 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stunning Siladen |
 |
|
Share |
Jasmine Abdullah
Source :Travel Times, New Straits Times,16 February 2010
|
There is an air of exclusivity in the wooden villas of Siladen Resort And
Spa. But for visitors to the Indonesian island, writes JASMINE ABDULLAH, the
main clincher has to be the diving in
THE boat ladder lands with a thump
on the golden sand and we step down onto Siladen island, the smallest of five
islands in the
Siladen Resort And Spa is
unimpressive at first glance. But as I walk further in, the resort unfolds into
an oasis of comfort and beauty tucked around lush vegetation and the requisite
swaying coconut trees.
With only 15 villas, there´s a
palpable sense of exclusivity and warmth radiating from the lovely wooden
structures and the ever-smiling staff.
My room is a beachfront villa with
four-star amenities and a large balcony overlooking a clean coral beach and
crystal blue azure waters. The bright blue Balinese-style open-air bathroom is
a pleasant surprise although I am a little annoyed at the pathetic water
pressure. However, all is forgiven when some juvenile jumping on the bed
confirms its comfort.
There´s only one restaurant but
surprisingly, its menu is extensive and certainly ambitious for such a small
resort. Expect a lovely salad bar featuring yummy appetisers such as broccoli
sundried tomato salad and seafood glass salad.
Mealtimes come with a food station
featuring cuisine from different countries such as Japanese tempura and Korean
bulgogi. Main courses are yummy and vary from a simple pork osso bucco to
grilled marlin fish with Manadonese herbs. General manager Svein Moldskred
tells me that should the resort host Muslim guests, Siladen would ensure that
food served for all guests would be pork-free for that particular duration.
For those whose idea of a great
holiday is stuffing their face, prepare to get fat here!
Luckily, I am able to tear myself
away to enjoy a traditional Indonesian massage at the spa. The air is thick
with the scent of pandan, lavender and cananga essential oils, and I succumb to
the masseuse´s talents.
Diving
No matter how good the food or spa
is, the main clincher has to be the diving. At least for me anyway.
My first dive at Tiwoho is a night
dive and it´s fantastic. The seabed is crawling with hairy hermit crabs and a
sleeping puffer floating upright stares glassy-eyed at me. I try to photograph
a stumpy-spined cuttlefish walking on the substrate, while carefully avoiding a
nearby stonefish. Lobsters wave their antennae at me, perhaps suspecting me of
being an unusually unattractive mollusk.
We end our dive gazing at the neon
blue dots and lines on a large scribbled filefish, while large numbers of
Tanjung Pisok reveals a robust
ghost pipefish trying to pass itself off as sea grass. I stare at rarely-seen
nudibranch and confuse a white sea cucumber probably wondering why I´m trying
to photograph a speck on its back (an emperor shrimp).
I see my first ever ornate ghost
pipefish at Kalumpang and it is a stunning red with orange yellow patches. The
delicate fish floats upside-down near some featherstars, while all of us jostle
at the chance to take its photo. A large
But the highlight of the day is my
dive at Engine when a loud clanging from the dive master annoys a huge eagle
ray into swimming away gracefully. Later I enjoy the antics of a gold-spec
jawfish standing on its tail and showing me its gaping mouth. And to top off a
great dive, a giant solitary napoleon wrasse gives us a send-off at our safety
stop.
The next day, we see the resident
giant turtle called George, crammed into a tight crevice to catch a few winks.
He suffers our intrusion for almost 10 minutes before pushing off into the deep
blue sea.
My other dives are equally
wonderful with great visibility hovering around 20 metres. I see pygmy
seahorses, other incredibly large slumbering turtles and colourful nudibranch
everywhere.
And for our last dive, we go
looking for the spectacularly colourful mandarin fish. It is a shallow dive at
about six metres and just before sunset, they finally emerge swimming around,
some doing an elaborate love dance by swimming closely side-by-side.
It´s not easy photographing the
mandarin fish for, as soon as they are disturbed, they dive back into the
broken corals to hide. But patience pays off, and we finally emerge shivering
on the boat clutching precious pictures of mating mandarin fish.
With more than 50 gorgeous dive
sites, Bunaken makes for wonderful diving, both relaxing and exciting at the
same time. Coupled with the comfort of staying in Siladen Resort, this
irresistible combination is heaven-sent for leisure divers who enjoy diving but
like that little extra bit of luxury too.
How To Get There
It´s a four-hour flight from LCCT
in
From the airport, it´s a 30-minute
drive to the jetty and a further 30-minute boat ride to the island. Check with
the resort on airport transfers.
Where To Stay
Up till
For reservations, Tel/Fax: +62-431
856820; Email: info@siladen.com
Diving
The cost for 11-20 boat dives is
Euro 27 per dive. Equipment rental is available. Snorkelling is as low as Euro
10, depending on location. Sign up for your own private underwater
The Bunaken National Marine Park
Entrance fee (RP150,000) is not included in the rates and will be charged
separately at Siladen resort.
