Murex Bangka
Tripadvisor Traveler Rating
Overview
- Bangka’s original resort, built by the pioneers of diving in North Sulawesi
- Located in its own private bay with stunning white sand beach and lagoon
- Easily explore the exciting sites around Bangka and Gangga
- Dive Bunaken, Manado, Bangka and Lembeh with a ‘Passport to Paradise’
Situated on a palm-fringed, white sand beach, Murex Bangka is the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Visit Bangka and Gangga’s unique dive sites, swim or snorkel in the crystal clear waters, and explore the very best North Sulawesi has to offer with additional trips to Manado, Bunaken, and Lembeh.
Resort amenities
Resort amenities
Dive facilities
About Murex Bangka
About Murex Bangka
Located on the island of Bangka, just a 20 minute boat ride from the mainland, Murex Bangka is perfectly situated in its own private bay with a palm-fringed, white sand beach, stunning lagoon and beautiful house reef just metres from the shore. The founder of Murex spent a decade pioneering many of the dive sites around Bangka and Gangga, and opened Murex Bangka in 2001, after realising just how special the island’s stunning natural environment was.
Murex Bangka is family friendly and the resort can arrange childcare upon request. The white sand beach is perfect for children to play on, and the resort has stand-up paddleboards, junior life jackets and small sized snorkelling masks and fins. High chairs, cots and toys can be provided with advanced notice.
Explore the resort
Murex Bangka resort was designed to make the most of its stunning island location. All of the buildings and rooms are just steps away from the white sand beach and feature incredible views over the sea. The restaurant, dive centre and camera room are right on the beach at the heart of the resort, whilst the guest bungalows are scattered in the shade of palms trees at the edge of the jungle that covers much of the island. Dining at Murex Bangka is in the beachfront restaurant which has an open-air terrace for those who prefer dining al fresco. Meals are served buffet style and guests can choose from a mix of Western, Asian and Indonesian dishes and the resort also holds weekly barbecues on the beach.
Additional resort facilities include a designated camera room with power during lunch time hours for charging batteries between dives, beach hammocks hung between the palm trees, sun loungers along the beach and indoor and outdoor dining spaces which are perfect for catching the sunset with an ice cold drink. As well as diving, Murex Bangka offers a range of day trips and tours within North Sulawesi including trips to the Minahasan Highlands and Mahawu volcano, Lake Tondano, Waruga with its Minahasan stone graves, or Tangkoko Nature Reserve in search of Sulawesi’s endemic animal species.
Diving from Murex Bangka
Murex pioneered much of the diving around Bangka and Gangga and has been exploring the area since 1990, after Dr Hansie Batuna, the founder of Murex, fell in love with the beauty and isolation of the islands. Today the resort’s knowledgable and professional dive guides continue the tradition of guiding and exploring Bangka’s amazing underwater environment. The guides boast thousands of dives in the region, and also undergo intensive training programmes which include marine biology and underwater photography training to ensure that guests receive the best underwater experience possible.
The dive centre offers modern rental equipment, nitrox and a range of PADI courses. Guest will love the flexible programme that can be tailored to suit your individual needs with options for single dives, double dive trips or full day excursions, as well as night dives around Bangka. The dive schedule is determined daily according to the local conditions, and the resort plans accordingly to take guests to the best sites at the right time. Given the resort’s remote location, safety is a high priority and all Murex boats are equipped with emergency oxygen, full first aid kits and communications devices. All staff are trained in rescue and emergency procedures.
Conservation at Murex Bangka
The founder of Murex Resorts, Dr Hansie Batuna, was as passionate about conservation, the environment and local communities in North Sulawesi as he was about providing an exemplary dive travel experience. He played a key role in the creation of the Bunaken Marine Park as well as the North Sulawesi Watersports Association, an organisation that strives to promote environmentally-responsible solutions to problems in marine tourism. Today the NSWA conducts education campaigns to help protect the incredible reefs and marine life and is an official forum for all the marine tourism operators.
Murex Resorts have removed single use plastics such as plastic bottles and straws from their properties, and recycle other waste such as packaging, paper and food as much as possible. The company also provides environmentally-friendly bathrooms products for its guests, has fitted energy efficient appliances and will start to use solar energy in the resorts.
The Murex Resorts employ over 180 staff, 95% of which are from the local area. Some of the staff have been with the company since it first started in 1988 and the company remains passionate about training and developing local people and creating opportunities for employment. Murex also directly supports local schools and provides a staff college fund. Both resorts employ strict snorkelling and diving guidelines for their staff and guests, are actively involved in marine clean-ups and mooring programmes and are supporters or the North Sulawesi Watersports Association and other environmental groups. Each of the Murex Resorts encourage their guests to join in the clean-up activities and actively promote and support global projects such as Earth Day. They work with local conservation groups and villages - ones they know from experience - and promote and encourage guests to visit and learn about these projects. The company also has a responsible tourism statement that is presented to its guests as part of an initial briefing.
About
About Murex Bangka
Located on the island of Bangka, just a 20 minute boat ride from the mainland, Murex Bangka is perfectly situated in its own private bay with a palm-fringed, white sand beach, stunning lagoon and beautiful house reef just metres from the shore. The founder of Murex spent a decade pioneering many of the dive sites around Bangka and Gangga, and opened Murex Bangka in 2001, after realising just how special the island’s stunning natural environment was.
Murex Bangka is family friendly and the resort can arrange childcare upon request. The white sand beach is perfect for children to play on, and the resort has stand-up paddleboards, junior life jackets and small sized snorkelling masks and fins. High chairs, cots and toys can be provided with advanced notice.
Explore the resort
Murex Bangka resort was designed to make the most of its stunning island location. All of the buildings and rooms are just steps away from the white sand beach and feature incredible views over the sea. The restaurant, dive centre and camera room are right on the beach at the heart of the resort, whilst the guest bungalows are scattered in the shade of palms trees at the edge of the jungle that covers much of the island. Dining at Murex Bangka is in the beachfront restaurant which has an open-air terrace for those who prefer dining al fresco. Meals are served buffet style and guests can choose from a mix of Western, Asian and Indonesian dishes and the resort also holds weekly barbecues on the beach.
Additional resort facilities include a designated camera room with power during lunch time hours for charging batteries between dives, beach hammocks hung between the palm trees, sun loungers along the beach and indoor and outdoor dining spaces which are perfect for catching the sunset with an ice cold drink. As well as diving, Murex Bangka offers a range of day trips and tours within North Sulawesi including trips to the Minahasan Highlands and Mahawu volcano, Lake Tondano, Waruga with its Minahasan stone graves, or Tangkoko Nature Reserve in search of Sulawesi’s endemic animal species.
Diving from Murex Bangka
Murex pioneered much of the diving around Bangka and Gangga and has been exploring the area since 1990, after Dr Hansie Batuna, the founder of Murex, fell in love with the beauty and isolation of the islands. Today the resort’s knowledgable and professional dive guides continue the tradition of guiding and exploring Bangka’s amazing underwater environment. The guides boast thousands of dives in the region, and also undergo intensive training programmes which include marine biology and underwater photography training to ensure that guests receive the best underwater experience possible.
The dive centre offers modern rental equipment, nitrox and a range of PADI courses. Guest will love the flexible programme that can be tailored to suit your individual needs with options for single dives, double dive trips or full day excursions, as well as night dives around Bangka. The dive schedule is determined daily according to the local conditions, and the resort plans accordingly to take guests to the best sites at the right time. Given the resort’s remote location, safety is a high priority and all Murex boats are equipped with emergency oxygen, full first aid kits and communications devices. All staff are trained in rescue and emergency procedures.
Conservation at Murex Bangka
The founder of Murex Resorts, Dr Hansie Batuna, was as passionate about conservation, the environment and local communities in North Sulawesi as he was about providing an exemplary dive travel experience. He played a key role in the creation of the Bunaken Marine Park as well as the North Sulawesi Watersports Association, an organisation that strives to promote environmentally-responsible solutions to problems in marine tourism. Today the NSWA conducts education campaigns to help protect the incredible reefs and marine life and is an official forum for all the marine tourism operators.
Murex Resorts have removed single use plastics such as plastic bottles and straws from their properties, and recycle other waste such as packaging, paper and food as much as possible. The company also provides environmentally-friendly bathrooms products for its guests, has fitted energy efficient appliances and will start to use solar energy in the resorts.
The Murex Resorts employ over 180 staff, 95% of which are from the local area. Some of the staff have been with the company since it first started in 1988 and the company remains passionate about training and developing local people and creating opportunities for employment. Murex also directly supports local schools and provides a staff college fund. Both resorts employ strict snorkelling and diving guidelines for their staff and guests, are actively involved in marine clean-ups and mooring programmes and are supporters or the North Sulawesi Watersports Association and other environmental groups. Each of the Murex Resorts encourage their guests to join in the clean-up activities and actively promote and support global projects such as Earth Day. They work with local conservation groups and villages - ones they know from experience - and promote and encourage guests to visit and learn about these projects. The company also has a responsible tourism statement that is presented to its guests as part of an initial briefing.
Diving
Diving in Bangka and Gangga Islands
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Schooling reef fishYear round
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Giant frogfishYear round
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Rare OctopusYear round
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Exotic NudisYear round
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Pygmy seahorseYear round
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Soft coralsYear round
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DugongYear round