Budget resorts in Lembeh

My wife and I will be spending 5 days in Manado at the end of November and are interested in diving in Lembeh. As this is part of a larger trip we are keen to find an option that offers good diving but at a budget price. I've been researching possible options and there are a lot more resorts since we last visited. I'd be keen to hear of any positive (or negative) experiences at any of the following resorts: Bastianos, SDQ, Two Fish, NAD, Divers Lodge.

We also considering two resorts furher afield - Pulisan and Blue Bay Divers on Bangka. Has anyone visited either of these.

Thanks,

Richard

SDQ is pretty much not operating anymore.

I've heard good things about bastianos, two fish, NAD, and diver's lodge. I'd check the map, I think one of them is a bit further from the dive sites than the others.

I'd make sure I check with the resort on the guide to diver ratio, imho that's fairly important in lembeh. Also check prices on packages that include night dives each night, those are a must do!

hope this helps,

Scott

My wife and I had a great time at NAD Lembeh. The guides were fun and great spotters. Mike and Simon were great hosts and very knowledgeable if you have any photography related questions. The food was terrific.

We also went to Pulisan. The diving up there is unique and worth seeing, but the resort is very sparse compared to Lembeh. The property is very beautiful but don't expect the same level of guides, service, and food you receive in Lembeh. The area is more remote and the things cell phone service requires a hike up a hill and electricity is only available certain hours. We ended up leaving with bad feelings about the way they handled the bill. They didn't give us the rate they quoted us by email and they added other fees at checkout. But I think it was driven by mis-communication, not ill intent. We didn't like our room there, but I think they do have some nicer rooms that were fully booked already.

Spent a few days at divers lodge a few years ago and i have nothing but good things to say. Clean and large accommodation. Good food and pleasant service.

Hi Richard, My husband and I have dived Lembeh straits for over 15 years. The last time we were there we stayed at Divers Lodge Lembeh. The accommodations are clean, spacious and very nice. The

food was good and I hear they have expanded their menu this last year. The prices are very afforable and well worth the price. The best thing is their diving. We opted for their unlimited diving

which includes your own boat, guide and crew. That was wonderful. With just my husband and I we went wherever and when ever we wanted. Sometimes the same place two days in a row. Our guide was the best we

have ever had in Indonesia and we have dived with some of the greats. He was able to find everything we wanted to see that trip except a hairy octopus. We saw Harlequin Shrimp, every other octopuss

that lives there, mimic, blue ringed, blue spot, ect... frog fish galore, sea horses of every description. Here are a few of my pictures I took while there:

http://www.blackstone-aviaries.com/kasawari/cindyspics.html

They take very good care of you there and this is where we will stay when we go back.

http://www.diverslodgelembeh.com/

C.J.

Thanks for the info folks - it's just the sort of thing I was looking for. CJ how did you find the location of Divers Lodge Lembeh - was the distance for the main sites an issue? Did you get to dive the sites on the ocean side of the island?

Thanks,

Richard

Another +1 for Diver's Lodge Lembeh. I stayed there with 3 friends for a week earlier this year and we all really enjoyed it. Rob, who runs it along with his wife, is a friendly and funny character - and quite laid-back, fairly typically for a Dutchman. They are located further away from the dive sites than most resorts but we never found this be a problem - the trip back through the main port was quite interesting and provided a few photo opportunities. We had a boat to ourselves so we could pick and choose where we went (though we usually left it to the dive guides to decide), and we had 2 guides between the 4 of us which seemed ideal. All of our dives were in the channel.

There's some photos of the Lodge right at the tail-end of my Flickr set for the trip.

I should add that this was our first time to Lembeh so i don't know how DLL compares to other resorts.

jon

Hi Richard,

We did not dive on the ocean side because we chose not to. It was not an issue going to any of the dive sites. Their boats are very comfortable. With the unlimited diving we stayed out on the boat. They make lunch for us and then bring it with us. After a couple of dives in the morning we would tie up and take a nap or look at picture we took with the camera. Other times we would pull up to one of the other dive operations (KBR, Lembeh Resort and Kasawari) and visit with friends and dive guides we know. They will take you anywhere you want to go just about.

C.J.

Thanks for the info folks - it's just the sort of thing I was looking for. CJ how did you find the location of Divers Lodge Lembeh - was the distance for the main sites an issue? Did you get to dive the sites on the ocean side of the island?

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

I'd like to also weigh in positively for DLL. I was there (solo) last November and had my own private boat. Very inexpensive, and you absolutely cannot beat having your own boat, dive guide, and freedom to tell them exactly what you are interested in. Highly recommended!

Distance to dive sites was not an issue at all.

If I was traveling with my non-diver wife, I might opt for something with a bit more amenities. Flushing the toilet at DLL amounts to you pouring a bucket of water into the bowl. But if you are in the water, looking for critters, and don't want to contend with over photographers, DLL is fantastic.

David Bearden

Austin, TX

The idea of having your own boat and guide sounds very appealing - it would be nice to see more operators offer this at locations around the world where it is practical.

We offer this at KBR......