Cakalang resort and diving

We had a fantastic stay at Cakalang. Ferdinand and his wife Julie are super friendly and helped us organize both transport and our stay. Since no rooms were available on booking.com, we just wrote them on WhatsApp and got a very spacious room in the main building for 500,000 IDR. One of the things we really appreciated is that Cakalang is not overcrowded, so you can truly enjoy the peace and quiet. On top of that, they have two super sweet and very gentle German shepherds who made us feel even more at home. Diving is done on their own boat but with independent guides, which means you really get professionals who know every spot. Our guide Ghee was amazing — always attentive, knowledgeable, and he showed us so many incredible things underwater. Two boat dives cost 1,150,000 IDR all inclusive, which is very good value compared to other places. The food was another highlight. Deby prepares delicious meals fresh every day, and you can decide spontaneously whether you want to join or skip a meal. That gave us the flexibility to sometimes go into town for a burger or burrito. The pool was absolutely perfect to relax and soak up the sun after a full day of diving, and the house reef is stunning, full of turtles. All the bungalows have just been freshly renovated and the main building will be next. We would definitely come back to Cakalang and dive with them again — great people, great diving, and an amazing place to stay.

Sep 2025

Spent 3 nights at Cakalang. The stay was wonderful, thanks to Ferdinand, Julie and Debby. We also dived with one of their instructor Onong who was excellent, all dives were fantastics with plenty of turtles, corals and fishes. It was always a pleasure to share a beer or two with Ferdinand at the end of the day. Would recommend the place if you’re looking for a cosy quiet place with great people.

Sep 2025

Wonderful 5-day stay at Cakalang just now. Ferdinand and Julie were the most gracious of hosts. Beautiful grounds, quiet, easy walk to town, ozone instead of chlorine in the swimming pool, nice tiled outdoor shower (loved that) delicious prepared-to-order and in my case gluten-free meals, lovely and spacious Minahasa-style bungalows with tile floors - mine was right by the water, so I got to fall asleep and wake to the sound of water lapping just below. There is no a/c yet, so if you cannot tolerate a little heat and humidity, don't stay here. The morning and evening breeze, the sea, and the pool all help to cool off. Best of all, a dugong occasionally visits the seagrass just offshore, and it's an easy swim out to the reef at all but lowest tide. Lots of intact reef all along and near the dropoff, and the water is far cleaner here than on the other side of Bunaken, where I also stayed. I snorkeled from shore and dove from their boat with a local dive guide, all very satisfying. There is usually a current going one direction or the other, so shore snorkeling is usually an easy drift once out on the reef. I am a female solo traveler who found both the resort and Bunaken completely safe; it's a great spot for families as well. Prices for single travelers are great - a welcome relief. Do them and yourself a favor and book directly via their website or call them on WhatsApp. The aggregators - Booking.com, Agoda, Ggl, etc. listings and prices are incorrect and causing lots of problems. Wireless connection is perfect, and cell connection is good as well.

May 2025