Season Greetings from Bunaken

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

from 

Bunaken Cha Cha & Cha Cha Staff Members

Thanks, Kimberly & Michael!!

with lot of reason, so sorry for delay to introduce this video which edited by Kimberly and Michael!!!
It's so peaceful!
This is The Bunaken - "The Coral Beauty & Fish Paradise"!

Birthday present?!

Finally we got two cute rabbit as a birthday present from our long time friend Agnes.
umm...  cute. Brexy think it's her puppies or something, she is always checking them around.

Latest images of Manado Harbor.

Manado Harbor latest images.
Quite important gate way for people living far north island like Siau or Sangihe Islands.
They all come to Manado for shopping. 

Dolphins! on the way to go shopping in Manado.

Do you know about "Changi Transit Programme"??

This programme is still on (don't know when they started) at Changi airport.
we will introduce it for you, just in case if you did not know.

In Singapore airline web site in English, they wrote until 30Sep2017 which is until the end of this month, but web site in Japanese, it's written 31 August 2018.
we are not sure which one is the correct date, but it's worth to find out and get it if you can even after this month maybe...?!
-------------------------------------------
Changi Transit Programme
Enjoy a transit like no other

Enjoy a rewarding stop in Singapore between flights, with shopping dining and a host of services for your comfort and convenience.

From now to 30 September 2017, receive a Changi Dollar Voucher (CDV) valued from S$20 when you transit through Singapore.


The CDV is valid for use at all retail, food and service outlets in the transit and public areas of Singapore’s Changi Airport (exclusions apply), or can be redeemed for one-time access to the Ambassador Lounge at Terminals 2 or 3 for up to two hours. The Ambassador Lounge provides shower facilities (including basic toiletries), light refreshments, reading material and complimentary WiFi.

Passengers can also enjoy other special offers from the Ambassador Transit Lounge, such as:
Every subsequent one hour extension of lounge access at S$12 nett
10% discount for alcohol beverages and massage services
CDV can also be used for access to the gym, or as part payment for nap room and other existing lounge packages

Passengers eligible for S$40 CDV will receive two S$20 CDVs. The second S$20 CDV is valid for one-time use for to redeem Liquor, Perfumes or Cosmetics purchases only. This CDV can also be used at the services / spa area of the Shilla duplex store in the transit area of Terminal 3 and featured brands include Dior, SKII, Chanel and La Prairie.
-------------------------------------------

Detail: click this link read you to Singapore airline web site.
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/jp/plan-travel/privileges/changi-transit-programme/

Time flies...

A day of cleaning.

found a old silk air tickets attached with tax paper.
we used to pay 1Juta (like 75USD) tax each time when we go abroad from here, and needed to get a letter of permission to going out.

2008... wow.. this maybe for the first time F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

Time flies...

Manado Tua - Beautiful Coral Reef

Dive2017 BunakenChaCha

now feel like it's dry season...

Finally dry season started...?!!
Day time it's very hot these few days and no rain for 10 days....
remind me that fashion brand word in Japanese  "極度乾燥しなさい" 😆
The water visibility is super!!! the other day I saw like "40m down" from surface.

Bunaken Mangrove

Beautiful mangrove - it's in left side of Cha Cha if you look from the sea.
if you are interested to see different fish from Bunaken Wall, maybe you should try snorkelling in the mangrove as well.  maybe you can find Sphaeramia orbicularis (cardinal coral fish) or baby shark, baby green spotted stingray.  it is like a fish "kindergarten" in the shallow water.

Another kind of Lily bloomed in our garden

Manado harbor

 Lot of small wooden "Speed boat" in Manado harbor right next to fish market. 

it's looks chaotic but it's a important gateway for people who coming from far north islands to do shopping in Manado.

made me cry.....

one morning, me and guests left Cha Cha to go diving in the morning, then I realised some movement  at upper villa.

Oh!!!! our guests Angela waving to us!!!! 

Thank you, Angela, and all bond girls!! it was great fun to see you all happy smiles and hear your voices.

she waved to us until we could not see each other.. 

This made me tears. 

Thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️

Guests and owners's A day in Cha Cha

who is the dugong???

and me with wine glass.... ummm... they know me too well. 

Dugong Sign in tea cup.

our guest said this tea sign looks like "Dugong" (sea cow) .

 Yes, it is!!  Cute!! 

Have u ever heard a flower call "Fireball Lily"??

It took almost an hour to find the name of this flower in the internet after I realised no information about this one in my  "Tropical Garden Plants" book.

it looks very similar to "Melaleuca citrina" ("Bottlebrush tree" in Japanese) but this one is not a tree, but the stalk look like lily I was wondering and my guess was correct and called "Fireball Lily".
in Wikipedia they call "Scadoxus" (blood lily)", family of Amaryllis.  It's lovely flower - big round ball shape blooming few of them in Cha Cha garden at moment.

Shallow under water view

Maybe just make somebody envy if they can not go dive/snorkel right now.....???

According to the local tradition

one of our family (Miyauko's great great g......g......  grandchildren)

Cats team - they have a daily job in Cha Cha. If you hear a noise from roof top, that is them doing their job to make sure no other animals coming in.  However the noise become too much occasionally   it's like having a "Cats Olympic" in the roof top.
if that's the case, then Cha Cha staff will sprinkle "chili and red onion mixed water" around the roof so no cats team running like crazy or too excited and disturb our guests.

little bit strange, it's works though...

still rainy season??!!

very strange weather nowadays.

usually rainy season is already finished by now, but this week we had rain every day.

Two Mantaray in Cha2 point.

Swiss guest saw TWO "Manta ray" in Cha Cha 2 point!!!

I saw "Manta ray" in front of Cha Cha snorkelling, and also diving, but here around Bunaken, normally you can see "Eagle ray" but "Manta ray" is very rare.

again, very lucky guest!!

Dugong in front of Cha Cha

Umm.. Full moon power...?!  Lucky guests saw Dugong for two days!!!
one is this one in front of Cha Cha. and Yesterday in Fukui, they saw a Mom Dugong with her baby on her top, guests saw twice in one point. Wow!!!

Have a look this link when you are upset....

 Even if you do not like animals so much,  this might make you smile I think.

"Videos to watch when you are upset"
https://twitter.com/kokoromidaregif

Thank you, Guests!! from children at Alung Banua Village.

Our guests brought stationary and medical bandage for school children.

so this time we provide them to a school in Alung Banua Village in Bunaken Island.

Thank you very much!!

wonderful color at Sunrise this morming.

The pastel color gradation of the sky was amazing this morning.

Hello again!! in Forbes Magazine.

we got "Forbes Asia" magazine from friend.

While turning pages, it's nice to recognise one of our guest face. 

Happy Smile!!!

The leader of this swimming club is Ms.Teruko Onuki(the 4th person from the right in the back)
She is the first Japanese Dover channel swimmer (she has made 2 solo channel swims).

List of the successful "English Channel Japanese Swimers"
https://www.dover.uk.com/channel-swimming/swims/all/japan/csa

https://www.dover.uk.com/channel-swimming/swimmers/teruko-onuki

TTIV (typical tropical island view)

Backyard of Cha Cha. 

Typical tropical island view

Birthday and Wedding anniversary!

Congratulation!! 

16Apr2017Tiwoho&Cha2

This was just the other day.

had quite good visibility in Tiwoho and Cha Cha 2 point.

In the middle of the movie, there is a fish who got gray color head and red body, this one must be one of the version of  Firetail Dottyback, Labracinus cyclophthalmus (Müller & Troschel 1849) I guess.

I've seen similar one many years ago but just very quickly on the reef at Timor point, but not sure if it's same one or not.
In more than 20 years of diving here, this maybe the second time I saw this one. normally they are hiding deep inside coral thus does not come out at all.   wow.. very very rare fish!!!
I could not go any closer because they are very shy, but you can see at least it's swimming! Amazing.. never seen them swimming before.

Enjoy!

Bunaken Cha Cha April 2017 Diving

Beautiful diving video from James.



Thank you!!!

Life goes on.

This morming, we had news from staff that our youngest dog "Brexy" gave birth to some puppies last night.
Brexy herself is still too young to have puppies though.. (she was born last year on "Brexit Day")

**********************************

from a death, new life start again...

only a week ago, we lost our oldest family(dog) and great grandmother "Chin chan" .
She was really great mother of all doggies we got now.

we hope she was released from all pain and running around with joy again with her younger brother Gonzo together in beautiful place.

Thank you, Chin chan, we never forget many wonderful memories of many years (
almost 13 years) with you.

and

Thank you to all friends and guests who gave her lot of love and support.

Amazing rainbow at moment.

It's beautiful rainbow at moment.

Manado Tua Diving - Bunaken Cha Cha

Manado Tua

both sea fan - almost 2m hight