INDONESIA

ULTIMATE MANADO

Highlights of Sulawesi's Wildlife

A diver approaches an anemone with two Anemone fish (Image by Frogfish Photography)

MANADO

The Manado Region of Sulawesi, Indonesia, is world renowned for its stunning biodiversity of marine life.  

Home to creatures such as Frogfish, Pygmy Seahorses, Porcelain Crabs, Waspfish, nudibranchs and forests of coral and soft sponges, Manado has quickly become a heavenly place for underwater photography.   If you love all creatures weird and wonderful, the sheer variety of subjects in this region can leave underwater photographers mesmerized.

TANGKOKO NATURE RESERVE

While many people associate Sulawesi with fabulous underwater creatures, not many diving visitors to the region know that above water, Sulawesi has some of the richest soils in Indonesia.  Inland from the city of Manado, you will see a lot of the countryside utilized by agriculture with crops such as bananas, coconuts and papaya extensively grown.  

Eventually the fields give way to stunning rainforests as you drive into Tangkoko National Park.  Sitting on the flanks of Mount Dua Saudara, Tangkoko is one of the last known refuges for the world’s smallest monkey, the Spectral Tarsier.  It is also inhabited by Black-faced Macaques and a broad variety of bird species.

FROGFISH PHOTOGRAPHY

The Ultimate Manado trip will be guided by prominent photographers Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown of Frogfish Photography and it will encapsulate this region’s highlights both above and below the water.

Nick and Caroline met whilst studying Environmental Biology at Manchester University. While Nick went on to become a teacher, Caroline got her MSc in Animal Behaviour. They have worked as dive instructors abroad and in the UK, before they focused on their passion - underwater photography. Nick and Caroline now run Frogfish Photography, based in Manchester, offering tuition, commissions, equipment sales and advice and running trips all around the world. The trips are specially designed to suit underwater photographers of all levels, with workshops and practical sessions to help improve the images you will take home.

Nick has been shortlisted for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 and also won the BSoUP / Diver Advanced Overseas competition with his image of dolphins attacking a bait ball in South Africa. Further accolades include a ‘Highly Commended’ in the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011.  In 2013 Caroline won the British category of the BSoUP/Diver competition and Nick won the Shark Trust British category.

Caroline has a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Animal Behaviour and writes a monthly column in Sport Diver magazine on some aspect of marine life behaviour.

In December 2013 Nick published an extensive manual called Underwater Photography Art and Techniques giving readers an easy to follow step-by-step guide to get the best from their imagery.  The tuition in this comprehensive book forms the basis of Nick and Caroline’s classes and is rapidly becoming a benchmark in the study of underwater photography.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

Based at the friendly waterfront resort of Thalassa, just a short drive from Manado, the underwater workshop will be run over ten days and include lessons on the following:

• Photographing weird critters - how to get the best out of a day trip to Lembeh (the night before a Lembeh trip)
• Wide Angle Reefs and model divers
• Getting your lighting right
• Macro photography - using your camera settings to get a WOW macro shot

Over 10 nights and 19 dives in the Manado region with a day excursion to the stunning coral reefs of Bangka. 

Thalassa is an IDC PADI 5 Star resort that is small and is ideally suited to underwater photography groups given its central proximity to some of the region’s best diving.

The extension into Tangkoko will be for 3 nights.

OUTLINE ITINERARY:

Saturday 5 September – Arrive in Manado and Transfer to Thalassa Dive Resort

Sunday 6 September to Tuesday 15 September – Up to 19 dives in the region around Thalassa including a 1 day excursion to the Bunaken Marine Park at Bangka, northern Sulawesi.

Tuesday 15 September – Extension to Tangkoko will commence with a pick up from Thalassa.

Friday 18 September – Depart Manado.

HOLIDAY COMBINATIONS, STOP-OVERS AND ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS: 

Whilst on the island of Sulawesi, why not add on a stay near the Bunaken marine park to really experience the best of this diving paradise? Alternatively, flights between Manado and Denpasar, Bali operate frequently so a stay in Bali is also an option!

PROVISIONAL PRICE

Price: £1051/US$1596/€1338

Single Room Supplement

Price: £165/US$250/€210

Deposit: £300/US$500/€300 (for the Manado arrangements)

Includes:

• 10 nights accommodation in a Seaview Bungalow on a twin share basis
• Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
• Return airport transfers
• Up to 19 dives on air
• Single day excursion to Bangka
• Services of Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown as leaders.

Not included in the price:

A Bunaken Marine Park fee (currently USD$17 but subject to change)

TANGKOKO EXTENSION

• 3 nights accommodation in a local home stay 
• Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
• Services of an English speaking guide
• Transfer from Thalassa at the start of the extension and to Manado airport at the end.
• All transport in airconditioned vehicles
• A field guide to Tangkoko
• Park fees
• Ranger fees

Price: £243/US$369/€309

Single Room Supplement

Price: £62/US$94/€78

Deposit: £80/US$150/€80 (for the Tangkoko arrangements)

Not included in the price:

Photography permit for Tangkoko (currently 35,000 IDR or £2 per camera per entry)

Denise's Pygmy Seahorse (Image by Frogfish Photography)