Occupying a tropical island in the heart of the Bunaken National Marine Park, the Siladen Resort & Spa is an exclusive, boutique dive resort in North Sulawesi. It’s positioned on the western side of the island overlooking a white coral beach and boasts magnificent sunsets and views of the Manado Tua volcano.

The Bunaken National Marine Park is renowned for its staggering biodiversity, with outstanding wall dives and critter muck diving all within a short boat ride of the resort. Coupled with exciting excursions to explore the Minahasa Highlands and the Tangkoko Rainforest, it’s the perfect destination for a luxury North Sulawesi dive vacation.

Accomodations

Each of the 20 villas at the Siladen Resort & Spa is air-conditioned, with private en-suite bathrooms, 100% cotton sheets and televisions, as well as in-room tea and coffee making facilities.

Luxury Villas There are three Luxury Villas located directly on the beach that feature a separate bedroom with king-size draped poster bed and a roomy living space with wooden floorboards, as well as a spacious terrace and sea-water jacuzzi.

Beach View Villas The six Beach View Villas offer tranquil views of the water, with elegant wooden floors, a king-size draped poster bed and open-air bathroom, as well as a private sun deck.

Nusa Indah Villa Ideal for families, the Nusa Indah Villa is nestled in the resort’s tropical gardens and features two bedrooms (one with a king-size poster bed and the other with two twin beds), as well as two indoor bathrooms and a separate living space.

Garden View Villas There are 10 Garden View Villas set across five buildings that are beautifully constructed using wood and natural stone. They are situated amidst peaceful, tropical surrounds and just a few meters walk from the beach.

Amenities

At the heart of the Siladen Resort & Spa sprawls a free-form saltwater swimming pool that’s lined with sun beds and umbrellas where you can relax between dives. It’s located a short stroll from both the Beach Bar and the Lounge Bar where you can grab a mid-afternoon tea or coffee as well as sundowners overlooking the water.

The Spa at Siladen offers a range of traditional aromatherapy treatments and massages, as well as natural body cleansers prepared using fresh fruits. Experience a traditional Balinese massage or a cinnamon and pandal leaf body scrub, as well as manicures, pedicures and multi-day spa packages.

Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in all public areas of the resort and there’s a boutique where you can pick up local souvenirs, clothing and postcards to remember your North Sulawesi dive vacation.

Food

The Beringin Tree Restaurant is where all the culinary magic happens at the Siladen Resort & Spa, with three delicious meals included in all accommodation packages. The cuisine combines both local Indonesian and Asian dishes with gourmet European and international fare, as well as regular seafood barbecues on the beach.

If you want a more intimate dining experience, they can also organize romantic five-course dinners on the beach with your feet nestled in the sand, accompanied by a wide selection of imported wines, beers and spirits.

For those wanting to learn the secrets of Minahasan cuisine, the Siladen Resort & Spa also offers cooking classes where you can discover the ingredients and techniques required to create an Indonesian feast back home.

Diving

The Siladen Resort & Spa is a 5-Star PADI Resort, with the dive center located on the resort’s premises. It’s equipped with Bauer compressors and four diving boats while offering a small guide-to-guest ratio of 1:4. You can dive with either air or Nitrox using their 10, 12 and 15-liter aluminum tanks that are compatible with both INT and DIN valves.

The Siladen Resort & Spa is located in the heart of the Bunaken National Marine Park where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet and is surrounded by more than 50 amazing dive sites. Most of the dive sites around the islands are wall dives while those along the coast of North Sulawesi comprise dark sandy slopes and coral gardens. The marine park is renowned for its biodiversity, with around 390 different species of corals recorded here and there are frequent sightings of reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, Napoleon wrasses and turtles.

For those that wish to go muck and critter diving in Manado Bay, this can be organized as a day trip from the resort, giving you the opportunity to photograph ribbon eels, frogfish and colorful nudibranchs, as well as wunderpus octopus and giant cuttlefish. Alternatively, explore the soft corals that adorn the pinnacles, walls and sea mounts surrounding nearby Bangka Island.

The visibility is generally good throughout the year, ranging from around 65 feet (20 meters) up to 130 feet (40 meters), while the average water temperature is around 82°F (28°C). Most divers are comfortable in 3mm wetsuits and divers should be aware that knives and gloves are not allowed in the Bunaken National Marine Park.

Other Activities

Aside from its outstanding dive sites, the Bunaken National Marine Park is also suitable for snorkelers, as many of the reefs are as shallow as 10 feet (3 meters) in depth. There’s outstanding snorkeling off the beach on Siladen and next to the old jetty near the resort or guests are invited to join the morning dive boats to go on a guided snorkeling excursion further afield. The Siladen Resort & Spa also runs dedicated dolphin and pilot whale spotting tours on request in the mornings.

Non-divers will find plenty to keep them occupied at this North Sulawesi dive resort, with a range of daily tours offered. Travel by boat to Manado to explore its historic Buddhist temple and bustling traditional market or venture into the Minahasan highlands to visit the local villages and lakes. Spot tiny tarsiers and black-crested macaques during an excursion to the Tangkoko Rainforest, go trekking to the crater lake of Mount Mahawu or embark on an exhilarating white-water rafting trip through the forests of Sulawesi.