of six people.
Hopefully your return journey will involve a glimpse of a breath-taking Indonesian sunset, as the sun dips below the horizon after Manado Tua island in a blaze of firey colors.
If you are interested in the Bangka tour, please call or write to us for more information.
Lehage impression
Pictures from Bangka and Lehage.
Private Diving
If you would like to have your own private boat and guide, please consider our exclusive package.
We can rent you a boat, including guide, which will allow you the freedom to dive whenever and wherever you want.
This allows you completely independent planning, with a little advice from our knowledgable guide.
Possibilities include beach barbecues as an exhilarating alternative to resort food.
To provide everybody with sufficient comfort, we have set the maximum number of divers to six (excluding guide)
The price of this package is broken down as follows:
The rent of the boat is €130 per day.
If you need equipment, the rental price of the equipment is €10 per person per day.
For each dive you make, you pay an additional €10.
The boat has enough fuel to access the local dive spots around Bunaken.
If you would like to go further afield, you can buy extra fuel for €30 per canister (30 litre).
If you would like to keep the boat after 17:00, there is a surcharge of €25.
Example #1
You are with four people and would like to make three dives a day. You bring your own equipment. The total price will be:
€130 for the boat, plus 4 people x three dives x €10 = €120.
Your total is €250 for 12 dives. Average dive price is only €21.
Example #2
You are with four people and you would like to make two dives plus a night dive. You have to rent equipment. Your total price will be:
€130 for the boat, plus 4 people x three dives x €10 euro = €120. Plus 4 people x €10 for the equipment, plus €25 for the boat at night.
Your total price will be €315 for 12 dives. Average dive price works out as less than €27.
If you would like a quotation for a trip designed according to your wishes, send us a query via e-mail. You can find our details under the ‘Contact Information’ tab.