Do not forget that the Manado-side coast has sites with things like Hairy Frog Fish, Mandarin fish etc etc on sandy/weed bottoms and coral outcrops. Lumbalumba and Tasik Ria are both close to sites like PohPoh where these creatures can be seen. And both of them have house reefs full of them. Personal experience at Lumbalumba jetty - giant stride, pause to check gear all OK, see two Robust ghost pipefish just there, decide am mistaken because they are so big, perhaps it really is only green weed, no, two huge Robust ghost pipefish and have the photos to prove it.
This seems to be overlooked - so anyone who would like to experience both Bunaken's walls and some sandy bottom strange, hairy little stuff can do well by staying Manado side. And it is slightly warmer than Lembeh. That said, my ideal recommendation would be a week in Lembeh - there's nothing like it. Followed by at least a week staying on Manado-side. We also like to see other things like volcanoes, tarsiers in Tangkoko National Park so that is possible too.
Muck diving does not refer to garbage - it refers to fine dark silty sand which is very easily stirred up. For novice divers who would like to see the macro stuff but whose buoyancy is still a bit variable - go for Manado side.
Lumbalumba have a good technique for finding the small stuff. They often have someone snorkelling above "spotting" who directs the dive leaders to the critters. How do they do it? Heaven knows, they must have eyes like binaoculars.
Lumbalumba - hot water, showers big enough for two, yes of course western loos, huge verandahs, views are knockout, food freshly cooked and fruit from the garden, drinking water tank, fridge, tea and coffee in the room, aircon and fan and patio doors (just how much cool air can a body take?), and clean clean clean (herself is very picky about that), and a generator. Is that luxury? And BBC News worldwide if you get some mad need to know what is going on in the world.
