Manado is an excellent base from which to discover the richness of this area. A dominating volcanic landscape creates a unique backdrop for you to discover North Sulawesi, one of the world's best yet least known dive destinations. The year-round diving here is all about amazing variety and exotic surroundings. The deep seas give excellent average visibility (25m). They are also home to many unusual species, for example the prehistoric fish "coelacanth" as well as some household names: reef-shark, turtles, eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, even dugong and orca! The majority of sites are conveniently accessed within one hour from your hotel and yet North Sulawesi's remote location means that the sites are never crowded with other divers.

Most of the reefs of the Bunaken National Marine Park are rich and unspoilt, with pristine and abundant soft coral and fish life in huge concentration. Bunaken, Manado Tua, Nain, Siladen and Montehjage all became part of a marine park in the early eighties. Bunaken is now famous for its steep, world-class, pristine walls covered with soft corals and sponges and for its excellent diversity of fish life. Large schools of barracudas, moray eels, Napoleon wrasse, fairy basslets and sea snakes are common sights in the area. The marine park boasts more than 40 charted wrecks, including a WW II steel-hulled merchant ship and caters to all levels of dive experience. With light currents and walls starting at just 3ft below the surface, divers can choose dives to match their comfort level. For the more experienced diver, several varieties of sharks, including hammerheads await at deeper depths.

Bangka Islands are a remote tropical paradise. Here you'll encounter a completely different underwater topography, with sea mounts and pinnacles. This is one of the best areas for an abundance of colourful soft coral and often bigger fish like sharks and eagle rays and plenty of big sponges.

Sanghe Talaud Islands.
If underwater volcanoes, mountains and remote islands fire your imagination, head for the Sanghie Talaud islands north of Manado. Nutrient rich upwellings in the deep waters surrounding these islands support tons of jacks, tuna and enormous amounts of reef life. At Mahahetang an underwater volcano sends silent bubbles among large black rays, lobsters and patrolling wahoos. Since most of these islands are exposed to currents and heavy swell, the trip is recommended for more experienced divers.

Lembeh Straits.
World famous for its macro life, this is most probably simply the best place in the world for macro photography! Lembeh plays host to a cornucopia of weird and wonderful creatures to be found here and here alone. Kungkunan Bay is a favorite haunt of photographers. Because the site is located near a narrow channel, visibility is restricted and tidal currents must be monitored carefully. However, the bay is a must visit for great pictures of ghost pipefish, pygmy sea horses and Mandarin fish. Mooring is over shallow black sandy slopes where seahorses and nudibranchs are in abundance. Then there are the Inimicus devilfish, dwarf lionfish, scorpionfish, pufferfish, mimic octopus, pegasus sea moths, hairy frogfish, hairy ghost pipefish, ribbon eels and flying gunnards.

Truly a once-off opportunity for all photographers, naturalists and anyone looking for the unusual and unseen. You are sure to see something that you have never seen before, no matter how experienced you are. The dive guides and instructors will take you on a guided tour around Lembeh's wonderland and thrill you with its magic. The Lembeh Strait also contains WWII shipwrecks at "diveable depth", waiting patiently for the adventurer to explore.

Best Time to Travel to Manado: You can dive year-round in Manado however the sunniest season is April to October. That's when the sunbathing and visibility is best, but you can also still get rain at any time of year. The nice thing about the rain is that it's warm.