Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa — Hotel in Manado

Check-In & First Impressions||After two glorious dives en route from another resort, we arrived by boat—salty, grinning, and looking very much like people who’d just fallen in love with Indonesia. We were greeted dockside by the Oasis team, who somehow managed to be both laid-back and laser-focused. Check-in was smooth, informative, and full of smiles. We were introduced to Pete, the affable Dive Operations Manager, who gave us the rundown of a plethora of dive options with enough flexibility to accommodate both seasoned divers and those who still check their air every 30 seconds.||||Room & Grounds||Our bags magically made their way to Cottage 10—either by staff or benevolent forest spirits—while we meandered up the hill to discover a view worthy of its own postcard. All the cottages are identical in layout and luxury, so the only real differentiator is the view. In our professional opinion as people who are highly opinionated, Cottages 10 and 11 offer the best panoramas, though it’s a bit like choosing between diamonds.||||Inside, the room had every creature comfort, and possibly a few we didn’t realize we needed. A plush bed, ample space, fast Wi-Fi (yes, even in the jungle), and—perhaps most impressively—a laundry service that operates on sorcery: dirty clothes disappear and return the next day smelling like redemption. A true plethora of amenities.||||Note: this is a hillside resort, which means stairs and sloping paths. If climbing a gentle incline sounds intimidating, you may want to reassess your desire to scuba dive, which involves carrying heavy gear and not panicking at 30 meters.||||Food & Beverage||Let’s get one thing straight: the food here is not your typical “dive, dine, repeat” fare. Every meal was a small event. Breakfast had everything you could possibly want before rolling into a wetsuit. Lunch and dinner featured a daily special alongside a consistent menu of classic dishes, all cooked with flair and served with grace.||||Gusti, Gusty, Merton, Angaa and the rest of the staff (whose names deserve mention but were lost in a post-dive nitrogen fog) were delightful—polite, intuitive, and with a sixth sense for when your wine glass was even thinking of being empty. A plethora of flavors and smiles, served in a dining room where we often found ourselves lingering long after dessert.||||The Pool||This pool deserves its own section in Lonely Planet. Tiered like a Balinese temple and overlooking the sea, it’s as photogenic as it is refreshing. The deepest section (3 meters) is a dream for scuba refreshers or quiet, floaty meditations on the meaning of life.||||Sun loungers were dangerously comfortable, and the team would casually offer cold drinks and snacks as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “Oh, you’re awake? Here’s a chilled towel and a homemade cookie.” A plethora of pampering. We spent several afternoons floating aimlessly and considering how difficult it might be to fake our own deaths and stay forever.||||Dive Operations||As an experienced diver, I can say this is one of the most professional and thoughtful operations I’ve encountered. From nitrox fills to dive briefings, everything was executed flawlessly. The team kept meticulous logs of each dive—including site, nitrox %, depth, time, and even your tank pressure stats. This was later emailed to us upon departure—small touch, big impression.||||The dive boats were clearly designed by someone who’s actually been on one. Everything you need is where you need it. During surface intervals, hot drinks, fresh fruit, warm towels, and hydration were served as if we were on a luxury yacht instead of in neoprene.||||A special shout-out to our dive guide Ilham—attentive, kind, and quick with a joke. He handled everything with grace, including my perhaps slightly inappropriate use of the word “dugong” to describe a particularly, shall we say, buoyant diver in our group. Ilham laughed so hard I thought he might lose his mask.||||Briefings were clear and emphasized respect for marine life and coral. Subtle reminders were occasionally inserted—particularly when reports emerged that some guests were behaving like underwater toddlers with too much sugar.||||Resort Managers – Kelly & Simon||Now we come to the true magic of Bunaken Oasis: Kelly and Simon, the resort managers, hosts extraordinaire, and kindred spirits in dry wit. Always present, always gracious, they seemed to have a plethora of talents—from solving equipment issues to gently managing a wide range of international personalities, some of whom were delightfully confused about global geography.||||We shared several meals with Kelly and Simon, where we laughed far too much, bonded over mutual sarcasm, and found ourselves truly appreciating the human side of hospitality. When my regulator started acting up, they didn’t just shrug and wish me luck—they actively helped me find a replacement I could pick up in Singapore. That's beyond service. That’s friendship.||||Other Highlights||We must also tip our dive hoods to Jacob Guy, the in-house photographer. Talented, charming, and quietly attentive, he somehow captured beautiful underwater moments without ever interrupting the rhythm of a dive. A plethora of photo skills packed into one genuinely lovely person.||||Final Thoughts||Bunaken Oasis isn’t just a dive resort—it’s a living, breathing example of what happens when hospitality is done right. From the meticulous dive operation and extraordinary food, to the service culture that anticipates your needs before you realize you have them, it offers a plethora of moments worth remembering.||||But what makes it even more special is what happens behind the scenes. The resort has a deeply rooted commitment to its team and the local community. Staff are encouraged and supported to grow, to learn, and to shine—and it shows in every interaction. There is a clear sense of inclusion and empowerment here. Bunaken Oasis doesn’t just invest in tourism, it invests in people—and we found that not only admirable, but incredibly rare.||||We came as divers. We left as friends. And we now suffer from a very specific condition: chronic nostalgia for Bunaken Oasis.||||Go. Dive. Laugh. Float. Learn how to say “plethora” in Indonesian. And tell Kelly and...

Bunaken Oasis — Our Home Away from Home||||Booking and Arrival||From the very first interaction, our experience at Bunaken Oasis was nothing short of exceptional. The booking process was smooth and effortless, thanks to the wonderful support from Elaine and Georgie, who made every detail easy and stress-free. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Chika — the perfect start to our stay.||||Outstanding Service||Once we arrived, we immediately understood why Bunaken Oasis has such a stellar reputation. We’ve stayed at many high-end dive resorts around the world, but Oasis truly stands out. The service is outstanding — the staff greet you by name, remember your favorite drink and breakfast preferences, and make you feel genuinely at home. It’s that rare combination of luxury, warmth, and personal attention that makes you feel like part of the family.||||Unforgettable Diving||The diving was phenomenal — we didn’t have a single dive without spotting turtles! Every underwater moment was magical: nudibranchs, leaf scorpionfish, lobsters, eels, whitetips, and countless other species. It’s a true paradise for underwater photographers!||A huge thank-you to Mei, our top-notch tech diver instructor and guide. Her patience, care, and local expertise made every dive unforgettable and our stay so memorable. She looked after our entire family and showed us the very best of Bunaken’s underwater world. (Sorry, Mei — you won’t get rid of us that easily!) Thanks also to Marco (who took fantastic shark photos for me), Nadya (amazing hair braider!), Sinyo, Jois, Bobby, and Edo — and not to forget Peter, who leads the outstanding diving team.||||Exceptional Resort Management||A heartfelt thank-you also to Kelly and Simon, the incredible resort managers, who went above and beyond to make our stay truly special. They organized pool floaties for the kids, gave us fantastic advice on local running trails, arranged an extra dive guide when needed, and — to top it all off — surprised us with a beautiful private dinner by the pool to celebrate my birthday and anniversary. It was an unforgettable evening that perfectly captured the Oasis spirit: thoughtful, elegant, and full of heart.||||Wonderful Owners||We also had the pleasure of meeting Elaine and Simon, the owners of Bunaken Oasis. They are so kind and full of fascinating stories about how Oasis came to be. Their warmth and passion for creating a “home away from home” for every guest truly shine through. And OMG — what an amazing photographer Elaine is! Her underwater photos perfectly capture the magic and soul of this place.||||Meaningful Community Connection||We also want to mention Mel, who kindly organized a visit to the local village school where we were able to bring along a few supplies. Spending time with the children and seeing their joy was such a special and meaningful experience — one that added even more depth to our stay. This memory will stay with us forever.||||Exceptional Dining||And the food — wow! The restaurant’s service and quality completely blew us away. Every meal felt freshly prepared, creative, and delicious, complemented by the team’s impeccable attention to detail. Huge thanks to Gusty, Susi, Gusti, Melaney, Morten, and the entire kitchen and service staff for making every dining experience so wonderful.||||We leave sad but with hearts full of memories, already dreaming of our return. Bunaken Oasis isn’t just a resort — it’s a second home...

We had an unbelievably beautiful stay from beginning to end. We spent 12 nights at Oasis and honestly would have loved to stay longer!||Even before we checked in, the team already impressed us. While we were still in Manado, they helped us organize a tour to the National Park and even rearranged our transfer. Fantastic service!||From the first moment, we were warmly greeted by name and felt very personally cared for. Thanks to the excellent internal communication, the staff always seemed to know where we were and what was happening during the day. For example, shortly after lying down by the pool, we received a complimentary iced tea, during dinner we were asked about the shark sightings from our dive, and after a lunchtime chat with the staff we were even invited by the managers to go jogging the next morning. We have never experienced such thoughtful and personal attention on any holiday. It truly goes far beyond “normal hospitality” and turns the stay into a real luxury experience.||The resort itself is simply a dream. With only 12 cottages (something we really appreciated), it feels very private and exclusive. Everything is perfectly maintained by a team of almost 100 staff members. The cottages are spacious, the paths and pool area immaculate, and the gardens are beautifully kept with stunning views of the sea and Manado.||The food was another highlight – varied, creative, and always delicious. The kitchen adapted dishes to our wishes, prepared local specialties like Gado Gado, and even created unique dishes such as a tempeh burger. Little touches like changing napkin folds, staff remembering our preferences, and their genuine interest in chatting with us made every meal special. We also had the chance to enjoy a tasting menu, which was phenomenal.||Diving was pure luxury as well. Often we had the boat all to ourselves, and at most shared it with one other cottage. We had the same dive guide throughout our stay and could decide every day where to go next. The variety was incredible – from night dives to wrecks to Turtle City. The corals and biodiversity were breathtaking. PADI courses can be booked easily too, and successful participants even receive a little gift from the hotel.||A huge thank you to managers Simon and Kelly for making our stay so memorable, including the 6 a.m. jog in 30 degrees Celsius! And of course to the amazing staff: Susi & Poolboy for the wonderful singing, Gusti, Morten, Angga, Susi, Leni, Raldy and all the service staff for their hospitality, Sandy and Mei with the entire boat crew for unforgettable dives, and André, Chika, Mel and the reception team for their quick and caring responses. And not to forget everyone behind the scenes in housekeeping and gardening – you all contributed to making this stay so special.||We felt completely at home at Oasis. You can be truly proud of what you achieve here every single day and what you offer to your guests.||Thank you for everything – we will never forget...