Coral Eye
Bangka Island, North Sulawesi — Indonesia
Coral Eye
Bangka Island, North Sulawesi
Boutique resort · $$
Villas + Rooms · Year-round
- Marine lab opened first in 2009, the resort followed to fund the science
- Co-founder of the No-Trash Triangle Initiative, five-island beach-waste recovery network
- Annual Reef Check field course where divers earn the EcoDiver certification
Welcome to Coral Eye
The accommodations line the shore, sited to almost disappear from the sea. Five categories: Beachfront Pool Villa (150 m² with a private 6×3 m pool, teak deck and open-air bathroom), Beach View and Garden View Villas (100 m² each, open-air bathroom), a Double Bedroom Garden Villa for families, and Superior Rooms on the first floor of the main building, some with sea views. All have air conditioning, ceiling fans and double-cavity walls for passive air circulation.
The kitchen pairs Indonesian and Italian-Mediterranean cooking with fish landed the same morning; rates come with breakfast, and full board (three meals plus an afternoon snack) can be added. The Beach Pavilion houses the restaurant, lounge bar and a 26-metre pool. The dive centre is PADI 5 Star: the house reef is reached for shore diving and snorkelling straight off the jetty, and 30+ sites are within 5 to 20 minutes by boat, with a maximum of four divers per guide. The marine lab hosts Reef Check Italia's annual field course, open to divers and marine biology students. Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear are included. Day trips to Bunaken Marine Park, Lembeh Strait and Biaro Island are available on request (minimum four divers, weather permitting).
Bangka Island sits off the north-east tip of Sulawesi, in the Coral Triangle, the world's most biodiverse marine ecosystem. The resort opens onto a 200-metre white-sand beach, with hard coral reefs, volcanic pinnacles, mangroves and dugong seagrass beds within 20 minutes by boat. The village of Lihunu is a short walk away.
Accommodation
Villas + Rooms
Capacity
2–4 guests per unit
Availability
Year-round
Price range
$$
Amenities
Pool · Spa · Restaurant · Wi-Fi
Included
Breakfast (full board available as an option) · Kayaks and paddleboards · Snorkelling gear · Guided forest treks and village visits · Airport transfer organised by the resort
Getting there
Boat transfer · 10 km
Likupang Harbour
30-minute private speedboat ride from Likupang to the resort jetty. Service runs 24/7 except before sunrise or after sunset in bad weather.
Airport · 50 km
Sam Ratulangi International Airport (MDC)
About 1 hour by private car from MDC to Likupang harbour. A driver from Coral Eye meets guests at the airport. A surcharge may apply, confirm with the reservations team.
Boat transfer · 40 km
Siladen Resort & Spa
Partner resort in Bunaken National Marine Park. A direct boat transfer between the two resorts can be arranged for guests who combine both stays.
Good to know
Rates come with breakfast; full board (three meals plus an afternoon snack) can be added.
Sister property: Siladen Resort & Spa in Bunaken National Marine Park, joint partnership since 2022.
Location
Why it's a Positive Escape
A boutique dive resort on a Coral Triangle island, founded by marine biologists who built the science before they opened the rooms.
Four marine biologists founded Coral Eye in 2009 as a research outpost on Bangka Island, off the north-east tip of Sulawesi. They opened the resort to guests in 2013 so tourism would fund the science. The marine lab still operates on site.
In 2022, Coral Eye entered a joint partnership with Siladen Resort & Spa in nearby Bunaken National Marine Park, and added the Beach Pavilion housing the restaurant, lounge bar and pool.
Sustainability in action
Wildlife
On-site marine research outpost
founded by four marine biologists in 2009. Research and monitoring only, no captivity
Reef Check Italia annual field course
co-hosts the Methods in Tropical Reef Monitoring course. Participants earn the EcoDiver certification from Reef Check Foundation
Community
No-Trash Triangle Initiative (co-founder, 2017)
Indonesian foundation since 2022. Coral Eye is the operational base on Bangka
School on the Beach (SOTB) Bangka
NTTI environmental education programme for Bangka children, operated from Coral Eye
Bangka Conservation Fund (co-founder)
coalition of Bangka dive resorts that helped stop illegal mining on the island
Local staff
women among the boat crew and dive guides, uncommon in the region
Food
Local single-line fishing
fish bought directly from Bangka fishermen, caught with single-hook lines that limit damage to marine habitats
Water
Rainwater collection
part of daily operations alongside waste management
Waste
NTTI sorting station on Bangka
70% of beach waste recovered as recyclables. Sent to Surabaya for recycling, Jakarta for co-processing
Lihunu household waste collection (NTTI, 2025)
launched late 2025 in the village adjacent to Coral Eye, building a 100% female-led team with CleanHub
North Sulawesi collection network
NTTI operates across five islands: Bangka, Gangga, Bunaken, Siladen and (from 2025) Lembeh
Regular beach cleanups
organised with guests and local volunteers
Materials & Construction
Architecture by Studio ARC.S Milano
conical leaf-covered roof and double-cavity walls for passive cooling. Sited at a respectful distance from the shore, almost invisible from the sea
Local artisans and craftsmen
interiors and dive boats handcrafted on site by local carpenters
Transparency
NTTI Annual Report 2025
public PDF from the No-Trash Triangle Initiative on waste-management impact
Travel mindfully
Remote location: about 1 hour by car from Manado airport then 30 minutes by private speedboat. Factor in the carbon footprint and plan a longer stay.
The villas have air conditioning, but ceiling fans and double-cavity walls handle most of the daytime heat. Use the AC sparingly.
Photos · © Coral Eye
Last verified: July 2026
