Bunaken Oasis is the first resort in the marine park to be awarded a permit under a new national permit scheme. This permit is only issued by Indonesian central government, and we were actually the first recipients in North Sulawesi. Oasis is proud to be a “Facilitator for Nature Tourism”. This scheme is designed to control new development and to ensure that only ecologically sound developments can take place.
Bunaken Oasis is committed to being an ethical eco resort, as showcased in the article written by Gill MacDonald and published in Ocean Geographic magazine and our position as finalist for the ‘Ocean Geographic Pristine SEE AWARD 2018‘ award.
ECO - Environment and Culture Oriented - Oasis are proud of our ECO credentials. We satisfy the majority of the necessary criteria to be an ECO-Resort and we are proud of the extensive infrastructure that we have installed to minimise any impact on our precious environment, and to enhance Bunaken and the wider Bunaken National Marine Park.
Water - Bunaken’s most precious commodity
Our infrastructure is designed around minimising environmental impact, we have two fresh water-makers and UV water treatment to ensure that all water within the resort is drinkable. Guests are given drinking flasks when they arrive, that can be re-filled in every cottage and all of our public areas - no need for single use plastic water bottles. Our fresh drinking water is tested monthly at an independent laboratory.
At the other end of the process, we have installed four Biofil waste treatment plants with grease traps and neutralising tanks to ensure that Oasis produces no waste other than ground water - which we also send to the laboratory for regular testing.
Recycling
Working in conjunction with BunakenCare, a locally bases NGO, where possible everything that can be recycled from Bunaken Oasis is sorted and sent to recycling centres on the mainland. This includes plastic, bottles and tin cans. Our food waste from the kitchen is distributed as animal feed to local pig owners.
Staff
Where possible, all of our staff are from Bunaken or the other local islands. Our specially-built staff village houses fewer than 40% of our total staff, with the remaining “commuting” from the local villages.
Oasis supports career advancement paths for any staff wishing to progress. Whether helping with additional languages, or providing training, we encourage our staff to move forwards within the staff organisation.
All permanent staff and direct family members are covered by our private health insurance.
Oasis guarantee that ALL staff are paid at least the government minimum wage.
Our garden
Over half of the land owned by Bunaken Oasis is either left as rain-forest or houses our fruit and vegetable garden. The organic produce grown in our garden is supplied fresh to both our restaurant and the staff canteen.
Exploring the area
Oasis can provide a number of guest trips to explore beyond Bunaken Island. Whether visiting the rain forest, a local market or some towns and villages in nearby islands or the mainland, we encourage guests to learn more about the wonderful and colourful local environment.
Bunaken Oasis Ethical Projects
Oasis emphasises our commitment to our local communities through specific projects.
Our main projects are listed as follows:
Oasis provides free fresh water for use by the local community. This water is available from a 5,000 litre tank positioned outside the resort, that is continually fed from our internal water tank.
Oasis assists the local primary school with building maintenance and furniture made in our onsite carpentry workshop
Oasis offers work placement training to senior pupils from the high school.
Oasis heavily supports BunakenCare, a local NGO providing materials and manpower for ongoing projects around the island, including, path repairs, beach cleaning and plastics management, sorting and recycling.
In recognition of their substantial contribution and effort towards building Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort, we were delighted to replace the church roof for the community of Bualo village on Manado Tua.
Oasis has an ongoing mangrove planting scheme. At one time, the majority of the island would have been protected by mangroves, many of which have been removed. The mangroves provide valuable protection against adverse weather or strong tides, and in turn, being a rare species of mangrove, the remaining population is protected. Oasis grows saplings in a protected area near the beach and guests are invited to transplant young trees when they are ready to the beach area in front of the resort.
Oasis are regularly offered turtle eggs or hatchlings. We have released sufficient young or rehabilitated turtles back onto the reef to now warrant building a specially designed turtle hatchery. Guests will be invited to visit this small facility and, where possible, may even be lucky enough to release a turtle.
Oasis Dive Guide Training Program. From December 2017 to March 2018, Oasis offered dive guide training to a number of young adults put forward for the scheme by the elders and chiefs of the local villages. We were delighted that 10 new dive guides graduated through Oasis, completing all dive training up to PADI Rescue Diver and they are now eligible to work within the diving industry. This has been such a successful program that Oasis will offer it to other youngsters in the future.
University Scholarship
In 2017, Oasis launched a university scholarship scheme, funded personally by Simon and Elaine Wallace. Under this scholoarship, every contract worker at Oasis can put forward one of their direct family members or children to attend a government university (excluding law or medicine). The education costs are covered by the scholarship. This is a fund available to young men and women, and it is hoped that it will encourage younger family members to stay in higher education. The student must achieve and maintain sufficient grades during their time at university.