Manado to Bunaken by Boat: Public Boat, Resort Transfer or Morning Speedboat

Three boats link Manado with Bunaken Island. The public boat from Pasar Bersehati is the cheapest and sails once a day. Dive resorts run their own speedboats for guests. A morning speedboat from the Marina dock sits between the two in price and speed. The crossing takes about 40 minutes on a calm sea and up to 90 minutes on a rough one.

Most visitors book the resort transfer without a second thought, and most of them pay more than they need to. This guide looks at the trip from the public-boat side: what each option gives you, when to choose it, and what dive shops rarely say about the morning crossing.

Option 1: the public boat from Pasar Bersehati

The boat

It is a wooden kapal motor, about 15 m long. Its jetty is next to the fish market in central Manado. It lands at Bunaken village, on the southern shore of the island.

It carries freight as well as people: goods for the market, building materials and sometimes a motorbike tied to the deck. Passengers sit on hard wooden benches under a roof. Comfort is not the aim. In the dry season the sea is usually smooth. From November to March it is rougher.

The schedule

When we last checked, the boat left Manado once a day in the early afternoon, around 14:00. With a heavy load, it could leave closer to 15:00. It sailed back to Manado at about 08:00 the next morning. There was no second boat. Confirm the times locally before you travel.

Paying

At the time of writing, a foreign passenger paid about €2.50 each way, roughly one twentieth of a resort transfer. You pay the captain or a crew member on board. There are no tickets and no bookings. Nobody promises the schedule. If the captain thinks the weather is wrong, the boat stays in port.

The public boat gets you to the island. That is all it does.

Option 2: the resort speedboat

Each dive resort on Bunaken has its own speedboat for guests. These are modern fibreglass boats, 7 to 9 m long, with two outboard engines. They carry six to twelve passengers, with life jackets and a small roof. The trip takes 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the sea.

Resorts set the times. A common pattern is a pickup at about 09:00 to 10:00 and a return at about 15:00. Other times cost extra.

Most dive packages of three nights or more include the transfer. As a single trip, prices differ widely between resorts.

What you pay for is certainty and speed. The boat lands at the resort's own jetty. For divers with gear, this matters a lot. For travellers short on time, it helps.

Option 3: the morning speedboat from the Marina

Few people mention this boat. On most days, an early speedboat leaves the Marina dock in Manado at about 08:00. It goes to Siladen and then on to Bunaken. It is a fast fibreglass boat, and several operators run it.

It is quicker than the public boat and cheaper than a resort transfer. Its morning time suits travellers who want to cross on the day they land. The problem is that nobody advertises it. Most guesthouses in Manado know about it but only tell you if you ask. Ask for the morning boat from the Marina to Bunaken or Siladen, and someone will usually give you a phone number.

Choose the public boat if

• You are staying in Bunaken village, not at a resort. Budget homestays such as Lorenso and Daniel's, and a few smaller ones, sit in and around the village. The public boat lands right at the village jetty. Resort boats do not go there. If you are staying with a local family, the public boat is the only sensible choice.
• Your plan fits the times. An afternoon crossing out and a morning crossing back make a good pair. Land in Manado in the morning and eat lunch near Pasar Bersehati. Take the early-afternoon boat. The next morning, dive. You can still be back in Manado for an evening flight.
• Money is tight. The price gap is large. For solo travellers and backpackers on a long trip, the public boat is the right choice.

Choose a speedboat if

• You carry heavy dive gear. The loading area on the public boat is rough, with concrete, freight and nowhere to put tanks. You can carry your own kit, but it is uncomfortable. Resort boats are built to carry dive equipment.
• Your trip is short. With three days in North Sulawesi and Bunaken on your list, pay for the transfer. Counting the trip to the jetty and the wait, the public boat costs you half a day each way.
• You travel between November and March. In the monsoon season, the afternoon public boat is often late or cancelled. Resort boats are smaller and faster, and they can usually use short calm spells that the public boat cannot. In January or February, a two-day delay on the public boat is a real risk.

How to reach Pasar Bersehati

The public boat uses the jetty beside the Pasar Bersehati fish market, in central Manado.

• From the airport by ojek (motorbike taxi): about 40 minutes.
• By car: Grab and Gojek both work in Manado.

Ask the driver for Pelabuhan Bersehati or Pasar Bersehati. People use both names. The main passenger port is close by, but the Bunaken boat does not use it. It uses the fish-market side. Do not look for a ticket office. Instead, find a wooden kapal motor where people are carrying fruit and vegetables on board.

There is no waiting room. Bring water and food, and expect to wait. The boat leaves when the crew is ready.

The tip most dive shops skip

Of the two public crossings, the morning trip back from Bunaken is the better one. The sea is calmer and the light is softer. You also reach Manado with most of the day still ahead. If you only take the public boat one way, take it on the way back.