Dive Review of Saronde Island Dive Resort in
Indonesia/Saronde Island, North Sulawesi

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Saronde Island Dive Resort: "Beautiful Remote Resort, Relaxed Diving, But Disappointing Reefs", May, 2026, by Hugh E Aaron, FL, US ( Top Contributor 31 reports with 30 Helpful votes). Report 13832.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We stayed at Saronde Island Resort for 9 nights in May 2026, as part of a longer Indonesia trip that included time in Jakarta, a weekend visiting Tangkoko National Park, and additional diving at Coral Eye resort on Bangka Island near Manado. We chose Saronde because it appeared to offer a good combination: a relatively modern resort with creature comforts, including air conditioning, but in a remote location. We hoped the remoteness might mean healthier, more pristine reefs than in more developed parts of the Coral Triangle. The arrival and transfer process was easy. We flew direct from Jakarta to Gorontalo on Garuda. Divers should note that business class on that flight was only slightly more expensive and provided additional luggage allowance. Saronde staff met us at the airport and drove us to a small waterfront village, which took a bit over an hour. From there, a Saronde boat took us to the island, another trip of about 45 minutes. It was a smooth, low-stress transfer. Saronde is the only development on the island and is located on a beautiful white-sand beach. There is a jetty, but it was not used during our stay. We always boarded and exited the boat directly from the beach, so guests should wear shoes that can get wet starting at the airport on arrival. The resort has classic Indonesian architecture. The main dining and lounge area is open-air, with high ceilings and a thatched roof. It is set back somewhat from the water, but still has beach and water views. There are six beachfront villas. My wife and I stayed in one of them. Our two dive buddies booked garden rooms set farther back behind the beach villas. The resort appears to cater mainly to German-speaking divers. The owner, Anke, is German and has been in the dive business in North Sulawesi for a long time. She previously operated a resort on Bangka Island, has developed Saronde over the last several years, and also operates a liveaboard. During our stay, all of the other guests were German, Austrian, or Swiss. Many were repeat visitors, and some were combining Saronde with Anke’s liveaboard. The guests made an effort to speak English with us, which we appreciated, and we felt completely comfortable as Americans. The staff were warm and helpful. The social atmosphere was friendly and international, but smoking was a significant negative for me. Guests and staff smoked in the lounge area, and smoking was also permitted near the restaurant. One time, a guest was smoking in the restaurant area while I was trying to eat. I told him I was going to take my food back to my villa, and he moved farther away, which helped. Everyone was nice, but the smokers did not seem especially troubled by smoking around others. Because I cannot stand to be near smoke, I was not able to participate in much evening socializing. The beachfront villa had many strengths. The beach views were gorgeous, and there were multiple outdoor lounging areas: the front porch, a daybed in the front yard, and two cushioned lounge chairs closer to the water. We mostly used the front porch because I do not like getting sandy again after cleaning up from diving. Sunrise from the porch was one of the most beautiful times of day at Saronde. The bed was comfortable, the linens were nice, and we both slept well. The closet area was adequate. I used the minibar as a small refrigerator for snacks. We appreciated the in-room water dispenser, which provided chilled and hot water on demand. The outdoor bathroom, with dual showers, was nice. We also liked being able to enter and exit through the back ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here
Websites	Saronde Island Dive Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Virginia, North Carolina, California, Hawaii, Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Roatan, Belize, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Bali, Raja Ampat, Maldives, Fiji, Palau, Yap, Japan, Philippines
Closest Airport	Gorontalo	Getting There	Long but not particularly difficult: US to Jakarta, overnight in Jakarta, Jakarta to Gorontalo, then van and boat to Saronde.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, no currents
Water Temp	28-29°C / 82-84°F	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	15-25 Ft/ 5-8 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Very flexible but we were asked to stay within sight of guide
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	> 2
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	No dedicated camera room. I used the desk in our villa for camera work. Lighting was poor, but the resort promptly provided a desk lamp when requested. No ded ... Subscribe to get the full story. Active subscribers continue reading here

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Dive Review of Saronde Island Dive Resort in Indonesia/Saronde Island, North Sulawesi

Saronde Island Dive Resort: "Beautiful Remote Resort, Relaxed Diving, But Disappointing Reefs", May, 2026,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Saronde Island Dive Resort in
Indonesia/Saronde Island, North Sulawesi