Overview
The splayed and unspoilt island of Sulawesi is not as known to travelers as Bali. It is also far less crowded and surely a more exciting destination for those willing to stray off the beaten track when they visit Indonesia. Our swims take us into the warm Celebes Sea and along the fringes of an ancient ocean basin that formed many millions of years ago. The diversity of marine life may take you by surprise – expect to find yourself swimming in an unwalled aquarium of reef fish, dolphins, eagle rays, reef sharks, and turtles. In fact, you may lose count of how many turtles glide by in the gentle shallows! During our trip, we will focus mostly on the islands of the Bunaken National Park at the heart of the Coral Triangle. We stay at a seafront dive resort on the mainland and will ride a boat out each day for our adventure swims. If you want to swim and freedive among some of the world’s most beautiful reefs, this trip is for you.
Highlights
Discover the Bunaken Marine Park
The shallow reef tops offer beautiful coral gardens and the opportunity to see an impressive array of marine life.
Enter the warm Celebes Sea
Roam freely in the Celebes Sea and explore the fringes of an ancient ocean basin - right at the heart of the 'Coral Triangle'.
Stay at a seafront dive resort
Stay at a dive resort on the mainland, surrounded by green hills and tall forests.
Itinerary
Sulawesi is the 11th-largest island in the world and there's plenty to see and do during our time there. Our typical week long itinerary looks like this:
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Lumbalumba Resort (Day 1)
After arriving in Manado, we arrange for transfers to the sea-facing haven for swimmers, divers and snorkellers: Lumbalumba Resort.
Local tropical swims (Day 2)
We swim in both the morning and evening after waking at the Lumbalumba Resort. This is a great chance to immerse ourselves for the first time in nearby coastal waters.
Lunch is a picnic provided at a popular snorkelling spot between our swims.
Explore the Bunaken Islands (Day 3)
We swim again in the morning before we enjoy our picnic lunch as we bob in shallow waters. In the afternoon, we dive in again and explore the Bunaken Islands.
On past safaris, the water has been very clear and offered incredible visibility. You can see a long way down as we thread between reefs and drop-offs. Keep your eyes peeled for tuna, trevally, reef sharks, and turtles. There is plenty of sea life and the water temperature should be in the high 20Cs.
A free day for activities (Day 4)
You have this day to yourselves, and you are free to explore from our base at the Lumbalumba Resort. There are many different activities to seek out on and around the North Sulawesi peninsula, from white water rafting to scuba diving.
If you prefer, you can also soak up some of the luxuries provided by the resort. Relax at the pool or perhaps stroll through the botanical gardens.
Back to reef swimming (Day 5)
We return to the Bunaken Islands for our morning and afternoon swims, split by a picnic lunch at our favourite snorkelling spot. The islands are about an hour's boat ride from the shore. We also moor just off the reef, so you will be close to wildlife from the moment you enter the water.
A free day for activities (Day 6)
Another day to take advantage of the many activities that North Sulawesi has to offer, perhaps taking a Highlands Tour or exploring the culture of the local area - or of course just relaxing by the pool.
Last full swim day (Day 7)
We set out for the last time from Lumbalumba Resort and take our familiar boat ride to the reef's edge, near the Bunaken Islands. There are two more swims and one picnic lunch to enjoy before we return to the resort.
This is a perfect opportunity to explore the tiers of coral and search for any species you haven't yet seen.
We leave the resort (Day 8)
Sadly, we say our goodbyes to the luxuries of the Lumbalumba Resort, as well as our lush surrounds on the North Sulawesi peninsula. It is time to go home - unless you wish to extend your trip and explore more of Indonesia's large, volcanic islands.
What's included
What's Included
7 nights at the Lumbalumba Resort on Manado, Sulawesi
Four days swim excursions (two swims each day, lunch aboard)
Full board / all meals at the resort
Airport transfers between the resort and Manado airport
Two free days to explore the local area
What's Not Included
Optional extras (not part of our safari but can be organised by the resort): Highlands Tour and White Water Rafting
Flights
Accommodation
Lumbalumba Resort
At Lumbalumba Resort the guest accommodations are all set on a mountain slope, surrounded by botanical gardens and spectacular sea views across Manado Bay and the Celebes Sea. You won’t find any better ocean views in North Sulawesi.
All accommodations are equipped with the same facilities, which include private en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning and large terraces. The resort food is Indonesian and excellent. Kitchen staff are professional and cater to your needs.
Breakfast is standard European style, prepared by local staff. Lunch is a choice of Indonesian picnic lunches, or a more traditional sandwich if you prefer. Dinner is always a highlight of staying at this resort – a mouth-watering Indonesian buffet, which varies every night.
Room options
Stand Alone Chalet
The 4 stand alone chalets were the first ones built when the resort opened. They are 20 years old but modernised and in perfect shape due to continuous renovations. Amenities include: Wi-Fi, fridge, personal safe, air conditioning and ceiling fan, en-suite bathroom with wash basin and shower, and a large veranda with ocean and garden views. There is also a hammock on the veranda.
Double Chalet
This chalet has two rooms (each suitable for two guests) under one roof - these can be used individually but also connect. The bedrooms are wider than the rooms in the free-standing chalets, and amenities for each room include: Wi-Fi, fridge, personal safe, air conditioning, ceiling fan, private en-suite bathroom with wash basin and shower, and a large veranda with hammock and ocean and garden views.
Family Chalet: Sepia
The Family Chalets are located right in front of the swimming pool. Each chalet is suitable for two guests within a dwelling that consists of three chalets. These are named: Starfish, Mandarin and Sepia. They all have their own private access from a pathway through our garden and respective amenities, which include: Wi-Fi, fridge, personal safe, air conditioning, ceiling fan, en-suite bathroom with wash basin and shower, and a large veranda with pool, ocean and garden views.
Family Chalet: Mandarin
The Family Chalets are located right in front of the swimming pool. Each chalet is suitable for two guests within a dwelling that consists of three chalets. These are named: Starfish, Mandarin and Sepia. They all have their own private access from a pathway through our garden and respective amenities, which include: Wi-Fi, fridge, personal safe, air conditioning, ceiling fan, en-suite bathroom with wash basin and shower, and a large veranda with pool, ocean and garden views.
Family Chalet: Starfish
The Family Chalets are located right in front of the swimming pool. Each chalet is suitable for two guests within a dwelling that consists of three chalets. These are named: Starfish, Mandarin and Sepia. They all have their own private access from a pathway through our garden and respective amenities, which include: Wi-Fi, fridge, personal safe, air conditioning, ceiling fan, en-suite bathroom with wash basin and shower, and a large veranda with pool, ocean and garden views.
Getting there
Getting to Manado, Sulawesi
One of the best ways to get to Manado is via Singapore, where Singapore Airlines has an extensive network of long haul flights from all over the world. An overnight stay ahead of your safari is advised, but from here it is an easy connection with Scoot Airlines, the regional carrier of Singapore Airlines. Scoot has 4 direct flights a week to Manado, on Monday, Wednesday Friday and Saturday. Traveling via Jakarta is another good option. From there you can fly daily with domestic airlines like Garuda Airlines or Lion Air directly to Manado. Another possibility is to fly via Denpasar in Bali. There are many international flights daily to Denpasar. From there it is easy to book a domestic flight to Manado direct or via Makasar (Ujung Pandang).
Dates
13 - 20 June 2026
Enter the warm Celebes Sea and discover the diversity of marine life Indonesia is known for...
20 - 27 June 2026
Enter the warm Celebes Sea and discover the diversity of marine life Indonesia is known for...
What You Ask Us
Do you take group bookings? Is there a group discount? Can you help with this?
Yes we can! A group booking can be any number of guests, but typically includes 5 or more swimmers wanting to travel together on one of our safaris. Your group might consist of family or friends, like-minded people you’ve met on a previous safari, or perhaps fellow swimmers from your local swim or surf club.
But however formed, we can help through:
- Advising on suitable safaris
- Arranging the booking on your behalf
- Making an existing trip private or finding your own date if your group is sufficiently large
- Providing a group saving or discount, depending on group size
Send us an email here with your group size, preferred safaris and dates, and we’ll get back to you to discuss options.
Will I be able to swim the distances in the trip itinerary?
We aim for every swim to be a pleasure, not a chore. We are not about swimming the longest distance in the shortest time. We are not about ticking boxes. We are there to soak up the experience of some very special places and moments and some extraordinary water and swim courses. We want everyone to enjoy their swims - we are inclusive, not elitist.
That said, to join us on swims as part of the itinerary for the group we do need you to be able to swim 1km in open water, so we can manage the group safely and enjoyably. You don't need to be fast and you don't need to be a world-beater, and there will be plenty of opportunities to pause and take in the experience.
We generally swim 1.5km - 3km in a session depending on the location and conditions, broken up as the group would like, and reflecting the experience and capacity of the group.
Do I have to take part in every swim?
Absolutely not! This is your holiday and you choose to swim as much or as little as you would like. Join the sessions you want, stay onboard the boat for others, or just take time to relax and enjoy the resort.
How safe are your locations?
The safety of our guests, guides and other local partners is the number one priority in every decision we make.
From monitoring up-to-date travel advice for each location, to making adjustments to a planned itinerary during your time away, the well-being of each and every person who joins our safaris is always at the forefront of our minds.
What will my fellow swimmers be like?
Swimming is a low impact and medium intensity activity, which enables a wide variety of ages and experience levels to take part.
Your fellow guests could include young students, retired couples, solo travellers, groups of friends, experienced open water swimmers or those unfamiliar with life outside the pool.
Whatever the makeup of your group, you can be sure that you’ll have a mix of fascinating personalities from all around the world.
Do you cater for non-swimmers?
We do. In fact, you might not even be a swimmer yourself and may just be accompanying someone on safari who does - some guests do just come along for the ride.
To join the swims themselves as part of the group's itinerary we do require you to be able to swim 1km in open water, but there will be other opportunities for you to take a dip in some locations where you are less confident in the water.
And remember: while swimming is the catalyst for our presence, there's much more to the places we visit than just that, which is why we build other activities into our safaris. The places we take you are rich in culture, history, cuisine, and character, and whether swimmer or non-swimmer we want you to sample as much of that as possible.
Do I need to take out travel insurance before joining a trip?
Travel Insurance is compulsory and a condition of your booking with us. You must take out travel insurance to cover the period of your tour covering loss, theft, damage, illness, accident, and consequent medical treatment, transport and related events.
These contingencies are not the responsibility of oceanswimsafaris.com or their principals or representatives. We will not be responsible if you ignore or act contrary to the directions or advice of your oceanswimsafaris tour leaders, or if you breach the terms of your personal travel insurance.
For information see the Travel Insurance section of our main FAQs.
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