Lembeh Resort Trip Report, Christmas 2012

[Sorrows]

Happy New Year!

So...we're back from our big adventure and in the interest of giving back to the wonderful SB diving community who posted reports, patiently answered questions and provided great suggestions, advice, feedback and guidance--here is my report. It's probably going to really long; I'll separate it into sections, so anyone interested can find the parts they like and skip the rest.

We used Island Dreams to book the land portion of our trip, btw, and I'm very glad we did. Thanks, Tina!

Anyway, as I've said, this was a big and expensive trip for us--and perhaps the last one we do with our son, who is a college senior this year. We have to travel at Christmas, which is always problematical; more crowded, more expensive, and, with few exceptions, really not the ideal time to dive anywhere. I knew it wouldn't be the best time for North Sulawesi, weather-wise. I had originally planned to combine Lembeh with either Bunaken or Gangaa, but after talking to various people and reading lots of posts, I worried that the weather might disrupt the diving at either of those locations. (I admit I'm a bit paranoid about weather--burnt child dreads the fire and all that; we'd been blown out before due to weather in various locales.) I learned that come rain, storm or whatever--the diving inside Lembeh Strait is really not affected. So we decided to spend the entire 2 weeks in Lembeh.

I'm not sure if this was the correct decision, because, yes, as much as we enjoyed the critter hunting, it would have been nice to have at least a few days of pretty coral diving. We signed up for the special 3-tank dive to Bangka (outside of the Strait) and had to turn back after the first dive due to chop and surge. We came back to the boat and the poor captain was terribly sick and a couple of people had gotten banged up on the reef. So back we went to the regular dive sites close to the resort. (They didn't charge us for this aborted trip, btw) We also tried the 2-tank dive (California Dreaming and Angel's Window--inside the Strait, but further north) and only managed to get to California Dreaming--same reason. We did eventually make it to Angel's Window on our last day, which was very nice and the longed-for change of scenery.

So I don't know--would these have been the conditions we would have found at Gangga or Bunaken? I'm sure someone will come back and tell me what a lovely Christmas they had at Bunaken, weather was fabulous, etc. etc. But I didn't want to take the chance. Of course, everybody we met was surprised we would spend all that time at one place--it seemed like a lot of the other guests were either on their way to Raja Ampat or back from some other fabulous location.

Whatever. This was our first trip to SE Asia and only our 2nd trip to the Pacific and I cannot wait to return to that side of the world. Wow. I can't say we weren't warned--how the heck are we going to go back to the Caribbean after Indonesia?

---------- Post added January 13th, 2013 at 03:25 PM ----------

When you travel at Christmas, you need to book early. I booked our flights on Singapore Air in January of last year. Went to www.seatguru.com to find the best seats (for coach). Went back a few weeks later, btw, and most of the seats were already gone. Yeah, it's hard to be spontaneous when you travel at Christmas time.

Anyway, I think I mentioned upthread how paranoid we are about weather--so paranoid that we spend the night at a hotel near JFK because we once got stuck in DC, unable to get to Newark because of snow. We were afraid of that happening again. It didn't, of course. Weather was fine. This part of our trip was unexpectedly expensive. Seriously--how hard can it be to get to JFK? Thought about driving (no parking available for that length of time) the train, the bus, and settled on flying. Couldn't book it through Singapore Air, so had to pay all the baggage fees. Plus, JFK is a sad excuse for an airport, isn't it? I mean, it represents the most important city in the country, perhaps the world, and it is such an inconvenient dump! You have to go outside one terminal to get to another--and that includes a bit of a walk in the cold. Inside the terminal, there are pigeons (rats with wings) pecking for crumbs near the Starbuck's and pooping. Really, it's just embarrassing. Come on, Mayor Bloomberg, the Big Apple is better than this!

So...Singapore Air. Oh.My.God! How much do I love Singapore Air? We flew one of those double-decker airbus planes. Okay, still coach, but very nice. We were upstairs in the rows with only two seats--by the window seat there's your very own cubby, so convenient for storing stuff. Lots of entertainment options. Food was good. Hot towels before each meal! Flight attendents who are very nice and very pretty (including the boys) How do they stay so fresh and pretty after all those hours? Love their outfits, btw, but they don't seem all that comfortable for long flights.

We flew JFK-Frankfurt-Singapore, with about an hour spent in Frankfurt. You have to get off the plane completely (with all your stuff) while they do whatever it is they do. We had to go outside security to find some cough syrup and coming back through it was a bit dicey. I guess we didn't have a proper boarding ticket (only the stub). Also the security lines moved so slowly--seriously, I'd take our TSA guys any day. Haven't these people been dealing with terrorism for decades? Yet, every person gets to the front of the line and is somehow surprised that he has to take off his jecket, his belt, etc. and take his laptop out of his briefcase. A discussion ensues--why don't they tell these people what they have to do before they get to the front of the line? What happened to German efficiency?

Singapore Airport is just as fabulous as you have heard. Everything is in English, of course (is it wrong to be grateful for British imperialism?) plenty of information kiosks so you can't get lost. And everything is immaculately clean (no pigeons!)

---------- Post added January 13th, 2013 at 03:48 PM ----------

We spent two days in Singapore on a Stopover Holiday package, arranged by Singapore Airlines.

If there is one thing that I regret about our vacation, it's that we didn't spend enough time in Singapore. What a fabulous city! No trash, no crime (walk wherever you want!) no traffic; incredible food, great museums and historical sights, and a simply awesome walking city. Yes, it was humid and it rained a bit, but still...outstanding! Would love to go back again and spend more time there.

We didn't make the best use of our time in Singapore, perhaps, because we were just so jet-lagged. Looking back, it seems like mostly we ate. Visited both the Hawker Centres in Chinatown and Little India. Got our chili crab at Jumbo Seafood. Tried those BBQ sheets of pork (name?) which was like eating protein candy--totally addictive. Also, they sell fried calamari in little bags--like French fries! And we walked around the various neighborhoods and visited the City museum. Wonderful.

We stayed at the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel in the Colonial District. It worked fine for our needs.

 

[Sorrows]

On to Lembeh Resort!

On to Lembeh Resort!

The flight from Singapore to Manado is pretty painless. Manado Airport was fine, btw, although I tried to remember to use the bathroom upstairs, as we were instructed. Btw, this is the sign in the stall in the ladies' room:


We were met by a representative from the resort. My son, of course, was starving at this point--nut mix was not going to do it--and everyone was kind enough to allow him to get something from the KFC upstairs to take on the road.

We also met a lovely Canadian/Malaysian couple who had been on the flight with us and would be spending a few days in Lembeh Resort. It was a nice 2 hour ride through North Sulawesi. Wow, they have a lot of churches in the part of Indonesia.

Also, apparently the former mayor had studied in Paris and built his hometown their own Eiffel Tower.

Our van took us to the police pier in Bitung and the boat was waiting there to take us to Lembeh Island and what would be our home for the next two weeks!

 

[Sorrows]

We LOVE Lembeh Resort!

Lembeh Resort is the kind of place you know you are going to fall in love with as soon as you see it, as soon as you take your first step on the property, as soon as the first person greets you with a friendly smile. Everybody is so NICE! I don't believe I've ever felt so welcomed. I felt immediately comfortable, and quickly adapted to the routine of the resort.

Photos below include #1. Dive fleet #2 Dive Center #3. Dive Lounge--great place to get a coffee drink between dives #4. Bar and dining hall #5. Pool and #6. The Spa--we received three complimentary massages and bought two more--extremely affordable ($45 for a 2 hour massage and body scrub--are you kidding me?) so make your appointments early as they book up quickly.



We stayed in cottage #3A and #3B--I think this row of cottages would be perfect for people who want a view, but don't necessarily want the long hike. The cottages are immaculately clean, comfortable, HUGE, and I fell (unexpectedly) in love with the outside shower.

View from our porch; outside shower; our bedroom; bathroom; our living room; side porch.

There are also the garden rooms (no view, but also no steps!) and the famous (infamous) cliffside villas--yes, there are a lot of steps. We had a few (and some were uneven) leading to our bungalow, but nothing compared to Villa #8 and above. I walked up to #12 (yes, it was a hike--can't imagine staying there and going back to your room just to brush your teeth!) and the view was charming. But I still prefer the cottages on our side of the resort.

 

[Sorrows]

Lembeh Resort is run by divers and it shows--they KNOW divers get hungry!

The food was plentiful, very good, often excellent, and in two weeks we only experienced one or two misses. Breakfast is buffet, with lots of fruit, yogurt, but also fried rice/noodles, and an omelette chef. Lunch is also buffet, with both Western and Indonesian (but the spiciness curtailed for Western palates) dishes. Dinner is a bit more formal, served from a menu, with choices for vegetarians. They do have a bar, with mixed drinks available, and beer and wine. I wish they would make iced tea! Why don't Europeans realize the essential goodness of ICE? No matter, I made my own every day. Needs must.

Most dive sites in Lembeh are quite close to the resort, so mostly you come back between dives. You are met at the dive center (or perhaps you're already sitting by the pool?) by a smiling waitperson who has some kind of treat for divers--sweet or savory. This happens again after the afternoon dive. And you can always go upstairs to the dining room and find a covered tray full of goodies. Help yourself! You can also get hot tea or cofee at any time.

On the dive boat, you are given fruit after ever dive. You are also given your own cup of water before and after each dive. (very smart on their part!) For the longer two-tank dives, when you don't go back to the resort, they'll brew you a cup of hot tea and hand out fruit and cookies (biscuits). So you are not going to starve. Even at the Spa, after you've had a nice, relaxing, invigorating massage, they give you some sweetened ginger tea and cookies. You'll even find a treat on your pillow each night--yes, they have turndown service!

Sorry, I didn't take photos of the food. I'm not that obsessed!

---------- Post added January 13th, 2013 at 05:36 PM ----------

A fantastic resource for dive travel--particularly for women--is Lembeh Straits - A Lady's Guide

It is written by a woman from Singapore who covers the topics women need to know about, i.e. what are the bathrooms like? It was her glowing report of Lembeh and Lembeh Resort that convinced me that was where our hard-earned vacation time and money needed to go. She also gave me lots of info about Singapore--where to eat the famous chili crab! She has reports on other SE Asian locations as well, so I would highly recommend that people give her website a look-see.

Btw, she has photos of the food at Lembeh Resort!

 

[jake11]

That was a wonderful report! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Mike Veitch]

great report

 

[Sorrows]

The people of Lembeh

Thanks, guys, but I'm not quite done...

IMHO, what sets Lembeh Resort apart from other resorts (of course, I say this having never been to any other dive resort in Lembeh) is the outstanding level of service. The husband & wife team of Gizmo and Helen Gomez are excellent managers and I particularly like that the senior staff usually dined with the guests. However, Helen, as the "guest relations manager" truly went above and beyond; tremendously personable, she was also very caring and kind. There wasn't any request that she didn't fulfill--from finding my son medicine when he got sick during our stay, to arranging for us to go to church with one of the local girls who works at the resort.

As for the local staff, I can't imagine there exists a friendlier or more gracious people--from the dignified gentlemen who take care of the beautiful grounds to the lovely young women who work at the spa to the waitpersons in the Dining Room--everybody seems happy and genuinely pleased and interested that you are having a good time.

They must also be the singingest (is that a word?) people on the face of the planet. You can hear them singing as they go about their work. In between dives, if you are relaxing by the pool or working in the excellent photo room, you can hear the dive crew in their break area, singing and playing their guitars. I thought they had to be practicing for something--they were so good--but no, music is how they unwind. It was just magical.

As I mentioned, one of the young ladies was kind enough to invite us to her church on Christmas morning.I still don't know which Protestant denominaiton it was, but the singing was phenomenal. EVERYBODY sang, without accompanient and in beautiful harmony. At one point, my son whispered to me that the choir back home (of which I am a member) was going to have to step it up a notch, because they were really putting us to shame. What can I say? All true. It really was a beautiful experience.
The pulpit (the minister was a woman, btw) was made from the bow of a fishing boat--how cool is that?


I'd read other reports that Lembeh resort has some sort of weekly barbeque where they bring in a local singing group or ask some of their employees to sing. I was very disappointed that this never happened in the 2 weeks we were there. In fact, there was very little social activities for guests--even the splendid fireworks display they put on for New Year's Eve (this is a VERY big deal in Manado, apparently) was sparsely attended and kind of a dud. I wonder if this is because there are too many different groups of people and there are worries that they won't mix well? I'm not sure--it's true there was a sort of segregation on the boats and a sort of self-segregation at mealtime, seemingly based on language. (The English-speakers--Americans, Canadians, Brits and Aussies--hung out together as did the Germans & Swiss, Japanese, Singaporeans, etc) OTOH, there was friendly interaction between the various groups and the one event the resort did have--a video presentation by Steve Fish, the photo specialist, was very well-attended by lots of different people. Not that I expected/wanted to be entertained like I was at a Club Med and we were all pretty much wiped out by 9 pm anyway, but still...it was the holiday season. It didn't feel particularly festive in that respect.

 

[Sorrows]

Critters at Lembeh

As some of you may know, the resort and dive operation are run separately, although it's easy to forget that--they certainly work together very smoothly and efficiently!

We only met Danny (the owner of the dive op) once (after all, it was a holiday for his family, too!) but had daily interaction with Lauren, the manager of the dive op. She's just fantastic. She even gave me some of her own special mix of ear drops when I came down with an inflamed ear. (Much appreciated!)

As for the dive guides, everything you've read about them is true. How on earth do they find this stuff? Every single one appears to have the eyes of a hawk. We had several different guides, but mostly we were with Ewan B. and I'm so grateful that's the way it worked out. THE BEST DIVE GUIDE EVER!!! Highly experienced, knowledgeable (knows all those latin names for the nudibranchs!) and the man you want if something goes wrong--equipment failure or you need a helping hand. He also wrote every thing we saw down on his slate and gave it to me at the end of the dive so I could put it in my log. Honestly, if he hadn't done that, I would never have been able to remember everything--there was just so much! I will never forget the amazing dives we had with Ewan B.

The dive boats are built on traditional fishing boats (I think?) and are good for the normally short distances they go. There are a few of the smaller ones which are a bit awkward for getting in--it's all roll off, of course, but these particular boats have the tanks on the side, so you have to get your tank on and then (clumsily, in my case) hoist yourself up to the rim of the boat, perched a bit precariously, waiting for the word to go. No biggie, though. I also found the ladders less than ideal--round, somewhat slippery rungs placed a little too far apart for my comfort. No worries! I was invited--first time for me--to take my BC and tank off in the water to let the crew hoist it on board for me--on every dive. I really appreciated that little extra luxury.

It's valet diving--you don't take care of any of your equipment for the duration of your stay (except for your wetsuit) Every morning they take it down to the boat, change tanks in between, and every afternoon they rinse it and put it away in your cubby. After your last dive, they wash out everything, hang it all in the compressor room so it gets as dry as it can get before you leave.

 

[Sorrows]

First dive of the day is at 8 a.m. (Breakfast starts at 7 am) The second is at 10:45, so there is time for a snack, swim in the pool, futz with your camera, or even a little nap in-between dives. This is assuming the boats are going to the close dive sites (there are lots of them that are no more than 10-15 minutes away.) If you have a 2-tank morning dive--to some of the farther dive sites to the north or south--you'll stay out and off-gas on the boat.

Lunch starts at 12:30 p.m. and the afternoon dive is at 2:30 p.m.

At most dive resorts, I think, your packages comes with three dives a day; here they work it so it comes out to slightly less than that. For example, we had 13 dive days (well, 12 and a half) but only had 32 paid dives in our package. They warn you to keep track of your dives because they will assume you are doing three-a-day and sign you up on the board. It is up to you to take your name off the board as soon as you can, if you don't want to be charged for the dive.

At first, we were thinking that we'd take a day off and do some exploring. That didn't work out because #1 our son lost a few days diving due to some sort of cold/dehydration/not sure what it was and #2. who wants to miss any of the diving? It's really too hot for a jungle walk and I've never been a fan of the monkeys, anyway. It all worked out in the end for us--Lauren, the dive op manager, allowed us to take Danny's unused dives, so we didn't need to buy any extras. So that was good.

The Mandarin Fish dive start in the late afternoon and cost extra. We didn't sign up for that, as we had seen quite a bit of them in Palau. We had two night dives--one on the boat, which was, truthfully, disappointing--not much going on, except the guide's UV light trick. We also did a late afternoon dive on the house reef that ended in the dark. That was okay, but nothing spectacular. There are a pair of double-ended pipefish (green as a blade of gass) in the shallows--something we didn't see anywhere else. But we decided that perhaps the action in Lembeh is more often to be found in the daytime?

 

[Sorrows]

Blue-Ringed Octopus EVERYWHERE!

It might have been off-season in terms of the weather (we did have a few rainy days, but the weather never much affected the muck diving, just our enjoyment of it!) but it was definitely the season for Blue-ring octopus. We saw them nearly every dive; to tell you the truth, we started to get a bit tired of them. I was much more excited about the wonderpus,
longarm, mimic, algae, the coconut (awesome!) and even the one regular reef octopus we saw. (Didn't find a hairy or a starry, unfortunately.)


I'm not the photographer of the family (that's my son); I had a magnifying glass with me and found that very useful. What I really like to see is behavior; we did get to see two blue-rings fight/try to mate. I learned later (in my Humann, DeLoach book) that the blue-ringed, being solitary, is also sexually confused. In other words, he can't tell who is a prospective mate so he'll just go after anybody. Sometimes he gets lucky, and it's a female. Other times...not so lucky, and he gets a "Hey! Get OFF!" and a fight ensues. I think that's what we were seeing.

I mean, yes, the dive guide can get the blue-ringed to flash his colors, but it was so much cooler to see the Coconut Octopus do his thing (with two shells). Sadly, we missed the one that used a mason jar as his home and put the lid on it when the divers started annoying him!