You’re hit immediately by the heat, the smell; that feisty, steamy funk that southeast Asian arrivals throw at you in varying degrees. Manado’s was not so different. Perhaps a little smokier…The airport is as daggy as can be – AW recalled Tirana airport circa 1995 – a blocky little collection of whitewashed structures, bristling with self-important and absurdly epauletted chaps either sideways-glancing or narrow-eying your psyche. Beyond that, there was not a whole lot going on. To be honest, we could’ve loaded our boogie-boards with 80 pounds of insert substance here and the absurdly epauletted chaps would’ve missed the lot. There was more joy in hassling the local commuters; packing vulturous scrums around their baggage, one cawing at the irate owner, the rest clawing through herbal teabags, assorted undergarments, charging cables and twelve-packs of Mie Goreng. Looking for…what? Don’t know. But we’ve arrived.

Our placard-waving driver awaited, with our chariot, and within moments we were scything through the traffic towards our destination – Coral Eye, Bangka Island.The drive was very interesting. The Christian northern province of Sulawesi throws up surprises at every turn, often in the shape of a church. A peculiarly constructed church. A surreal church. A neglected church. A church in a state of disrepair. An ugly church. An architecturally compromised church. Some churches all of the above. But everywhere, a church. Seemingly a church per 7 people. But the landscape, too, was spectacular. Verdant, yes, but dusty. As surreal and neglected as the aforementioned churches, but alive. Disorderly, hot, loud, smelly. Anathema to what we’d left behind.

We arrived at the spot where the outrigger would trundle us out to Bangka Island, and before too long we were on the water, and then on the pier, at Coral Eye.Coral Eye is owned and operated by an Italian couple – Iliana and Marco – and manned and womanned by locals. Its central building is designed with local materials and conditions in mind, meaning there is no need for air conditioning. It is a beautiful structure with a high, vaulted ceiling covering a central dining area and fanning out to cover balconies and rooms.

We spent our first day afternoon settling in, lounging about in hammocks, reading, getting in the groove.The next morning we awoke to perfect blue skies and the outrageously picturesque seascape.

We took to the lounges, again, with our books, again, and relaxed, again, some more. AW may have even had a world-first late-morning nap.

After lunch we took a hike across the island to Lihunu, one of only three settlements on Bangka. Not much goes on in Lihunu. Some lounging around in the shade, perhaps waiting for the next vessel to dock at the dusty pier. It might be some wait. We counted about ten churches; all for a town of barely 200 (at a guess). We attracted the attention of the local children, and fulfilled numerous requests for photos. After noodling around the mangroves we decided to hike back across the island’s steamy spine, lush with pineapples, bananas, cashews and, of course, the ever-present coconut palm. It was hot – once-in-five-year-can-of-Coke hot. Time-for-a-swim hot. Time to get the snorkels, masks and flippers.

Neither of us had ever really done this before. Nothing can you prepare you for the wonder we encountered. So as to avoid cliche, instead, look.

We awoke to another perfect morning, and went for another snorkel before readying ourselves for the next phase of our holiday; the farewell from Coral Eye all the better for knowing we will return.