Is Bunaken or the Togean Islands better for diving?

It depends on what you want. Bunaken is better for famous wall diving with minimal travel — dramatic vertical drop-offs, very high biodiversity, turtles, and easy access ~20 minutes from Manado. The Togean Islands are better for variety and solitude: healthy reefs, the Una Una volcano walls, a WWII B-24 wreck and a stingless jellyfish lake, almost always without other divers around. Both are excellent; they are simply different kinds of dive trip.

Can I visit both Bunaken and the Togean Islands in one trip?

Yes. Both are in Sulawesi, so they pair naturally, though a flight plus the Togean overland leg separates them — Bunaken sits in the north near Manado, the Togeans in the centre. A classic North + Central Sulawesi route does both: Bunaken's walls (often combined with Lembeh's macro) in the north, then the Togeans' variety and solitude further south. Allow a few extra travel days to connect them.

Which is easier to get to?

Bunaken, by a wide margin. You fly to Manado's Sam Ratulangi airport — which has international as well as many domestic flights — then it is only a ~20-minute boat to the dive sites. The Togeans are a multi-leg journey: a flight to Luwuk or Palu, a road transfer to Ampana, then a boat (or the overnight Gorontalo ferry), roughly 1.5–2 days from Bali or Jakarta.

Are the Togean Islands cheaper than Bunaken?

Per dive they are broadly similar — a fun dive runs around €35–40 with gear in both places. The Togeans come out cheaper overall, though: there is no national-park fee to pay (Bunaken charges foreigners ~Rp 150,000), and full-board island stays tend to be cheaper. Confirm current Bunaken park and boat figures before you travel, as they change.

Last verified June 2026

Togean Islands vs Bunaken

Short answer: Bunaken is North Sulawesi's famous, easy-to-reach wall-diving hub — dramatic drop-offs, ~20 minutes from Manado. The Togean Islands are remoter, quieter and more varied: healthy reefs with hardly anyone on them, plus a stingless jellyfish lake, a WWII wreck, and a volcano you can dive. Both are in Sulawesi and pair beautifully on one trip — here is the honest, side-by-side version.

We run a resort in the Togeans, so take our enthusiasm for them with that in mind — which is exactly why the figures below are real and the comparison is honest. Bunaken is a superb place to dive.

Side by side

The register · Togean Islands vs Bunaken

	Togean Islands	Bunaken
Where	Central Sulawesi, Gulf of Tomini	North Sulawesi, near Manado
Signature diving	Healthy reefs, volcano walls, a WWII wreck	Dramatic vertical walls and drop-offs
Divers around	Very few — empty sites are normal	Established, busier dive scene
Park / entry fees	None of note	National-park fee ~Rp 150,000 for foreigners
Fun dive (incl. gear)	~€35–40	~€35–40
Getting there	Fly Luwuk or Palu → car to Ampana → boat (or the Gorontalo overnight ferry). ~1.5–2 days from Bali/Jakarta	Fly to Manado (Sam Ratulangi) → ~20-min boat from the harbour
Beyond the diving	A stingless jellyfish lake, a WWII B-24 wreck, the Una Una volcano, Bajau stilt villages, snorkelling off the beach	Mostly diving, plus Manado-area trips — Tangkoko tarsiers, the Minahasa highlands
Best for	Solitude, variety, value, a slow remote escape	Easy access to famous wall diving

Bunaken park fees and boat prices change — confirm the current figures before you travel. Togean figures checked on the ground, June 2026.

Diving & marine life

Bunaken sits inside its own national park and is famous for one thing above all: walls. Steep coral drop-offs fall away into the blue, biodiversity is very high, and you have a strong chance of turtles, big fish and macro on the same dive. It is easy, rewarding diving — which is exactly why it became a hub.

The Togeans are not trying to out-wall Bunaken. The reefs are genuinely healthy, the walls around the Una Una volcano draw schooling fish, and there is a WWII B-24 bomber wreck to dive. What you mostly do not get is other divers. Empty sites are the norm, not the exception.

Cost

On a per-dive basis the two are close: a fun dive runs around €35–40 with gear in either place, and an Open Water course sits in a broadly similar range. The Togeans pull ahead on the extras — there is no significant park fee, where Bunaken charges foreigners a national-park entry of ~Rp 150,000, and full-board island stays tend to come in cheaper. Treat the Bunaken figures as a guide and confirm them before you travel; park fees and boat prices change.

Getting there

This is Bunaken's clearest advantage. You fly into Manado's Sam Ratulangi airport — which has international as well as plenty of domestic connections — and the dive sites are only a ~20-minute boat away. The Togeans ask much more: a flight to Luwuk or Palu, a road transfer to Ampana, then a boat — or the overnight ferry from Gorontalo. Our transport guide lays out every route. One shortcut worth knowing: Buka Buka Island runs private transfers timed to your arrival, the easiest access into the archipelago.

Beyond the diving

Bunaken is mostly about the water, but its location is a real bonus: Manado is a springboard for the Tangkoko reserve and its tarsiers, the Minahasa highlands, and the world-class macro of Lembeh Strait nearby in the north. The Togeans answer with variety in one small archipelago: a lake full of stingless jellyfish you can swim in, Bajau stilt villages, reefs you can snorkel straight off the beach, and a volcano island. For travellers who want more than tank time, the Togeans pack a lot in.

The honest verdict

Pick Bunakenif you want world-class wall diving with minimal travel — fly to Manado, jump on a 20-minute boat, and maybe pair it with Lembeh's macro a little further north. Pick the Togean Islandsif you want to go further, see almost no one, and have more than diving to fill your days. Because both sit in Sulawesi, the strongest trips often include both — Bunaken's walls in the north, the Togeans' variety and solitude in the centre.

Common questions

Is Bunaken or the Togean Islands better for diving?: It depends on what you want. Bunaken is better for famous wall diving with minimal travel — dramatic vertical drop-offs, very high biodiversity, turtles, and easy access ~20 minutes from Manado. The Togean Islands are better for variety and solitude: healthy reefs, the Una Una volcano walls, a WWII B-24 wreck and a stingless jellyfish lake, almost always without other divers around. Both are excellent; they are simply different kinds of dive trip.
Can I visit both Bunaken and the Togean Islands in one trip?: Yes. Both are in Sulawesi, so they pair naturally, though a flight plus the Togean overland leg separates them — Bunaken sits in the north near Manado, the Togeans in the centre. A classic North + Central Sulawesi route does both: Bunaken's walls (often combined with Lembeh's macro) in the north, then the Togeans' variety and solitude further south. Allow a few extra travel days to connect them.
Which is easier to get to?: Bunaken, by a wide margin. You fly to Manado's Sam Ratulangi airport — which has international as well as many domestic flights — then it is only a ~20-minute boat to the dive sites. The Togeans are a multi-leg journey: a flight to Luwuk or Palu, a road transfer to Ampana, then a boat (or the overnight Gorontalo ferry), roughly 1.5–2 days from Bali or Jakarta.
Are the Togean Islands cheaper than Bunaken?: Per dive they are broadly similar — a fun dive runs around €35–40 with gear in both places. The Togeans come out cheaper overall, though: there is no national-park fee to pay (Bunaken charges foreigners ~Rp 150,000), and full-board island stays tend to be cheaper. Confirm current Bunaken park and boat figures before you travel, as they change.

Leaning towards the Togeans?

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