Murex Dive Resort

This place is an absolute treasure. I almost don't want to write an amazing review because I want to keep it all to myself :) Every single member of the team was genuine and welcoming and we loved spending time with them as well as taking in everything the location had to offer. It is primarily a dive resort so if you are not a diver/snorkeller then this may not be the place for you but if you are either of these things then you will experience an underwater adventure that few places in the world can rival. The sheer number of sea turtles alone is breathtaking, not to mention pilot whale and dolphin sightings, Starry Night octopus and bobtail squid on a night dive (this was an absolute rare treat), Eagle Ray, Stingray and more fish than you can count. Truly wonderful. Our thanks to Bas, Dimas, Reynald, Raymond, Feibe, Rein for some amazing guiding, Marchos and Jecky for a smooth journey and of course to David for the singing :) The resort itself is amazing with spacious rooms for a family with a small toddler. Varied ala carte and buffet food options at the chef's discretion (you must try his Bamboo barbecue fish it's phenomenal) as well as some of the best sea side dining views over towards Manado Tua and the Bunaken. Thank you chef for amazing food every day and night. They also offer tours of the area on those dry days. The Highland tour was particularly awesome and the local market offers a unique insight into how the people live. They also offer babysitting facilities if you and your spouse wish to dive together on any given day and the house reef is one of the best I've ever seen. Our thanks to Bryan, Billy, Tasya, Elsa, Iman, Ping and Sharon (both of them). And a special shout out to Henry whom my son formed a special bond with during our time there "Fist Bump, Boom!" Finally thanks to Angelique, Lexy and Danny. I know you work very hard to keep the balance between luxury resort and local hideaway and I think it's absolutely perfect. I would recommend Murex Manado, to singles, couples, families and everyone in between. If you love diving then this is the place for you.

The rooms are excellent, clean and comfortable. The dining area was nice, open, and spacious. The diving was great. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly and safe. The boats were comfortable and snacks were good. The food in the restaurant was pretty good. There is a good breakfast buffet.

We enjoyed our stay at Murex Manado. The hospitality is unprecedented. All employees know everyone by name and also know what your preferences and interests are. The rooms are fine as is the food. With diving there are great guides who will look for what you would like to see. Your belongings are also well taken care of and everything is labeled. We lacked nothing.

My partner and I went together, and we loved the variety of diving - reefs, wall and some muck. The wall diving was spectacular, and saw so many turtles. The corral colors were beyond spectacular. Like a mosaic painting. The guides were so helpful and knowledgeable.

Fantastic diving and service. The marine park at Bunaken was rich in sea life, especially multitudes of turtles. Service was excellent and dive masters were able to locate and point out rare species. Rooms at the resort were spacious and the meals were tasty too. Don't miss a trip to the Tankoko reserve with its rich primate life and volcanic black beaches.

Murex Manado was a great experience for us. The staff was beyond friendly and helpful. Dean gave us a tour to the Vanilla farm, Jacki made the best Jamu, Henry and Julz accomodated every need. The food was delicious and we loved the traditional indonesian barbeque! The room was lovely with a great view and a beautiful lotus pond in the front. The diving experience was fantastic. We had the best dive guide... Lauren's! He made the experience exceptional!!! Safety was always first, he was friendly and fun, so helpful especially when he had to recover my mask and diving instrument, he pointed out sea creatures at every turn. I could go on and on and definitely hope to return again some day!