Indonesia: Passport to Paradise

Aug. 31 - Sept 12, 2026

Passport to Paradise

Manado (Bunaken National Marine Park), Bangka Island, & Lembeh Strait

Aug. 31 – Sept. 12, 2026

Join The Dive Shop for 2 weeks in paradise! We will be traveling through the beautiful northern tip of Sulawesi. The Passport to Paradise scuba diving package allows you to explore three distinctive destinations in one dive holiday, allowing you to see all of Northern Sulawesi’s amazing underwater diversity. From pristine walls in Bunaken National Park and viewing a kaleidoscope of reef colors in Bangka to the world’s highest concentration of biodiversity in the Lembeh Strait. This is an experience of a lifetime that you don’t want to miss!

Bunaken Marine Park – Wall Diving & Big Marine Life

Our journey begins at Bunaken, a diver’s dream with crystal-clear waters, dramatic drop-offs, and over 3,000 species of marine life. Glide along vertical walls covered in vibrant coral, spot sea turtles, eagle rays, reef sharks, and schools of fish—all thriving in one of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems. We’ll spend 4 days at the Murex Manado Resort where you’ll be treated like family.

Bangka Island – Soft Coral Wonderland

Next, explore the colorful underwater slopes of Bangka Island, known for its explosions of soft coral, volcanic rock formations, and exciting currents. This is where macro and wide-angle photography dreams collide, with everything from pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs to schooling snapper and barracuda. We’ll spend 4 days at the Murex Bangka Resort where you can relax and dive at this remote island getaway.

Lembeh Strait – The Critter Capital of the World

Conclude your adventure in Lembeh, famous for its muck diving and rare, weird, and wonderful marine critters. Dive over black sand slopes and discover creatures like hairy frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, mimic octopus, and blue-ringed octopus—every dive here is a treasure hunt. We’ll spend 4 more days at the famous Lembeh Resort, nestled on a secluded tropical hillside with stunning views of the strait. Lembeh Resort offers the perfect blend of rustic elegance, warm hospitality, and world-class diving.

Ease of Travel

If you want to see as much as you can when you visit a region but don’t want to endure hours in transit, the Passport to Paradise allows you to explore these 3 distinct regions with leisurely boat transfers between resorts without repacking your gear or losing a dive day. Kick back on board or stop to swim, snorkel, or scuba dive along the way. With a Passport to Paradise the transfers are part of the adventure!

Package Includes:

4 nights at Murex Manado (Aug 31 – Sept 4)
4 nights at Murex Bangka (Sept 4 – 8)
4 nights at Lembeh Resort (Sept 8 – 12)
All meals & snacks; unlimited drinking water in room
Coffee & tea stations available at restaurant of Manado and Bangka
Coffee & tea station in the room at Lembeh
26 guided resort boat dives PLUS the 4 boat dives during the resort transfers
Nitrox
Unlimited self-guided house reef dives (first dive will be guided at each resort)
Wi-Fi (in public areas)
Roundtrip airport transfers with escort service
All Taxes

NOT INCLUDED

Airfare (in/out of Manado)
Bunaken National Park Entrance Fee of IDR 150,000 per person (approx. $10), paid at Manado
Bangka Conservation Fund donation, IDR 100,000 (approx. $6.50)
Soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, additional snack or specialty coffees
Rental Equipment
15lt tank rental
Additional boat dives on nitrox
Night, bonfire and blackwater dive surcharge
Land tours (i.e. Mahawu Volcano, Lake Tondano, Tangkoko National Park, Paragliding, etc)
Outside hours transfer surcharge
Personal expenses on site (such as Spa treatments, private guide services)
Dive and Travel Insurance

Accommodations

Murex Manado Resort: Home Away from Home

Murex Manado Resort is set amid mature, tropical water gardens situated on the seafront in a small village outside of Manado. From the moment you arrive at Murex Manado Resort our warm-hearted staff will make you feel like part of the family. This is the start of a fantastic holiday. Murex’s casual yet classic vibe makes it your home away from home in North Sulawesi. Choose to dive, explore or just take it easy and relax with friends and family – whatever you decide, exceptional service is guaranteed.

Murex Bangka Resort: A Tropical Island Paradise

Situated on a palm-fringed white sand beach, Murex Bangka offers a truly topical island experience. Drift away in a hammock, swim or snorkel in the crystal clear waters, explore by paddleboard, watch the kids playing on the beach and splashing in the ocean or just chill out with a sundowner. If you were dreaming of a remote island getaway, exceptional service and fun for all of the family then Bangka Island is a must.

Lembeh Resort: An Exclusive Boutique Experience Awaits You

Nestled in a private cove at the northeastern tip of Sulawesi, our award-winning resort presents an exclusive range of diving trips, underwater photography workshops, and exotic nature excursions. Here in the world’s critter capital, paradise is waiting to be explored. All you have to do is dive in.

Package 1 (Standard rooms):

Deluxe Cottage at Murex Manado Resort
Premium Hillside Cottage at Murex Bangka Resort
Garden View Room at Lembeh Resort

Package 2 (Upgraded rooms at 2 resorts):

Deluxe Cottage at Murex Manado Resort
Premium Oceanfront Cottage at Murex Bangka Resort
Premium Luxury Cottage at Lembeh Resort

Package 3 (Upgraded rooms at all 3 resorts):

Premium Deluxe Cottage at Murex Manado Resort
Premium Oceanfront Cottage at Murex Bangka Resort
Premium Luxury Cottage at Lembeh Resort

Double Occupancy: 2 people sharing a room; Single Occupancy: 1 person to a room

DIVING

Location 1: Manado (Bunakin National Marine Park)

Explore one of Indonesia’s most celebrated underwater treasures—Bunaken Marine Park, a true diver’s paradise! Renowned for its extraordinary marine biodiversity, Bunaken offers a front-row seat to one of the richest coral reef ecosystems on the planet. With over 390 species of coral and 3,000 species of fish, every dive feels like swimming through a living kaleidoscope.

Drift along vertical walls teeming with colorful reef life, encounter graceful sea turtles, reef sharks, and schools of vibrant tropical fish, and marvel at rare critters hidden in the coral crevices. Whether you’re a macro photographer or a big-animal enthusiast, Bunaken delivers an unforgettable diving experience.

Location 2: Bangka Island

Bangka is famously known for its spectacular soft corals that adorn every available surface. You’ll have the chance to dive on stunning sloping reefs, pinnacles, and sea mounts. Bangkas underwater topographies will leave you spellbound!

Bangka dive sites are a sensory overload where the pristine reefs are teeming with life. Pelagics and critters, Bangka has it all! Unique species include dugongs, dolphins and pilot whales, several species of pygmy seahorse, harlequin and tiger shrimps, blue ring, mimic, reef and wonderpus octopus, ghost pipefish, Ambon scorpionfish, frogfish, turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, great barracuda, schooling fish including snappers, fusiliers, cardinals and mackerel.

Location 3: Lembeh Strait

The Critter Capital of the World, a Muck Diving Mecca and the Twilight Zone are just a few of the names that have been given to Lembeh Strait over the years due to the high density, and diversity, of rare and unusual marine life. Diving in Lembeh is unlike diving anywhere else as every dive reveals countless species of critters which have made their homes here. Lembeh isn’t just home to frogfish, it’s home to 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, and 3 species of pygmy seahorse.

Lembeh Strait might be famous for muck, but the reefs here are just as spectacular. Lembeh also offers a variety of unique dives like Mandarin dives, sunset dives, night dives, bonfire and blackwater dives. So, whether you’re all about muck, love a mix of coral, or want to experience some unique diving, Lembeh has something for everyone.

Additional Activities

Minahasa Highland Tour ($96) – Our Minahasa Highland Tour is the perfect way to explore the area and learn about the local culture and history of the region. We can tailor the tour to take in the sights that are of most interest to you.
- Highlights include: Tomohon Traditional Markets, Lake Linow, Mahawu Volcano, & Lake Tondano
Tangkoko National Park ($124) – An ideal tour for nature lovers and photographers.
- Based at the foot of the Dua Saudara Mountain in North Sulawesi the area is a mixture of rolling hills and valleys which we walk through in search of numerous wildlife species.
- Highlights include black crested macaques, the world’s smallest primate – the tarsier monkey, hornbills, cuscus bears and Maleo birds.
Paragliding Tour ($144) – Discover the Manado coastline and islands of the Bunaken Marine Park from the air.
- This is a thrilling and exciting experience not to be missed. Take to the skies and enjoy the stunning view unfolding below.
- Paragliding tours are subject to weather conditions and availability.
Whitewater Rafting ($122) – Looking for something more active and adventurous?
- Enjoy the thrills and spills of white water rafting. Your adrenaline will start pumping as you race down the river through the rainforest with an experienced guide. The calm river sections are an opportunity to spot wildlife and soak up the stunning scenery and natural beauty.
Manado City Tour ($55)
- Take a tour of Manado City and visit the Chinese temples, churches or the local markets.

Murex Manado Resort

Aug. 31 – Sept. 4

Murex Bangka Resort

Sept. 4 – 8

Lembeh Resort

Sept. 8 – 12

Airfare not included

Final destination is Manado, Indonesia.

TBD

Rate is per person for 12 nights, and is based on 2 persons per room.

$800 Deposit – Trip deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE.
Balance of trip is NON-REFUNDABLE after payments are made to trip provider.

Passport Required

(Trip Insurance recommended)

COST

Starting at:

$4199

per person/ double occupancy

Package 1 (Standard rooms) Diver: $4199.00 per person/dbl. occ.
- Single occ. $5899
Package 2 (Room upgrades at 2 resorts) Diver: $4999.00 per person/dbl. occ.
- Single occ. $7099
Package 3 (Room upgrades at all resorts)Diver: $5099.00 per person/dbl. occ.
- Single occ. $7299
Non-diver pricing subtract $1600
$800 DEPOSIT REQUIRED (non refundable)
2nd Payment $1300 due 11 April, 2026
Balance due 6 June, 2026

Call 520-326-DIVE for more information.

THE DIVE SHOP IS A PADI FIVE STAR INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT CENTER

The PADI System of diver education is based on progressive training that introduces skills, safety-related information and local environmental knowledge to student divers in stages. PADI courses are student-centered and provide maximum practice and realistic application.