Happy Gecko Dive Resort

Relaxing, nice hotel with a beautiful view”

We stayed (2 travellers from Germany) 5 nights at the Cicak Senang Resort (Happy Gecko), it was super nice and the staff was friendly and helpful. It was also very easy to book a boat for a snorkeling or diving trip and the had good tips for little walks around the island. The room was simple, but nice and clean and had an awesome views. We enjoyed our stay very much! And host Willeke is a very friendly lady;-)

I Left My Heart at the Happy Gecko!”

What an incredible entry to the wonders of Sulawesi! Willeke and her beautiful family of staff made my stay so welcoming and relaxing. The diving and snorkeling are WORLD CLASS amazing!!! The first night we were there, we watched a Volcano explode lava a kilometer into the air 40 miles away over the sea!!! The room was pretty and comfortable, with a lovely sunset view from the deck. The food was simple and good, and I felt right at home. I have told every traveler I met in the last 5 weeks in Sulawesi to definitely NOT miss Cicak Senang (which means Happy Gecko in Bahasa Indonesia). Willeke is a beautiful woman with a heart of gold. It was a pleasure to enjoy her hospitality during our 5 day stay. Happy!!!!

Ocean Treat”

Anyone looking for luxury should turn the page, this is not the place, it’s simple living. Having said that, I would happily go back there. The place has 5 wooden chalets each with a nice balcony, they are kept clean and comfortable, but no a/c, no TV, no hot water, there is a ceiling fan but during our stay the island only had electricity half the time. The Cicak Senang restaurant / bar is open on 3 sides, with a lookout over the mangroves and ocean, which laps at the hotel steps. Underneath is the dive shop, with the Cicak dive boat moored outside. Food was great, you need full board as there are no other restaurants, at dinner you can watch the sunset with a bintang. Too much trash gets washed up on the island, during our stay this beach was no worse than others we went to. Wifi in reception area (when electricity on). Staff and the Dutch owner were all incredibly nice and helpful. Great diving, great stay.

Comfortable, clean, friendly and lovely views.”

I stayed here for two nights in June and had a wonderful time. Three meals are included per day and the quality is excellent: varied, plentiful quantities. I'm vegetarian and my dietary requests were met with nothing but smiles. The bungalows are perched on a hill heading down towards the water. he balcony had a gorgeous view for the sunset, and at night the hum of cicadas was all I heard - very peaceful. The rooms are comfortable, and the spacious bungalows felt very homely. The resort is also located just along from one of the local villages, and the path across the island allows you to access some beautiful rural scenery. A delightful stay at a place with friendly, honest owners and comfortable rooms at an excellent price. Highly recommended.

Great Service at family owned and run resort”

we spent the christmas break at cicak senang and had the resort to ourselves and another family with kids. we chose to make two dives of lekuan 1 & 3 and the dives were great with divemaster jimmy who managed to spot the pgymy seahorses that we were after. we also saw several turtles and a reef shark. plenty of pelagic fish as well. resort is small and intimate and perfect to get away from it all. owner willeke and her husband are always at hand to help with anything we needed.

INTERESTING EXPERIENCE”

The hotel is situated right in front of the beach. Guests can swim whenever they like. The rooms are quite tastefully furnished, as compared to some of the so-called resorts in BUNAKEN ISLAND. The meals are very basic and acceptable; thought the cooks try to change the menus daily. The hotel faces MANADO CITY, and gives quite a view at night when the MANADO CITY lights up. However, the rubbish from MANADO CITY are carried by the waves and whether it is high or low tides, RUBBISH ARE THERE AND EVERYWHERE!!! It is not a good dive site due to the RUBBISH and most of the coral are dead!!! There are more RUBBISH in the water than fishes!!! The owner speaks good English and tries hard to overcome RUBBISH PROBLEM, which is beyond her control!!!

Diving and Hammocking”

My 5 day stay here was perfect. Fantastic diving and snorkeling. Great hammock for chilling out after a morning or afternoon diving. Food was always fresh and plentiful. Back up generator for evening black outs. The owner / manager was always very accommodating and all staff were very helpful and friendly. Great dive guides as well. THANKS!

Bad value”

This is a very basic type of accommodation and that would be OK if the price was right. However, we paid more than for a 4-star hotel in Manado and that is just because of the location in Bunaken. The food was pretty bad for Indonesian standards - think Indonesian food minus the spices and the flavour. On top of that it was not enough to feel satisfied. For example, the breakfast consisted of one egg plus some toast and jam.

Great location for diving. Owner is very attentive”

It was a comfortable and nice stay, we were there solely to dive at Bunaken. Owner was very attentive and caring, and we had a nice stay at the bungalow.

Friendly, happy and chilled stay”

Fantastic stay with great service and a chilled time on the island. Great food, clean accommodation (basic but everything you need) and lovely people.

Great base for divers/back packers.Basic.”

It was relaxing.The owner is aware that the bathrooms need updating.The sheets on the bed were uncomfortable being poly/cotton- too sticky.Superb for diving.Great instructor/guide in house.Coffee/tea and water available all day.Very cold beer at night.Food cooked at night was delicious.Would definitely recommend if you want remote bolt hole for diving and chilling out.

Relaxing”

I really like the staff her..Run by a friendly Dutch lady & her local husband & his family they made me feel very welcome & I was sad to leave. My room led to a balcony with sea & garden views, & it was nice a quiet at night.

Quiet getaway”

We had a nice view of the sea from our balcony, the food was great and the owner & staff were really friendly. However, we were unlucky with the weather and it was very windy throughout our stay (especially at night). The bungalow was rustic but comfortable. Unfortunately, due to the stormy nights, we were not able to sleep well due to the loud rattling noise of the zinc roof. Last minus point, the toilet flush does not work well.

Friendly, warm hospitality”

Enjoyable, food could have been better,

lovely hotel”

A wonderful stay”

Hôtel non entretenu”

Hôtel non entretenu, sanitaires et douches dans un état lamentables, personnel quasi inexistant sauf la gérante qui essaye de faire de son mieux

Sejour très agréable et reposant”

Très bon sejour, trop court!, le personnel est très agréable, la nourriture est bonne, les plats changent à chaque repas. Rien a redire! Peut être juste le fait que le wifi ne fonctionne que très ponctuellement!

Netter Aufenthalt”

Sehr nette Besitzerin, gute Bungalows und Essen. Betonierte Strandpromenade nicht so schön, teilweise auch viel angespülter Müll. Aber insgesamt ein erfreulicher Aufenthalt!

Posto stupendo!”

Il resort si trova in una posizione unica. Siamo stati 4 notti, Wileke ci ha fornito informazioni preziose sull'isola. L'istruttore dive è molto professionale, ho apprezzato molto le immersioni notturne, Jimmy ama talmente il suo lavoro che ha trasmesso anche a noi il suo entusiasmo per le bellezze sottomarine davvero notevoli. Quando non facevamo le immersioni andavamo a scoprire la parte interna dell'isola, mi è piaciuto molto la spiaggia deserta che si trova sul lato opposto a 5 minuti di passeggiata e il punto panoramico da dove si vede il vulcano. Il villaggio di Bunaken si trova a 45 minuti di passeggiata. Non abbiamo mai trovato spazzatura, nè nelle immersioni, nè davanti al resort. È sufficiente una breve nuotata per fare dell'ottimo snorkelling! Assolutamente consiglio di organizzare la trasferta in barca da Manado, basta contattare Wileke. Ottimo Resort! Consiglio a tutti!