Travel

Bangka Island’s stunning reefs are a sight for sore eyes—whether you’re on snorkel or scuba

I first arrived at Siladen Resort & Spa 12 years ago, with a heavy camera bag, a vague understanding of Bunaken National Park, and fairly modest expectations. North Sulawesi was already well known within diving circles, but it still felt wonderfully removed from the conveyor belt of mainstream Indonesian tourism. There were no influencer drone shots back then, no endless Instagram reels soundtracked by tropical house music. Just impossibly clear water, volcanic islands rising from the horizon and turtles. So many turtles.

Returning more than a decade later for a snorkel trip—now married and with less hair—felt strangely emotional. In travel journalism, revisits are risky. Places rarely stay frozen in memory. Resorts lose their charm, reefs decline, crowds appear. Nostalgia has a nasty habit of setting impossible standards. But Siladen still possesses that same quiet magic.

The approach alone remains one of the most beautiful in Indonesia. As our boat crossed the glassy water from Manado, Bunaken’s volcanic silhouette slowly sharpened in the distance while flying fish scattered ahead of the bow. Beneath the surface lay the reason divers have been making pilgrimages here for decades: the famous walls of Bunaken National Park, where coral-covered drop-offs disappear vertically into the blue.
 

From the air, you already know you’re in for some epic wall dives at Bunaken National Park
 

Bunaken’s corals, both hard and soft, are incredibly healthy—and the fish life knows it

Siladen Resort: Gateway to Bunaken

And then there’s the visibility. On a good day, Bunaken feels less like snorkeling and more like levitating above an underwater cathedral. The water can be so absurdly clear that depth becomes difficult to judge. One moment you’re floating over shallow reef flats filled with butterflyfish and anemones, the next the reef simply falls away beneath you into cobalt darkness.

But what I’d forgotten most about Siladen was just how relaxing snorkeling there can be. As somebody who spends much of his life lugging heavy camera systems around the world documenting wildlife crime, there’s something liberating about slipping into warm water with nothing more than a mask and fins. No tanks. No dive computers. No decompression limits. Just drifting. Marie, my wife, is fairly new to the marine world and adventures like this, but quickly fell into her element, hypnotized by sensations and sea life.

And then there’s the turtles. Green and hawksbill turtles appeared with such regularity that eventually Marie and I stopped pointing them out to each other. Some grazed lazily on seagrass in the shallows while others ascended slowly from the walls below, surfacing beside us for air with the calm indifference of animals entirely unbothered by human presence. Bunaken has long been famous for its turtle population, and thankfully it still feels like one of the easiest places on Earth to encounter them.
 

A lionfish marvels at the pristine state of the reef near Siladen Resort
 

Blue rings are one of the many treats that await macro photographers
 

If you love turtles—and who doesn’t?—Bunaken really delivers
 

Back on land, Siladen remains refreshingly understated. There’s no thumping beach club music, no attempt to manufacture “barefoot luxury” through self-conscious design trends. The resort instead leans into something rarer: simplicity, comfort and a deep connection to the marine park surrounding it.

The food was just as good as I’d remembered. Diving and snorkeling resorts have historically set the bar quite low when it comes to cuisine, but Siladen has quietly built a reputation for excellent Italian-influenced food over the years.
 

Siladen Resort’s understated luxury ensures you’re well looked after between dives
 

Owned and run by Italians, both Siladen and sister resort Coral Eye won’t disappoint foodies!

Coral Eye: Bridge to Bangka

After several days around Bunaken, we headed north to Bangka Island and Coral Eye, Siladen’s sister property and one of the more unusual marine resorts in Southeast Asia. Where Siladen feels more laidback and has more of a family atmosphere, Coral Eye is polished, yet creative. Originally founded as a marine research outpost, Coral Eye was envisioned as a place where scientists, students and ocean lovers could collaborate and study the reefs of the Coral Triangle.

That scientific DNA still runs through the property today. The resort doesn’t just cater to divers and snorkelers; it actively supports marine research, conservation projects and educational initiatives. Researchers still pass through regularly, and conversations at dinner can drift from pygmy seahorses and coral spawning to reef restoration and underwater photography. It feels less like a traditional resort and more like a gathering point for people quietly obsessed with the ocean.

Like Siladen, the food at Coral Eye is exceptional, particularly Italian dishes such as the lasagna and tiramasu, as well as fresh seafood such as the calamari and locally-caught mahi-mahi. If you came to Coral Eye and did nothing but eat, the entire journey would have been worth it. Architecturally, Coral Eye is beautiful in a restrained, intelligent way. Built from wood, stone and concrete, the property somehow manages to feel both minimalist and deeply tropical. Open communal spaces encourage interaction between guests, and night-time presentations help to facilitate an atmosphere of learning while you have fun.
 

Like Siladen, Bangka Island is unspoiled and picture perfect
 

The welcome glow of Coral Eye beckons travelers, scientists and underwater shooters alike
 

Visiting marine biologist Rosita Tonolini conducts research in Coral Eye Resort’s laboratory
 

And then there’s the house reef. Like all great house reefs, it ruins productivity entirely. What begins as a quick afternoon snorkel inevitably turns into hours in the water. Hard and soft coral gardens stretch out directly in front of the resort while schools of bigeye scad are predated on by blue trevally.

At Coral Eye, the NTTI (No-Trash Triangle Initiative) is tackling one of the region’s most visible environmental problems: plastic pollution. Staff, volunteers and local community members regularly head out to collect rubbish from beaches, mangroves and surrounding waters, removing everything from discarded fishing gear and plastic bottles to flip-flops and food packaging carried in by tides and currents.

Beyond the clean-ups themselves, the initiative is also focuses on education and long-term behavioural change, encouraging both locals and visitors to rethink their relationship with single-use plastics before they end up in the ocean.

Bangka itself feels wonderfully untamed compared to other parts of Indonesia. It’s easy to see why marine biologists chose this area in the first place. The biodiversity here is staggering. Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the region supports an extraordinary concentration of marine life and habitats.
 

Snorkeling Coral Eye’s house reef is the perfect introduction to Bangka Island’s treasures
 

Beautiful reef scenics are par for the course at Bangka Island
 

Macro photographers will find plenty of amazing subjects in the reef’s nooks and crannies
 

What stayed with me most from this trip, though, wasn’t any single turtle encounter or dramatic reef wall. It was the feeling that places like Siladen and Coral Eye still represent a different kind of marine tourism. One built around appreciation rather than adrenaline. Around slowing down and actually observing.

In much of the world, reefs are becoming quieter. Corals bleach, fish disappear and coastlines succumb to overdevelopment. Returning to North Sulawesi after 12 years, I half expected the usual creeping decline that so often accompanies time. Instead, I found somewhere that still feels gloriously alive.
 

A final farewell from a Bunaken turtle!
 

About the Author: Aaron Gekoski is a renowned environmental photojournalist and film producer, who has been documenting our complex relationship with animals for nearly 20 years. His photography regularly appears in the international press and he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2024 Environmental Photographer of the Year grand title. Aaron produces documentaries for international broadcasters, with the aim of making conservation accessible to all through entertaining and educational content.