Diving

Fact Sheet about diving in northern Sulawesi (FAQ)

he most important facts like dive conditions and climate, a list of dive operators (for places where there are more than 10 dive centers I have listed dive centers not anymore), dive safety (addresses of the hyperbaric chambers), and how to get to northern Sulawesi (Manado, Lembeh, Siau) on one page and ready to print.

On this page: diving facts about Manado - Bunaken - Bangka - Liveaboards (Siau and Sangihe islands) - Lembeh
Look at my website about dive sites in Manado, Bunaken and Bangka island, Lembeh, Siau and Sangihe islands
Die Nord-Sulawesi Tauchinformation in deutscher Sprache
Indonesian dive terms


How to get to northern Sulawesi, Indonesia

Maps of Indonesia: Collection of maps / Overview map Indonesia (keyword Indonesia)

Sulawesi on world map

Sulawesi (Indonesia)

   

Sulawesi has two larger cities, Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Manado with international airports. International Airlines Offices in Jakarta - Offices of Domestic Airlines in Indonesia

  • Manado in the north: Best connections are from Singapore directly with Silkair
  • Makassar (Ujung Pandang in the south): From Singapore, Denpasar or Jakarta daily direct flights
  • Daily flights from Makassar to Manado

   

small map of Southeast Asia with Sulawesi marked


Manado, Bunaken, Bangka

Dive operators in Manado, Bunaken and Siladen

Sorry - but there are so many that I have decided not to list them anymore, it has become too much hassle to update all the information.

Manado:
Dive resorts are either north or south of the city, mostly on small beaches. From the north it is a bit closer to the dive sites around the islands, but most dive operators have fast speed boats and on the way you often see dolphins or even whales.

Bunaken and Siladen:
You live right on the island and are at the dive sites early. Some of the really good muck dive sites are on the mainland though. Organise how you can reach the islands with your dive resort.

Dive operators around Bangka island, Gangga and Pulisan

Blue Bay Divers at Sahaung (also liveaboard to Malukku and Siau-Sangihe islands/ Gangga island resort on Gangga island / Murex Dive from Manado has also bungalows on Bangka and Pulisan / Pulisan Jungle Beach Resort in Pulisan / Dive operator in Bunaken, Lembeh or Manado also organise day trips to Bangka


Lembeh Strait

From Manado to Lembeh it is a 1 to 1.5 hour drive to the town of Bitung and a 15 minutes boat trip to the resorts

Dive operators in Lembeh

Please look at the map on the Lembeh-page

On the main land: Kasawari / Kungkungan Bay Dive Resort (KBR) / Black Sand Dive Retreat
On Lembeh island: Bakri Cono / Bastianos / Divers Lodge Lembeh / Lembeh Resort / Sulawesi Dive Quest / Two Fish Divers

My recommendation

A great DVD with coverage of the rare animals living in the Lembeh strait by Shark Bay Films "The Critter Trilogy" (John Boyle). Filmed entirely in Indonesia's Lembeh Strait in open water. Great coverage of frogfishes feeding and much more! Sold by www.electricsky.com.


Siau and Sangihe-Talaud islands

Please look at the map on the Siau-page

Liveaboard operators leave from Manado and Bangka (Blue Bay Divers) to the Siau islands. If you just want to visit the islands, there are ferries going there and on Talaud island there is an airport.


General information about Sulawesi

A very good informative page from the North Sulawesi Tourism Promotion Board - list of dive operators / Look at maps and information on www.sulawesi-info.com and www.north-sulawesi.com and tourism northern Sulawesi (about Siau and Sangihe) / volcanoes in Indonesia - Volcanic activity Sulawesi - Siau and Sangihe islands (Karangetang and Ruang)


Dive conditions and climate in northern Sulawesi

In general Indonesia has two yearly seasons of monsoon winds: the southeast monsoon (dry) and the northwest monsoon (rain). The dry season usually runs from May through September and the rainy season from November through March. Exception are the Moluccas (Maluku) where seasons are reversed.

Weather averages in Manado - weather map Indonesia

weather now in Manado

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

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AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Best time to travel
Highest temperatures (°C)
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28
Lowest temperatures (°C)
23
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23
Daily hours of sunshine
3
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6
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Rainy days
25
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23
19
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Precipitation (mm)
433
367
310
235
194
188
143
119
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161
252
355
Humidity (%)
89
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76
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Water temperatures(°C)
28
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28

Dive safety

Phone DAN (Divers Alert Network) outside Australia +61-8-8212 9242

Hyperbaric chambers (or recompression chamber) in Manado:

Manado: At the Malalayang Hospital (chamber for 3 to 4 persons) Phone: 0812-4302970 / Dr Glen Hawkins HP +61 407700701 / Dr Sosiawati HP 0812 467 2923 / Dr Hanry Takasenseran HP 0813 4000 0840

Makassar: Rumah Sakit Umum Wahidin Sudirohusodo. Contact person: Pak Daniel Address: Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 11, Tamalanrea Kampus UNHAS Indonesia TEL:++ 62 - 0411 (584677) , 584675 . Said to be for 3 to 4 persons.

Singapore: The Singapore Naval Underwater Medicine Centre. Phone +65-6758 1733 (24-hours Emergency Hotline) / +65-6796 4197 (appointments)
Hyperbaric Medical Services, 1 Orchard Boulevard #08-05, Camden Medical, Centre, Singapore 248649, Phone: +65-6732 8552
Hyperbaric Medicine Centre, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Tan Tock Seng, Hospital, Basement 1, Singapore 308433, Phone: +65-6355 9021/2
www.hyperbaric-singapore.com / Medical Director: Dr Wong Ted Min

For more information about hyperbaric chambers look at the Indonesia page or the dive safety page.


More Information about scuba diving in south-east Asia

Description of dive sites

Asia: Burma / Thailand
Indonesia: Bali (east, north, south) / Nusa Tenggara (Lombok, Komodo, Flores, Alor) / Sulawesi (Bunaken, Manado, Bangka, Tukangbesi islands, Makassar and Selayar, Lembeh strait, Siau and Sangihe islands, Palu, Togian and Banggai islands) / Kalimantan
Malaysia: East coast (Perhentians, Redang) / Overview Borneo / Sabah and Sarawak / Lankayan / Mabul and Sipadan
Philippines: Visayas (Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Siquijor) / Sangat and Palawan (Tubbataha Reef)
Galapagos islands: center Galapagos, north Galapagos, southeast Galapagos, west Galapagos

Fact sheets

Bali - Borneo and Kalimantan - Burma and Thailand - Galapagos - Malaysia (east coast) - Manado, Lembeh and Siau islands - Nusa Tenggara (Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, Alor) - Moluccas (Ambon, Banda, Halmahera) - Palawan (Sangat, Tubbataha) - Sulawesi - Sulawesi central - Visayas (Bohol, Cebu, Negros, Siquijor)

Tauchplätze

Indonesien allgemein - Bali - Bali Nord - Bali Ost - Bali Süd - Bunaken - Bangka - Manado- Lembeh

Informations-Seiten

Bali - Bunaken, Manado, Lembeh, Siau

This page www.starfish.ch/dive/info/Manado-info.html . Copyright Teresa Zubi (write to me).
I am not responsible for the contents of any sites linked to this website or any other off-site pages. Link to them at your own risk.