Coral Eye

Overview

Nestled in the tropical jungle set just back from a white sandy beach, Coral Eye is a former marine outpost that has joined forces with the creators of Siladen Resort & Spa in the Bunaken Marine Park, one of the best dive resorts in Indonesia. Following in its footsteps, Coral Eye is being elevated to the level of Siladen to become the number one resort on Bangka Island. With a pristine house reef accessed right from the jetty, brand new beach and garden villas, and a team passionate about the marine environment, this is our favourite resort from which to explore the incredible underwater world surrounding Bankga Island.

In Depth

Coral Eye is a boutique diving hotel made up of just 17 rooms and villas. The main building, opened in 2009, was originally designed by marine biologists to integrate with the surrounding environment and with its open-plan nature, a community space to allow students to work on projects together. It remains the heart of the resort with a large sunken table where guests can enjoy meals together, a bar, lounging areas and 10 of the rooms located on the first floor around the balcony.

In 2023, seven new villas have been added to offer guests additional privacy and space. Set back from the beach in two rows, there is the option for either a Beach or Garden view and the villas have been beautifully designed with polished concrete, indoor and outdoor lounging areas, open-air bathrooms and plenty of storage space.

Dining takes place in the main building family style at the large sunken table and two additional tables depending on how many guests are in house. Simple, home-cooked, seasonal food is served combining Indonesian and Mediterranean recipes whilst conversation flows discussing the day of diving and snorkelling.

The Diving

Coral Eye offers all the facilities you would expect from a luxury diving hotel. The dive centre is extremely well organised with every guest being assigned an area for dive gear as well as a very spacious camera room. Up to four dives are offered daily and divers are split between several dive boats meaning that groups are always kept small with a maximum of four divers per guide. Two tank boat trips are offered every morning followed by afternoon and night dives, either by boat or on the phenomenal house reef accessed right from the jetty. All equipment is assembled for guests prior to the dive and cleaned by the team afterwards. Additionally, they offer a range of courses for those looking to learn to dive or further their qualifications, plus a good selection of rental equipment and Nitrox for those qualified.

Snorkellers will not be disappointed at Coral Eye with the healthy and vibrant house reef on the doorstep. Hours can be spent exploring this stunning reef which stretches one way for approximately 1km to Busa Bora village, or in the other direction to discover the amazing mangroves. Half and full day snorkelling trips can be arranged with a local guide around Bangka Island and others in the archipelago, enjoying hidden beaches and nature between snorkels. Snorkelling trips can be tailored to the snorkeller from those that want a relaxed experience to those looking for something more demanding.

Beyond the Reef

One of the things we love most about Coral Eye at Reefscape Travel is their deep connection with marine science, with the reason behind its inception being a place to bring people together to better understand the complex and fascinating underwater environment, finding solutions to the many stresses and threats to the ecosystem. Today, they still collaborate with Unsrat University of Manado to be able to carry out international cooperations, develop projects in the field and promote international student exchanges.

Additionally, co-owner Marco and the team have created the No-Trash Triangle Initiative. Their work involves collecting the trash that washes up on the beaches, sorting it and then recycling it or sending on to be used as low carbon fuel. They are providing this solution to other resorts in the region, as well as installing recycling and waste bins in local villages to give an alternative to burning or throwing it in the ocean and spreading awareness through education. Guests can get involved with this as much as they like.

Bangka Island is located off the northern trip of Sulawesi and there is plenty to explore both on Bangka Island itself and back on the mainland. Trek through the jungle to visit the fishing village of Lihunu, head to the Tangkoko National Park on Sulawesi to spot endemic Black Macaque monkeys and the tarsius or a little further afield, culture and volcanoes in the Minhasa Highlands.