Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa

Bunaken Oasis Resort provided possibly the best dive resort experience I have had in 15 years of diving in Indonesia. From the luxury vehicle 30-minute airport transfer, and another 30 minutes on a lovely timber-trimmed boat (interestingly named after the owners’ horses) to arriving at the resort pier, I felt like a cherished guest.Warmly welcomed by the management team, I was given a brief tour, deposited my camera into the huge camera room, and then escorted up a few flights of stairs to my standalone bungalow, where I had a great view of the lushly landscaped hillside of the Oasis, over the infinity pool and beyond to the sea from the comfortable deck chairs.My room had everything one could desire, a beautiful fruit basket, a Nespresso coffee maker, lots of teas, hot & cold water, a mini-bar, wine, waffle robes or silky kimonos, lots of towels, organic body wash, soaps, shampoo and conditioner and a magic basket, where your laundry goes in and returns clean and folded. Importantly for me, WIFI was available in the room and throughout the resort.I left the cocoon of my room to venture up to the spa for a blissful massage before wandering down to the impressively designed bar and lounge over 3 levels. As one looks around you can’t help but notice the many detailed design elements of the resort that are beautifully maintained. One morning I noticed a loose paving stone, but on my way back from breakfast one of the groundskeepers was already repairing it and inspecting others.Meals were all ordered a la carte from an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch and a menu of the day for dinner. Fresh squeezed juices, baked pastries and fancy egg dishes and espresso coffees for breakfast; lunch ranged from salads, grilled fish, curries to burgers and exceptional house-made ice creams.With a small number of guests, we all had dinner together with the resort owners and management team. One night we had a 7-course tasting menu where the chefs were flexing their creativity and impressive presentation skills, which occurs almost weekly. On the last night for some guests, we were presented with a concert of local and pop songs by some of the talented F & B team as a farewell.The Bunaken Marine Park dives were a surprising treat, featuring wall diving, at times a comfortable drift and one for advanced divers with more challenging currents but all with very clear water and lots of marine life, both macro and pelagic. I had a tip to dive at Manado Tua, at the base of the volcano, and on request that was easily added to the itinerary.The dive operation was top-notch too, with everything fastidiously managed, from the boats, to the dive prep area, camera room and even the compressor room. Two of the dive team were being certified to teach tech/rebreather diving, so they will have that option there by now too. I was lucky to be one of the only divers in a lull between 2 busy periods and I dived with the owners and one of the managers. But my dive guide and buddy Hentje Pontoh is a legend in Bunaken, having discovered a new pygmy seahorse species in 2008: Hippocampus pontohi. We had a lot of fun.

Where to start? I guess with the diving—that’s why we came. Honestly, it blew me away. The ratio of quality to diversity was unmatched. Walls, muck, massive turtles in every direction, nudis galore, coral so healthy it’s one of the rare places on earth where it’s actually improving, warm seas, smooth conditions, and limited crowds… dream diving. Our crew made it even better. Matahari (whose name translates to “sun”) lit up every day with her contagious joy—diving with her was a treat, and if she ever moves on, I’d happily follow her wherever she goes. Then there was Didi—born, raised, and trained in Bunaken. Diving with him felt like being guided by a local legend. His eye for macro life was razor sharp—no Shaun the Sheep too small to spot. We were delighted to find our group of four had a private boat, staffed daily with kind souls who handed us fresh fruit and warm towels between dives. Across 12 dives, we never repeated an experience: walls, blackwater, night diving, mandarin fish mating, freediving with a DPV alongside GM Kelly. Each day brought something new. I only wish I had more time to train with May, the badass on-site Tech Instructor—but even sharing a boat with her once was memorable and inspiring. Beyond the diving, the resort itself exceeded every expectation. Indonesian hospitality is already world-class, but Bunaken Oasis sets an entirely new bar. The staff anticipated needs we hadn’t even realized yet, while the food consistently rivaled fine dining despite the remote location. A personal highlight: while Kelly was out teaching me to use the DPVs, her partner and co-GM Simon quietly arranged to replace camera equipment I’d lost—an extraordinary gesture of care and initiative. I’ve now got almost 100 dives under my belt and can confidently say this place is top tier. To my friends who I dragged across the world—sorry for spoiling you rotten. Good luck topping this one. Big love to Bunaken Oasis.