Trip base · Indonesia
Bunaken and Lembeh
Three sites from Manado in North Sulawesi. Bunaken has steep coral walls with many turtles, while Manado Bay and the Lembeh Strait are muck dives for unusual critters. All three are Intermediate.
Strong fit for November
Coral reefs
- Strength: 3 of 3 sites are reefs
- Strength: 3 of 3 sites are in season in November
- Strength: Calm seas on almost every day
- Trade-off: Rain on almost every day
Pack a shorty or 3 mm wetsuit for November.
Why this match: Season 37 + Interests 31 + Your level 19 + Weather 6 = 93
- Season37 / 38
- 3 of 3 sites are in season in November; calm on almost every day.
- Interests31 / 31
- Coral reefs: 3 of 3 sites.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 3 sites count.
- Weather6 / 13
- Rain on almost every day; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: best April to November.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Best | November: Best | December: Off season |
| Mantas | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Whale sharks | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Hammerheads | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Reef sharks | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Turtles | Reliable all year | |||||||||||
| Dolphins | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Water | 29° | 28° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° |
| Rain days | 29 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 27 | 29 |
| Calm days | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 |
| Storm risk | Under 5% all year | |||||||||||
Dive sites here
3 sites on Divetip.
- Lembeh StraitReef · Intermediate · max 20 m
- BunakenReef · Intermediate · max 30 m
- Manado BayReef · Intermediate · max 30 m
Getting there
Fly to Manado (MDC). Boat from Manado to Bunaken, or road to Bitung and a short boat to Lembeh: about 1 h 30 min.
Day boat only.
What diving costs
Moderately priced
About €82 for 2 dives, the cheapest current price below.
A day of diving
Two Fish Divers Bunaken: IDR 1,650,000 for 2 dives (about €82)
2 morning dives; includes tanks, boat, guide, water and snacks on the boat; excludes equipment rental (full set Rp 250,000/day); Bunaken Marine Park entrance fee Rp 150,000 pp listed separately.
Two Fish Divers Lembeh: IDR 1,650,000 for 2 dives (about €82)
2 morning dives in the Lembeh Strait; includes tanks, boat, guide, water and snacks on the boat; excludes equipment rental (full set Rp 250,000/day); Lembeh fee not mentioned.
Prices checked 8 November 2026; park fees and equipment often extra.
Non-divers: snorkeling from the shore and by boat
In Bunaken Marine Park you can snorkel off the beach near Siladen Resort, and resorts in both Bunaken and Lembeh let snorkelers join the morning dive boats for a small fee.
Latest news for Bunaken and Lembeh
Checked
On 24 February 2026 a Smart Patrol team filmed an orca in Bunaken National Park for about an hour, and park head Catur Marbawa said it suggests a relatively healthy marine food chain. On 3 March 2026 the park authority said residents are being involved in patrols and monitoring to protect the park from damage.
- RulesOngoingApplies to Bunaken
Warga Kini Ikut Patroli di Taman Nasional Bunaken Demi Cegah Perusakan
Metro TV News · in Indonesian
On 4 March 2026 the head of the Bunaken National Park Agency said local residents now take part in securing the park through community partner groups tied to forest police and conservation cadres. Joint patrols can also involve police, the military, immigration and forestry law enforcement staff, with the aim of preventing damage to the protected area.
- ConservationOngoing
Balai Taman Nasional Bunaken Libatkan Warga Jaga Kawasan dari Perusakan
Koran Jakarta · in Indonesian
Bunaken National Park head Catur Marbawa said on 3 March 2026 that local residents take part in patrols and monitoring of the 73,983-hectare park through partner groups such as forestry police partners and conservation cadres, to guard it against damage. Joint patrols can also involve police, military and other agencies.
- Wildlife
Paus Orca Muncul di Perairan Taman Nasional Bunaken
Metro TV News · in Indonesian
An orca was filmed in Bunaken National Park waters, North Sulawesi, at about 10:00 local time on 24 February 2026 by a park Smart Patrol team and stayed about an hour. Park head Catur Marbawa said it suggests a relatively healthy marine food chain and asked visitors, divers included, not to touch it or block its movement.
Also reported by Koran Jakarta
- ConservationApplies to Bunaken
Learning to Protect the Ocean. Underwater
No-Trash Triangle Initiative
On 18 and 19 February 2026 the No-Trash Triangle Initiative and a Bunaken dive resort planted 75 coral fragments, mostly Acropora, on a metal structure in a shallow lagoon in Bunaken National Marine Park that destructive fishing had damaged. Bunaken National Park Office representatives took part, and quarterly monitoring of the planted reef is planned.
Summaries are ours, written from the linked reports.
Book your Bunaken and Lembeh trip
- Find Bunaken dive trips on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Partner links: we may earn a commission.