It isn't on your list but I can not speak highly enough of Lembeh Resort and Critters@Lembeh. We had a fantastic time, great guides, attention to detail was astounding, critters amazing and the biggest Mandarin Fish I have ever seen.
Advise regarding Lembeh/Bunaken/Bangka trip
- Thread starter Tauge31
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Hi!
I would say if you can't/don't want to stay in Ganga Island you can try Coraleye in Bangka. I was there in 2012 and i loved it. Service is great, food is also very good. Price is more than adequate for what you get. accommodation is very nice, new and clean. They are very good in diving, and will do the best to make the most of your days depending on the conditions. for me its one of the nicest places i have ever found on my trips in SEAsia. it does have a nice pinkish beach and a great house reef. Im happy we went there and not to the other resorts in the island.
Dugongs, there was one there while we were there, on the pier, but we were having dinner and only other 2 guests saw it. Its not easy to find them though, one of the owners had been there for more than 3 years and never seen one.
Sharks, we saw small ones. black tip. I would say Bangka is great for corals, great pinnacles, and you get very nice macro too. I would definitely to go there and if you ask me i would be more than happy to go back. Definitely i would spend more time in Lembeh.
As for tangkoko, i think you don't need to stay overnight. The trekking is fine, its nice to see the tarsiers if you haven't. but not the most impressive landscape. its a fun day for a change.
hope it helps!
I would say if you can't/don't want to stay in Ganga Island you can try Coraleye in Bangka. I was there in 2012 and i loved it. Service is great, food is also very good. Price is more than adequate for what you get. accommodation is very nice, new and clean. They are very good in diving, and will do the best to make the most of your days depending on the conditions. for me its one of the nicest places i have ever found on my trips in SEAsia. it does have a nice pinkish beach and a great house reef. Im happy we went there and not to the other resorts in the island.
Dugongs, there was one there while we were there, on the pier, but we were having dinner and only other 2 guests saw it. Its not easy to find them though, one of the owners had been there for more than 3 years and never seen one.
Sharks, we saw small ones. black tip. I would say Bangka is great for corals, great pinnacles, and you get very nice macro too. I would definitely to go there and if you ask me i would be more than happy to go back. Definitely i would spend more time in Lembeh.
As for tangkoko, i think you don't need to stay overnight. The trekking is fine, its nice to see the tarsiers if you haven't. but not the most impressive landscape. its a fun day for a change.
hope it helps!
Luko
Contributor
Because -of course- you know and you've already been to the other resorts like Gangga or Murex? Otherwise it would be difficult to understand the basis of your statement.
Wingy
Contributor
News of pretty big flooding in Manado today - Hundreds of houses inundated in Manado | The Jakarta Post
Perhaps one of the dive ops or anyone there can give us an update?
Cheers
Perhaps one of the dive ops or anyone there can give us an update?
Cheers
Hi Luko,
You are right, let me elaborate a bit more... As for Gangga Island I'm sure its great but much more expensive. As for Murex yes I didn't stay, but I did go to dive close by, and saw the resort from the outside, the beach was much smaller and It didnt seem as nice as Coral eye from the outside. I did do a lot of research about it and comments weren't the best. Overall what I tried to say is we were very happy with our choice for several reason. It is GREAT VALUE because: everything was brand new, the price was unbeatable, very experienced dive guide -he could find many things even if conditions weren't great-, most of the time we were maximum 4 divers and 2 dive guides with us, one as a guide other as safety; equipment was limited but in perfect conditions, nice longer beach than Murex, great house reef with a lot of life and very healthy corals, very very good service, food was also sufficient and good, a nice balance between local and Italian food. Facilities are well designed, simple but elegant, rooms clean and spacious, we stayed in one of the 2 rooms with en-suite bathroom. The owners and the rest of the staff were quite friendly, the atmosphere was very relaxed and happy. The owners are knowledgeable as they are marine biologists. The placed is more like a research outpost than a tourist accommodation, but now they also cater normal divers. In general the area and water are very clean, of course if you walk to further beaches you might find trash that is brought by the sea as in Manado, but the team of this small resort try to keep everything as clean as possible. What I tried to say is that we were very surprised and we don't regret to have chosen this place. I would definitely go back and that's i think the best recommendation someone can give. I hope the people in the Island can get rid of the mining issues. Bangka is definitely a special place.
indiedive
Contributor
Should be very lucky to see a dugong in Bangka. We stayed in Bangka for two weeks with 9.5 diving days and hardly see one
However, Ulva, owner from Mimpi Indah Resort told me that the dugong could be seen around three days before the full moon and when the water is clear (I also mentioned it in my blog). Don't think there is area/dive sites in Bunaken for dugong..Somehow I feel Bunaken has more turtles than Bangka..
and for sharks, certainly in Bangka you can meet few baby sharks (not sure where are their parents). Well, Bangka and Bunaken is famous not because of sharks diving.
and oh,...I saw some Napoleon fish in Bangka (and as well in Bunaken actually)..
Luko
Contributor
i can understand what you say and your enthusiasm, only your suggested comparison with the other resorts made me slightly raise my eyebrow... probably because I already went 6 times to Bangka most of the times with Gangga and Murex and ifnd it steep not to give them the credits they deserve.
I get Gangga island as the best organized dive resort I have ever been too... not only in Bangka, not only in Iindonesia, but read this : in the world! I do not pretend it's a truth but so far with my credentials and dive history, I have never seen better anywhere else. (I cannot event count the number resorts I have dived all over the world in the past 20 years.)
I get Murex as one of the most friendly resort I have been too and Azwar one of the best dive buddies I have dived with. When you talk about people knowing their area and the critters, Murex guides are the longest standing guides for Bangka , Johnny has dived Bangka for 17 years, Azwar for 10 years. When I spend my time there, I am not diving with 1 or 2 other divers no, it's just Azwar and me alone.
Other than that, Murex bungalows all have aircon and en suite bathroom and nicely separated so you have enough privacy. Almots very night is party night withe the guides and the boatmen singing and playing music. The beach is cleaned up and raked everyday so it's only sand. All these probably explains why I kept on coming back three years in a row to Murex Bangka.
The thing I will totally agree with you is that I hope Bangka will get rid or overcome this dreadful mining installation. I would be very sad not being able to come back to this special place.
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