Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park is one of the world’s foremost dive destinations and marine parks. It is located off the coast of North Sulawesi and is accessible from the provincial capital, Manado.
The water visibility around the Bunaken Islands is staggering and its incredible biodiversity make it all the more appealing as a dive destination. Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park encompasses five islands (including Pulau Bunaken), along with a stretch of the Tanjung Kelapa coast. Diving, snorkeling, and marine tours are the main activities.
Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park has extensive land and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs and seagrass plains, and there is an enormous amount of marine life here. The huge sea walls, underwater caves, ocean currents and high percentage of algae make for the perfect environment for life to thrive.
The water visibility in Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park can be as much as 40 meters, making it all the more special. Snorkelers can also thoroughly enjoy the action, while deep sea divers will find it especially amazing. All sorts of coral, fish, and giant mollusks live here, along with sharks and turtles.
Pulau Bunaken is the main island of Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park. It has the best facilities out of the five islands and comes with some fantastic diving and many posh beach resorts. Its sea walls are particularly breathtaking.
Pulau Siladen (Siladen Island) is the second-most popular island in Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park. It is a little island just to the east of Bunaken Island and is a lot more laid back. It, too, has some great diving and snorkeling, as well as one or two cracking beaches. Other islands to see include Siladen, Manado Tua, Nain, and Montehage.
Getting There & Away
Bunaken Mando Tua Marine National Park is directly accessible from Manado harbor. The boat trip to the closest island, Siladen, takes 20 minutes, with Bunaken Island a 30-minute journey. If you are staying in a nice resort on Bunaken they may provide courtesy ferry transport. Manado is the main center for flights to North Sulawesi and receives connections from all over Indonesia. Flights from Jakarta to Sam Ratulangi Airport take about 3 hours or 2 hours from Bali.