I’m currently in Indonesia

This is Luxury Travel

Sunshine liveaboard north sulawesi batu mandi dive site

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

The Sunshine liveaboard is a great way to explore the North coast of Sulawesi. From Bangka to Lembeh, the dive sites are stunning and vary from massive pinnacles with schools of fishes to the world-famous muck diving spots of Lembeh. Read on for my full review of the Sunshine liveaboard

Check prices

Getting to Manado

On this trip, the Sunshine liveaboard departed from the Blue Bay divers resort in Bangka island. The closest airport is located in Manado and there are usually multiple direct flights a day going from Bali to Manado. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, only Lion Air was operating its flights.

I am not a fan of Lion Air and you can see why here:

They charge for checked luggage and my suitcase ended up costing me as much as the price of the flight (about 40000 rupiahs per kilos on each way so this easily adds 1 million rupiahs per one way if you are bringing dive gears).

On the positive side, both flights were on time and they didn’t check the weight of the carry-on luggage

I thought face masks were mandatory on flights in Indonesia. The guy seated next to me decided he didn’t want to wear a mask. None of the attendants told him anything for the duration of the trip. Are masks optional on Lion Air?

TIP: Lion Air doesn’t provide food or drinks on its flight (not even for sale on board), so make sure you bring at least a bottle of water with you.

TIP: At the time of writing, Garuda allows 30 kg of diving equipment as free extra baggage, making it the best choice of airline for divers in Indonesia. If you are thinking of booking Lionair because it looks cheaper, do read my review on why I will not fly Lion air here.

What does it feel like to fly in Indonesia during the Coronavirus Pandemic?

There are some additional requirements to fly due to coronavirus. I had to take a rapid test a few days before and was asked to show it when entering the airport, at the check-in counter, but also on arrival.

I also had to download the Indonesian EHAC application on my phone and complete the form for each flight, which was checked on arrival. It can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store (and if you don’t have the app, you can also fill in the form at arrival but using the app will save you time as most of your data get re-entered automatically). All the extra COVID controls were fast, friendly, and well-organized.

I was careful during the whole trip to wash my hands often, stay away from people as much as possible, and wear a facemask.

Traveling was easy. The airports are a lot less busy than usual so I didn’t have to wait in long queues anywhere. It overall seemed easier to travel during COVID19 than in normal times.

If you chose to travel, I would urge you to respect others and be careful about the safety procedures in place.

Getting to the Sunshine Liveaboard

The Sunshine liveaboard departs from Blue Bay divers located on Bangka island on the North tip of Sulawesi.

It takes a bit more than an hour’s drive from the airport to reach the harbor. Then, it is a 20 minutes ride on the resort’s speedboat.

The dive resort organized the transfer for me. Their driver was waiting for me at the airport and it all went very smoothly.

Once we arrived at the island, my bags were taken directly to my cabin while I was taken to the resort for dinner as I arrived at night. It felt like arriving at the end of the world.

The restaurant and bar are right on the beach and full of character. The staff’s local band was playing music and everyone had dinner together around a large table. I got to meet the passengers that would be on the trip with me.

After dinner, we were driven to the boats and my bags were already waiting in my cabin.

Sunshine liveaboard sunset sulawesi

The Blue Bay resort in Bangka

The resort looked lovely with bungalows spread along the beach, providing a great option for people who want to stay an extra few days. It feels like you have arrived in a paradise. The soft waves are lapping the white sandy beach. The bungalows are charming and the place is full of good vibe. Keep in mind that the bungalows do not have running water but have a bucket of water with a scoop so that that might not be the thing for everyone. I am already planning to be back in Bangka and spend a few nights in this delightful resort.

Make sure you book early though as, in normal time, they are fully booked a year in advance with many repeats guests. You can find more info about booking on the Blue Bay resort website.

blue bay divers ewview beach

blue bay divers bangka review

Sunshine liveaboard review

Sunshine liveaboard review

The Sunshine Liveaboard Boat Review

The Sunshine is a relatively spacious boat at 30 meters long given that it carries only 10 passengers. It feels cozy and intimate.

The Sunshine liveaboard is a traditional Indonesian Phinisi. The main décor is wood giving the boat a natural feeling. The boat has been operating for over 10 years and it is well rugged and comfortable. You can see that many practical improvements have been made over time. For example, they have installed antislip mats in most places on the boat. There are also handles in strategic places making it easier to walk when the boat is moving. The stairs are wide and easy to navigate and the ceilings are high. It is overall a very easy boat to get around. The dining room area is well organized with snacks, tea, and coffee available at all times.

There are three seating areas throughout the boat. People who like it quiet will always be able to find an empty area.

The main dining room has 2 dining tables where all the meals are served. There is also a camera table with charging stations which is very convenient for people bringing their cameras.

Sunshine liveaboard dining area

At the front of the boat is a sundeck with lounge cushions and many beanbags.

Sunshine liveaboard sundeck

Sunshine liveaboard sundeck

On the top deck at the back is another seating area that is great for sunset drinks and for relaxing after the last dive. I spent many hours there.

Sunshine liveaboard lounge area

The dive deck is located at the back of the boat and has direct access to the small dinghy that we take to go diving.

The Sunshine Liveaboard Cabin Review

I stayed in a cabin on the lower deck.

While the cabin will not earn any beauty points, it was well designed and comfortable. It also enjoys higher ceilings than most boats.

It had a bunk bed with a double bed below and an attached bathroom.

The bed downstairs was comfortable and I slept very well. The bed upstairs is smaller than an normal bed and will only work for children or short people.

You can see that this liveaboard has been well thought out as there are plenty of things in the room to make your life easier; ranging from refillable glass bottles to night lamps or a box to keep the food. There are also plenty of convenient hooks through the bedroom and the bathroom.

The AC looked brand new, is individually adjustable, and worked well.

There were three porthole windows in my cabin providing natural light.

Tip: The cupboard is small and there is no space to store a suitcase so it is better to bring a foldable bag.

The bathroom is spacious for a liveaboard. There is only the cold water option in the shower. However, as the water is stored on the roof, it gets warmed by the sun so you’ll often find the water to be tepid.

Sunshine liveaboard bathroom

Tip: Bring your own shampoo and soaps as they are not provided on the Sunshine liveaboard

The cabin on the Sunshine liveaboard is not where you will want to spend a lot of time but it has everything you need and you will spend most of your time diving or enjoying the top deck’s vistas.

 

The food on the Sunshine liveaboard

Food was plentiful and varied on the Sunshine liveaboard. It was a mix of Indonesian and German cuisine.

Breakfast was served after the first dive with fresh fruits, noodles, cheese, eggs and bacon, and even freshly baked croissants!!

Sunshine liveaboard food

Lunch and diner were usually served in the main dining room. There was a good choice of dishes available with meat, fishes and vegetables. Vegetarians were also catered for with special dishes.

Sunshine liveaboard food

Sunshine liveaboard breakfast

On our last night, we got a very special diner of fresh sashimi that had just been caught! The crew started singing and there was a party vibe going on. It was a memorable last night onboard.

Sunshine liveaboard review food

Sunshine liveaboard review food

Diving organization on the Sunshine Liveaboard

The dive deck is at the back of the boat and is spacious but lacks seating area.

The Sunshine liveaboard only offers Nitrox which makes a lot of sense as 3 or 4 dives are offered every day. If you don’t have the Nitrox certification, don’t worry about it as the blue bay divers can organize it for you with advanced notice. It is an easy training and will be useful for the rest of your diving career.

Divers are separated into two groups. Fenly and Karna were the two dive guides during our trip. Since we only had 5 people on board, so we had a group of three and a group of two. Even with a full boat, the group size would not exceed five divers, thus making the diving experience enjoyable.

We would start each dive with a dive briefing in the seating area on the top deck. Then each group would go down to the diving deck and dress up. We would reach the dive sites using a little tender boat.

We would enter the tender with the diving cylinder/tank on our back and all the other equipment would be waiting for us in the tender.

Entering the tender could sometimes become tricky due to the waves, but all the staff would be on deck to give us a hand and make sure we don’t fall in the water.

Sunshine is all about diving. There are no other activities on offer and we didn’t get out of the boat once during the eight-day cruise. So if you like sightseeing and other activities, this might not be the boat for you.

Fenly and Karna, the 2 divemasters, are very knowledgeable and caring. They have an eye for nudibranchs and found an incredible number of nudibranchs for us to look at.

A warm towel and a glass of water would be waiting for us on the dive deck after each dive. One the first day, we even got a fresh coconut after the dive. Delicious and super hydrating!

The Sunshine liveaboard will delight people who like to spend a lot of time diving. On many liveaboards, dives are limited to 60 minutes. It is not the case on Sunshine liveaboard. Only the night dive was limited to 60 minutes. Many of our other dives ended up being 90 minutes. On one day, I spend a total of 5 hours 30 minutes underwater in 4 dives!

You will also get full days of diving on the first and last days. We boarded the boat a night before the scheduled departure date, allowing us to depart at 8 am and have 3 dives on the very first day. On a seven nights itinerary, we had 8 full days of diving. This is one day more than most other liveaboards and makes the Sunshine a great value for money.

The crew on the sunshine liveaboard.

What makes the Sunshine a special boat is the friendliness of the team. They work as a team and always had a smile on their face.

There were a total of eight staff members taking care of us. As we were only 5 guests on this trip, we all were well taken care of.

Sunshine liveaboard crew

It is obvious that this is an experienced boat that has been operating for many years as everything was running smoothly.

Anke, the owner, was also onboard. She is the true soul of the Sunshine liveaboard and you can see that she truly cares about her staff and her guests’ wellbeing.

For example, I had an ear inflammation during the trip and she was caring and attentive, providing me with inhalation and other medicines. Thanks to that, I only missed 2 days of diving.

She regaled us with her stories over dinners.

If you meet her, ask her about the story of the legal fight they started with the company that wanted to mine Bangka. It is a David against Goliath type of story and they won the battle!!

Sunshine liveaboard crew

Review of the dive sites on the Sunshine liveaboard from Bangka to Lembeh

Our trip went from Bangka to Lembeh and back in 8 days. This is the perfect trip to sample the diving in North Sulawesi. From the pinnacles and steep walls around Bangka to the incredible creatures living at the bottom of the Lembeh street. We had all the dive sites just for ourselves and didn’t see another diver for the whole trip.

Sunshine liveaboard Indonesia itinerary

day 1: Diving the pinnacles around Bangka island

Batu Sahaung dive site is a small pinnacle that starts at about 5 meters. The rock formation is dramatic and slopes down to a wall at about 15 meters. The soft corals are very colorful.

A huge school of blue stripe snappers was hanging out at 25 meters. We also found a family of white tip sharks sleeping under a table coral.

Diving Sunshine liveaboard batu Sahung Bangka shak

Three brothers rock (TBR) comprises of 3 rocks that reminded me of 12 apostles rock in Australia. In the middle, there is a pinnacle starting at 4 to 5 meters surrounded by a coral garden. There is a second underwater pinnacle starting at 14 meters and then a mini wall.

The rocks were covered by colorful soft corals and we found many nudibranchs and shrimps. The current was soft. We got hit by a thermocline and the temperature suddenly dropped from 29 degrees to 26. It felt chilly. 🙂

Diving Sunshine liveaboard TBR

Diving Sunshine liveaboard TBR

TIP: During the whole trip, the water temperature was 28 or 29 degrees so a 3 mm wetsuit will be enough for most people.

There was a third dive at Areng Kambing

Day 2: Diving the North and west coast of Bangka

Batu Angus dive site is a pinnacle that forms a large wall that goes to about 25 meters. It then becomes a sloping reef.

The rock formations are covered by colorful soft corals and sponges.

Macro lovers will adore this place as it was full of nudibranchs of all kind and Fenly, our dive guide, is an amazing nudibranch spotter. He found some that were less than 0.5 centimeters long!

Diving Sunshine liveaboard batu agus dive site

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

photo by @roxnroads

Batu Gosoh dive site is on the west coast of Bangka and the most famous. It comprises 4 pinnacles; the stone architecture is dramatic. We did 2 dives there.

For our first dive at Batu Gosoh, we drifted along the wall. It is covered by the most colorful soft corals. There is a small cave between 25 and 30 meters, which is full of white sponges that make you feel like you are on another planet and red fishes.

Schools of fishes were everywhere with a few jacks hunting. We also saw a turtle eating on the reef. What a magical place!  And we got lucky as we dived there a second time.

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Gosoh dive site

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Gosoh dive site

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Gosoh dive site

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Gosoh dive site

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Gosoh dive site

day 3: Diving Talasei island

Today, we are diving the Batu Halu dive site in Talasei island. Batu Halu means the stone with current and there was indeed a bit of a current.

We went down a rock wall until we found a gigantic cave at about 15 meters. The cave was a swim through going down to 20 meters. We swam in the cave against the current, which offered good exercise. As we exited the cave on the other side, we were greeted by hundreds of fishes playing in the current. They seemed surprised to see us as a school of jack swam straight towards me until they saw me and quickly turned around. We also saw a white tip shark from quite a distance away. We stayed most of the dive in the entrance of the cave protected from the current and found a few nudibranchs there.

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Halu dive site

Our second dive was tectonic, still in Talisei island. The tectonic dive site is a pinnacle that starts at 5 meters. There is a large wall made of black rock that goes down to 15-20 meters and then becomes a sandy slope.

The wall is covered by colorful soft coral, but you can see it often has a strong current as all the corals are relatively small. We found a few more nudibranchs.

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka tectonic dive site

I had to skip the next 2 dives to Pantai Putih as I had ear problems and was sorry to hear I missed the flamboyant cuttlefish and the hairy shrimps. Because of my ear infection, I also missed the next two days of diving the North coast of Sulawesi mainland.

day 6: Arriving in Lembeh and discovering weird creatures

We have arrived In Lembeh, one of the paradise destinations for divers who like Macro. My ear felt better, and I was very excited to get back into the water.

Our first dive site of the day was nudis retreat, and it didn’t disappoint. The site starts with a sandy bottom at around 6 meters; then, the wall goes down to 30 meters.

The soft corals were spectacular. Nudis were everywhere. We also found pygmy seahorses and 2 electric clams! Lots of juveniles fish; it was stunning.

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh Nudi retreat dive site

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

KT dive site is one of the famous sites in Lembeh. It comprises black sand from 2 meters to 20 meters. Trashes were all over the sand, but we saw so much in one dive!

2 Ambon scorpionfishes mating, 2 scorpionfishes walking. A huge nudi laying (or eating?) eggs, frogfishes, wasp fishes, …

It was a nonstop show of the most special underwater creatures. It is easy to see why Lembeh is such a popular place for diving.

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site nudibranch laying eggs

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site ambon scorpion fishes mating

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh KT dive site

day 7: More amazing diving in Lembeh

Nudi falls dive site starts with a sloping sand area.

We saw a Pegasus fish at the beginning of the dive. The sandy bottom becomes a wall at around 15 to 20 meters. Then, the wall almost goes up to the surface, so we spent the rest of the dive slowly going up the wall.

There were so many nudibranchs; we must have seen over 100.

The soft corals on the wall were beautiful from 10 meters to 5 meters. There were a lot of blue corals, soft corals, and tunicates. The most incredible anemones of all types were on display. Intricate patterns and all the colors of the rainbow were represented. Pipes fishes were playing in the soft corals. This was the natural world in its utter beauty. I got stunned by so much splendor and I didn’t want to leave! Fortunately, our dive time was 90 minutes, allowing us plenty of time to properly enjoy this magnificent dive site. 😊

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh nudi falls dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh nudi falls dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh nudi falls dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh nudi falls dive site

Aer Perang dive site is below the water tank pier. It is a traditional muck dive with a black sandy bottom, mixed with rubble. Nudibranches were everywhere. We even found a Melibe nudibranch, which is one of the weirdest nudibranchs I have ever seen. Many shrimps and anemones. And to animate our safety stop, hundreds of razorfish came to swim around us.

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh aer perang dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh aer perang dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh aer perang dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh aer perang dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh aer perang dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh aer perang dive site

Bianca dive site is a sandy bottom mixed with patches of corals in the shallow area.

We found frogfish, pipefish, and tons of nudibranchs again.

This site is famous as it is a good place to see the mandarin fish, even during the day. They hang out in the coral garden at about 5 meters, so it is a great place to do a long safety stop. We saw a few mandarin fish. They were bigger than usual, but also shy.

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh bianca dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh bianca dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh bianca dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh bianca dive site pipe fish

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh bianca dive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh bianca dive site frog fish

I did my first night dive in a long time yesterday at Serena dive site.

The site was a sandy bottom, and we went down to 20 meters. We saw plenty of crabs, nudibranchs, and 3 baby frogfish! The water was still at 28 degrees, but somehow, it felt cooler than day dives.

Day 8: Diving more pinnacles on our way back to Bangka

Today is already the last day of the trip. We are making our way back from Lembeh to Bangka and planning to do 3 dives on the way.

Angel’s window dive site is located at the northern tip of Lembeh Island. It is the most famous coral dive site in Lembeh.

It is a pinnacle that starts at about 4 meters and goes down to 30 meters. There is a cave near the bottom that starts at about 20 meters. We swam through it and ended up on a mini wall of corals on the other side. There are gorgonians where Denise pygmy seahorses can be found. Many nudibranchs grace the wall.

The soft corals became much nicer at 15 meters. As it was a full moon day, there was a spawning going on and fish were feeding and fighting like crazy. It was very colorful.

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh angel windowdive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh angel windowdive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh angel windowdive site

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh angel windowdive site

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

Sunshine liveaboard lembeh angel windowdive site

Batu Mandi dive site is located halfway between Lembeh and Bangka, Batu Mandi is an underwater pinnacle.

It is a wall that becomes a slope.

We saw a super cute frogfish and many more nudibranchs. The highlights of this site are the sponges. They are huge and span distinct colors. I gained a new respect for sponges when I learned that they are one of the oldest living animals on this planet. Some sponges are over 2000 years old, so please think carefully before planting your dive stick into them. 😊

Sunshine liveaboard north sulawesi batu mandi dive site

Sunshine liveaboard north sulawesi batu mandi dive site

Sunshine liveaboard north sulawesi batu mandi dive site

Sunshine liveaboard north sulawesi batu mandi dive site frog fish

Sunshine liveaboard north sulawesi batu mandi dive site

Our last dive was Batu Sahaung dive site. We ended with the same dive we did at the beginning of the trip near the Blue Bay dive resort. It was, once again, spectacular. This time, we had more current and even more fish. We saw again 2 small sharks, giant trevally on the hunt, and 2 big crocodiles fish. The large schools of fusiliers and yellow groupers were impressive. What a wonderful way to end a marvelous week of diving.

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Sahaung dive site yellow snappers

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Sahaung dive site

Sunshine liveaboard Bangka Batu Sahaung dive site

Diving Sunshine liveaboard batu Sahung Bangka crodocil

Internet on the trip from Bangka to Lembeh

There is no internet onboard the Sunshine liveaboard but you can get a 4G signal in most places during this trip.

The Internet was available for most of the first day while we cruised the south and east of Bangka.

However, we had no connection while staying on the protected north coast of Bangka.

Once we got back along the coast of Sulawesi’s main island, the internet was available at most locations. The Lembeh straight also provided good internet.

Tip: The higher you are on the boat, the better the internet. I would often not have a connection in my downstairs cabin but have a connection on the top deck.

Sunshine liveaboard sunset sulawesi

When to dive in Bangka?

The dry season on North Sulawesi runs from April to October. Besides luminosity, there isn’t much difference underwater between the dry and the rainy season.

The dry season is the high season and during those months, you will need to book well ahead if you want a chance to explore Sulawesi with the Sunshine liveaboard. 2021 is already almost fully booked and some trips in 2022 are also booking up quickly.

Conclusion

I had a great week of diving on the Sunshine liveaboard.

The boat is spacious and functional. The crew is always smiling and helpful. This is a boat for passionate divers. If you like nudibranchs, don’t miss this trip to North Sulawesi! Photographers will be in heaven on the Sunshine liveaboard but make sure you book early to guarantee yourself a spot.

For more information and bookings, check the Sunshine liveaboard website.

Check prices

For more information about diving in Indonesia, check out our diving section. I dived the most famous sites of Indonesia and write about the best places and liveaboards to dive ( Komodo, Raja Ampat, Alor, Ambon Banda  and the ring of fire, triton bay…)

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites

the last 3 photos are by @roxnroads

 

1 thought on “Sunshine Liveaboard review: exploring north Sulawesi famous dive sites”

  1. Perry kuo

    Very good article, thanks, we book already 2 trip with sunshine LOB~~sangihe. Togean trip in 2021 ( postpone from 2020 ).wish to go smoothly in 2021.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get up to
50% off
your next trip!

Dreaming of a diving
liveaboard cruise?

You might not be thinking of booking a diving cruise right now but if you subscribe to our promo email, you will never miss the next great deals for when you want to take your next trip!