Aerial view of the Coral Eye jetty and boat over the turquoise house reef, Bangka Island, North Sulawesi

Coral Eye

Bangka Island, North Sulawesi · Indonesia

Availability

Year-round

Per unit

Villas + Rooms · 2–4 guests

Region

North Sulawesi

Price range

$$

Price range

$$

Per unit

2–4 guests

Type

Boutique resort

The 26-metre saltwater pool beside the Beach Pavilion, opening to the sea, Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Beach View Villa with a shaded veranda opening onto the beach at Coral Eye
White-sand beach fringed by trees along the Coral Eye shoreline, Bangka Island
Loungers on the white-sand beach under the trees at Coral Eye
Sun loungers under a thatched roof beside the pool at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
The PADI 5-Star dive centre at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Freediver in the clear water off Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Superior Room interior in the main building at Coral Eye
Superior Room with a sea view in the main building at Coral Eye
Beach View Villa terrace framed by a bamboo ceiling, facing the beach at Coral Eye
Interior of a Beach View Villa at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Beach View Villa open-air bathroom set against the garden at Coral Eye
Garden View Villa set among tropical planting at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Interior of a Garden View Villa at Coral Eye
Beachfront Pool Villa with its private plunge pool facing the sea at Coral Eye
Bedroom of a Beachfront Pool Villa at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Beachfront Pool Villa interior opening onto the deck at Coral Eye
Open-air bathroom of a Beachfront Pool Villa at Coral Eye
Superior Room detail in the main building at Coral Eye
Superior Room interior at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
The saltwater pool and Beach Pavilion at Coral Eye, seen from the deck
The Coral Eye beach and shoreline on Bangka Island
White-sand beach shaded by trees at Coral Eye
The open-kitchen restaurant in the Beach Pavilion at Coral Eye
Communal and private tables in the Coral Eye restaurant
Chef plating a dish in the open kitchen at Coral Eye
The spa pavilion set in the garden at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Fresh juice at the Beach Pavilion bar, Coral Eye
The lounge bar in the Beach Pavilion at Coral Eye
The library and lounge in the main building at Coral Eye
Kayaking in the calm water off Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Divers preparing on the boat at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
A Coral Eye dive boat built by local carpenters, Bangka Island
Dive boat heading out from Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Coral Eye dive boat on the water off Bangka Island
The shoreline and jetty at Coral Eye, Bangka Island
Golf course at nearby Casabaio, an excursion from Coral Eye
Aerial view of Coral Eye and its beach on Bangka Island at sunset

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
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Welcome to Coral Eye

Coral Eye began as a marine research outpost, and the marine lab still operates on site.

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.

The kitchen pairs Indonesian and Italian-Mediterranean cooking with fish landed the same morning. 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.

Marine researchSustainable architectureRainwater harvesting

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

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), which pairs well with Coral Eye on a single trip.

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.

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, reached by car then 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.

Getting there

Boat transfer · 30 min

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.

Photos · © Coral Eye

Last verified: July 2026

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