For those seeking both adventure and leisure, the beautiful islands around North Sulawesi boast picturesque scenery, delicious food, rejuvenating spas, diverse diving and ultimate relaxation, making for lasting memories while also supporting environmental and social responsibility. Siladen, paired with a visit to Bangka Island, was the perfect choice for underwater photographer Brandi Mueller and her non-diving mother. Here is part one of this two-part chronicle.
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Last year, I took a job in a remote location with far less travel and vacation time than I was used to. After slogging through the months without booking flights or planning dive trips, my collected time off finally reached numbers that would justify a plane ticket. But then the question arose of where to go. The long time away from home and family tugged me toward visiting my mother. However, she resides in the Midwest of the United States, which lacks warm waters and abundant critters to dive with.
In hopes that my mother would be up for an adventure, I asked if she would like to meet me somewhere. Maybe a place on her bucket list might also have some diving for me. As my mother is not a diver, I was a little surprised when she suggested one of my favorite dive resorts in Indonesia: Siladen Resort and Spa. Apparently, the articles I had written and stories I had told about this idyllic location and special resort had stayed in her mind… I could not book our tickets fast enough!
Traveling with family
When recommending my favorite places to dive buddies and friends, the question often arises about whether a non-diver will enjoy the trip, too. Finding a place where both divers and non-divers can cohabitate and equally have an excellent time is not always easy to come by. Providing a balance of activities for both can be a challenge.
But having been to Siladen before, I knew the resort’s lovely beachfront property, fantastic international and Indonesian cuisine, ample activities and impeccable service, which make one feel like family, would be perfect. Any doubts that entered my mind quickly passed, as I knew my mom would love it. Plus, Siladen Resort and Spa’s recent partnership with Coral Eye, a marine outpost on Bangka Island, would give us the opportunity for a little variety and to see two amazing locations seamlessly. (More on that in Part Two of this article series.)
Getting there
My mother met me in Singapore. I tried to get her past any potential jet lag from the 12-hour time change by being super tourists and cramming as much of Singapore as we could in less than three days. I think we made a gallant attempt, including a visit to the Marina Bay Sands’ SkyPark Observation Deck and Gardens by the Bay (where we tried hard not to fall asleep on the concrete benches before the evening light show). We ate, we shopped, we spent some extra time exploring the fantastic Changi Airport butterfly garden, and we showed up to our Scoot flight to Manado in a whirlwind, needing a nap.
Once in Singapore, getting to Manado was easy. Direct flights meant that a few hours later, we were in Manado, and a friendly representative of Siladen Resort greeted us. As we emerged into the tropical humidity after the flight, nothing felt better than the cool, refreshing aromatherapy towels and cold-water drinks, served in reusable metal bottles, that the resort staff member provided before whisking us away by van and then boat.
Stepping off the boat onto the white sandy beach of Siladen Island, part of Bunaken National Park, the sun was just starting to set. It felt like I was stepping out of the high-alert world of work and travel stress into the calm of a soothing tropical breeze. We were escorted to the lobby for a welcome drink and then to an elegant wood villa with a lanai, our home for the next week. It opened up to a large room with two beds, a desk and chairs and an outdoor bathroom—a feature I have always loved, which allows for showering under the stars while still in the privacy of one’s own space.
While unpacking, it was amazing how every detail was seen to. For example, just as we both asked aloud where we could plug our phones in, we found a power strip with international plug options in the closet and were able to put it between our beds, perfect for our devices and laptops. In the bathroom, amenities like biodegradable shampoo and body wash were in reusable ceramic containers, and one even contained bamboo cotton swabs. The environmental responsibility was everywhere, but also done so naturally.
It was getting quite late, and after our day of travel, we were eager for dinner and sleep. On our walk toward the restaurant on the beach, warm yellow lights hung from the trees, bathing the area with a soft glow in an enchanted forest sort of way. We found a table in the sand and could hear the waves brushing up against the beach before making our way to the buffet table and indulging in a salad bar, made-to-order pasta or fish (or both) and a dessert and fruit table. It was not too long after dinner before we were both snoozing in comfy beds, ready for the first day of our next adventure to begin.
Getting settled
We were up at first light, listening to bird song. Our room had a full-sized purified hot-and-cold water dispenser with a coffee and tea bar, so we could leisurely sip tea and coffee before heading to breakfast. Gazing at the breakfast buffet, it was clear to see we would not be wanting for food on this trip. Homemade donuts, pastries and breads, smoothies, an omelet bar, granola and yogurt and pancakes were just some of the options.
Arriving so late to the resort the night before, I decided to skip the morning dives to have more time to set up my camera and get settled in. At the same time, my mother was getting settled in at the spa, which would be her priority for the trip. While my trip goals included blackwater diving, muck diving and maybe spotting a few turtles, her goals were to try out as many options on the spa menu as possible. After lunch, she got ready for her first spa treatment, and I was on my way to dive “the mainland”, or North Sulawesi proper, for a few muck dives.
Currents had been unexpectedly strong the past few days, so we decided to play it safe and check out the amazing muck diving nearby instead of risking a washing machine-type dive along the wall of Bunaken Island. We would save this for future days, hopefully with better conditions.
Muck diving
North Sulawesi is known for muck diving, and many divers have heard of the famous Lembeh Strait located nearby. The shallow sandy shores around the mainland of North Sulawesi are home to many fantastic and rare creatures, even beyond Lembeh. Our short boat ride from Siladen Island brought us to the first dive site. Descending to a muck dive often looks less than exciting to start, with black sand below and not much else. However, as soon as we got closer to the sea floor, our eyes adjusted to searching in the sand, and the amazing critters started to appear.
Within minutes, my dive guide called me over to see a tiny coconut octopus. It was on a mission, dragging a shell that was bigger than the little octopus. The shell was clearly its property, and as we approached, the octopus curled into the middle of the shell, tentacles extending around the edges, as if it was worried that we might steal the shell from it. We did not, but I did steal a few photos of its adventures. As we stuck around for several minutes to observe it, the octopus seemed to get comfortable and decided we were not going to make off with its prized possession. It went back to dragging the shell, occasionally crawling over it, just to remind us it was not up for grabs.
Siladen Resort knows how to take care of photographers. Everyone with a camera gets their own crate, marked by name, and I felt super special because my multitalented dive guide had drawn a lovely nudibranch next to my name. The crates kept the cameras safe on the boat and made it easy to get the gear on and off the boat. And graciously, the amazing crew would often carry my crate for me.
Night dives
Siladen offers night dives every night. After returning to the resort and checking in with my mother (her first massage was fantastic), she decided to relax near the beach, and I went for a night dive. She got comfortable in a beach lounge chair with a magazine and her new favorite drink, the Siladen Paradisio, with passionfruit (and reusable metal straw). I got on the boat going back to the mainland, because at night, muck diving gets even more exciting.
On the dive boat, fellow divers and I watched the sun set and the sky turn blood orange before back-rolling into the dark water. With lights on, we lit up the night and started our search. I found several clownfish tucked into anemones for the night, which made for much easier photography than when they dart about during the daytime. Also in the anemones were porcelain crabs, perched on the edges with their claws out, catching food particles in the water. A few anemone hermit crabs were walking along the sand. These fashionistas decorate their shells by placing colorful anemones on their backs.
The highlight of the dive was toward the end. Another diver came up to me and pointed to his dive computer. I was not quite sure what he was trying to tell me, but then I noticed there was the smallest octopus on his dive computer! When we were back on the surface, he told me it had been there the entire dive, hitchhiking along with him. I was happy to snap a few images of the octopus resting on his computer.
Returning to the surface, I inflated my BCD and bobbed below an inky-black sky dotted with stars and a sliver of an orange moon, and I almost did not want to get back into the boat. But then I heard the words, “hot chocolate”, and was suddenly motivated to get out of the water.
Bunaken National Park
Siladen Island is one of five islands within Bunaken National Park, with land area making up only three percent of the park; the rest is made up of protected waters. Established in 1991 as one of Indonesia’s first marine parks, it stretches over 890 sq km and is right in the middle of the Coral Triangle.
The Coral Triangle, which extends from Indonesia to the Philippines and past the Solomon Islands, encloses a triangular area with the most biodiverse marine area on Earth. More than 75 percent of the world’s known coral species and more than 3,000 species of fish are found within this region. Bunaken sees a great number of those species within the park.
Another aspect that contributes to the uniqueness of this area is that the channels between islands are very deep, plunging from 200m to 1,830m. Those deep waters encourage abundant marine life by nutrient transport, diverse habitats and protection. They also contribute to the blackwater diving being excellent.
Sea turtles
The next day, the currents were better, and the morning was spent diving the wall off Bunaken Island. Arriving close to the dive site, I looked over the edge of the boat and could see through the clear waters to the beautiful, healthy coral reef. There was also the contrasting dark blue to the seemingly endless abyss where the wall dropped off. The stars of the show, hawksbill and green sea turtles, were already showing up. I could see their heads breaking the surface for gulps of air in every direction, and one even swam right under the boat, with the water being so still that I could see the patterns on its shell.
Under the water was even better. The sheer wall was covered with corals, giant barrel sponges and so many fish. Just off the wall were thousands of redtoothed triggerfish, and every so often, a turtle would swim right through them. The quantity of sea turtles was almost unbelievable. They were perched in crevasses in the reef, sleeping on barrel sponges and feasting on hard corals. They would appear out of the blue water and swim over us; we would meet them in passing along the wall; and they were above, below and on all sides of us. And somehow, I never got sick of them. Grinning like a kid, I was pointing them out: There’s one, there’s one, there’s another one!
Returning to the surface, I asked my dive guide if he ever got bored with turtles. But he seemed almost as excited as I was, and I thought, “What an incredible place to call home.” The boat crew helped us back on the boat, tending to my camera and taking fins and gear. After each dive, the crew brought around hot towels warmed with minty aromatherapy. I swear my sinuses have never been happier after diving with that soothing hot towel warming my face and neck. Water, coffee or tea, and sweet snacks and fruit were also available.
Endless activities
The daily activity board in the dive shop was like a wish list of everything you might not have even realized you wanted to do. Beyond diving options throughout the day, there were also sign-up columns for night dives, mandarinfish dives, blackwater dives, bonfire events, dolphin tours and more. There were also paddle boards and kayaks to use during one’s free time (although I seemed to find none of that with all the things I wanted to do and see). There were yoga classes in the tree house, a two-story open-air structure on the beach, where they also gave talks most nights on topics such as local research and marine life.
They also organized trips outside of the resort to Tangkoko National Park to see the world’s tiniest primate, the tarsier, and other forest animals like the cuscus. There were volcano, waterfall and jungle hikes, village tours, cooking classes and white-water rafting, among other activities. Even if I stayed a month, I do not think I would have time to see it all.
Dolphin tour
While my mother was by no means bored between her spa visits and scoping out the most comfortable seat on the property (sampling those at the pool, by the water, outside or villa, etc.), the dolphin tour seemed like a great way to get her out on the water. Plus, it was a beautiful day. Blue skies, glassy calm waters and the spacious boat made it very comfortable. With big animals, there is never a guarantee, but less than 30 minutes into the lovely boat ride, we saw the telltale sign of sleek grey fins breaking the surface in front of us.
There were so many dolphins. Dozens of fins could be seen, and as we got closer, we could make out their entire bodies gliding next to the boat. The conditions were ideal. Flat waters and great visibility allowed us to watch the dolphins underwater as they played below the bow of the boat, racing to catch up with us and sometimes leaping out of the water and spinning.
After about an hour, we left our new friends and went over to Bunaken Island to snorkel. My mother got comfortable and took a nap while the rest of us checked out the beautiful wall from the top side.
I rarely snorkel when diving is available, but this dolphin tour proved that sometimes I am missing out by not taking in the sights from the top. Siladen fully supports snorkelers and freedivers, providing guides with surface marker buoys for safety. There was no shortage of sea turtles, and it was fun to be at the surface when the turtles came up right next to us to take a breath. I tried to get the money shot of an over-under composition with a sea turtle’s head out of the water, but try as I might, I will have to come back for that shot again next time. Thousands of redtoothed triggerfish were like confetti in the water, sometimes looking like an impassable wall; there were so many.
Blackwater night dive
My mother was somewhere between a mani-pedi and a facial while I was getting ready for a blackwater night dive. We started out in the dive shop’s spacious camera room, which also doubles as a presentation and meeting room. Along the edges were individual cubbies with charging strips and lots of room for photo gear. In the center, there was a big table, used for presentations and computer processing, that had all sorts of marine books scattered about it. I browsed through a blackwater photo book as I waited for the dive center manager to begin a presentation on what to expect.
Blackwater diving takes place in open water, preferably in the water column of very deep places. Every night, the greatest vertical migration on Earth takes place, where larvae and plankton of all kinds ascend from the depths to feed. The deep channels between islands and the abundance of marine life and biodiversity make Bunaken National Park an excellent place for blackwater diving.
Siladen is all about service and safety. Every blackwater diver is paired with his or her own guide, which is truly fantastic. You have a personal spotter, searching for the hard-to-spot blackwater creatures just for you, as well as the utmost safety. A tree-like structure of lights floating on a ball is put in the water, and the boat drifts next to it. The float on top is lit, and lights are mounted at different depths.
This was my first trip switching from the Nikon D850 camera to the mirrorless Nikon Z7, and I had a pretty big learning curve to get used to. It was tough to get used to shooting through the EVF, eye viewfinder, which is a tiny LCD screen, where, with a dSLR, you look through and see what is actually there, not a screen. This felt a lot like shooting through a video game to me. With the digital view brightening what I was seeing, the blackwater night dive turned into lots of white blobs of backscatter, and I found it very difficult to focus on my subject.
I was fully engrossed in my tiny screen, as the focus of the camera was zooming in and out, trying to find a focus point in the very low light conditions (and kind of making me a little seasick). I almost had a tiny fish in focus for a shot when something in the water exploded into my eye. My brain interpreted this similarly to virtual reality—I thought something had just exploded in my eye, and I jumped (if that was possible underwater). But as I took the camera away from my face, I saw the fleeting form of a squid that had charged up to my camera out of nowhere and inked me. Behind it was a thick, reddish cloud of ink. I had been so engrossed in that tiny fish (in the dark), it was as if something shot into my eye. Shocked and unnerved, I lost focus, lost the tiny fish and had to put my camera down, catch my breath and slow my heartbeat down a little. Score: Squid—one, Brandi—zero. I thought to myself, “I bet it does this to blackwater divers all the time and laughs as it returns to the depths.”
Beyond the squid, there was so much cool stuff to see. The cutest little baby pufferfish, nothing more than a tiny spikey ball with fins, swam by. A sea snail larva was invisible, but for orangish-red dots and a tiny shell. Sadly, a squirrelfish in a plastic bag was seen, but the plastic shimmered like a jellyfish, showing how easy it would be to mistake a plastic bag for a delicious jellyfish. It was an awesome dive.
Back at the resort, I found my mother glowing from her facial and showing off her mani-pedi as we went to dinner. I loved the al fresco, toes-in-the-sand dining experience. It was pizza night, and there was a menu of toppings to choose from. We also ventured up to the salad bar and did not leave without visiting the dessert bar, where a delicious mango mousse was my indulgence for the night.
Environmental and social responsibility
Beyond the amazing service at every part of the resort, Siladen takes environmental and social responsibility to heart, and those aspects make me love it even more. They aim to provide top-notch service while also improving the quality of life for the local community and the employees (at least 60 of whom are from the local community).
One night at dinner, singers and musicians from the community (and some of the staff) serenaded us as we enjoyed our dinner. The resort pays the performers, even the children, who sing, and the resort funds many projects, including rebuilding a local church and school. The resort helps support local children of poor families to go to school, and it is possible for guests to donate to help buy supplies. The resort also pays villagers to clean the beach. In addition, the resort staff do presentations and provide education for local school kids, arrange beach cleanups, and host other conservation activities.
The resort is also dedicated to the environment. Small details that make a huge difference are seen, such as the resort gifting each guest a reusable metal water bottle to reduce plastic. Large water dispensers are in each room, throughout the resort and on the dive boats to reduce single-use plastic. They use biosolve cleaning products, compost wet waste by giving it to the local community for animal feed and capture rainwater and even air conditioning water to water the gardens.
The resort participates in the No Trash Triangle or NTT (which will be discussed further in the second part of this article series). There is no trash pickup for the islands around North Sulawesi, so NTT has created a program where they send their own boats to each island to collect trash, and they employ people to divide it and recycle as much as possible. The expense of transporting this back to the mainland costs more than the return on recycling, so support of NTT helps fund this vital endeavor.
The resort also has a sea turtle project in which staff are trained to handle sea turtle eggs. Local communities are encouraged to report turtle egg laying so eggs can be transported to Siladen’s hatching grounds to ensure the best outcome for the baby turtles and to protect them from predators. They install buoys, and resort boats are forbidden from anchoring and engaging in practices that destroy the reef. Customers are held to the highest standards: Welcome briefs and encouragement of good diving practices help to prevent destruction from tourists.
More to come
The days went by too fast, and before we knew it, it was time to depart this little bit of home away from home. But lucky for us, the trip was not over yet. The second part of our trip was just about to begin at Coral Eye, a recent addition and sister resort to Siladen.
Originally a marine outpost, which provided researchers the perfect place to do research and educate, Coral Eye’s recent upgrades have added a touch of luxury and comfort to the already picturesque location (while this boutique resort still collaborates with researchers and students). Even better, when you combine stays at both, you do not even have to miss a dive or take apart your gear. You can depart one resort in the morning and dive all the way to the next resort, arriving in style with minimal packing and unpacking. Can’t wait to know more? Check back in the next issue for Part Two about diving at Coral Eye on Bangka Island. ■
Sources: Wikipedia, Fishbase
Special thanks to Siladen Resort.
