• Photo by Rantje Allen

  • Photo by William Tan

  • Photo by Rantje Allen

  • Photo by William Tan

  • Photo by Rantje Allen

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Category Archives: News

QRIS now available at Miguel’s Diving

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QRIS is now available for our divers. Guests can enjoy faster and easier payments using Indonesia’s national QR-code standard.

QRIS, Indonesia’s Payment System

QRIS stands for Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard. It is a national payment system regulated by Bank Indonesia. With QRIS, guests can make cashless payments by scanning a single QR code using their preferred Indonesian digital wallet or banking app. All major apps in Indonesia support QRIS, including OVO, Dana, GoPay, ShopeePay, and mobile banking from BCA and other banks.

QRIS payment system
Our QRIS Code

QRIS has grown rapidly across Indonesia in recent years. Bank Indonesia reports that QRIS transaction volume jumped over 175% year-on-year. This reflects how widely locals and travelers now use this cashless option. The value of QRIS payments has also increased sharply. They reached more than Rp 300 trillion nationwide as of 2025. At the same time, the number of people using QRIS has expanded to over 50 million users. More than 30 million merchants across the country now accepting it. This strong national adoption is one reason Miguel’s Diving has added QRIS to our list of guest-friendly payment choices.

For our diving guests, this means there is no need to carry extra cash. Simply open your digital wallet, scan the QR code, and confirm the payment. The process is instant and secure.

A Convenient Option for Travelers

QRIS is especially helpful for domestic divers who already use digital wallets. For international guests, VISA and MasterCard remain available for larger payments. Many foreigners also prefer making a local rupiah transfer using Wise or BCA. Adding QRIS gives guests another fast and modern way to settle their dive arrangements.

QRIS offers two types of QR codes. Small shops often use a static code, while larger businesses use a dynamic code for each transaction. Miguel’s Diving uses a static code that best suits diving services, so guests can expect smooth and reliable payment processing.

Safe & Standardized

Because QRIS follows a national standard, the QR code at our dive center works across all supported apps. Each transaction is encrypted and must be confirmed inside the user’s own payment application. Even if the code is printed on a sign, it holds no personal information. This makes the system both simple and safe to use.

QRIS also reflects Indonesia’s move toward modern, cashless transactions. It is widely used throughout the country —from cafés and supermarkets to small shops and tourist services. By bringing QRIS into our dive center, we hope to make check-in and check-out more convenient for everyone.

Guest-Friendly Payment Choices

Guests of Miguel’s Diving now have four easy ways to make payments:

  • QRIS for instant cashless transactions
  • Cash rupiah for those who prefer traditional payment
  • Rupiah transfer using Wise or BCA
  • VISA / MasterCard for international card payments

This wide range of options lets divers choose the method that works best for them.

We hope this new QRIS option makes your time in Gorontalo even smoother. Whether you come for coral walls, marine life, or Salvador Dali sponges, we want every part of your visit—including payments—to be easy and enjoyable. To join one of our dive trips, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving. 

PADI Dive Master for 25 years

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PADI Dive Master recognition for 25 years has come to our senior staff. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors sent a certificate and a crystal statue to honor him.

PADI Dive Master Recognition

PADI dive master

PADI is the world’s longtime leader in scuba diving training. All the staff at Miguel’s Diving have received PADI training. The other four dive masters at our center are local people. They have been trained with high skill and strong commitment to safety and enjoyable dives.

At the recent dive show in Jakarta, some of our friends also received recognition from PADI. They are dive masters and instructors. PADI kindly sent our 25-year award directly to our dive center. This is something they also did five years ago, when our senior staff reached 20 years of active membership.

The Way the World Learns to Dive

PADI began in 1966. Today, it is the largest scuba diving training organization in the world. PADI has issued over 30 million certifications in more than 180 countries and territories. Its training programs are well-organized and follow international safety standards. Each course—from beginner to professional—helps divers build strong skills and confidence.

our dive master

PADI’s motto is “The Way the World Learns to Dive.” This shows its goal to make diving safe and available for people everywhere. PADI often updates its training materials to include the newest information and technology. That means dive professionals at Miguel’s Diving can offer a top-level and safe diving experience here in Gorontalo. Our long connection with PADI gives guests extra confidence when they dive with us.

Guest Appreciation

Our guests often praise the professionalism of the team at Miguel’s Diving. Many post reviews on Google and Trip Advisor. Divers who want to know more about us before booking can check those reviews first.

Receiving the 25-year recognition from PADI is a great honor. But even more special are the kind words from our guests. During this past dive season, several guests took photos of our dive team in action. Usually, it is our team who takes pictures of them! These photos show how we work and enjoy the ocean together.

To join one of our dive trips and meet our experienced team, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving. 

Kayak.com features Miguel’s Diving

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Kayak.com is a strategic player in the online travel market, processing billions of searches annually. Now, it’s information page on Gorontalo activities features Miguel’s Diving.

Gorontalo Travel Guide on Kayak.com

The booking platform Kayak.com is adding destination travel guides for its locations. Recently, they contacted Miguel’s Diving, asking for a photo and basic information helpful for dive travelers. We were happy to accommodate their request.

On their travel guide for Gorontalo, they provide information like population, weather, and hotel options. Now, that guide includes a photo of our dive boats moored along a deserted beach not far from our dive center.

kayak.com destination page

The Kayak travel group began in 2004 with only fourteen staff. Now there are over one thousand, operating seven international brands. Searches for flights, ground transportation, and travel packages are currently available in more than twenty languages. Additionally, in 2013 they acquired Booking Holding, a major travel player in online travel.

Flights to Gorontalo

We have added a link to Kayak.com to the Flights & Travel page on our website. Oftentimes, Indonesian domestic airlines do not accept foreign credit cards for flight bookings. Fortunately, the Kayak website will.

The ease of payment with credit card is only one advantage for flight bookings. For mysterious reasons, domestic carriers in Indonesia supply only limited options on their own websites. One example is the Lion Air website. Travelers wishing to fly from Denpasar, Bali (DPS) to Gorontalo (GTO) are not given complete options. The best flights are via Makassar (UPG). However, flights with that transit option do not appear on the Lion Air website! They are available with Kayak.com.

Gorontalo’s Airport

Our modern airport is located in the central valley of Gorontalo. Because this valley is ringed with mountains, the air approach usually circles over our dive center, above Gorontalo City, and onwards to Limboto Lake. The drive from the airport takes less than one hour.

For flights to Gorontalo, Kayak.com is a great option. For diving, make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving. 

Beach Clean Up 2023

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Beach Clean Up 2023 took place on this year’s International Whale Shark Day. That date was the twenty-seventh of August. The provincial government organized the event at Botubarani Village in Bone Bolango Regency. The location is about twenty minutes from the center of Gorontalo City.

Local Diving Community in Action

In additional to trash removal along the coastline, the government sponsored underwater activities. Over forty local divers participated. Miguel’s Diving staff of five dive masters composed one of the teams. Each team received a couple of used, large rice sacks to collect trash found underwater.

beach clean up 2023
Coral ready for transplantation

In addition , each team received broken corals found at adjacent sites along with ties. Team members tied the coral to a row of bicycles that have been part of an artificial reef. These bicycles sit in a sandy area between coral pinnacles.  

Beach Clean Up 2023

Gorontalo dive pioneer and Miguel’s Diving staff Rantje was asked to address the officials overseeing the event. In his remarks, he recounted how the beach clean up 2023 was the latest in an annual series. Year by year, the amount of trash found has decreased.

Looking at the ocean surface that day, he challenged official to see any floating plastic. There was none, even though Beach Clean Up 2023 had not started. This points to the growing awareness of locals to place trash in designed bins. Clearly, no one had thrown trash into the ocean recently.

Local media interviewed Mr. Aryanto Husain, Head of Gorontalo Provincial Tourism Department. He emphasized that this event “improves the attractiveness for both international and national visitors.”

Miguel's Diving staff
Miguel’s Diving staff in action

Additional Activities

In addition to trash pick up above and below the water, Beach Clean Up 2023 included an underwater photo competition. Photos taken served as documentation of the effort. Also, children enjoyed a coloring contest.

Best of all, ladies from Botubarani village had a special area where they sold local food. One favorite is yellow rice, wrapped in a banana leaf.

This year’s event occurred in late August, at the worst of wave season here. Diving season in Gorontalo is from November to April. So, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving. We have been keeping the underwater world here clean for your enjoyment!   

DXI2023 marks Miguel’s Diving return

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DXI2023 or DEEP EXTREME 2023 marks Miguel’s Diving return to Indonesia’s prestigious diving expo. Other adventure sports are also represented there.

Joint Promotion with Tourism Department

Gorontalo Provincial Tourism Department invited Miguel’s Diving to join its booth. We are most grateful for their support. The booth location was D10. Two of Miguel’s Diving staff attended DXI2023. They were Yunis Amu and Maman Abdullah. Other dive staff remained in Gorontalo to take guests diving.

As in many previous years, DEEP EXTREME Indonesia 2023 held its exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center. The dates were June 1 to 4. The expo combines scuba diving with extreme sports, such as rock climbing. It is now the largest expo of its kind in Southeast Asia. At DXI2023, Miguel’s Diving offered a discount dive packages exclusively to visitors to our booth.

our dive boats
Our custom-built dive boats

We also promoted our custom-built speed boats. The larger one holds a maximum of fourteen divers. It comes complete with a marine toilet. The smaller speed boat can hold eight divers, but we prefer to limit the capacity to six guests plus dive masters. Both boats provide canopies for complete coverage from the sun. We built both specifically for divers rather than renovate boats built for fishing. No one else offering diving in our area has the facilities that we have.

Friends Old & New

The Gorontalo booth for DXI2023 contained a variety of underwater photographs from Gorontalo. Gorontalo is a great place for underwater photos, whether wide angle or macro.

After taking a pause from diving since 2020, many divers wish to return to Gorontalo for our great diving. The Jakarta dive show was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends and to make new ones.

Mr. Fadel Muhammad vists

One visitor to our booth was our representative to parliament, Mr. Fadel Muhammad. He is Wakil Ketua MPR for the current period. He will be up for re-election in 2024.

If you could not meet us in person, please book your dive trip with us.

MIDE 2023 marks Miguel’s Diving return to Malaysia

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MIDE 2023, the Malaysia International Dive Expo, welcomed Miguel’s Diving back. This is our first reappearance at a regional dive expo since the pandemic.

Malaysia International Dive Expo MIDE 2023

The Malaysia International Dive Expo took place May 26 to 28, 2023. It is also called MIDE 2023. In the past, the event venue was Putra World Trade Centre or PWTC. However, the year the dive expo moved to Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC). The exact location was Level 2 Hall 6. The exhibition opened daily to the public at 10 a.m. It closed nightly at 7 p.m.

Miguel’s Diving @ Booth B1

MIDE 2023 marks the sixth appearance of Miguel’s Diving at this dive expo. Our booth was B1 and located at a strategic corner. The fascia board name was Miguel’s Diving Gorontalo. Our booth had a dramatic “Gorontalo: Hidden Paradise” layout. Our professional backdrops were designed by Ms. Galuh Riyadi of Jakarta. They featured underwater photo art by divers of Miguel’s Diving. These photographers come from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Since the world took a break from diving during the pandemic, the dive community longs for making contact again. What great fun is was to look for old dive buddies! We met ones from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Miguel’s Diving staff had a great time catching up with old friends and making many new ones.

MIDE 2023
Reuniting with dive buddies

Our promotion team included Mrs. Tan Peck Sim and her son Li Hung from Scuba Symphony. They are the owners of the largest underwater camera store in Malaysia. Peck Sim herself has dived many times in Gorontalo. Thanks to their help, we were able to distribute about 900 flyers.

Gorontalo for Malaysian Divers

Gorontalo is an excellent destination for Malaysian divers. Pristine dive destinations are often difficult to reach. Not so Gorontalo! Batik Air and Air Asia offers flights to Gorontalo via Jakarta. Also

, an option from KUL may be via Makassar (UPG). The connecting flight to Gorontalo lasts about one hour ten minutes. GTO is the airport code to reach Gorontalo. The drive from our airport to accommodation is about 50 minutes.

Gorontalo diving season is the opposite of most peninsular Malaysian destinations. Our season runs mid October to mid May. Officially it is November to April. No reason to cry during monsoon-lah. Come dive in Gorontalo! For many Malaysians food can be an issue. Food in Gorontalo is halal.

To arrange your dive trip to Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving. 

Twenty-year anniversary T-shirt

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Twenty-year anniversary souvenir T-shirts are now available for purchase. Miguel’s Diving opened in 2003. So, we celebrate our twentieth dive season in style.

The Early Years

After surveying the Gorontalo area for about two years, we decided to open diving. The dive sites we discovered were spectacular. Mr. Rantje, our pioneer staff, tells the story of his first dive from the shore. At the end of the dive, he encountered a pod of False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens). Large cetaceans remain part of the marine environment in Gorontalo. Last month in December 2022, staff spotted a male orca (Orcinus orca) surfacing twice while divers were below.

Twenty-year anniversary
2022 dive staff in new T-shirts

In the early years, Gorontalo lagged in development. It had recently become a separate province from North Sulawesi. That happened on 5 December 2000. Only an occasional flight from Manado was available by prop plane. Limited internet required dial-up. Cell phone towers were not yet built. Neither were any star-rated facilities. Surprisingly, the bentor had yet to be invented!  

Big Steps along the Way

In 2006 with funding from Gorontalo’s first Indonesian governor, Bapak Fadel Muhammad, Miguel’s Diving published the coffee table book Gorontalo: Hidden Paradise. There was also an Indonesian version called Gorontalo: Surga yang Tersembunyi. At that time, the dive center ordered its first custom-built speed boat.

In 2009, the company purchased the last remaining empty land on the Bone River. This location would provide a safe location to dock our boats. Also, it provided direct access to the ocean. During the following years, we would build the first floor of the dive center and a private dock. In 2012, a second-floor apartment was added. Miguel’s Diving added its large, second speed boat in the same year.  

tshirt
Back of 20th anniversary t-shirt

Over time

Twenty-year Anniversary

The fall of 2022 marks Miguel’s Diving twentieth dive season. Dive season in Gorontalo is from November to April. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we are still operating. Our great staff have maintained all our facilities. In fact, they renovated both speed boats for our twentieth season. Also, in celebration of our twenty-year anniversary, we have new souvenir T-shirts. These can be purchased directly at the dive center.

To celebrate our twentieth season, please make your reservations to dive with us at Miguel’s Diving.  

Indonesia Reopens to Foreign Tourists 2022

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Indonesia reopens to foreign tourists as of April 2022. Divers from 43 nations can now enter Indonesia without quarantine and purchase a visa on arrival.

Arrival Requirements in Light of the Pandemic

International divers must be fully vaccinated at least fourteen days prior to boarding their flight to Indonesia. Typically, full vaccination means two doses. Also, they must show a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours from their departure location. In addition , they must show proof of medical insurance. This must cover at least USD25,000 in COVID-19 related medical treatments. Each diver must install Indonesia’s Peduli Lindungi app on their smart phone.

Indonesia Reopens with Visa On Arrival

All divers must have a passport with more than six months validity to secure any type of visa.

Divers from 43 countries can now enter Indonesia and purchase a Visa On Arrival (VOA). Those from other nations must organize a B211A visa.

indonesia reopens to 43 countries
2022 List of VOA countries

All ASEAN country are on the VOA list. Other Asian countries are Japan

, the People’s Republic of China, South Korea, and Taiwan. From the Americas, the countries are Argentina , Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the USA. European countries are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Arabic countries are Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the UAE. Countries with Indian Ocean waters are India, the Seychelles, and South Africa. Australia and New Zealand complete the list, as Indonesia reopens.

The current Visa On Arrival validity is for thirty days. Divers purchase their VOA at a counter prior to Immigration control. The VOA costs IDR 500,000. Payments can be made using MasterCard or VISA. This visa can be extended for an additional thirty days with a second payment at immigration offices. This VOA is currently available at eight airports. These are located in Jakarta (CGK) , Surabaya (SUB), and Yogyakarta (YIA) on Java. Plus Makassar (UPG) and Manado (MDC) on Sulawesi. Medan (KNO) on Sumatra and Denpasar (DPS) on Bali. In addition, Indonesia reopens with VOA at eight sea ports and four land crossings.

Upon Arrival

As Indonesia reopens , divers need to anticipate several steps upon arrival. Be ready to show your Peduli Lindungi account on your phone to an officer. You will also scan the code provided in the PL app. Show your negative PCR test. Then someone with take your temperature. If it is 37.5 C or higher, a quarantine officer will give you a check-up. This includes a rapid antigen test. Let’s hope your temperature is normal!  

Before proceeding to Immigration, purchase your Visa On Arrival. After you retrieve your luggage, show a customs agent your PL app. Indonesia now provides an Electronic Custom Declaration form to be completed prior to arrival.

After those steps

As always with entry requirements, please check for current information. The information in this blog is correct to the best of our knowledge as of April , 2022. For diving in Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.  

Covid vaccination complete for Miguel’s Diving staff

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Covid vaccination is complete for all Miguel’s Diving staff. Our local dive masters completed both doses of Sinovac by mid-2021.

Ministry of Health Covid Vaccination Program

Covid vaccination for staff
Our staff display proof of vaccination

Organization for the covid vaccination program in Gorontalo was very professional. Health care workers registered residents according to national identity card. Results were sent to each person’s cell phone. This also provided proof of vaccination. After the first dosage , a reminder for the second dosage arrived to the registered cell phone number. After the second dosage, the Ministry of Health provided a vaccination certificate. This certificate can be printed as a card.

Covid vaccination helps protect the individual dive master from severe covid-19. It also provides confidence to our guests that our staff is protected to the extent possible.

Entry Requirements for Travelers

In order to enter Gorontalo, travelers must show a negative COVID-19 test result. This is in effect for arrivals by air, land, or sea at the time this blog was written. Also required is proof of covid vaccination. As a result, Miguel’s Diving does not ask to see a guest’s health records.

Olele vaccination program
Vaccination at Olele Village

Since entry requirements from the Indonesian government frequently change

, please check before leaving home. The information could have changed since we published this blog post. Garuda Indonesia provides a good summary of these requirements.

Additional Safety Measures

We at Miguel’s Diving take additional measures to lower the risk of transmitting the Covid-19 virus among guests and to our staff. In addition to new normal precautions

, we have special protocols designed for our divers. 

In general, health officials encourage handwashing with soap & water for at least 20 seconds. When social distancing of 1.5 meters is not possible

, we encourage people to wear a health mask. Also, avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. And please cough away from others and into the elbow.

We encourage divers to bring only necessary personal items on board. We are asked to check body temperature prior to leaving the dock. Also, please clean the dive mask with baby shampoo or cleaner rather than spit. Divers should clear sinuses in the ocean away from others and maintain social distancing when waiting to ascend the ladder.

In addition, Miguel’s Diving soaks each regulator and mask set for a minute in 22ml Clorox/L water. We provide a disposable health mask if guests forget to bring. After each trip, staff clean and disinfect our vehicle. In these ways, we follow protocol advised by PADI and DAN.

Guests of Miguel’s Diving can feel confident that we are doing our utmost to provide a healthy dive experience. So, please make dive reservations with us.

Jungle trekking in Gorontalo leads to hot spring caves

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Jungle trekking in Gorontalo is a great addition to a diving holiday. Any easy-to-access half day trip leads through primary jungle to caves formed by hot springs.

Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park

Gorontalo and North Sulawesi provinces contain a significant national park. Its new name is Bogani Nani Wartabone. Previously, its name was Dumoga Bone National Park. Nani Wartabone was a native Gorontalo freedom fighter. He led the successful resistance against the Imperial Japanese occupation during the Second World War. Visitors to the Gorontalo side of this park can visit a house museum dedicated to him.

The park comprises over 2,800 square kilometers. According to conservationists, this national park is the most important conservation area on Sulawesi. The park provides refuge for many of Sulawesi’s endemic species. A Maleo hatchery is located a couple hours’ hike into the park.

Caves and Hot Springs

Jungle trekking into Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park gives visitors access to two small caves. Seepage from underground hot springs formed both caves. These caves are in their natural state with no human development.

Sauna cave Gorontalo
Ceiling of the Sauna Cave

One tiny cave is called the Sauna cave. Only the slim and agile trekker can climb into it. Inside it indeed feels like a sauna, complete with steam and dripping hot water. Flow stones and dramatic stalactites grow from its ceiling. High on a cliff is the Fairy cave. Locals call it Goa Bidadari. Access to this cave requires scrambling up a steep and barren slope where mineral waters leach over the surface. Only fit and agile trekkers should attempt the brief ascent. They do so at their own risk without any recommendation from Miguel’s Diving. These caves are located in the Hungayono area.

Jungle Trekking to Waterfalls and the one River

jungle trekking to water fall
Newly-formed waterfall

Jungle trekking in the national park can lead to two waterfalls. One falls dropping one hundred meters is accessed via Lombongo Hot Springs. Another falls formed during the COVID-19 pandemic after an earthquake. This waterfall is in the Hungayono area near to the Maleo hatchery. Its waters descend into the Bone River , which flows through the national park. These two falls cannot be accessed on the same trip. So, those seeking jungle trekking to a waterfall must choose. Be warned that scalding hot, underground water pours into the Bone River.

Wildlife Sightings

Trekkers should be on the lookout for various wildlife. Officially , the national park has identified 125 bird species, 24 mammals, 23 amphibians and reptiles. Moreover, tree species number 289. Often, trekkers can see or hear the endemic Gorontalo macque (Macaca nigrescens). This is actually a different species from the Sulawesi macaque (Macaca nigra) found in North Sulawesi’s Tangkoko Reserve. Neither of these primates are monkeys because they lack tails.

Mostly likely, trekkers will glimpse endemic kingfishers. The Green-backed kingfisher (Actenoides monachus) sports a brilliant blue head and orange beak. They live only in north and central Sulawesi. Additionally, lucky visitors can see the Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx fallax), which is distinctly red and found only on Sulawesi.

Other Sulawesi endemic birds include the Grey-sided flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum) with its brilliant red breast or the Sulawesi scops owl (Otus manadensis). Watch for green parrots with red heads. These are endemic Sulawesi hanging parrots (Loriculus stigmatus). Other endemics include hornbills, woodpeckers, rails, goshawks, pigeons, other parrots.  

If you would like a jungle trek on a free day or after a short diving day, please let us know when you make dive reservations.

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