Murex Manado Resort

Dive resort · Indonesia · Manado, North Sulawesi · Official Website

Booking by Tour Leader Club

3 room types · Bunaken, Manado Bay and Siladen — sites 30 minutes away and closer dive sites · house reef

Murex Manado Resort sits on the seafront in a small village outside Manado, in a mature tropical garden with ponds and water lilies. The owners have been diving North Sulawesi since the 1980s and were instrumental in creating the Bunaken Marine Park.

Two completely different kinds of diving open up from one base. Half an hour away lies Bunaken Marine Park — sheer walls that in places drop almost two kilometres, green turtles, reef sharks and eagle rays. And right on the doorstep is Manado Bay and its muck diving: mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ring octopus, Ambon scorpionfish and the Molas shipwreck, thought to have sunk in the Second World War, at forty metres.

The house reef starts a step off the beach — a combination site with coral, sandy patches and a variety of artificial reef structures. Every diving day includes one free self-guided house-reef dive.

Accommodation is 15 rooms in three categories: ten Deluxe Cottages in the garden, four Premium Deluxe Cottages and one Oceanfront Villa on the shore. All have air conditioning, hot water and wifi.

Meals are included: three buffets a day in the open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean and gardens. On site there is an oceanview infinity pool, the Nature Spa, a camera room, a four-metre training pool and a PADI 5 Star dive centre.

The resort is part of the Passport to Paradise programme: Bunaken → Bangka → Lembeh, with boat transfers between resorts and two dives along the way.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country

Indonesia

Location

Manado, North Sulawesi

Nearest airport

Manado (MDC) — about an hour by car

Transfer

$31 per person round trip

House reef

Yes — a step off the beach, coral, sandy patches and artificial reef structures

one free self-guided dive on every diving day

Dive sites

Bunaken, Manado Bay and Siladen — sites 30 minutes away and closer

Dive centre

Own PADI 5 Star dive centre with a 4-metre-deep training pool

Nitrox

Yes, $7 per tank; nitrox course $211

Rooms

15 rooms, 3 categories

Internet

In the rooms and throughout the property, included

Languages

English, Indonesian

At the resort

House reef a step off the beach

Oceanview infinity pool with sun loungers

Four-metre-deep training pool

Nature Spa

Camera room with individual preparation stations

Open-air restaurant with terrace

Poolside service

Lounge and bar

Gift shop

Kayaks

Flat-screen television for marine life presentations

24-hour electricity and hot water

Minibar and tea and coffee station in the room

Drinking water in the room

Laundry

Diving

PADI 5 Star dive centre

Free shore diving on the house reef

Bunaken Marine Park 30 minutes away

Manado Bay muck diving minutes away

The Molas shipwreck at 40 metres

Night and blackwater dives

Groups of no more than 4 divers per guide

Guides trained in marine biology and photography

Water 28–29 °C year round

Apnea Murex freediving centre with AIDA courses

Two dives in the morning, leaving around 8:00 straight from the beach in front of the resort, and a third in the afternoon around 15:00. A longer three-dive trip with lunch served on the boat between the second and third dive can be arranged. Night dives leave around 18:30 and blackwater dives around 19:00, depending on the lunar cycle. Bunaken's sites are walls: Lekuan 1, 2 and 3, Bunaken Timur, Ron's Point, Sachiko's, Pangalingan (Tanjung Kopi) and Siladen Wall. In Manado Bay there are the muck sites Bethlehem and City Extra, the Molas wreck, Circus and Tanjung Kelapa, where a fish count once recorded the second highest number of species on a single dive in Indonesia. Every diving day includes one free self-guided house-reef dive; on the first one a guide comes along to show the way. Gear is brought to the boat and assembled while guests have breakfast, then washed and stored after the last dive.

Food

Three buffets a day, included

Open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean and gardens

International and Indonesian cuisine

Local ingredients, western-trained chefs

Poolside service

À la carte menu at extra cost

Welcome drink, fruit basket and cookies on arrival

Afternoon snacks

Free-flow water, coffee and tea

Full board means three buffets a day in the open-air restaurant with a terrace facing the ocean and gardens. Menus vary and mix international and Indonesian dishes made with fresh local ingredients; the western-trained chefs can cater to dietary requirements given notice. There is also an à la carte menu at additional cost; during times of low occupancy à la carte dining is occasionally included in the full-board package, but this is not the norm. Water, coffee and tea are free-flow, alcohol is charged separately.

Beyond diving

Snorkelling in Bunaken and Manado Bay

Freediving with AIDA courses

PADI courses up to Divemaster

Coral nursery and the Ocean Gardener programme

Kayaks

Tangkoko Nature Reserve — macaques, cuscus and tarsiers

Minahasa Highlands, Tomohon market and ancient waruga

Paragliding over North Sulawesi

White water rafting

Cooking classes

Nature Spa

Snorkellers go out on the same boats: a full day with three sessions is $76, a morning with two is $60, an afternoon with one is $37, and each session runs about 90 minutes. This is one of the few places in North Sulawesi that offers freediving alongside scuba: Apnea Murex runs the full range of AIDA courses, and the team includes Indonesian and world record holders. Land programmes: a full day at Tangkoko Nature Reserve $128, the Minahasa Highlands $99, Tangkoko combined with Tasik Oki $157, Tangkoko with the waruga $190, paragliding $148, a Manado city trip $57, white water rafting $126, a cooking class from $29. Minimum two people.

Rooms

Cottage in the garden

$120

View: Garden

Beds: King bed or twin beds

Ten cottages in the resort's tropical garden, each with its own private green space. High wooden ceilings, air conditioning and ceiling fans, a king bed or twin beds, an en-suite bathroom and seating indoors and out.

24-hour electricity and hot water En-suite bathroom Air conditioning and ceiling fans King bed or twin beds Private garden location Indoor and outdoor seating Desk area USB charging and ample wall sockets Complimentary drinking water Wifi in the room

Superior cottage

$142

View: Garden and ocean

Beds: King bed or twin beds

Four spacious cottages with large windows and sliding doors, some with a veranda over the lily pond. Air conditioning and ceiling fans, a bathroom with twin basins, seating indoors and out, a minibar and a tea and coffee station.

24-hour electricity and hot water En-suite bathroom Air conditioning and ceiling fans King bed or twin beds Indoor and outdoor seating Desk area Minibar Tea and coffee station USB charging and ample wall sockets Wifi in the room

Villa on the shore

$184

View: Ocean

Beds: King bed or twin beds

The resort's only villa stands right at the water. An ocean-view bathroom with a bathtub, a wooden veranda opening onto the beach, air conditioning and ceiling fans, a dressing table, a desk area, a minibar and a water dispenser with hot and cold water.

On the oceanfront Ocean-view bathroom with bathtub Air conditioning and ceiling fans King bed or twin beds Extra single bed Wooden veranda opening onto the beach Dressing table and desk area Water dispenser with hot and cold water Tea and coffee station and minibar Ample storage Wifi in the room

Rates

Accommodation — per person per night, 1–10 nights

	Double/twin	Single	Extra bed
Deluxe Cottage	$120	$167	$93
Premium Deluxe Cottage	$142	$198	$113
Oceanfront Villa	$184	$258	$147

2026–2027 rates, valid until 31 March 2027. The price includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, afternoon snacks, free-flow water, coffee and tea, wifi, a welcome drink with fruit platter and all taxes. From the 11th night the resort gives a 10% long-stay discount on each additional night. Children under 7 are free of charge including transfers; 7–9 years $52 with transfers at 50%; 10–12 years $62 with transfers at 50%.

Diver packages — per person in double/twin occupancy

	Deluxe Cottage	Premium Deluxe	Oceanfront Villa
4 nights, 6 dives	$877	$965	$1,133
5 nights, 8 dives	$1,119	$1,229	$1,439
6 nights, 10 dives	$1,361	$1,493	$1,745
7 nights, 12 dives	$1,603	$1,757	$2,051
8 nights, 14 dives	$1,845	$2,021	$2,357
10 nights, 18 dives	$2,329	$2,549	$2,969
11 nights, 20 dives	$2,559	$2,794	$3,256

Packages include accommodation, round-trip airport transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner, morning and afternoon snacks, free-flow water, coffee and tea, diving with air using your own equipment, wifi, a welcome drink with fruit platter and all taxes. The compulsory Bunaken National Park entrance fee of IDR 150,000 per person is paid on site and is not included.

Snorkeller packages — per person in double/twin occupancy

	Deluxe Cottage	Premium Deluxe	Oceanfront Villa
4 nights	$691	$779	$947
6 nights	$1,051	$1,183	$1,435
8 nights	$1,411	$1,587	$1,923
11 nights	$1,939	$2,174	$2,636

The same conditions, with snorkelling sessions using your own equipment instead of dives.

Diving and snorkelling — price per service

	Price
Guided boat dive with air	$61
Guided boat dive with nitrox	$67
Full day guided snorkelling, three sessions	$76
Morning guided snorkelling, two sessions	$60
Afternoon guided snorkelling, one session	$37
Private guide for 3 dives or snorkelling sessions	$108
Private boat, 8:00–17:00	$364
Private boat, 8:00–20:00	$550
Large tank per day	$12
Nitrox course	$211
Nitrox à la carte, per tank	$7
Night dive surcharge, minimum 2 divers	$20
Blackwater dive, minimum 4 divers	$85

Every diving day includes one free self-guided house-reef dive. The diver and snorkeller to guide ratio is 4:1. The private guide fee is in addition to normal dive rates; private boat services include a private guide, with dives charged separately. A snorkelling session runs about 90 minutes.

Transfers and resort combinations

	Price
Round trip airport — Murex Manado	$31
Out-of-hours surcharge, 17:00–8:00, per person per way	$21
Murex Manado and Murex Bangka combination	$341
Murex Manado and Lembeh Resort combination, minimum 4 people	$341
Passport to Paradise — three resorts	$606

Prices are per person with a minimum of two guests. The out-of-hours surcharge does not apply when booking seven nights or more. Boat transfer rates are lower when booking four or more travellers.

Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.

When to go

Best time: Year round; the driest period runs from the end of March to the end of November
Water temperature: 28–29 °C, up to 30 °C at times
Visibility: On average 15–25 metres, often up to 30 metres

North Sulawesi has two seasons, one dry and one bringing more rain. The driest period runs from the end of March to the end of November. The rain lowers the air temperature, so the wetter months suit those who prefer cooler weather. The water stays 28–30 °C year round and a 3 mm wetsuit is enough for most divers; there are occasional cooler thermoclines around October to December.

Getting there

North Sulawesi is one of Indonesia’s best-known diving regions. Manado, the provincial capital, has an international airport, Sam Ratulangi (MDC): six times a week direct from Singapore with Scoot, several daily non-stop flights from Jakarta and services from Bali.

The airport to the resort is about an hour by car. The round-trip transfer is $31 per person; arrivals between 17:00 and 8:00 carry a $21 per person per way surcharge, which is waived when booking seven nights or more.

A passport must be valid for at least six months, with at least one blank page. A visa on arrival can be obtained on the spot or applied for online in advance (e-VOA, IDR 500,000, 30 days). Separately from the visa, all arriving passengers complete the All Indonesia declaration, which can be submitted within three days before arrival.

Baggage on domestic flights is usually 20 kg plus carry-on, and some airlines allow an additional bag for dive gear. The time zone is GMT+8 (WITA). There are cases of malaria and dengue in North Sulawesi, and the resort recommends repellent and covered clothing in the evenings. There is a recompression chamber in Manado.