Join us on an amazing adventure to two of Indonesia’s newest and most luxurious snorkel destinations: the northern islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera. This tour combines stunning reefs full of colorful marine life, pristine white sand beaches, and two fantastic boutique resorts that will cater to our every need!
Our first stop will be north of Sulawesi, where we’ll be based in the newly renovated Coral Eye Resort on Bangka Island. Here in Bangka, we’ll be blown away by the sheer beauty and density of the marine life and reefscapes. If we’re lucky, we may spot the resident dugong, which is known to cruise the shallow waters surrounding the resort. Although they’re rarely seen in most other parts of the Indo-Pacific, they’re regularly spotted around this magical little island. During our stay at Coral Eye we will also enjoy two unique day trips, one to Lembeh and another to Siladen.
We’ll then move on to southern Halmahera, where we’ll be staying at the stunning Kusu Island resort, which we’ll have all to ourselves. This area is fantastic for snorkeling, offering us unlimited access to a truly amazing house reef and numerous other nearby reefs, which are just 5-20 minutes away by boat. Halmahera is relatively new to the snorkeling scene, as the area previously lacked the infrastructure to support tourism. Now, with several small airports and this brand-new resort, we can indulge in the endless reefs, clouds of colorful reef fish, and the lush tropical environment from a comfortable resort serving delicious food.
Kim W. May 2026
‘It was an excellent experience from my very first inquiry to the moment we said goodbye to the group at the end of the tour. Our tour consultant, Kelly, did a terrific job’
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 Coral Eye Resort
Day 3 - 7 - Snorkeling from Coral Eye Resort
Each day will start with a delicious a’la carte breakfast followed by a snorkel site briefing and a snorkel. Each in-water session will last 60- 90 minutes. The snorkel sites are about 10 – 20 minutes from the resort.
We will return in time for lunch and then have some time to relax before our afternoon snorkel. Late afternoons and evenings can be spend exploring the house reef, in the lounge looking at Fish ID books, chilling in the pool overlooking the sea, kayaking, having a beverage at the bar, enjoying a massage at the spa or simply relaxing on your veranda.
The reefs around Bangka tend to gently slope away from the islands and are characterized by a vast mixture of hard and soft corals, sea fans, and some beautiful sponges. As we snorkel the different reefs we have good chances of coming across different critters, like cuttlefish, octopus, razorfish, schooling juvenile barracuda, nudibranchs, and lots more!
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.
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.
On one of the days we’ll depart from the resort a little earlier than normal as we’ll be heading over to the Turtle Capital of the Indonesia, Bunaken National Park. This will be a full-day snorkeling excursion with two-morning snorkels around Bunaken Island. Here, we’ll spend the time enjoying the bounty of turtles, hard coral plateaus and wall the area has become famous for. We’ll take a nice lunch at Coral Eye’s sister resort, Siladen Island Resort, followed by an afternoon snorkel around Bunaken, before making our way back to Bangka.
Day 8 - Transfer to Manado
After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll jump back into the boats and make our way back to mainland Sulawesi to Manado, where we’ll check into our comfortable airport hotel and relax for the remainder of the day. That evening we’ll enjoy a nice group dinner together.
Day 9 - Fly to Kusu Island Resort
After the hotel’s buffet breakfast, we head to the airport for our early flight to Labuha, in southern Halmahera. Upon arrival in Labuha, we’ll meet a representative from Kusu Island Resort and transfer to the resort by car and then by boat. It takes about one and a half hours in total. Once at Kusu Resort, we’ll check-in, have lunch, and a resort orientation, followed by a house reef snorkel if time allows.
Day 10 - 15 - Snorkeling from Kusu Island Resort
Each day begins with coffee, tea, or juice and a breakfast cookie being delivered to your front porch, followed by a delicious breakfast in the main restaurant before our first snorkel session of the day. Each snorkel session will run for 60 – 90 minutes and you can expect to do three guided boat snorkels per day. With the exception of the house reef, which you can access from the beach or pier, all the snorkel sites are accessed by the resort’s quick and comfortable speedboats. Snorkel sites are close, with the furthest sites being 30 minutes away and the majority only 5-10 minutes from the resort. All the snorkel sessions have surface boat support, allowing you to jump in the boat whenever you feel like it.
After our snorkel, we will return to the resort for a quick snack, after which we hit the water again for another snorkel session at a nearby site. We return to the resort for a delicious lunch. After a little post-lunch siesta we’ll prepare for the third snorkel session of the day, followed by more snacks. You will not go hungry on this safari! For those that are keen, we can also organize a sunset or night snorkel on the house reef or one of the other nearby reefs. The reefs here really come alive at night, and it’s highly recommended you try at least one night or sunset snorkel as it’s a completely different experience. Nocturnal creatures like octopus, moray eels, lobsters, and even the elusive walking shark can be found enjoying the reefs at night.
We will offer guided night snorkeling on the house reef when suitable.
Throughout our time at Kusu Island Resort, the house reef is open for snorkeling any time you choose, current depending.
Dinner is a 3-course meal.
Evenings are spent looking through fish ID books, reviewing the day’s photos and sightings, chatting in the spacious lounge, or enjoying the night sky from your giant porch.
Day 16 -Fly to Jakarta
We leave the resort early in the morning to catch our flight from Labuha to Jakarta where we bid farewell to our new friends. The tour ends here.
Coral Eye
Formerly a marine outpost, Coral Eye has now been retrofitted into a unique boutique resort on Bangka Island, just off the mainland of 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, guest 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.
Kusu Island Resort
Located on the stunningly beautiful Kusu Island, Kusu Island Resort occupies the southern portion of Kusu island which boasts a white sandy beach, mangroves, a manicured pathway through the jungle connecting the resort’s water sports center next to the pier with the villas and the restaurant. The resort also has a beautiful natural lagoon complete with a sort of “blue hole” as well as a trail that leads to a light trek around the island. Oh, and just off the shore is a stunning hard coral reef that surrounds the entire island!
At the moment there are eight villas with near-identical layouts. Four are built right over the water with mangroves on either side of each, and the other four are just around the corner and run along the white sand beach. All the villas feature a large porch with a set of stairs leading to the beach or right into the water. Each porch is equipped with a pair of sun loungers, a coffee table, and even a really clever and surprisingly comfortable wooden hammock built right into the porch’s floor. There’s also a freshwater shower on each porch in case you decide to go for a quick dip and want to rinse off afterwards.
Inside each villa you’ll find a large comfortable bed, a big sofa and coffee table, a wardrobe with ample storage, and a long wooden desk. Each villa has its own ensuite bathroom which features a stunning open-air shower made out of driftwood that looks right up at the jungle canopy above. One of the cool things about the villas, and the resort as a whole, is the woodwork. No detail was too small for the owners and nearly everything is hand-made right on the island and a lot of it is made from pieces of wood found washed up on the beach. If you appreciate good woodwork, the craftsmanship of this resort will give you something else to enjoy besides the beautiful reefs, islands, food, and beaches.
Kusu Island Resort also features its own restaurant right at the water’s edge with breathtaking views of the sea. Unless you want your meal delivered to your room, this is where all the meals will be served. This area also functions as a sort of lounge area as well where we can meet up for evening drinks or just relax with a book.
The water sports center features two buildings with a giant deck area nestled into the mangroves equipped with freshwater showers, sun loungers, and little tables to relax around between snorkel sessions. One of the buildings is a secure gear-up area where everyone has their own snorkel locker. In the other building, there is an air-conditioned camera room where everyone can keep and charge their cameras without cluttering up their own villas with camera accessories and cables. Outside of this room is a sort of mini-bar/living room area where we can enjoy freshly prepared juices, ice water, or even sip on a chilled coconut straight from the tree between snorkel sessions.
Please note that Kusu Island Resort does not have 24-hour power. The resort turns off the generator that powers the resort at midnight and then back on again at 6:00 am. The rooms do remain cool with the sea breeze throughout the night, particularly with the balcony doors open.
Resort Guide
Snorkeling Boats
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.
Kusu Island Resort: 2 large comfortable fibreglass speedboats with a full canopy. The boats have a large wooden ladders, but no toilet onboard
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 Venus 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 Book this Tour
2027 Dates
5 – 20 September
Tour Price:
Garden Villa at Coral Eye + Deluxe Villa at Kusu: $9,950 per person
Beach Villa at Coral Eye + Deluxe Villa at Kusu: $10,250 per person
Single Supplement: $3,000 per person
How to book your place:
Initial deposit to secure your booking is $800 per person
12 months before departure interim payment of $1,000 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 FM7 Hotel Jakarta with dinner & breakfast
- 6 nights Coral Eye Resort in Garden View or Beach Villa, full board, 10 boat snorkel sessions plus unlimited house reef snorkeling
- 1 day trip to Lembeh
- 1 day trip to Siladen
- 1 night at a Manado Hotel with dinner & breakfast
- 7 nights at Kusu Island Resort in Deluxe Villas, full board, 18 boat snorkel sessions plus unlimited house reef snorkeling
- Local snorkel guides
- Internal flights in economy incl 20kg checked baggage & 7kg hand luggage pp
- Group transfers: Jakarta – Manado (for Bangka Island) – Bangka Island – Manado – Kusu Island – Jakarta
- Accompanied by a Snorkel Ventures group leader
Excludes:
- International flights & visas
- Snorkeling equipment rental
- Tips
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Health insurance (compulsory)
- Soft drinks & alcoholic drinks, laundry, and general sundries
- Spa services
- Sundries – laundry services, souvenirs etc.
- Additional boat snorkel sessions not listed above
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.
