Murex Manado — pioneering family-run dive resort for Bunaken Marine Park

Murex Manado Resort is a family-run resort set in tropical gardens on the seafront in a village just outside Manado. Murex has been diving in North Sulawesi since the 1980s and says it helped create the Bunaken Marine Park. It also runs a sister resort, Murex Bangka, and a 'Passport to Paradise' option that combines Manado, Bangka and Lembeh in one trip.

Bunaken is about 30 minutes away by boat. Its walls and hard corals include sites such as Lekuan 1–3, Sachiko's Point, Bunaken Timur and Siladen Wall, generally with easy to mild currents and 15–25m visibility. All the dive guides are Indonesian, mostly from the Manado area, and are trained in marine-life identification and underwater photography. Groups are kept to around four divers per guide.

Both dive centres have camera rooms with preparation stations and separate rinse tanks for cameras, and full rental gear can be added to any package. PADI courses include Open Water and Advanced Open Water. At the time of writing, rooms at Murex Manado were advertised from USD 116 per night; dive rates are sent on request.