Opportunity: Due to time constraints ... Distress Sale

In the meantime, the price per square meter has risen on the island of Bunaken and continues to rise.
(currently: about 25 €) Nevertheless, the property with access to the sea is now available at a special price of ...

€ 59,600

(urgent sale due to emigration).
More information under http://www.bunaken-klaus.com/index.htm

My Property on Bunaken for Sale

Hello, Bunaken-friends,

For age reasons I offer our property on Bunaken for sale.
It is suitable for the construction of a (Diving) Resort, as well as for private purposes.
You find further details on my web page under: http://www.bunaken-klaus.com/property_e.htm

The Bunaken SeaGarden Resort reports:

 Since until now the Dive Center was a bit improvised housed in an adjacent building, a new building is erected near the beach now. It is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

As I have just been reported, 10 complet dive sets for rent and different sizes shoes, fins, wetsuits, dive-torches and also a professional oxigine set are now available.
You can find my report about the dive resort with many fotos under http://bunaken-klaus.de (updated 2013) and http://bunaken-klaus.com

Your  Papa Klaus

Questions about the circumstances of Lee's death

The visitors of my website often ask me for advice, which dive resort on Bunaken I would recommend. An important aspect for them is most of the time the safety. So, if the rumor about Lee's death should prove to be true, I must warn every dive guest to look very thoroughly at the safety standards of their contemplable dive resort.

The accident of Lee happened, as far as we know now, when he dived with a guest of M.C. Dive Bunaken, a Dive Resort near the village of Bunaken. There is a rumor on the Island about the cause of the accident. But I didn't trust it that much. So I wrote two emails to this resort requesting for information. Until today I didn't receive any reply.
Since accidents in many cases happen because of  unfortunate series of events, I wrote to the management of the resort the following email:

"...There is a rumour on Bunaken, that Lee dived with a guest and he has got a tank only half filled. When he got out of breath, he got into panic and rose to the surface holding his breath. This caused a pulmonary barotrauma.
Before I publish an unverified rumor, I want to give you the opportunity ... to describe the situation and answer the following questions:

1. Did Lee dive as a guest or as a dive guide of MC?
2. Has Lee got a diver's licence?
3. Is the course of the accident, like described, correct?
4. Have first aid measures been performed?..."

If you as the dive buddy of Lee read this lines, please write me about the circumstances of this accident, how you experienced it. You may help to avoid the death of further divers.
As a comment or as email: papa(at)bunaken-klaus.de

Best regards
Papa Klaus

PANORAMA COTTAGES increased in size

The very much known and because of its low prices with individual travellers popular Resort PANORAMA COTTAGES has taken over the facility of the former SULAWESI DIVE QUEST, which was unused for many years. The bungalows have been repaired and are now available as PANORAMA 2. This lodging lies in direct neighborhood of the BUNAKEN ILAND RESORT and is preferred above all by divers who want to stay cheap, but nevertheless want to dive or learn diving in an excellent dive centre. Anyone interested contact the German dive instructor Sven at the email address jesuka(at)gmx.de.

BANGKA: Mining of ore stopped for the moment

The German Freundeskreis Lembeh - Pulisan - Bangka e.V.  calls it a "victory ... for the environment and for the conservation of the marine treasures of Bangka island" and a "victory of justice and law“,  that on Bangka no ore may be mined.
Read the detailled report about the verdict of the The High Administrative Court Makassar dated 01 March 2013.

Best regards
Papa Klaus

Painfull knowledge: Lee lost his life

During the first period of a man's life the greatest danger is: not to take the risk. When once the risk has really been taken, then the greatest danger is to risk too much.

(Soren Kierkegaard)

Yesterday I received the sad news that Lee has really had a fatal diving accident. With him we have lost a dear friend on Bunaken.
 I got to know him in 2001 during my first Bunaken vacation when he supported me to find a cottage in a small Homestay on the island. Sympathy and confidence led to the fact that he had become a reliable companion to my wife and me during the coming weeks, then also during the following years. He assisted us in communicating with the local authorities and showed us as a tour guide the nicest places of interest in Nord-Sulawesi. In the course of the years we also got to know his family and were staying in his house many times.
At last we met in 2011. At this time we still had no notion that Lee had a diver's licence or planned to do one. Thus, it is beyond our understanding that he should have died during diving. Hence, there are many questions unansered .
At the moment, however, for my family and me, but also for many who know Lee as a tour guide and hold him in high regard, the grief over a dear person is in the forefront of thinking. We express our heartfelt condolences to his wife Selvie and his both boys.
This verse of the Bible may give consolation to the family as religious Christians:

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live

John 11:25

Hello, Bunaken friends,
I have received news that our old friend on Bunaken, Lee Parabak should have died by an accident. Can  somebody confirm this, or report to me further details about the accident? Here, as a comment or to my email address info@bunaken-klaus.de. I would be very grateful.
Your
Papa Klaus

This picture was made 2005 on our diveboat SUNGATIAH.

Papa Klaus is back from North Sulawesi

Hi,
meanwhile I have been back since one week from my this year's stay in
North Sulawwesi and I have brought again some new information from
there (not only good ones). I will update my website soon (hope in
January it is finished).. During my holidays (8 weeks) I stayed in 8
different resorts. Five of them are definitely recommendable because
of their excellent price-performance ratio.

For these of you who are planning their visit to North Sulawesi just
now I will already name the (dive-) resorts concerned with website
adress. And be patient: after the festive season I will describe my
experience there with detailled explanation and many fotos.


Until soon (after New Year's Eve) and a Happy New Year 2010!

Your Papa Klaus

Boat Sharing on Bunaken!

For the period 03-10-2011 until 30-11-2011 I have rented the Dive Boat KURNIA again. You can share it for some days with me. If you are interested you can contact me (info@bunaken-klaus.com)or ask for me on the island.
Regards
Papa Klaus

Been taken in again!

Hi Bunaken-Fans
Perhaps you remember that I warned of the deceitful activities of a so-called Tour Guide Luis in Sulawesi in August 2009. I have pointed to the risk in general also on my web page.
Now I got the report of an Italian guest once more today who had fallen into the trap of this man.
He had made a tour from Manado to the Togian Islands and to Makassar with a group in August 2009. They became acquainted with Luis Molindo over a business partner ( Mrs. M. P.) from Italy. On recommendation of her they paid in advance. They were then let down without the promised services in the middle of the island. Returned to Manado they reported the person to the police.
Therefore once again: Be wary of this Luis! He stays preferentially in the area of Poso, Gorontalo, Manado. Possibly under another name. But it is not ruled out either that he offers his services in the room Bali, Flores or Komodo now. And don't let yourself be fooled by his kind and innocent appearance!
Your Papa Klaus

Frequent Asked Questions

Hello again ...
when I came back from Bunaken at the beginning of December I found over 30 requests for suitable Dive-Resorts in my mailbox. You can imagine that it is rather time-consuming to give everybody an advice according to his special wishes.
However I also got frequent e-mails with quite general questions. About the weather in the rainy season, malaria prophylaxis, aeroplane tickets, snakes on the island etc..
I would like to safe the answers to all these questions in future and therefore add a new area named "Frequent Asked Questions" (FAQ) on my web page
If you have questions such as concerning Nordsulawesi, diving around Bunaken, Manado and surroundings, snakes on the island etc., which are not yet anwered on my website, then let me know it by a short (!!) e-mail with the subject "FAQ". The e-mail address: info@bunaken-klaus.com

I then might include it in this category.
Thanks
Papa Klaus

Good News for Backpacker

Hello Bunaken Fans!
Either some of you are poor students or pensioner, or you cannot spend a lot of money for other reasons. For example because you are on an Asian trip for a long time. Because of that you have nowhere near to do without wonderful snorkeling or diving on Bunaken.
There is still a homestay on the island, where the stay overnight with three meals costs less than 10 euros. If you care about it on time and if you are lucky you can catch even one of the three available huts, which offers a free view at the sea. I have lived there again this year for one month. You may not make any demands with respect to comfort, facilities or hygiene, though. But the meal is really palatable and varied. The native owners are very kind. However, they cannot speak any English. Therefore you should either speak a little Indonesian or you should get along more or less with sign language.
You find a possibility at my website http://www.bunaken-klaus.com/divecenter_e.htm right below how you can contact me. I then send you a detailed description, how you can reach there very cheaply and independently. If you liked, I also can reserve a cottage for you (by sms)
So long from Bavaria and
Happy New Year!
Papa Klaus

Back again from Bunaken!

Hi Bunaken Fans!
Meanwhile I have been back for three weeks from my this year's stay on the "island of dreams" and I have brought again some news from there. I will update my website as soon as possible with that information of course. New resorts/homestays have started during the past year. Of course, I went there for a closer look. Some of them are definitely interesting and recommendable because of their price-performance ratio. I have also went to see old-established Resorts again and I cannot recommend some of them any more now for different reasons. I will explain you...
However, first of all up to 35 e-mails which have arrived during the 2 months of my absence have to be answered. So be still patient a little!
Until soon (after New Year's Eve) and a Happy New Year 2010!

Your Papa Klaus

Warning about Tours in Sulawesi

Hi Bunaken-Fans!
Your journey to Indonesia shall be for certain one of the most beautiful and most unforgettable experiences in your life. Some of you do not only come to Bunaken for scuba diving or snorkeling. You also would like to do a smaller or greater tour. Then it is particularly annoying if you come to a so-called "guide" or a tour agent who does not keep his promises. The financial loss (if you payed cash in advance) could perhaps be borne. But valuable days of your holidays are often lost or spoiled by trouble and disappointments.
Such a negative example recently I have been told: Several people had booked a journey to the Togian Islands (Kadidiri) by an agency in Manado. After all on the spot neither the ferry went on the promised day nor a bungalow was free in the booked Resort.
Some more detailled advice and warnings you will find at my website:
http://www.bunaken-klaus.com/sulawesitour_e.htm

SATISFIED on Bunaken? - Opinion Poll

Hi Bunaken-Fans!
Within the last years has my website for divers and snorkellers reached a respectable publicity. Numbers of visitors up to almost 8.000 since January 2009 and many inquiries over my forms prove, that information about North Sulawesi and Bunaken is urgently desired. Particularly however independent recommendations to homestays and dive - resorts.
In order to keep always my information up-to-date and make it at the same time a little more independent of my subjective point of view, however, I have decided to carry out an opinion poll.

All those, who have already received a piece of advice to accommodations, diving centres or tours in 2009 from me, I will ask by e-mail to judge their experiences on Bunaken with a questionnaire.
But also I would like to encourage all other guests who have landed on Bunaken without my recommendation, to take their time for some minutes and to take part in the action. You contribute that I can help also future guests with up-to-date information on Bunaken. Here the link:
http://www.bunaken-klaus.com/satisfaction_e.htm

Your
Papa Klaus

Hi Bunaken - Fans,
my blog in German Language exists already for over 2 years.
Some of you already know my website. Now shall also follow the blog in English. It takes a little more work (translating). But I like to do this for you from all over the world anyhow. Be welcome!

Your Papa Klaus