Bunaken National Park and Bangka Island, on the north coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia, provide an ideal setting for this exciting freediving workshop and snorkel safari. Aside from the beautiful reefs, clear waters, and abundant marine life, there are a number of protected areas to explore at varying depths. Both boutique island resorts we’ll be staying at are also well equipped to host us as we advance our freediving.
Join freediving expert Emma Farrell and her assistant for an immersive workshop designed to enhance your snorkeling skills through a combination of talks, masterclasses, and in-water practical sessions. With a focus on wellness, you can take part in morning Breathing Optimization sessions and evening Yoga Nidra, both of which will enrich your underwater experiences. You’ll progress at your own pace and within your comfort zone, with safety, relaxation, and enjoyment always at the forefront.
The workshop begins at the award-winning Siladen Resort, located just north of Sulawesi. This venue offers everything needed for training, including a pool for static breath-hold practice and a sea-view yoga shala that doubles as a classroom and relaxation space. From Siladen, you’ll have easy access to the stunning reefs and training sites within Bunaken National Park.
Our second stop will be Coral Eye, the newly renovated sister resort of Siladen Resort, located on Bangka Island. With your newly honed freediving abilities, you’ll be able to dive down and swim among the fish, exploring the stunning reefs from a whole new perspective. Like Siladen, Coral Eye also offers a pool for additional training sessions and relaxation, along with ample space for yoga and Breathing Optimization sessions.
Trip Leader and Instructor
Emma Farrell is one of the world’s leading freediving instructors and the author of Emma Farrell is one of the world’s leading freediving instructors and the author of One Breath: A Reflection on Freediving
Teaching since 2003, she is a multi-agency freediving instructor trainer, yoga teacher, and has led thousands of programs through RAID, SSI, and AIDA. As a founding member of the AIDA Education Commission and the International Director of Freediving for RAID, Emma has written and developed courses taught worldwide, along with her own specialty freediving and breathing programs.
Over the last decade, Emma’s work with gold medal–winning Olympic and Paralympic athletes has shaped her unique Breathing Optimization program. This approach has helped people across the globe improve their breathing, lung function, and overall health—regardless of age, physical condition, or ability.
An accomplished educator and public speaker, Emma has appeared widely on television and in print, and has also served as a consultant on short and feature films as well as documentaries.
Chris P. March 2025
‘The real star was the free diving workshop held by Asha and Emma. Asha is an excellent, pleasant host and kept everything well organized. Emma is a real star. She’s a gifted free diving and Nidra yoga instructor. I learned far more than I expected. I can’t wait to free dive again’
Marine Life Guide
This tour is partnered with No Trash Triangle Initiative. Find out how we support NTTI via this tour here.
Day 1 - Arrive in Jakarta
Arrive in Jakarta and make your way to the hotel where you can check in and relax. We will have a group dinner that night where you can meet the tour leader as well as the rest of the group.
Day 2 - Fly to Siladen Resort
Day 3 - 7 - Freediving Workshop and Snorkeling from Siladen Resort
Most mornings, Emma will host optional breathing optimization sessions on the vaulted yoga shala, overlooking the sea as the sun rises.
This will of course be followed by a delicious buffet breakfast followed morning freediving and snorkeling activities. We’ll spend 60 – 90 minutes in the water for each snorkel session/in-water freediving lesson. The group will be accompanied by local snorkel guides, as well as Emma & her assistant, who will give site briefings before we enter the water. They will be available to help with anything we may need with regard to diving down, as well as pointing out interesting creatures and fish.
The snorkel sites are about 10 – 25 minutes from the resort. We will return in time for lunch and then have some time to relax before our afternoon freediving/snorkeling session. Evenings can be spent in the lounge looking at Fish ID books, having a beverage at the bar, enjoying a massage at the spa or simply relaxing on your veranda.
On some evenings after dinner, there will be a Yoga Nidra session hosted beneath the magical night sky, which will be the final touch at putting you in that restful state before climbing into your comfortable bed for a solid night’s sleep.
The snorkeling in Bunaken National Park is really quite amazing. Currents are mild, the reefs are vibrant and expansive, and marine life is in abundance. The reefs are typically characterized by hard coral plateaus which start right at the shoreline and fan out around the island, then gently slope to about fifteen feet at the deepest end before they abruptly drop off into a wall. The area has done well with its conservation measures and its robust population of sea turtles is a testament to this fact. On any one snorkel, you can expect to see a dozen or so different turtles paddling around.
One morning will be spent out on the boat looking for the local super-pod of dolphins, sometimes found mingling with melon-head whales!
The resort can cater for most dietary restrictions, but please let us know if you have any in advance so that they can procure the ingredients.
Day 8 - Travel to Bangka Island
After breakfast at Siladen, we’ll jump onto one of the resort’s snorkeling boats and start heading north along the coast toward Bangka Island. Without stopping, the trip is a couple hours by boat. We break up the journey with a nice long snorkel session so we get to explore the reefs outside Bunaken National Park, which are also very pretty and play host to some incredible species.
Upon arrival at Bangka Island, we’ll check into our villas at Coral Eye Resort and enjoy a delicious à la carte lunch together.
That afternoon we’ll jump in on the house reef for a nice long afternoon snorkel.
Day 9 - 12 Snorkeling from Coral Eye
After the morning snorkel, we will return to the resort for lunch, followed by another boat freediving/snorkel session. Afterward, we can jump in on the house reef, an amazing place to snorkel or continue to work on your freediving skills in the late afternoon sun.
Lunch and dinner are served à la carte. The food is all prepared by excellent chefs with locally sourced ingredients. We will enjoy some fantastic flavors influenced by Mediterranean and of course Indonesian cuisines.
There is also a tea and coffee-making station with fruits and snacks available throughout the day.
A selection of soft drinks, wine, beer, and cocktails are available every evening and are charged to your account.
Day 13 - Transfer to Jakarta
After breakfast at the resort, we depart Coral Eye and make our way back to the Manado Airport, first by boat and then by car, to catch our flight to Jakarta where we bid farewell to our new friends. The tour ends here.
Freediving Lessons
Freediving Instruction Outline
Emma Farrell will be running snorkel skills and freediving sessions throughout the week. For the in-water sessions with Emma, guests will be split into groups of four and will have the opportunity to learn from her which will cover the following skills:
For the first session, the focus will be on correct breathing, weighting, and safety for freediving and for taking photos underwater and exploring the reefs. This will take place in both the swimming pool as well as on the reefs. Emma will look at each individual’s equalization, body positioning, finning, duck diving, and technique. She will teach correct breathing both before and after the dive, as well as techniques for relaxation in the water. The main focus for the first session is relaxation, safety, and discovering what each participant would like to work on improving throughout the week. All ocean sessions will take place in shallow waters of up to 6 meters.
Everyone who is interested in learning more can have at least 2 additional sessions with Emma to work on achieving their goals as set out in the first session above. In addition, throughout the week, Emma will offer masterclasses on breathing optimization and stretching, equalization, and sinus massage. She will also do a talk on freediving for interested parties.
Siladen Resort
Siladen Resort and Spa is set around a large pool, with bungalows dotted around the manicured garden and beachfront. Each bungalow is equipped with ensuite facilities, air conditioning, and a private verandah.
The resort faces west towards Manado Tua, and we will be treated to gorgeous sunset views. Meals include a variety of local and international fare prepared by professional chefs. Meals are served at a beachfront restaurant, tables are available under the rooftop or outside under the trees. The beach bar serves a variety of beverages and is a wonderful place to meet before dinner for a drink after a long day of snorkeling. The full-service spa offers a wide variety of treatments by experienced therapists.
Coral Eye
Formerly a marine research outpost, Coral Eye has now been retrofitted into a unique boutique resort on Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The resort offers spacious 100 m2 detached villas with double beds, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, big wardrobes, and open-air bathrooms. Each villa is equipped with a minibar, water dispenser, and complimentary coffee and tea are provided.
All rooms have an ensuite bathroom with a hot shower, air conditioning, ceiling fan, great mattresses with cotton linen, and mosquito nets on the windows. Also, guests are provided with complimentary shower gel and shampoo in their ensuite bathrooms. There is 24-hour electricity and free wi-fi.
In the main building, we’ll find a very comfortable lounge and dining area. Beneath this large roof is a bar, a small library, two multi-functional rooms, and a souvenir shop. The office, kitchen, and technical rooms are also located around this floor. Additionally, there is a large terrace that overlooks the ocean, a perfect space to relax after a long day of snorkeling.
Resort Guide
Snorkeling Boats
Siladen Resort & Coral Eye: Large wooden boats complete with covered gear-up area and sun deck. Marine toilets and freshwater bins for equipment and cameras are onboard all boats. The average travel time from the resort to the site is five to twenty minutes. Exit the water via ladders on the side of the boat.
On this page you will find our Tour Dates & Pricing, a Request to Book Form and Details of Payment schedule including deposit and final balance.
My name is Crystal and I’ll be your personal consultant for this tour, I’ll manage your booking right up until you meet our tour leader in destination. I’ll be on hand to assist with everything from additional nights before and after your tour and making sure you are on time for our Welcome Dinner to guidance on what to bring and the snorkeling conditions you are likely to experience. We share an email inbox at Snorkel Venture, you can fill out the form below or drop me an email at hello@snorkelventure.com. I look forward to assisting you on this tour.
Make an Enquiry or Request to Book this Tour
2027 Dates
4 – 17 June
Tour Price:
Siladen Beach View + Coral Eye Beach View: $8,450 USD per person
Siladen Garden View + Coral Eye Garden View: $7,850 USD per person
Single Person Supplement: (Garden View) $1,750 USD/ (Sea view) $2,000 USD per person
How to book your place:
Initial deposit to secure your booking is $400 per person
12 months before departure interim payment of $600 per person
6 months before departure interim payment of $1,000 per person
Balance due 3 months before departure
Please note for single supplement bookings we ask for 2x the deposit for each payment.
Includes:
- 1 night at FM7 Jakarta (welcome dinner and breakfast included)
- Return flights from Jakarta to Manado including all transfers (40 lbs baggage allowance)
- 7 nights at Siladen Resort in Beach or Garden Villas (full board)
- 12 guided snorkel sessions
- 1 dolphin tour
- Boat transfer from Siladen to Coral Eye with a snorkel stop en route
- 5 nights at Coral Eye in Beach, Garden, or Superior rooms (full board)
- 8 guided snorkel sessions
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Bunaken Marine Park entrance fee
- Escorted by a Snorkel Venture Tour Leader
- Services of freediving instructors and snorkel guides
Excludes:
- International flights and visas
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Health insurance (compulsory)
- Equipment rental
- Tips and gratuities
- Soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, laundry, personal expenses
- Spa treatments
Please note our cancelation policy: All deposits are non-refundable.
1 Year or more: 150 USD penalty per person, the balance will be given as a credit note for use within 2 years
12 months or less: Loss of deposit and interim payment
90 – 28 days: 25% Refund (includes your final balance payment)
28 – 0 days: No Refund
*We recommend that you purchase travel insurance to protect your deposit in the event that you have to cancel your trip.
