

The first of three places we stayed around Bunaken: little Mamaling Dive Center on the north side of Bunaken

Mamaling sits in a protected inlet behind mangrove trees. This is the view at high tide.

And this is the view at low tide.

Going out on Mamaling's dive boat for a morning of scuba and snorkeling

Chris walks back to shore at low tide after a snorkel outing

Mangrove roots poking through the sand

Mamaling's land area gets much bigger at low tide, providing more space for drying sheets

The second place we stayed: Seabreeze on the east side of Bunaken. (Our cabin is behind the center tree.)

The view from the the dining hall at Seabreeze

Seabreeze's resident puppies

Our cabin, which occasionally got a breeze

The view from our porch, looking at the mountains on the Sulawesi mainland

Melissa in our hammock

A beautful spot for some morning yoga

And a beautiful spot for editing

Looking through the mosquito net over the bed

Dive boats waiting for the day's outings

A heavy rainstorm on Bunaken (the first in six months!) obscured the surrounding islands

The island of Manado Tua next to Bunaken is an extinct volcano (though clouds can make it look like it's erupting)

Spotting dolphins near Bunaken

They sometimes swim very close to the boat


Bunaken's tallest building is this fantastically spired church

A fitting window for an island church

Other windows depict Jesus talking to fishermen and calming the waves

Bunaken village is a neat, well-laid out place with narrow roads for motorbikes (no cars on the island)

Fishing boats by the village beach


Boys hanging out at the village dock


These kids followed us through the village and wanted their picture taken, but they couldn't keep still

The last place we stayed was Grand Lulay Resort on the mainland right across from Bunaken

While here we got to enjoy such luxaries as a swimming pool, air conditioning, and showers without saltwater