Bunaken vs. Lembeh Strait

[opalobsidian]

Hello!

I'm at the Santika Resort Menado at this very moment; I can see Bunaken island (and the much more impressive profile of Menado Island) from here. We been out diving with Thalassa for the past three days, both reef diving around Bunaken and muck diving right off of downtown Menado, fully in sight of the Menado MegaMall and McDonalds.

It was the first time we've been muck diving, and it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be when we pulled the boat up in downtown Menado. The water was shockingly clean for being that close to a big city! And, there was hardly any garbage either! Of course the garbage is where the crazy fishies hang out, like extravagant lion fish and unlikely looking stone fish. Kids gathered on the shore and called out to us.

However, for mind blowing beauty, the walls off of Bunaken are unbeatable! Yesterday afternoon we went to a site that started with L (sorry I don't have my book here with me, but it's something like Lomving and there's lomving #1, 2 and 3, we went to #2) and I was SO overwhelmed by the excessive beauty of it all that I sucked my tank right down! Freaking amazing coral, schools and schools of brightly colored fish, sharks, turtles, and hiding in the wall crazy wild crustaceans and honking big eels!

As for the weather, it's been overcast and sultry with occasional light showers. This afternoon we're taking off for five days on the liveaboard boat "Mimpi", so we sure hope the weather holds out! Actually, the times we've had full sunshine, it's been paralyzingly hot- the sun will bake you in your footsteps!

I can wholeheartedly recommend Thalassa diving (http://www.thalassa.net/) and Santika resort. The hotel grounds are gorgeous, the dive center and boat dock are right there, the rooms have air conditioning, and the price is right! (Rooms anywhere from about USD $47 if you're real lucky, USD $67 if you're less so, and 10 dives for USD $300 including buffet lunch) And, the dive packages include both reef and muck diving! We've been quite pleased!

Selamut jalan!
Pamela

 

[Indah]

Lembeh offers much more than the best muck diving in world. Very nice corals and excellent wreck diving for example. Visit http://www.starfish.ch for an description of most of the dive sites.

Rob

 

[bodiver13]

agree with Liangness. Muck diving in lembeh is not interesting at all IF you are not into macro photography.
But if you do, then this is one site that you don't want to miss at all!
Everytime when me and my friends went to Lembeh, there are always one group who felt boring and another who were very exciting and happy. The later one goes for the divers who bring a camera

cheers,

 

[chocolate]

Thanks for all your inputs. Well, it seems like both places define "beauty" in their own way and are too difficult to resist to not dive there. I guess I will simply split my time equally between the two places.

However, could anyone provide some insights on tippings (I guess to my DM mainly, unless you suggest otherwise)? How much should I tip my DM?

Thanks again.

 

[TSandM]

No information on tipping, but I'm enjoying this discussion because we are going to Sulawesi in September, splitting our trip into two five day segments, one in Bunaken and one in Lembeh.

 

[vladimir]

I agree that Lembeh might be disappointing to non-photographers. Although I'd enjoy it without my camera, it is not picturesque as is a healthy coral reef. (Where can you find one of those?)

When I go back to Lembeh, I will get my own divemaster and dive alone, so I don't have to share photo subjects with fellow photographers (who were quite courteous), and so I don't have hack divers fouling the visibility.

 

[awall54308]

Just got back 3 days ago from visiting both. I never thought I would like Lembeh as much as I did. I thought it was spectacular. You never knew what new creature you would find. I am so hooked on Lembeh. For some reason, I thought the clown fish were more viscious in Lembeh than Bunaken. I learned really quick that they like to bite!!

 

[jcclink]

Just remember that you dive Lembeh for the unusual critters, not the beautiful scenery, with camera or without.

 

[reubencahn]

No information on tipping, but I'm enjoying this discussion because we are going to Sulawesi in September, splitting our trip into two five day segments, one in Bunaken and one in Lembeh.

I would disagree. The critters, not just macro critters, are amazing. I was there with my wife and son for 6 days. Both enjoyed the diving. although two or three days would have been enough for them. For a photographer (myself) it would almost never become boring.

 

[Bowmouth]

I agree that Lembeh might be disappointing to non-photographers. Although I'd enjoy it without my camera, it is not picturesque as is a healthy coral reef. (Where can you find one of those?).

I'm surprised to hear from more than one person in this thread that they think Lembeh isn't all that interesting to non-photographer divers. I believe that any creature loving diver, photographer or not, will have a GREAT time in Lembeh Straits. It's a fantastic place to come close to unusual animals and observe them and their behavior closely in their natural environment.
Also, Lembeh Straits has some gorgeous coral reefs with large soft corals coming basically all the way to the surface, sea fans, leather corals and hard corals teeming with life. Next time you visit Lembeh ask your guide to take you to Angel's Window, Nudi Retreat, Magic Crack and Nudi Falls. All those sites offer great critters in combination with very lush and healthy reefs.