Accommodations
Hotels are located in Gorontalo City, an hour ride from the Gorontalo's Jalaluddin Airport. Transfers are included in the packages offered by Miguel's Diving. There are a few types of accommodations: budget, business and star-rated hotel.
Yulia Hotel (business)
Yulia Hotel is a long favorite of local business travelers. Located on a main street, it is built around a central outdoor courtyard. Rooms have double or twin beds, a/c, hot water shower, international cable TV and minibar. Breakfast is served in the hotel's dining area. Free WIFI is available in the lobby.
Quality Hotel
The star-rated Quality Hotel is ranked the best hotel in Gorontalo, according to Trip Advisor (2013). Various types of rooms are available. Most divers request Superior rooms which have double or twin beds, a/c, hot water shower, international cable TV and minibar. Junior suites are available as well as Deluxe rooms with a connecting door between for families. In the basement is the hotel's pub, which features live music. An excellent breakfast buffet is available in the hotel's dining area. Free WIFI is available.
We can arrange very inexpensive accommodation upon request.
Dining Options
Gorontalo City is easily navigated and has numerous local restaurants. Fresh seafood is inexpensive and delicious. For those longing for something western, Magic Pan Pizzeria opened in 2012 in a beautifully renovated Dutch-area house. It is a short walk from Yulia and Quality hotels. Hypermart opened in 2012 and offers imported foods. Divers are given a map of Gorontalo City, which includes our recommendations for food. On three-dive days lunch is served on board.
Typical Diving Schedule
For divers, departure from the hotel is about 0730. Return is between 1500 and 1600 hrs on three-dive days. The dock is about 10 minutes from any of the hotels.
During the short drive to the dock, divers pass through the center of Gorontalo City, a friendly Sulawesi town that feels more like a village. Its streets are swept clean every morning. Divers board a speedboat custom-built for diving where their equipment is already set up and waiting. Within fifteen minutes is a cluster of seven dives sites, featuring two wrecks, coral walls, muck, slope with pinnacles and coral steps. Other dive sites feature overhangs and caverns. Over 30 varied dive sites are currently offered, depending on diver interest and ocean conditions. The farthest site is one hour away. Dive staff set up and wash your scuba equipment every day.
