BUNAKEN ISLAND, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Bunaken is one of Indonesia's best-known dive sites, and it attracts divers from around the world. In addition to Bunaken itself, a rather featureless banana-shaped island, the National Park includes the neighbouring islands of Manado Tua, a distinctive conical extinct volcano, Siladen, Mount Hagen, Nain and Nain Kecil.

History
Landscape

The park is famous for the clarity of its waters (35m visibility is in the dry season in summer), the wealth of corals and fish, and for the steep wall at some locations. Bunaken Timur, right off the east coast of the island and with all the above, according to some of the best dive site in Indonesia.

Flora and fauna
With the exception of the very largest pelagic species, almost everything can be found at Bunaken. Reef population of white and black reef sharks, huge sea turtles and dugongs napoleonfish.
You can often run into dolphins, and occasionally schools of whales


Climate
Bunaken is hardly a degree above the equator and tropical. The "Rainy Season" from November until mid-April, often brings rains, sometimes in storms lasting for several days, the air nice and cool, but also reduce visibility. The "Dry Season" from May to October, when the temperatures climbing to 35 ° and reaches a maximum visibility. Bunaken receives much less rain than the mainland and is well ventilated with a sea breeze.

Trip to Bunaken, visa requirements
Bunaken is about 45-60 minutes by boat from Manado. Most resorts will arrange transfers from the airport to their guests. Alternatively, a public boat runs daily except Sunday at 2 clock, or you can charter a boat at any time.

Fees / Permits
From 2006, admission to the park costs either Rp 50000/day (U.S. $ 6) or Rp 150000/Calender years (U.S. $ 17), usually paid for your accommodations. As proof of payment, you get a plastic tag that must be in all times, it is waterproof and can be attached to your diving equipment.

Mobility
Muddy roads connect the various settlements around the Bunaken. Many are actually impassable after rain. Find out whether on foot along the coast, such as the beach May disappear when the tide rolls in.

Bunaken attractions and sights
Tourism in Bunaken was very much on the divers over the years, but the trend seems to be changing and more and more snorkelers are on the surface and those are just want to relax in the middle of nature ... away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Possible activities for landlubbers:

* Beach-combing, especially at low tide when the reef top is accessible
* Hiking to some of the secluded coves on the Eastern and Northern part of the island, but trails are poorly marked
* Fishing, but only outside of the park boundaries: hire a boat or join one of the local fishing boats.



City tours
The what to do in Bunaken diving, diving and dive! However, the steep walls and occasionally strong, rapidly changing trends mean that many sites offer more for the intermediate-or. advanced divers, although there are beginner-friendly pages to dive and all transactions can arrange intro dives and Open Water Diver courses. The North Sulawesi water sports club offers oodles of details about diving in the park The park also offers excellent snorkeling!

All dive shops in the park are associated with resorts, so see below for Sleep entries.

Shopping, souvenirs Bunaken
In the "Visitor Center" at the beach Liang locals sell handicrafts, T shirts and souvenirs general

Good restaurants and cheap meals
Fish, fish and fish

Bunaken nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Natural water is not available on Bunaken on bottles of mineral water at all times ensure that coffes or teas are also in with water bottles. Local spirits Cap Tikus literally "rat brand" distilled from palm wine (a type of moonlight), actually quite nice "On the Rocks with a slice of lemon."

Hotels, youth hostels, accommodations
Most people choose to sleep on their dive resorts, almost all of which offer full board and attractive packages. Those on the south and west of Bunaken sides have a strip of beach (coarse yellow sand), while the east side is a mixture of mangroves and small beaches with better reefs.
Accommodations


Camping
Stay safe

There are no unusual health risks in the park, apart from the standard rate of easily avoided poisonous marine animals critters. Sharks and crocodiles are both absent, and jellyfish are only occasionally, especially during the change of seasons in the spring / fall.

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