Great report, and thanks for the mention!
Bali Diving Advice - Short Timeline!
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Leejnd
Contributor
Great article! Brought back some excellent memories of my trip to Bali.
I'm curious - what didn't you like about the Mimpi Menjangan? I'd read a number of lukewarm reviews, but elected to stay there anyway because it seemed like the best option for me to be able to dive Menjangan Island. I was pleasantly surprised - I thought the place was beautiful! We loved our room - we got one of the courtyard villas with a private natural hot spring tub, which we actually used quite a bit. The bathroom was huge and wonderful - gotta love those outdoor showers! And the expansive resort was just very lovely, clean and well-kept, and lush. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.
We only had two complaints: the place was incredibly quiet, and the food was...meh. We were on the pre-paid meal plan, and at first they gave us a very limited menu, nothing of which was any good. After the first day I told them that food was simply unacceptable and I wanted to order off the regular menu, which I did at no additional charge. It was better, but not nearly as good as I got at other places in Bali. Plus I got hit with Bali-belly.
I didn't mind the quietude of the place, really. I was there to dive, not party. And as it turned out, I happened to encounter some people at the restaurant who recognized me from Scuba Board! What a small world.
So we had a chance to socialize after all.
I loved the diving at Menjangan Island. I'm curious why you liked it the least. I saw more brilliantly-colored lion fish there than anywhere else! And lots of other really unique stuff that I didn't see at Padang Bai or Nusa Penida. In fact I liked the diving at Menjangan Island better than the local Padang Bai sites (although Nusa Penida trumped it all - especially Manta Point!)
Glad to hear you had a great experience with AquaMarine Diving. I thought they did a FANTASTIC job! Especially at Crystal Bay, which is a challenging site. The DMs were extremely competent, did excellent briefings, and were very focused on safety.
After reading your article, I'm now even MORE bummed that I missed Tulamben due to my bout with Bali-belly. Looks like I'm just going to have to plan another trip to Bali!
I'm curious - what didn't you like about the Mimpi Menjangan? I'd read a number of lukewarm reviews, but elected to stay there anyway because it seemed like the best option for me to be able to dive Menjangan Island. I was pleasantly surprised - I thought the place was beautiful! We loved our room - we got one of the courtyard villas with a private natural hot spring tub, which we actually used quite a bit. The bathroom was huge and wonderful - gotta love those outdoor showers! And the expansive resort was just very lovely, clean and well-kept, and lush. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.
We only had two complaints: the place was incredibly quiet, and the food was...meh. We were on the pre-paid meal plan, and at first they gave us a very limited menu, nothing of which was any good. After the first day I told them that food was simply unacceptable and I wanted to order off the regular menu, which I did at no additional charge. It was better, but not nearly as good as I got at other places in Bali. Plus I got hit with Bali-belly.
I didn't mind the quietude of the place, really. I was there to dive, not party. And as it turned out, I happened to encounter some people at the restaurant who recognized me from Scuba Board! What a small world.
So we had a chance to socialize after all.I loved the diving at Menjangan Island. I'm curious why you liked it the least. I saw more brilliantly-colored lion fish there than anywhere else! And lots of other really unique stuff that I didn't see at Padang Bai or Nusa Penida. In fact I liked the diving at Menjangan Island better than the local Padang Bai sites (although Nusa Penida trumped it all - especially Manta Point!)
Glad to hear you had a great experience with AquaMarine Diving. I thought they did a FANTASTIC job! Especially at Crystal Bay, which is a challenging site. The DMs were extremely competent, did excellent briefings, and were very focused on safety.
After reading your article, I'm now even MORE bummed that I missed Tulamben due to my bout with Bali-belly. Looks like I'm just going to have to plan another trip to Bali!
LeeAnne, I think Calvin is more of a muck diver... 
I also prefer Tulamben to the walls of Menjangan, although they were really pretty! Agree that Mimpi Menjangan Resort is very nice (at least to our group of 4 - 2 americans, 2 s'poreans, we loved the peacefulness), we were ordering on ala-carte & non of us had stomach problem fortunately...
I also prefer Tulamben to the walls of Menjangan, although they were really pretty! Agree that Mimpi Menjangan Resort is very nice (at least to our group of 4 - 2 americans, 2 s'poreans, we loved the peacefulness), we were ordering on ala-carte & non of us had stomach problem fortunately...
OP
tangfish
Contributor
@Leejnd,
Thanks for the additional input on Menjangan. Certainly different areas appeal to different divers. I felt that Menjangan was very beautiful, as you said, but perhaps I recommended a shorter visit there because the reefs (to me) did not vary too much from one dive to the next. As far as Mimpi - the one in Menjangan is better than the one in Tulamben, as you said, because of the idyllic setting. But yes, Menjangan is a very, very quiet place.
I actually do not prefer muck diving over reef diving, though I love the critters and shooting macro, I prefer colorful reefs - so Nusa Penida and Padang Bai were probably my favorite areas to dive. Though, a good variety of diving is always best.
I look forward to going to Bali again in the future. Sorry to hear about the Bali Belly. I didn't encounter it (thank gosh) and was completely in love with the cuisine on the island. In fact, it gave me a whole new appreciation for spicy food that persists to this day.
I'm not sure if you guys caught the photo gallery of my shots from the trip or not, if not here they are.
Thanks for the additional input on Menjangan. Certainly different areas appeal to different divers. I felt that Menjangan was very beautiful, as you said, but perhaps I recommended a shorter visit there because the reefs (to me) did not vary too much from one dive to the next. As far as Mimpi - the one in Menjangan is better than the one in Tulamben, as you said, because of the idyllic setting. But yes, Menjangan is a very, very quiet place.
I actually do not prefer muck diving over reef diving, though I love the critters and shooting macro, I prefer colorful reefs - so Nusa Penida and Padang Bai were probably my favorite areas to dive. Though, a good variety of diving is always best.
I look forward to going to Bali again in the future. Sorry to hear about the Bali Belly. I didn't encounter it (thank gosh) and was completely in love with the cuisine on the island. In fact, it gave me a whole new appreciation for spicy food that persists to this day.
I'm not sure if you guys caught the photo gallery of my shots from the trip or not, if not here they are.
Leejnd
Contributor
AWESOME photos! The artistry is truly breathtaking. Makes me realize just how far I have to go in learning underwater photography.
I did read that the Mimpi Menjangan is way better than the one in Tulamben. I need to get to Tulamben sometime - any suggestions on better options for accommodation there?
As to the food -- OMG I totally agree with you! (Other than at the Mimpi, of course). Did you get a chance to try the Babi Guling (suckling pig Balinese-style)? I could have eaten that every single day! And the gado gado - I found a very authentic recipe for that, and have made it several times at home. And of course the nasi goring that AquaMarine Diving brought us for lunch every day....YUM!
That's it - time to book another Bali trip.
I did read that the Mimpi Menjangan is way better than the one in Tulamben. I need to get to Tulamben sometime - any suggestions on better options for accommodation there?
As to the food -- OMG I totally agree with you! (Other than at the Mimpi, of course
). Did you get a chance to try the Babi Guling (suckling pig Balinese-style)? I could have eaten that every single day! And the gado gado - I found a very authentic recipe for that, and have made it several times at home. And of course the nasi goring that AquaMarine Diving brought us for lunch every day....YUM! That's it - time to book another Bali trip.
OP
tangfish
Contributor
Thank you for the kind words on the photos
As far as Tulamben, well... I only stayed at Mimpi so I can't recommend any others with firsthand knowledge. Looking around at web sites though, Villa Markisa looks pretty nice.
I didn't get to try the Babi Guling, but it sounds delicious! I loved the warm porridge for breakfast and yes, never got tired of nasi goreng. The Alila Manggis resort I mentioned in my article had FANTASTIC food, and I think once or twice a week they have an outdoor buffet-style BBQ dinner where you get to try a bunch of different dishes.
Now you have me thinking so much about Bali that I'm going to plan another trip there, sometime in '11. I need to spend more time there this time. The last trip was only 12 days - not enough time to really get settled in!
As far as Tulamben, well... I only stayed at Mimpi so I can't recommend any others with firsthand knowledge. Looking around at web sites though, Villa Markisa looks pretty nice.
I didn't get to try the Babi Guling, but it sounds delicious! I loved the warm porridge for breakfast and yes, never got tired of nasi goreng. The Alila Manggis resort I mentioned in my article had FANTASTIC food, and I think once or twice a week they have an outdoor buffet-style BBQ dinner where you get to try a bunch of different dishes.
Now you have me thinking so much about Bali that I'm going to plan another trip there, sometime in '11. I need to spend more time there this time. The last trip was only 12 days - not enough time to really get settled in!
Phuket diver
Registered
Bali has a lot to offer, please check Atlantis Dive center in Sanur, very good guides, ask to talk to Cedric
Some of those pictures are absolutely stunning, thanks for sharing them. All of this talk about Bali has me really excited that I'm going there at the end of this month. It's a shame it's only a 5 day trip and that I'm going with primarily non-divers though 
.
.Wah.. nice pictures.. I can't catch any picture since my camera was broken at that time. I dive at Sanur with Bali Surya Dive Center near Hyatt hotel. Bali surely have nice diving spots. I would love to go back and dive again on my next visits.
We have a 10-day trip to Lembeh booked (it's a good way off), and plan to do an extension for 4-5 days in Bali after before we fly back. Thanks for sharing your experience and article. We can't wait.
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