Question Stay on Bangka or Gangga?

[CF L]

Hi, I've just joined ScubaBoard hoping to get some help deciding between Murex Bangka and Gangga Island Resort.

• As most of the dive sites seem to be around Bangka Island, is it better to stay on Bangka or is the boat journey from Gangga not long?
• Do Gangga Divers regularly dive around Bangka Island?
• How do the dive operations compare between the 2 resorts?

TIA

 

[CF L]

There is a huge problem with plastic garbage in North Sulawesi.. with current and waves every beaches become full of plastic in two days..
I don’t know nothing about the villas.. but I can assure you that the main building is fully integrated with the nature and is architecturally jaw dropping.. I know that AC is coming but every august i was happy with only the FAN..
I’m not sure but I don’t remember a key.. but I never close my room in the past.. is a lot different than a hotel..
The beach from the jetty during low tide

I've seen the photos on the Coral Eye website, beautiful architecture and beach. Thanks for sharing your photo of the beach.

Useful to know AC is on the way, I'm still unsure about not being able to lock the door, though .

 

[ChrisM]

@ChrisM Are the bungalows at GIR detached?

Their website says "Gangga Island Resort boasts 15 gorgeous beachfront bungalows in the simple local Minahasa style, each with 2 separate units". Does it mean they are semi-detached?

I've asked them this question a couple of days ago through their website but haven't heard back.

There are two to each structure, connected by the bathroom wall. There were people "next door," but we kept the bathroom door closed and could not hear anything. The architecture puts the patios pretty far away from eachother.

This was our room, adjoining is to the left. That window is the shower

The AC at GIR is very good, almost too good. Yeah we could have turned it down but nice to walk into. I think though that going back and forth between hot humid and cold dry air led to some throat/sinus issues by the end of the stay

as for locked doors... perhaps we are naive, but between a week at NAD and a week at GIR, we didn't lock the door once.

Found this pic re the crossing. Bangka in the distance

GIR has staff cleaning the beach every morning. But if you walk toward the village, the cleanup stops at the resort property line, and beyond there is a lot of trash.

 

[boletus1973]

I've seen the photos on the Coral Eye website, beautiful architecture and beach. Thanks for sharing your photo of the beach.

Useful to know AC is on the way, I'm still unsure about not being able to lock the door, though .

I ask for you about AC… every room have already AC!
For locking the door i didn’t ask but as Chris said.. thinking about my +10years around Indonesia and I don’t remember when I lock the doors in a small dive resort..
When you are thinking to go there?

 

[CF L]

There are two to each structure, connected by the bathroom wall. There were people "next door," but we kept the bathroom door closed and could not hear anything. The architecture puts the patios pretty far away from eachother.

This was our room, adjoining is to the left. That window is the shower
The AC at GIR is very good, almost too good. Yeah we could have turned it down but nice to walk into. I think though that going back and forth between hot humid and cold dry air led to some throat/sinus issues by the end of the stay

as for locked doors... perhaps we are naive, but between a week at NAD and a week at GIR, we didn't lock the door once.

Found this pic re the crossing. Bangka in the distance

GIR has staff cleaning the beach every morning. But if you walk toward the village, the cleanup stops at the resort property line, and beyond there is a lot of trash.

Thanks Chris for clarifying the bungalow structure, looks like they have been designed very thoughtfully.

We know about possible throat issues with using AC, we usually only have it on for a couple of hours while we have dinner to cool the room for sleep then just use the fan overnight.

Thanks for sharing the photos, the crossing one is very nice .

 

[CF L]

I ask for you about AC… every room have already AC!
For locking the door i didn’t ask but as Chris said.. thinking about my +10years around Indonesia and I don’t remember when I lock the doors in a small dive resort..
When you are thinking to go there?

Thanks for checking about AC .

Presumably there is a safe in the room for valuables even if there is no lock on the room ?

No date yet for this trip, potentially early 2024 as we've already booked to go to Lembeh Resort in September.

 

[ChrisM]

BTW,

Thanks Chris for clarifying the bungalow structure, looks like they have been designed very thoughtfully.

We know about possible throat issues with using AC, we usually only have it on for a couple of hours while we have dinner to cool the room for sleep then just use the fan overnight.

Thanks for sharing the photos, the crossing one is very nice .

BTW that is bungalow 2A. You can see the main restaurant/bar area structure in the background. The pool is about 200 feet to the right behind bungalow 1. As noted there were only 10 ish people at the resort the entire time we were there. I've read people saying the lower number bungalows are louder, near the pool etc but with so few people we didn't experience that. Even though they had most everyone of us booked into the lower numbers. Initially a little peeved they put a couple in 2B with so much space but didn't turn out to be an issue.

Although there was an Indonesian family gathering of 28 people (!) that all came in for just one night

Also, bungalows 1 and 2 are closer to the seawall, and as you go higher there is more beach in front of each. The seawall was nice because even with very little swell you'd get some nice surf sounds overnight.

And yes there were safes in both resorts. And also overnite security at both. At NAD the camera room was open 24 hours so I figured the couple hundred bucks in my room wasn't gonna be a huge target.

Oh, if a photographer, GIR has a "camera room" but it's just a room. With "Foto" on the door. Other than that, just a warm room where i guess you could work on camera stuff LOL

 

[boletus1973]

Thanks for checking about AC .

Presumably there is a safe in the room for valuables even if there is no lock on the room ?

No date yet for this trip, potentially early 2024 as we've already booked to go to Lembeh Resort in September.

I think there is a safe.. the rooms are totally new.. but usually every time I go there I put passport and money/cc in the main office safe and forgot about it.. like my shoes
The private villas are ready from june.
Usually they are closed December/February(full rainy season) but now they are in business with siladen resort&spa and I think they don’t close anymore.. ask them..

 

[CF L]

@ChrisM Thanks very much for all the information you have provided me. GIR still hasn't responded to my queries that I filled in on their website, maybe something went wrong and they never received my message.

How did you book with GIR, through their website? When I did a speculative booking to see the cost, the diver package does not seem available for the dates I picked so I will probably need to contact them to get a price if I decide to go ahead.

Regarding locking of room door, I'm more concerned about someone walking in when I'm in the shower .

 

[CF L]

I think there is a safe.. the rooms are totally new.. but usually every time I go there I put passport and money/cc in the main office safe and forgot about it.. like my shoes
The private villas are ready from june.
Usually they are closed December/February(full rainy season) but now they are in business with siladen resort&spa and I think they don’t close anymore.. ask them..

When we were last in Lembeh in February 2019, I don't remember it raining that much so wasn't aware it was the rainy season.

 

[boletus1973]

When we were last in Lembeh in February 2019, I don't remember it raining that much so wasn't aware it was the rainy season.

Yes.. in the last years weather was really strange… until 2018 in august I never saw rain.. wind season at its best.. in august 2019 some rainy day.. in 2022 a lot more… and was full dry season..