Sulawesi and Borneo Snorkelling Safari │ Oct 2019

Our trip is split between splendid reefs and rainforests at two of Indonesia’s most unspoilt destinations - the islands of Sulawesi and Borneo.

We begin at the island resort of Siladen where we have 4 days of snorkeling untouched reefs with a chance to see wild dolphins and pilot whales. We then move onto the island of Borneo where we will base ourselves at the acclaimed Samboja Lodge to explore the jungle and see orangutans, proboscis monkeys and sun bears in their natural environment.

For the last part of our journey, we travel to the island of Nunukan for some truly outstanding snorkeling opportunities on the Maratua Atoll. We have many highlights here, but perhaps the most curious will be snorkeling amongst the thousands of stingless jellyfish which can be found at Kakaban.

Day 1 - 6 // Sulawesi

Arrive into Manado and transfer to the Siladen Island Resort for check in after a long journey. Welcome dinner in the evening to meet the rest of the group.

Daily morning and afternoon snorkel sessions to a number of sites within the area. Some of the highlights will see us visit the Bunaken National Park characterized by big walls covered in hard and soft corals and large turtle population. Siladen Island and Manado Tua, which is blanketed with rich marine life. We also have the chance of seeing wild dolphins and pilot whales which are known to live in the marine park.

Day 6 - 8 // Borneo - Samboja Lodge

Check out and transfer to the airport for our short domestic flight to Borneo. On arrival transfer to the acclaimed Samboja lodge – hidden in the rainforest for check-in. Time at leisure and sunset drinks.

Full day land tour to visit the Orangutan and Sun Bear Sanctuary. We also make a trip to Sungai Hitam tidal river where we hope to see Proboscis monkeys.

Day 8 - 15 // Borneo - Nunukan Resort

Full days snorkeling at a range of snorkel sites in the area including a half day trip to the South Maratua Atoll which has untouched colourful reefs. We will visit Sangalaki for Manta Rays and Kakaban to snorkel with thousands of the remarkable stingless jellyfish. We have land excursions planned to visit hidden lagoons, secret lakes and local villages.

Land price - US$4,575 per person

Single Supplement - US$650 per person

Includes:

Excludes:

Siladen Resort

You will be staying at the Siladen Island Resort which is located in the Bunaken National Marine Park, which offers huge biodiversity and rare and endangered animals. The 343 square miles of protected marine park boasts an astounding variety of hard and soft corals, beautiful fans, seven species of giant clams, 33 types of butterflyfish, Bumphead Parrotfish, and a massive variety of other fish species.

When it comes to an exclusive island experience Siladen Resort is hard to beat. Your private, well-appointed accommodations are meters from a white sand beach with beautiful garden views. The resort has a pool, lounge, and a spa to pamper yourself with a massage or scrub.

Samboja Lodge

Samboja Lodge is a beautiful jungle lodge nestled in the rainforest canopy, offering magnificent views of the dense tropical jungle with superb wildlife viewing opportunities of orangutans, proboscis monkeys, macaques, sun bears, monitor lizards and hornbills. Tastefully decorated and comfortably furnished, the lodge has eleven rooms which have been built using recycled materials.

The lodge is part of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, which rehabilitates and reintroduces orangutans to the wild, rescues sun bears, and preserves and rebuilds the rainforest.

Nunukan Island Resort

Nunukan Island Resort is located at the southern end of the Maratua Atoll in Borneo, directly at the outer reef. The snorkeling from Nunukan is fabulous and includes direct access to the house reef. Many rare critters, as well as healthy living coral teeming with tropical fish and turtles, can be found on the four kilometre stretch of reef that runs along the island.

The environmentally conscious resort has been built in harmony with the islands native ecosystem and is run predominantly on solar power and collected rainwater.

The resort is comprised of a restaurant, bar and dive center which all overlook the long jetty and have unobstructed views of the ocean. Beautiful gardens surround the twenty-two beachfront bungalows and the spa offers various traditional massages and treatments to try.

The tour starts in Manado and ends in Balikpapan. In terms of the flights, you would need to do one of the following:

There are many flight options leaving from the UK to Indonesia's two major airports - Bali, Denpasar (DPS) and Jakarta (CGK), all of which fly indirectly via Singapore (SIN), Dubai (DXB) or Hong Kong (HKG) with an average travel time of 15-17 hours. From the US flights also route indirectly via Hong Kong (HKG) or Tokyo (HND) with an average travel time of 18-22 hours.