Manado/Bunaken/Bangka?

[Alex B]

Hi diving family!

I'm booking a short dive excursion in early-mid Nov and need your advice please (i realise I've left this all a bit last minute already)!

I've 300 dives, mostly around Asia so looking for quality and grateful for any relatively recent experiences of your own.

Was wondering which is better for overall diving quality with mix of big stuff, coral and macro between Manado/Bunaken, Bali/Komodo, Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai in Borneo and Hin Daeng/Hin Muang in Thailand? Also how does Wakatobi rate? I only have 4 days to dive with travel day on each side of the diving trip so 6 days door to door from Singapore.

If I go to Bunaken area, which is better diving between Bunaken and Bangka Island?

Also wondering, is it better to stay on Bunaken/Bangka for convenience to dive sites or Manado for better resorts and beaches?

Lembeh of course is top for critters but I been once (awesome in 2005!) and looking this time for a mix of diving rather than all muck and macro so prefer to be based somewhere easily accessible to all these 3 islands (or at least the best 2).

Accom wise, looking for a good 3*+ up to $125 per night with nice bar and beach for downtime.

All thoughts much appreciated

Thanks
Alex

 

[Luko]

1- Bali Komodo is hard to beat. Komodo have some of the nicest corals in Indo, Tulamben/Bali have some of the richest muck dives in Indo, Nusa Penida have bigstuff like mantas (also in Komodo) and Mola mola (M.alexandrini)
2-Manado Bunaken/Bangka : Bangka is MUCH better diving for corals, as well as for pygmy seahorses. Lacks big stuff though, Bunaken walls are boring. You can have daytrips to Lembeh from Bangka.
3- Sipadan walls are good for fish schools, some of the fish action in SEA (jacks, cudas, massive bumphead parrotfsh, sometimes a hammerhead in the deep) though Mabul is not up for macro, there are much better sites, coral reef is not up to Indonesia.
4- HIn Daeng/Hin Muang used to be very colorful sites, covered with soft corals, and a cleaning station for mantas. But other than that, naah...
5- Wakatobi... way way way overrated. Komodo, Alor and Raja Ampat anytime over Wakatobi

 

[Alex B]

Thanks Luco,

That's really helpful. Won't waste any time researching Wakatobi and Hin D/M then thanks. Nice to hear bumpheads are still around in Sipadan but I hear the area is overun with tourists and accom super expensive there now!

Unfortunately I believe Mola season is over by time i get there in Nov and though they are awesome and rest of diving in Bali is pretty good, if there are no molas or mantas I'm wondering if maybe Manado area may be better overall for Nov?

Now you got me in a dilemna over where in Manado area! I don't want boring dives but also I do want some big stuff, ideally any of some eagle rays, napoleons, bumpheads or rarer sharks if there are any in the area. Pygmy seahorse are cool but I have seen them before and too small for my current camera rig which probably goes as small as nudis at minimum. What kind of big stuff is there in Bunaken that isn't in Bangka and why is Bunaken boring following your comment above?

Thanks

 

[AlMitch]

Hi fellow Singaporean dweller!
In terms of big stuff Bunaken has turtles....that is about it!
Bangka does have a resident Dugong....but you would have to be super lucky to spot it.
Bangka diving is quite varied and has some beautiful soft corals, Bunaken tends to be repetitive wall dives.

If you have only 4 days diving then my suggestion is to pick one spot and enjoy it!

Bangka is amazing...so is Lembeh.....so is Bali .....I have trip reports for all 3 go check them out.
Komodo is do-able for a 6 day trip....but you would need to time the flights well.

 

[Luko]

Boring Bunaken : AlMitch replied above, there are walls, turtles, walls and turtles, or the other way around... other than that.... Here's a typical Bunaken scenery :

That's Bangka, you'll agree fishier than Bunaken :

More colorful as well :

Nusa Penida in Bali can be like this :

(Very) occasionally like that :

Most likely as below :

Now if you're in luck you may find a cheap short LOB like 3n/4d or 4n/5d departing from LBJ that might be fitting into your schedule. Check out Dragon Dive Komodo for example, I went with them last year in august.

Here's Komodo early morning wake up call :

 

[Alex B]

Thanks guys, that's awesome and wow what pics!!

I am running out of time to get a booking in for early Nov and if I've missed mola season I think I might start researching Komodo next time, something to look forward to!

I've done a fair bit of research on Bangka, Bunaken, Lembeh now and think I better confirm my flights and accom for this one before it's too late. For a 4 day dive trip from Sing I think this is probably safest right now and I would want to get some beach time rather than full liveaboard for this short trip. Where is LBJ though?

I'm thinking base in Bangka and do a 1 day trip to Lembeh from there, leave out Bunaken on your advice.

Check out the links and attachment which is quite detailed for sites around Bangka and tell me if you think they spinning it a bit much!
Diving in Manado - Gangga Island Resort & Spa
Diving in Bangka

 

[Alex B]

Have a look at this too:
10 Incredible Dive Sites in the Bangka Archipelago - Gangga Island Resort & Spa

I'll report back if its as good as the resort hype

 

[AlMitch]

If you have the $$$'s to splash then Gangqa looks amazing!!

Murex gets good reviews, I have stayed at Blue Bay Divers and really enjoyed it (but it is often fully booked), Nomad's gets pretty good reviews, Sea Souls is further up on the northern end of the island (no idea about them except what you see on their website), and then Basianos has opened an new dive resort that looks really nice!

 

[Luko]

I stayed at Gangga a while ago, this was probably the best organized dive centre and best dive boat I've been on.
However I don't think it justifies the price compared to some other resorts in Bangka. Murex is probably one of the best located resort on a great beach (it's the orginal Bangka resort) , i stayed there 6 times. I think it's a bit overpriced now knowing it's not so fancy (in that respect Gangga is much more fancy with "european style" of dining but doesn't have the nice beach of Murex).
Nomad and Mimpi Indah and more rustic, Bastianos is a big resort next to Murex, i'm afraid the recent building didn't do any good to their housereef which was amazing (Demak).

To your question "where is LBJ?" : it's Labuan Bajo entry airport for Komodo. You could also select Komodo resort for "beach time" in Komodo.

 

[Alex B]

Thanks guys! What's the name of the Komodo resort with nice beach you refer to please Luko?

Luko, I'm surprised you thought Gangga Island Resort beach was not as nice as Murex Bangka beach, from the pics Gangga looks very similar to Maldives quality and have the whole island for beaches rather than just small one at Murex Bangka? You are right about pricing, both resorts look like similar price now but Gangga looks much more high end, so probs better value even if not cheap. Murex got no availability in Nov for more than 2 nights now anyway. I'm currently talking with Gangga Island Resort and Bastianos Bangka which is about 30% cheaper if go direct but seems not as nice a beach and may not go to the western side of Gangga so might miss the mandarins at Lihaga. Did you go there? How was the house reef at Gangga? Did you see a blue ring octo or any eagle rays or big napoleons/bumphead parrots on Bangka/Gangga?