Question Indonesia itinerary August 2025

[Plutonist]

Don't overthink this. Chances are high that you will have a great time, unless something unforeseen happens (bad weather, guide you can't connect with, ear/respiratory tract infection) or perhaps you just don't like Indonesian diving and/or food. You wouldn't be the first.

I suggest you approach the whole thing without preconceptions and see what suits you. Even the people who racked up thousands of dives in Indonesia don't agree on what is good or not, so it's impossible to predict what you will like. Just be aware that four days might be short to judge a place. It's always a good idea to give every location a second chance.

Many people here think that Bunaken is boring after a few days, but I wasn't bored at all after more than a week of diving there as an absolute beginner. We had a cool guide with a slate, who would point out the various critters and write down their names. That knowledge helped me alot later in Raja Ampat.

I had the best (i.e. most nightmare inducing) night dive in Bunaken. Disclamer: I am not particularly fond of night dives. Never again seen such huge pencil urchins and decorator crabs and fields of yellow polyps(?), which would retract if shined on. I heard people rave about the night dives in Komodo, so I somewhat reluctantly did six of those recently and I found them very tame in comparison.

 

[cetacean]

Bangka has been consistently good through my 6 stays in various seasons, from Feb to September.
Sahaung is probably one of the sites I have dived the most in indonesia : it was always fantastic.
Not for nothing when Dr. Batuna was talking about Bangka and Sahaung, it seemed he had stars in his eyes.
So that's just not only my experience.
(FYI, probably the "less good" selection of dive sites in Bangka happened when I dived with Gangga island, although they probably had the best dive boats I have ever been on, lesser posh Murex Bangka had the best dive options. )

managers (btw completely different management style from Murex Manado or Murex Bangka resort), the number of divers on the boats where they mingled groups and individual divers, etc.

@Luko

I didn't respond for the original OP's benefit, but rather to provide some counter views to what you posted.

LR is both more comfortable than other resorts n Lembeh, with better food (not greasy when we were there), and the dive guides the 3 times I've been there were very good (easily as good as what we experienced at NAD last summer).

 

[pelan-pelan]

Excellent advice here in so many posts. Help the guides by saying (talk to the dive manager) what you are interested in seeing. Tell them what kind of dive you want. Tell them what your level of expertise is. Do you want to stay still while they search and call you, or do you want to share the search? Your comments may well influence which sites they go to, which dive guides you go with. Do you want help/advice with photography? Would you like a specialist advice on photography dive? Please give them feedback after the dive. If everything was perfect then identify the points - so that they know you are not just being "nice".

Get to know the crew, not just the dive guides. You will learn a lot from them. Sometimes you can order in local cakes - a box of those for the crew on the boat goes down a treat. It shows your thank you to them in terms of something specifically to make them smile.

By the way - Indonesian cakes (not the European versions) are joyous. The green is pandan flour which really is green.

 

[Lu Y]

Excellent advice here in so many posts. Help the guides by saying (talk to the dive manager) what you are interested in seeing. Tell them what kind of dive you want. Tell them what your level of expertise is. Do you want to stay still while they search and call you, or do you want to share the search? Your comments may well influence which sites they go to, which dive guides you go with. Do you want help/advice with photography? Would you like a specialist advice on photography dive? Please give them feedback after the dive. If everything was perfect then identify the points - so that they know you are not just being "nice".

Get to know the crew, not just the dive guides. You will learn a lot from them. Sometimes you can order in local cakes - a box of those for the crew on the boat goes down a treat. It shows your thank you to them in terms of something specifically to make them smile.

By the way - Indonesian cakes (not the European versions) are joyous. The green is pandan flour which really is green.

Hi Pelan-pelan,

Thanks for the additional advice, very helpful!

They have allocated Opo K and Billy as guides. Do you think it's worth emailing the info you mentioned in advance, or we just discuss with the guides upon arrival?

Good idea on the local cakes, I also like pandan cakes a lot. Did you just ask LR / Murex Bangka to order these cakes for you?

 

[pelan-pelan]

Hi Pelan-pelan,

Thanks for the additional advice, very helpful!

They have allocated Opo K and Billy as guides. Do you think it's worth emailing the info you mentioned in advance, or we just discuss with the guides upon arrival?

Good idea on the local cakes, I also like pandan cakes a lot. Did you just ask LR / Murex Bangka to order these cakes for you?

I do think it is a good idea to email in advance, we have found it useful. It helps them schedule their dive sites/dive guides and helps them to meet your needs. Then when they greet you there is information already in place. And it's a friendly thing to do.

We have stayed in various places and when the time is right we have a quiet word with the manager to see if there are some local cakes available. In one place the chef at the resort made some.

 

[Lu Y]

I do think it is a good idea to email in advance, we have found it useful. It helps them schedule their dive sites/dive guides and helps them to meet your needs. Then when they greet you there is information already in place. And it's a friendly thing to do.

We have stayed in various places and when the time is right we have a quiet word with the manager to see if there are some local cakes available. In one place the chef at the resort made some.

thanks for the intel, much appreciated!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hi Luko,

In an ideal world we would like to combine upscale resort (no need for Aman standard luxury) with very good dive flexibility and guides, hence I am taking the private boat and private guide option.

Do you know any particular guides at LR and Murex Bangka & Siladen that I should request in advance? Or the ones I should avoid?

If Joe is still at Lembeh Resort, see if you can get him. Tall slim fellow.

My favorite guide at Murex Bangka, has moved on to Padang Bai, Bali (as noted by Luko). Another guide I enjoyed, a younger fellow, is now out of Bastianos Bangka.

I haven't been to Murex Bangka since the new units were finished. Prior to that, I had enjoyed staying in the end unit of the duplex furthest from the restaurant.

My ideal N Sulawesi trip is skip Bunaken, then Bangka Bangka Bangka, finished off with 2 diving days at LR.

The last few years, I've spent the majority of my time in Padang Bai with some Raja Ampat lob thrown in.

 

[Lu Y]

If Joe is still at Lembeh Resort, see if you can get him. Tall slim fellow.

My favorite guide at Murex Bangka, has moved on to Padang Bai, Bali (as noted by Luko). Another guide I enjoyed, a younger fellow, is now out of Bastianos Bangka.

I haven't been to Murex Bangka since the new units were finished. Prior to that, I had enjoyed staying in the end unit of the duplex furthest from the restaurant.

My ideal N Sulawesi trip is skip Bunaken, then Bangka Bangka Bangka, finished off with 2 diving days at LR.

The last few years, I've spent the majority of my time in Padang Bai with some Raja Ampat lob thrown in.

Thanks for the intel, much appreciated!

Re Lembeh, they have allocated Opo K as private guide for now, I'll request Joe if for some reason Opo is no longer available.

We booked the premium oceanfront cottage as we like sea view, will report back here after our stay whether it's good or bad.

We decided to also stay 4n at Bunaken (Siladen) as it fits better with the itinerary, and we won't have time to combine Bali this year due to annual leave limit (have 2.5 weeks booked in Maldives next month, and 3 weeks in Argentina for festive), however will probably do Raja next year

 

[CF L]

We booked the premium oceanfront cottage as we like sea view, will report back here after our stay whether it's good or bad.

We stayed in one of the premium oceanfront cottages last year soon after they were completed. They are spacious and very well appointed. Due to their elevated position they have a nice view of the sea. You won't be disappointed.

We're going to Siladen this year but I'm planning to go back to Murex Bangka next year.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Has anyone been to both Murex Bangka and Bastianos Bangka to be able to compare the two?