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Saronde Island Dive Resort

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Perched in the heart of North Gorontalo, Saronde Island Dive Resort presents itself as a secret paradise. White sand beaches fringe the island, and the water barely stirs before giving way to a vibrant marine world. Here, visitors move at island pace, drifting between dives, paddling through calm sea lanes, and relaxing in villas designed for both serenity and adventure. Every moment on Saronde is a chance to disconnect from the daily rush and reconnect with nature, the ocean, and your own sense of wonder.

Saronde Island Dive Resort WEATHER

Saronde’s six beachfront villas sit steps from the shoreline, offering a private retreat with uninterrupted ocean views. Each villa includes air conditioning, a comfortable sleeping space, and a Balinese bathroom with a rain shower surrounded by natural greenery. A small minibar and a coffee/snack corner adds simple convenience to your stay. An ideal place to read and relax or watch the tide move in and out, every villa features its own private beach area complete with a patio, sunbeds, a dining table, and a cushioned daybed.

Set among tropical foliage, the Garden Villas offer a quiet escape with generous space arranged across two levels. The lower floor includes a wide deck with a desk and a cozy daybed, perfect for enjoying the breeze or easing into the morning with a cup of coffee. The upper level features a king-size bed positioned to take in peaceful views of the garden and distant ocean, along with a private balcony for unwinding outdoors. Each villa also includes an open, Balinese bathroom with a rain shower, creating a refreshing, natural experience throughout your stay.

Adventure Awaits: Marine life around Saronde is among the richest in Sulawesi, and the resort’s dive center is staffed by seasoned PADI instructors who guide explorations of North Gorontalo’s best dive sites. Nearby, coral reefs are thick with hard and soft coral, dramatic walls, and sea grass slopes. From the resort, your dives may take you to sites around Mohinggito, the Bogisa Islands, or down sandy slopes filled with elusive critters. For macro fans, Saronde offers a “Critter Hunt” dive trip, with the chance to spot hairy frogfish, ambon scorpionfish, and spotted nudibranchs. Photographers will love the lush reef life and gentle environment. Diving boats are well equipped with 12L and 15L tanks, freshwater rinse tanks, and emergency gear. Up to four boat dives are offered each day, including night dives when you want to see the reef transform under torchlight.

Discover More: Island Life & Local Culture - In addition to diving, kayaks are available for guests to smoothly paddle around the island’s coastline, taking in hidden coves and quiet bays. For those drawn to land adventures, guided island-hopping trips take you across the nearby archipelago. Cultural tours lead you into Gorontalo’s villages, where you can meet local residents, learn about traditional crafts, and explore scenic waterfalls. For an introduction to local fare, you can join a cooking class after procuring regional ingredients in local markets to prepare traditional Gorontalese dishes under the guidance of the resort’s chef.

Dining with Ocean Views - Dining at Saronde is a delightfully calming experience, as the open air restaurant overlooks the beach, offering relaxed settings as the sun warms the sand. Menus here feature a mix of Indonesian classics and Western favorites, crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Breakfast brings fresh tropical fruit and strong coffee, while lunch and dinner offer both shared plates and buffet-style options. Evenings can be spent laid back or social, with options to sip cocktails while enjoying live music, or gazing at the endless night sky as stars emerge. The bar serves everything from Indonesian coffee to refreshing local brews and wine, making every meal a moment to savor.

Wellness & Rejuvenation - Though the spa at Saronde is modest in size, its impact is anything but small. Well trained therapists bring treatments right to your villa’s terrace for those preferring private relaxation. Indulge in traditional massages or wellness therapies while surrounded by gentle sea breezes and soft views of palm leaves. Yoga sessions are offered periodically, as well, timed to match sunrise or sunset when the light is gentle and the air is still. Whether you are stretching out after a dive or quietly reflecting before dinner, the wellness experiences balance the spirit of exploration with deep moments of calm.

Saronde Island Dive Resort is a rare blend of luxury, adventure, and soul. The villas feel intimate and secluded, and the reef is wild yet accessible. For travelers seeking a destination where time slows, the ocean invites, and memories are made beneath turquoise waves, Saronde Island is a place you’ll never forget.

Narrative text and photographs courtesy of Saronde Island Dive Resort.

Dive Conditions

Conditions can make or break your trip. Temperature, visibility and the current vary greatly across this expansive country. Be sure to check the conditions of each destination you’re planning to dive before you leave. Diving is excellent year-round, but the best time is from May to September. Monsoon season is from December to June. Visibility may not be as good during the monsoon, however, certain locations like the Komodo Islands are a diver’s dream during this time due to an influx of mantas.

Most of Indonesia can be dived year-round with March to October being the most popular time of year to dive. This period of time marks the dry season in most parts of the country, with the exception of some dive areas like Ambon and southern Raja Ampat where most rainfall occurs in May/June to October/September due to the southern monsoon. It's best to visit these areas in the months of November to April for optimal dive conditions.

Generally speaking, Indonesia's climate is almost entirely tropical, with May to September as the dry season, and October to April the rainy season, and with heavier rainfall from December through February. However, the opposite might be true for certain dive areas in Indonesia like Raja Ampat and Ambon, and the best time of year to visit Indonesia really depends on where you intend to stay in the country.

The water temperatures remain quite consistent through the country, hovering at 26°-29°C (82°- 85°F) year-round. Typically, you won't need anything more than a 3-5mm wetsuit, or even a skinsuit. However, the diving conditions and difficulty in Indonesia hugely vary, depending on where and when you dive in the country.

Ambon Bay, Maluku – world class muck diving. Critters that can be seen here include rhinopias, frogfish, ghost pipefish, lots of juvenile fish, stonefish, mandarin fish, nudibranchs, harlequin and coleman shrimps, wonderpus, mimic and flamboyant cuttlefish, and even the much-sought-after psychedelic frogfish.

Alor, East Nusa Tenggara – the hidden gem. This off-the-beaten-path dive destination offers a mix of both world-class wide-angle and macro sites. Pristine coral reefs, steep walls, sloping muck sites--the diving in Alor is really diverse and would please the most discerning diver and underwater photographer.

Banda Sea, Maluku – sea snakes and hammerheads. Most of the diving around the Banda Sea involves excellent wall dives, and great macro sites, but the biggest draw is probably the resident sea snakes at Manuk and Gunung Api islands.

Bali – wrecks and mola molas. Unique critters, fascinating wrecks, beautiful walls, colorful corals, excellent muck dives, huge schools of fish, pelagics--Bali has it all. Technical diving and freediving are also possible in Bali with a good number of reputable dive operations.

Derawan Islands, Borneo – manta rays and whalesharks. Derawan is a remote group of islands in East Kalimantan (East Borneo), and is home to one of the three jellyfish lakes known to men, with the other two located in Palau and Misool Island in Raja Ampat.

Komodo, East Nusa Tenggara – drift dives and world class reefs. Komodo National Park is a group of volcanic islands with over 5,700 giant lizards known as Komodo dragons. This UNESCO World Heritage Site also hosts a world-class scuba diving scene. Imagine drift dives with colorful corals in various formations teeming with marine life, big and small. Divers can see big schools of fish pretty much year-round, as well as eagle and manta rays.

Lembeh, North Sulawesi – muck diving capital. Known as the world's capital for muck diving, Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi offers second-to-none macro biodiversity. The number species that you can cross off your list within a week of diving Lembeh is staggering.

Manado and Bunaken, North Sulawesi – wall dives and reefs. Manado Bay offers a mix of great muck and reef sites, treating divers to unique critters like mimic octopus and flamboyant cuttlefish, as well as various seahorses, squid, nudibranchs, and frogfish.

Raja Ampat, West Papua – the holy grail of Indonesia. Alongside Kaimana Regency and Triton Bay in the south, and Cenderawasih Bay in the east, Raja Ampat archipelago makes up a massive area, collectively known as the Bird’s Head Seascape. Divers can visit the Raja Ampat area many times in their lifes and discover something new each time.

Wakatobi, South East Sulawesi – beautiful coral reefs. Wakatobi's reefs are extremely healthy and offer unique large coral formations, various sea fans, and sponges which are overflowing with marine life. The underwater topography is no less unique, featuring various walls, ridges, and overhangs. While it's not the place for large pelagics, eagle rays and reef sharks can typically be seen.