BUNAKEN'S BUDGET ACCOMODATION

I live in Manado and travel to Bunaken with some frequency. Just returned from a three night stay at Silas' Cottages at Liang Beach. Accommodation and meals included cost 60,000 rph. per person per night. Meals were quite good overall, and food varied and plentiful. Silas' might well be the cheapest place to stay in all of Bunaken.

Pak Silas and wife Abagail are great folks, and trying to get their small set of cottages off the ground. They've only been in business one year. I highly recommend their place for those who want to enjoy Bunaken, but are on a rather strict budget. It is a down-home operation, quite funky and low key. Few people drop in as it is tucked away on the hillside shrouded in large trees and not easily visible from the beach. There is no visible sign- only two flags- one red and one white- flying from short poles down on the beach. It sits directly next to Panorama Cottages (which during the high season is full most of the time).

Silas cottages don't provide diving facilities or a boat, but there are a few other nearby operations on Liang Beach that do and they usually accept drop-ins. Neither does Pak Silas provide round trip transportation to the island from Manado as do most of the larger, full-service resorts on Bunaken. (Resort-provided transportation is generally included in the price of accommodations)

When shared by four to six people, privately arranged charter travel to Bunaken from Manado's main harbor will cost roughly 35,000 to 60,000 rph one way (some of you may have done better on this score).

In Manado, there is a public boat leaving from a secondary harbor about a five minute walk from the larger harbor and on the other side of Bersehati Traditional Market down on the river. It generally leaves between 1:30 and 3:00 PM, depending on the tides and how full to capacity the boat is. The fare is 7,500 rph. The public boat arrives at Bunaken Village, and for those who want to transfer on to Liang Beach, they may do so by boarding a smaller shuttle boat. Transfer is free.

Public passage back to Manado from Bunaken departs from Bunaken Village around 9 or 9:30 AM. If you are staying at Liang beach, you can catch a shuttle there from near the visitor's center around 8 AM, and it will take you to the main public boat in the village. Again, the combined fare is 7,500 rph., and is collected at terminus.

Hi!

Thanks for the information. I am in Bali right now. I have a divetrip scheduled out of Sorong but not until 20July and would love to visit Manado and do some diving there first. Where would be a good/ economical place to base from around Manado? Would consider going to Bunaken also.

Thanks for any help.
Wanda

wandafromtexas@yahoo.com

Hi, my name is Daniela.
i read you pst about bunaken, have you the mobile phone for to book this boungalow?
thanks really
Daniela Oddi

thanks for this info