North Sulawesi Trip Report: Bangka Island and Lembeh, November 2018

[peeweediver]

Thanks for the great report. Just back from 10 days in Raja and 5 on Gangga with Gangga Resort. We dove Bangka 2 days and Lembeh one. I was thrilled at the colors, fish life and viz on Bangka. We saw critters in Lembeh that I hadn't seen before like a Wonderpus. All in all, I though Bangka was really special for the variety of reefs, fish and critters. Though I found the Lembeh black sand incredible for critters, I started feeling sick about three-quarters of the way through the dive and my eyes stung (no water in mask). There was a smell as well that reminding me of the chemical smell of an unused diaper....OK, I know that's weird since it's been 27 years since I've changed a diaper. Can't explain it, but it was what it was.
I was so glad we added the days at Gangga so we could dive Bangka. Even after Raja, it was a treat.

Rob

 

[Ironborn]

Thanks for the great report. Just back from 10 days in Raja and 5 on Gangga with Gangga Resort. We dove Bangka 2 days and Lembeh one. I was thrilled at the colors, fish life and viz on Bangka. We saw critters in Lembeh that I hadn't seen before like a Wonderpus. All in all, I though Bangka was really special for the variety of reefs, fish and critters. Though I found the Lembeh black sand incredible for critters, I started feeling sick about three-quarters of the way through the dive and my eyes stung (no water in mask). There was a smell as well that reminding me of the chemical smell of an unused diaper....OK, I know that's weird since it's been 27 years since I've changed a diaper. Can't explain it, but it was what it was.
I was so glad we added the days at Gangga so we could dive Bangka. Even after Raja, it was a treat.

Rob

Thank you for reminding me about Gangga. I had also considered Gangga as an alternative to Bangka and Bunaken, but I ended up ruling it out for reasons that I cannot recall - maybe it was the pricing. How was the resort on Gangga and the diving around Gangga itself? I found that the best dives from Bangka were actually on the neighboring Talisei Island, so I am curious as to what the other islands nearby are like.

As for the water quality in Lembeh - I had heard horror stories about divers getting infections and other problems from the water there, but I personally did not have any problems, nor was I aware of anyone else at NAD Lembeh having problems of that kind. Visibility was often low at muck dive sites, but I would attribute most of that to silt, rather than pollution.

 

[peeweediver]

The Gangga Island Resort was quite nice. Our LDS group of 16 all had positive comments on the accommodations, food and diving. The only issue was a DMs that tried too hard to create good picture opportunities by touching too much stuff. We talked to them a few times and they were better but still couldn't help themselves. We did one afternoon dive just off the island and it was good but not quite as good as the Bangka or Lembeh sites. It is a pricey resort but the LDS picked it and I was happy with it.

Rob

 

[chillyinCanada]

We’ve also recently discovered Indo and there’s no looking back now! Our first trip last year took in Gili Air, Lombok, which was great for the family, & Tulamben & Candidasa, Bali, which were wonderful and really opened our eyes to Indo diving.

This year we visited Bunaken & Bangka. My diving was restricted in Bunaken by an ear issue but my wife enjoyed Bunaken and her pics/video made me feel I missed out on some very nice diving. And the snorkelling there was great.

Bangka was just wonderful though! Luckily I was able to do some diving at Bangka, although not as much as I’d hoped. Batu Sahaung was spectacular!!



Luko, we stayed at Blue Bay where we were with a mix of Germans, Austrians, Italians and a French couple.
We absolutely loved Blue Bay and can’t wait to go back. There’s some nice muck diving from the shore at the resort, as well as fun and safe snorkelling in the protected bay, where I spent hours with my 5 year old son - he’s becoming a very good spotter! Lembeh will be on the itinerary for a future trip to N Sulawesi.

Btw, were you aware that Bastianos are building a resort next to Murex on Bangka? Apparently with capacity for 80 guests!! There is some real concern about this!

"Real concern"? I'm freaking horrified!

mutter mutter mutter

Perhaps I will have to return this year after all before the serenity of diving there has been lost forever

 

[Wingy]

So you understand this is not SEA - if socialising is big on your must haves, this clip shows the cultural and accomodation side. Be aware that your chances of bumping into another group of divers or waiting in line a la Lembeh are pretty slim, and note the lack of trash,


Because Luko had to post a pic of Sauhong Pinacles which is up there in my top 5 dive sites - Milne Bay's Deacons Reef is a dive site I always find just as breathtaking. So you have your picks of muck, reef and wreck in Milne Bay. Here's Deacons, like Sauhong it's my nirvana


It ain't Indo and Bangka won't be Bangka for very long....I may very possibly be wrong but aren't there some family links between Murex and Bastianos...gutted to hear that news.

 

[UFOrb]

Bangka won't be Bangka for very long....I may very possibly be wrong but aren't there some family links between Murex and Bastianos...gutted to hear that news

Yes, we've only been once but the thought of what could happen at Bangka is horrific.
My earlier comment about there being some real concerns I was a complete understatement! Anke from Blue Bay has been there from the beginning and is very upset. I really hope she stays!
Im not sure about family connections with Murex, but I heard some stuff that really put me off choosing Bastianos again (we stayed at their Bunaken resort before heading to Bangka), but thats all I want to say about that.
Hopefully it doesn't end up being as bad as we fear though!
And at least the tin mining has been stopped!

 

[Wingy]

This is the worst part of Internet forums....I'm very guilty of posting more than once about Bangka and word gets around, the quiet little island with a just sustainable few long standing ops gets on the radar and...yeah pop an airport in too (Anyone have any news on the proposed airport deal at Banda Neira?)

I heard about Bangka not from the net, I have short cheap flights to Bali and connections to Manado have never been a problem (except that weird make you get off the plane, run through the old terminal with the sad fish tank and reboard the plane in Makassar thing Lion air used to do...why?) - so N. Sulawesi was a good choice for quick getaways. I used to zip up to Froggies a few times of the year and always asked Benny who was managing them and every guide I met what their favourite site was -same answer - Sauhong Pinacles.

There was only one other Californian couple at Murex, three divers at Blue Bay, Gangga had two, the power was via generator a couple of hours a day and there was no internet.

Pretty sure there wasn't a lot of phone action either - and our boatman and guide helped the locals haul the nets in on our way back from Batu Gosoh where I got my arse firmly kicked and taught what a down current was. We pitched in and traditionally fished for supper on our surface interval - that was such a cool SI.

Danny and Wayne left for Bunaken a couple of days later leaving me there by myself - my own private Idaho.

A day trip from Lembeh wasn't a standard offering back then.....and now we're building giant resorts.

This has happened in the space of a decade.....you guys should've seen the fish life back then. I think we're doing that Pave Paradise thing again