Discover Murex Bangka, just 90minutes from Manado airport. Situated on a palm-fringed white sand beach, Murex Bangka offers a true Robinson Crusoe style experience. Drift away in a hammock while listening to the waves lapping on the shore, swim or snorkel in the crystal clear waters in front of the resort, explore the ocean by kayak or enjoy a sun-downer while watching the glowing sunset over the ocean. Murex Bangka offers a choice of 6 deluxe hillside cottages as well as 7 ocean front cottages. Rooms have private verandas where you can sit back and relax in comfort as well as en-suite hot water bathrooms, air conditioning throughout the night, and either a king size or twin beds. Upgrade to the new, premium ocean front cottages (4) for a more modern decor. Whichever room you stay in you'll be just steps away from the crystal clear water. Murex Bangka offers buffet style dining which combines a tantalizing mix of International and Asian flavours using fresh local ingredients. The team of western trained chefs are able to cater for special dietary requirements upon request. Bangka Island may be remote but the flavours delivered by the chefs are definitely not. The resort also boasts a designated camera room, beach hammocks, sun loungers and indoor and outdoor dining spaces which are perfect for catching the sunset with an ice cold drink. There are a range of land tours for those who would like to see more of North Sulawesi. All tours are guided - explore the Tangkoko Nature Reserve, the Minahasan Highlands (markets, villages, lakes, mountains and historical sites), Mahawu Volcano, or try a cultural tour and cooking classes in resort. Wny not combine a stay at Murex' second location AND Lembeh resort. The Passport to Paradise is the perfect way to see all that Manado, Bangka and Lembeh have to offer
Pick from traditionally styled timber bungalows or more modern duplex rooms, which have adjoining doors and are perfect for families. All rooms are oceanfront with stunning views. Rooms have private verandas, en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning throughout the night, and either a king size or twin beds.
Upgrade to the deluxe cottages for a larger, modern room option. strategically located on the hillside to give views over the resort gardens and ocean. These tastefully decorated, air conditioned rooms offer comfortable indoor living and large verandas with built in day beds. Double and twin bed sleeping configurations are available
Book one of the 6 newly premium ocean front cottages for an upgraded experience of your resort accommodation
Dive Sites from Bangka
Indonesia is around 15-20 hours flight from the UK and is made up of around 19 000 islands. It is the largest archipelago in the world straddling the Equator, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Most travellers will enter Indonesia through Jakarta (CGK), Bali (DPS) or Manado (MDC) airports.
This is the stuff of divers' dreams. This exotic nation is the very definition of bio diversity. Find the big fish in Komodo, Raja Ampat or Kalimantan. Drift lazily along the walls of Bunaken and Wakatobi, watching turtles on coral drenched walls. While away the hours hunting for miniscule macro in Bali, Lembeh or Ambon. Cannot decide? Why not combine two locations into a single trip!
View entry requirements here To enter Indonesia, all international travellers must fill out an electronic arrival card. It is recommended that you complete this form prior to departure to avoid delays when arriving in Indonesia. Updated OCT 2025
Indonesia is a vast country, and the weather can be hugely variable. The topography means that weather patterns can be very localised. This is the tropics! For Bali, Komodo & Wakatobi the weather is usually best from April - November, with July and August being some of the best months to visit. Between December and March the conditions can be a bit stormy. November to April is also the wettest month to visit Bunaken, Lembeh and Kalimantan but to a lesser degree than in other locations. October to April is historically the most popular time to dive in Raja Ampat.
Our holidays to Indonesia can be quoted with most major airlines. We are however able to book most major airlines. Popular options for Indonesia include Cathay Pacific, Singapore airlines, Qatar, Emirates, Malaysian, KLM and Gaurda. If you would like to depart from a different UK airport (eg. Glasgow/Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham or Gatwick) or have a specific airline you prefer to fly with, simply let us know in your booking request. A supplement may apply for regional departures. Times and any applicable supplements will be confirmed by your travel consultant before you finalise your holiday. If you wish to make your own flight arrangements to Indonesia, let us know and we can remove the cost of the international flights from your quote. We are unfortunately not able to redeem airmiles on your behalf. Please do not confirm any flight arrangements yourself before your holiday is confirmed by us.
With a huge range of airlines to fly with, you can easily build in a stop over either on your way to or on your way back from Indonesia. Simply talk to your travel consultant about adding a stop over into your itinerary.
UK Passport holders landing in Jakarta, Bali or Manado are able to obtain a visa on arrival in Jakarta 5000 000 IDR cash. Do ensure your passport has 6 months validity from your return date to prevent any issues with immigration. It is your responsibility to ensure your passport is valid and you fulfil entry requirements. Regulations can change: please review current FCO advice: click here to review
Scuba Travel requires all of our customers to have diving insurance. Please make sure that you have appropriate cover for your diving activities. We also strongly recommend you have travel insurance. It's worth taking out travel insurance once you have paid your deposit to ensure you are covered for unforeseen events and cancellation.
Please speak to your local GP or check out the latest NHS advice for the required travel immunisations for your destination: click here to go to the NHS
You will also be able to manage your booking online once you have been ticketed (after you have paid your holiday balance). Most airlines will now enable you to select your seating at this point. There may be a small charge for prebookable seating before online check in opens. Please speak to the airline for more information about charges.
As you are flying with a scheduled airline, you will be able to check in online with your airline. Please visit their website for more information about when online check in opens.
An airport lounge is a great way to start your holiday or to while away flight connections in comfort. Scuba Travel works with Lounge Pass to offer a huge range of affordable airport lounges around the world. click here for more info on Lounge Pass
Prebook your airport parking to save money! If you have a long way to travel, why not also look at booking an airport hotel. These aren't as expensive as you might think. click here for holiday extras
On arrival in your Indonesia destination, you will need to clear immigration and collect your baggage. You will then be met outside of arrivals by a representative from your liveaboard or resort. Some reps are able to meet you airside. They will be holding a board with either your destination or your name on it. If you have any issues at all locating your rep, please contact us. We have an emergency contact, manned by a member of the team here in the UK. Please call 0044 7747 488 002. We will be able to help your rep locate you in the airport.
If you have a hotel en route please follow any specific instructions in your travel documents. Where possible, you will be met by a representative who will assist in taking you to your hotel. If using a shuttle service, please arrange your return shuttle time back to the airport at the hotel check in. Domestic flights are common in Indonesia and run frequently. The major hubs of Jakarta, Bali and Manado all have separate terminals for domestic and international departures. Just follow the signs to move between international and domestic terminals. The service has improved vastly, but there can still be last minute schedule changes. Please ensure you leave plenty of time for check in or transit between flights (usually 4 hours min). Domestic flights can typically only be booked with a 20kgs hold allowance as standard. Excess baggage must be paid for in Indonesian rupiah and costs around $2-$5 per kg per way. Due to local traffic and road conditions, land journey times can be difficult to predict. We recommend you take water with you and keep any essentials in your hand baggage to make your journey as comfortable as possible.
At the end of your holiday, your return transfer details will be advised locally. As of Feb 2015, the departure tax for all domestic and international flights is built into your flight ticket price.
Tipping is entirely at your discretion. We do not make recommendations as to how much to tip. Should you wish to leave a tip for the staff and crew, it should reflect the level of service you have enjoyed.
Local currency is the Rupiah however cash payments made in Euro or US Sterling are subject to daily exchange rates determined. Incidental payments may be settled with credit card or cash. Please be aware you may be charged a surcharge to pay by card transactions in Indonesia and VAT is applied to all local purchases.
Phone signal is usually good at Murex Bangka from most areas of the resort. Free Wi-Fi is offered at in the restaurant area but please be aware that it can be slow and unreliable
Indonesia operates on a system of 220v/50Hz electrical outlets for 2 pin plugs. Rooms are powered from 17:00 - 07:00 (overnight) and in the restaurant and camera room over lunchtime.
A full range of scuba and snorkelling equipment is available on site - please ask for a local charge price list
PADI dive courses can be arranged - please ask for more information about pre-booking
Murex Bangka has a small shop, which sells basic toiletries (shampoo and shower gel is also provided in your room), snacks, souvenirs and some dive accessories
Nitrox can either be prebooked as part of your diving package or paid for in resort at the end of your stay
A typical deposit for a holiday to Murex Bangka is 30% of your holiday cost, although this will depend on your exact flight option and travel class. Larger deposits may be required for some flight options (eg premium economy/business class).
We accept mastercard and visa debit or credit cards. If you would like a pay by link to complete check out via email please let us know and it can be set up for you. We do not take AMEX. All non sterling card payments and UK business debit cards will be subject to the 3% surcharge. Alternatively, you are welcome to pay via bank transfer. Overseas bank transfers must add £8 to the sterling total to cover international handling fees. We are not able to accept PayPal transactions or personal cheques.
If you have booked as part of a group, you can still call and pay directly without needing to go via your group leader. Please have your trip reference number to hand to help us locate your holiday as quickly as possible. You will receive a transaction receipt - your group leader will forward your ATOL certificate and booking confirmation
Are you one of Scuba Travel's repeat customers? Over 60% of our customers trust Scuba Travel to book their next diving holiday, time after time.
And we believe you deserve a huge thanks for your ongoing support over the years, which is what our repeater discount is all about! Travel with us again in either 12 months or 24 months and you will qualify for a discount. That's all you have to do. No forms, no numbers to remember, no fuss, just a good honest price reduction.
Our standard package includes 7 nights full board ocean front cottage, tea, coffee and water are included along with 3 meals.
A 10% VAT is applied to all local purchases. Any additional services in resort (spa, land tours, laundry) are paid for in resort. Alcohol and some soft drinks are an extra charge. Additional dives, kit hire, private guides and special trips are organised and paid for locally. There is a one off Bunaken Marine Park entry fee of IDR 150,000 per diver / snorkeler Tipping is entirely at your discretion. We do not make recommendations as to how much to tip. Should you wish to leave a tip for the staff and crew, it should reflect the level of service you have enjoyed. Please ask for a quote to add international flights from the UK to your holiday. We can book most major scheduled airlines including regional UK departures to Manado.
As the first operator to dive the sites around Bangka Island, Murex have been exploring the area since 1990 so you can rest assured that you will be diving with experienced and professional dive guides throughout your stay. Not only do the Dive Guides have thousands of dives experience in the region, they also undergo intensive training programs, which include marine biology and underwater photography training to ensure that you receive the best underwater experience possible. Just like you, diving is their passion. From arrival in resort you won't need to lift a bag or carry or wash your gear as the dive guides strive to anticipate your every need. Dive Guides also check the conditions each day and plan accordingly to take you to the best sites at the right time. Your diving program can be tailored to suit your needs with options for single dives, double dive trips or full day excursions with lunch served on the boat.
Peter’s Sponge is a white sand slope decorated with small coral bommies which are home to schools of glassfish and frogfish laying in wait. This is primarily a muck diving, critter site and other common sighting here include blue-ring octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, Ambon scorpionfish and ghost pipefish. This is an incredible spot for macro underwater photographers.
Located just opposite of Bangka Island off the shore of Pulisan. This dive is a series of underwater pinnacles rising from a sandy bottom. This is a shallower dive ranging from 5 to 25m. Besides the abundance of hard and soft corals and numerous reef fish, some of the highlights are pygmy seahorses, cuttlefish and giant and warty frogfish.
This is coral slope offers a huge variety of fish and critters. A resident school of blue stripe snappers welcomes you when you go down. Between the corals lives a whole array of nudibranchs, and your dive guide will show you several types of pygmy seahorses. You will spend your safety stop looking at huge sea fans scattered across the reef slope. Night dives in particular are very good here.
A series of steep pinnacles rising up from the ocean floor just off Bangka Island. There are two dives in this area starting at opposite ends of the coral encrusted pinnacles. The dive ranges from 5-35m with stunning topography at all depths. On dives when there is current there are several “sheltered” places where we can stop and watch the abundant marine life out in the blue. Highlights include: White tip & black tip reef sharks, turtles & groupers, vibrant yellow, green and red soft corals.
An iconic Bangka dive site and a firm favorite of many divers. The site consists of a series of underwater boulders and pinnacles that barely break the surface. The depth range from 5 to35 m. Highlights include: huge table corals, white tip reef sharks, stunning soft corals, diverse reef life, passing pelagics and schooling fish.
This site consists of several large submerged rocks situated on a reef plateau about 15 meters deep. There is a drop-off with canyons where you can ‘eddy out’ of the current and observe many sweetlips, dogtooth tuna, jacks and sharks. This site is usually a deeper dive and best suited to more advanced divers.
At Murex Bangka Resort, dining is a relaxed island experience. Enjoy full-board meals featuring a mix of Asian and international cuisine, freshly prepared with local ingredients. Meals are served buffet-style in the open-air restaurant with sea views, and special dietary needs are happily catered for by the experienced kitchen team.
Designated camera room with personal preparation areas, plug sockets, bright lighting and air conditioning
Unwind at the spa with soothing massages and treatments designed to relax tired muscles after a day of diving or island adventures. Enjoy peaceful surroundings, natural sea breezes and skilled therapists using quality products for deep relaxation.
Escape from it all in Manado Indonesia on a palm fringed, white sand beach with the pioneering team from Murex Bangka
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House Reef
Skill level: All levels | Ave Depth: 10 | Max Depth: 20+The House Reef is just a step off the beach. You will immediately be amazed by the bright colours, healthy corals and abundant marine life. The House Reef is a sloping reef descending down to a white sand bottom. Along the slope there are corals bommies shrouded in schools of glass fish and hiding frogfish. The House Reef is home to numerous critters including pygmy seahorses, blue ribbon eels, mantis shrimps, cuttlefish, reef octopus, a variety of nudibranch species and look out for passing eagle rays.