The Beauty of Bunaken

source : asset.kompas.com

Sulawesi Utara has been known as a region filled with various forms of tourism spots. The mountains, beaches, rivers, and islands can be enjoyed by all the visitors that are curious about their beauty. However, one of the most well-known tourist spots in Manado is the Bunaken Island. 

Bunaken island is one of the islands in Sulawesi Utara near the town of Manado. It is located alongside 3 other islands in the area which are Manado Tua island, Mantihage Island, and Siladen island. All three of which are known for their natural beauty and magnificent underwater tourism. To go to the island, visitors can rent a boat from the Manado which will cost them Rp900.000 to Rp2.500.000. There is a cheaper alternative, which is by using public transportation or as the locals call it, a taxi. This water taxi will only cost you Rp30.000 per trip. However, the water taxi usually waits until the boat is full before they took off.  The water taxi also has a specific time where they would depart from the port to the island and vice versa. This should be taken into consideration by the visitors. The last option would be by using travel agents or the trip packages that usually are offered through Facebook and every other social media.

When the visitors arrived at the island, they can enjoy all the natural beauty that it offers. Bunaken is located in the coral triangle which is stretched from the Indonesia waters alongside Malaysia and Timor Leste. Because of this, Bunaken National Park has one of the prettiest underwater parks in Indonesia. There are around 390 species of corals in the spot with 11.709ha area. There are also around 2.434ha of mangrove forest with 28 different species of mangrove. All of which can be enjoyed with snorkeling utilities, which can be rented for around Rp100.000 per day. There are also several different accommodations in Bunaken such as resorts, and homestays if the visitors want to stay over the night, enjoying the sunsets, and sunrise of Bunaken.

References:

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2022/02/14/162000978/taman-nasional-bunaken–sejarah-keistimewaan-dan-tempat-wisata-di-dalamnya?page=all 

https://travel.kompas.com/read/2015/10/28/181100527/Berkunjung.ke.Bunaken.Tak.Sulit.Ini.Tipsnya

https://indonesiakaya.com/pustaka-indonesia/pulau-bunaken-keindahan-dunia-alam-bawah-laut-yang-mendunia/ 

Image Sources:

https://asset.kompas.com/crops/4GLC5f-DIOOZhyWVcSTeoYFXf7k=/0x0:0x0/750×500/data/photo/2021/05/11/609a9e0704950.jpg

Kenneth Leavi Santoso