Bastianos Bunaken Dive Resort

The quiet setting was a real plus for me. I heard the waves, without loudspeaker prayers or music turned up too high, which felt unusual after traveling around Indonesia. My room was clean and comfortable, and the air conditioning was quiet and kept it cool. The manager and staff were friendly and helpful, and the dive crew were skilled and professional. Nitrox was available too. I liked the food, though it was mostly Western. The disappointing part was the payment arrangement. I was asked to pay for the package upfront. When circumstances cut my trip short by a day, management in Manado refunded only my last two dives and kept the payment for the final night. Nobody had mentioned that the stay was non-refundable, so it caught me off guard. Maybe I should have checked, but for future guests I’d suggest planning for a shorter stay or not paying everything in advance. The reefs nearby are still very pretty, especially the walls, but they’re showing signs of poor health compared with reefs in other parts of this fantastic country.

The diving here was the best of the three Bastianos Resorts we visited. I’m glad we saved it for our last stop. If we’d gone in the other direction, we might have been a bit disappointed by the time we got to Lembeh. It’s clearly the oldest of the three, and a little run-down, though the rooms and shared areas were comfortable enough. The diving was impressive, the food excellent, and as usual the staff were extremely helpful.

There was garbage on the beach every day. It seems to be part of life there, and the staff and local people were doing their best to clear it. It’s never-ending, and must be a daunting, frustrating job. We were two of just six guests while we were there, so we pretty much had the resort to ourselves and the service was incredible. The food was much better than I expected from past experiences in the area and from online reviews. The current chef seems more talented than the previous ones, and we were very happy with the meals. Food in remote parts of rural Indonesia usually doesn’t excite me, so this was a pleasant surprise. The diving was good too, with a good boat, guides, safety, and attention. We had some great dives.

The rooms were comfortable and clean, and the staff went out of their way to make my stay enjoyable. I spent five days at Bastianos Dive resort taking the Open Water Diver Course. Huge thanks to my instructors Caro & Rick for their support, professionalism, and attention to safety. It’s a great spot for diving and snorkeling, with impressive coral walls, lots of different fish, and turtles everywhere, all just a few minutes from the hotel. I had an absolutely incredible experience and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to see Bunaken’s marine life.