DontLieToMe
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Bottom line. A very nice resort. Good rooms. Good food. Friendly, interesting, and flexible diving. Merits a return visit.
14 October 2004
The day began with a pickup at 10:00 AM by the boat from Gangga Island Resort. The boat is the one that they use for transfers to Lembeh and to/from the mainland. The boat was a traditional design and powered by two outboard 40 hp engines. There was an semi-enclosed area that provided lots of shade and you could also sit on the top of the cabin.
The plan was to make two dives as we made our way to the resort. After one hour we stopped for the first dive. In addition to myself there were two other people being transferred from another resort. They were surprised that we were diving but that was not a surprise since I had met them before.
Northern Sulawesi Mainland. Batu Punteng. This site was a submerged pinnacle. The pinnacle was covered with a variety of hard and soft corals. There was a variety of corals. The terrain consisted of some very nice mini-wall sections as well as slopes. At 87 feet there was a small purple Sea Fan with three Pygmy Sea Horses that were somewhat cooperative. The main feature of the area in terms of creatures was nudibranchs. Other sightings include an Orangutan Crab and some shy Puffer Fish. Fish action was surprisingly good given the intensive fishing in the area. There were schools of different tropicals. Water Temperature: 81F. Visibility: 50 to 65 feet. Dive Time: 63 minutes. Maximum Depth: 87 feet. Current: None to Mild. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Flat.
Northern Sulawesi Mainland. Sempini. This site was a shallow dive on a fringing reef that bordered a sand area. Most of the sightings included a variety of more common nudibranchs as well as a very large Notoris Minor. In an area with fragile Staghorn Coral there were two Yellow Frog Fish. Water Temperature: 81F. Visibility: 40 to 55 feet. Dive Time: 82 minutes. Maximum Depth: 50 feet. Current: None to Mild. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Flat.
The Resort. The resort has a good physical plant with spacious common areas. There is a main area that contains the bar, various sitting areas, and a large dining area. This area has a pool table. The resort has a nice pool and a very credible white sand beach. There are many lounge chairs, covered areas, and other places in which to rest by the beach - in other words, lots of shade.
The Rooms. The rooms are double bungalows that provide very good privacy. The rooms are spacious. Amenities include a television, mini-bar, coffee-tea making, and air conditioning. At the moment I have only been able to receive CNN. As I later confirmed they can only distribute one channel. There is good lighting and a good number of outlets. My room has two twin beds. The room contains a built-in desk. In a corner of the room there was another table with two chairs, the coffee-tea making equipment, and a coffee-table. There was a collection of fresh fruit upon arrival. The bungalow has a nice patio/terrace with chairs and a table that faces the ocean.
The Spa. I took the opportunity to have a traditional massage before dinner. It was the worst massage I have ever had. I felt handled like a piece of meat. No subtlety or relaxing qualities in the massage I received.
Meals. Meal times are 7:00 AM onward for breakfast, lunch from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and dinner a rather latish 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. There is a tea service at 5:00 PM that consists of fruit and sandwiches. Dinner was served buffet-style in an outside covered area. You could sit at long tables holding six to ten people with your feet in the sand. The first dinner offered a small salad bar (i.e., lettuce, red cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrot) with a choice of Thousand Island or French Dressing. There was an appetizer of Fish Fingers with Tartar Sauce or Mayonnaise. The main dishes consisted of two types of fish - grilled Marlin and some whole Snapper-type fish in a sweet-sour sauce. There were prawns and squid that were being grilled. Non-fish items consisted of Nasi Goreng (rice), roasted potatoes, and some mixed steamed vegetables. A Corn Crab soup was also available. Dessert was as assorted of fresh fruits and three different types of cake. Lunch the next day was much better, in my opinion, that the buffet dinner, as was every meal that followed. See the descriptions that follows. This was the only night that dinner was served outside in the pavilion.
Diving. A more detailed report on how diving operations are conducted will be provided after the first day of diving. At the orientation briefing it was described that someone comes by to discuss the options for where one could dive the next day. My experience at dinner was that I was not asked anything but simply told that I would go diving.
15 October 2004
Diving is conducted from the traditional wooden boats. Depending on the boat that is being used entry is either a back roll or a giant stride entry. In either case the entry is easy. All boats have a large ladder. As is usually the case you have the option of handing up your weight belt and tank or just handing up your fins and climbing aboard. I had no problem getting up the ladder with my gear. Depending on the boat there would be one or two small plastic tubs in which cameras could be placed. The dive staff was very good in handling equipment.
All dives were preceded by a good briefing. A set of flip charts diagramming the dive site was used to illustrate the site's topology. All dives were guided and with one or two exception they were drift dives. The dive guide to guest ratio was very good. For most of the diving I had my own guide. Rarely ever did I see more than four people with a single guide. This is probably due to the relatively low occupancy during my visit. The guides were enthusiastic and very professional. As you will see from the dive times there was flexibility in bottom times. While briefed as a one hour maximum I usually was able to dive from 70 to 75 minutes. A few times I dove 80+ minutes with a few dives of 95+ minutes.
The diving area for the resort is an area that includes several islands (i.e., Talisei, Bangka, Gangga) and several sites on the Northern Sulawesi mainland. Travel times were from 30 to 45 minutes depending on the site being visited. Many guests would sit on the bow of the boat or on top of the cabin.
After the first dive there was a refreshment consisting of a "coconut with a straw" and bananas. Water and fresh towels were provided on every dive. The diving schedule was a departure at 8:00 AM for two dives in the local area with a return to the resort for lunch. The afternoon dive was at 3:30 PM. Several times a 5:00 PM dive at a site with Mandarin fish was offered. There were also trips to Lembeh and Bunaken that left a bit earlier. I did not do any of these trips as I had already spent dedicated time at both of these locations.
Bangka Island. Sahaung Dua. This was a nice dive among of rocks that formed a series of small walls and slope areas. There was a small Notoris Minor nudibranch, a Cuttle Fish, and a nice Ornate Ghost Pipe Fish. In the shallow area there were several large nudibranchs. Water Temperature: 79F. Visibility: 35 to 50 feet. Dive Time: 84 minutes. Maximum Depth: 89 feet. Current: Mild to Moderate. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Flat.
Northern Sulawesi Mainland. Pulisan. This site provided a combination of a nice wall with some slope areas. The dive began on a rather uninteresting slope but got very interesting when we got to the wall section. There were a couple of nice nudibranchs, a large Blue Ribbon Eel, several Mantis Shrimp, and a medium size gray Frog Fish. Water Temperature: 80F. Visibility: 35 to 50 feet. Dive Time: 97 minutes. Maximum Depth: 64 feet. Current: None to Mild. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Slight Chop.
Gannga Island. Lakehe. We were supposed to go across to North Sulawesi but the wind was up and they had a novice diver. The site was nothing more than rubble and more rubble. There was a couple of nudibranchs, a Common Pipe Fish, and a cute trio of Ringed Pipe Fish. I found two small White Tip Sharks hiding under some coral. Water Temperature: 81F. Visibility: 35 to 50 feet. Dive Time: 90 minutes. Maximum Depth: 65 feet. Current: Mild to Moderate. Weather: Partly Clouding. Sea State: Slight Chop.
Meals.
Breakfast had a small collection of cheese and meats. There was cooked-to-order eggs with a small selection of items that you could have in an omelet - ham, tomato, onion - and if you brought it over - some cheese. There was fresh fruit juices and sliced and whole fruit. There was cereal and a collection of rolls and muffins.
Lunch which had been stated as buffet on the web-site was a fixed menu - but a good one. There was a choice of two appetizers - Smoked Tuna or an Italian Salad, the First Course was a choice of a Red Bean Soup or Spaghetti Carbonara, next was a Cucumber Salad. The main was a choice of three dishes - I chose to have Pork Filets in Mustard Sauce with Lyonnaise Potatoes and Egglant. There was fresh fruit, a custard, or cake as dessert options.
Dinner was like lunch. A menu from which one picked between two choices of appetizer, three different mains, and desserts. There was also a salad and soup. Food was tasty and brought promptly.
14 October 2004
The day began with a pickup at 10:00 AM by the boat from Gangga Island Resort. The boat is the one that they use for transfers to Lembeh and to/from the mainland. The boat was a traditional design and powered by two outboard 40 hp engines. There was an semi-enclosed area that provided lots of shade and you could also sit on the top of the cabin.
The plan was to make two dives as we made our way to the resort. After one hour we stopped for the first dive. In addition to myself there were two other people being transferred from another resort. They were surprised that we were diving but that was not a surprise since I had met them before.
Northern Sulawesi Mainland. Batu Punteng. This site was a submerged pinnacle. The pinnacle was covered with a variety of hard and soft corals. There was a variety of corals. The terrain consisted of some very nice mini-wall sections as well as slopes. At 87 feet there was a small purple Sea Fan with three Pygmy Sea Horses that were somewhat cooperative. The main feature of the area in terms of creatures was nudibranchs. Other sightings include an Orangutan Crab and some shy Puffer Fish. Fish action was surprisingly good given the intensive fishing in the area. There were schools of different tropicals. Water Temperature: 81F. Visibility: 50 to 65 feet. Dive Time: 63 minutes. Maximum Depth: 87 feet. Current: None to Mild. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Flat.
Northern Sulawesi Mainland. Sempini. This site was a shallow dive on a fringing reef that bordered a sand area. Most of the sightings included a variety of more common nudibranchs as well as a very large Notoris Minor. In an area with fragile Staghorn Coral there were two Yellow Frog Fish. Water Temperature: 81F. Visibility: 40 to 55 feet. Dive Time: 82 minutes. Maximum Depth: 50 feet. Current: None to Mild. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Flat.
The Resort. The resort has a good physical plant with spacious common areas. There is a main area that contains the bar, various sitting areas, and a large dining area. This area has a pool table. The resort has a nice pool and a very credible white sand beach. There are many lounge chairs, covered areas, and other places in which to rest by the beach - in other words, lots of shade.
The Rooms. The rooms are double bungalows that provide very good privacy. The rooms are spacious. Amenities include a television, mini-bar, coffee-tea making, and air conditioning. At the moment I have only been able to receive CNN. As I later confirmed they can only distribute one channel. There is good lighting and a good number of outlets. My room has two twin beds. The room contains a built-in desk. In a corner of the room there was another table with two chairs, the coffee-tea making equipment, and a coffee-table. There was a collection of fresh fruit upon arrival. The bungalow has a nice patio/terrace with chairs and a table that faces the ocean.
The Spa. I took the opportunity to have a traditional massage before dinner. It was the worst massage I have ever had. I felt handled like a piece of meat. No subtlety or relaxing qualities in the massage I received.
Meals. Meal times are 7:00 AM onward for breakfast, lunch from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and dinner a rather latish 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. There is a tea service at 5:00 PM that consists of fruit and sandwiches. Dinner was served buffet-style in an outside covered area. You could sit at long tables holding six to ten people with your feet in the sand. The first dinner offered a small salad bar (i.e., lettuce, red cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrot) with a choice of Thousand Island or French Dressing. There was an appetizer of Fish Fingers with Tartar Sauce or Mayonnaise. The main dishes consisted of two types of fish - grilled Marlin and some whole Snapper-type fish in a sweet-sour sauce. There were prawns and squid that were being grilled. Non-fish items consisted of Nasi Goreng (rice), roasted potatoes, and some mixed steamed vegetables. A Corn Crab soup was also available. Dessert was as assorted of fresh fruits and three different types of cake. Lunch the next day was much better, in my opinion, that the buffet dinner, as was every meal that followed. See the descriptions that follows. This was the only night that dinner was served outside in the pavilion.
Diving. A more detailed report on how diving operations are conducted will be provided after the first day of diving. At the orientation briefing it was described that someone comes by to discuss the options for where one could dive the next day. My experience at dinner was that I was not asked anything but simply told that I would go diving.
15 October 2004
Diving is conducted from the traditional wooden boats. Depending on the boat that is being used entry is either a back roll or a giant stride entry. In either case the entry is easy. All boats have a large ladder. As is usually the case you have the option of handing up your weight belt and tank or just handing up your fins and climbing aboard. I had no problem getting up the ladder with my gear. Depending on the boat there would be one or two small plastic tubs in which cameras could be placed. The dive staff was very good in handling equipment.
All dives were preceded by a good briefing. A set of flip charts diagramming the dive site was used to illustrate the site's topology. All dives were guided and with one or two exception they were drift dives. The dive guide to guest ratio was very good. For most of the diving I had my own guide. Rarely ever did I see more than four people with a single guide. This is probably due to the relatively low occupancy during my visit. The guides were enthusiastic and very professional. As you will see from the dive times there was flexibility in bottom times. While briefed as a one hour maximum I usually was able to dive from 70 to 75 minutes. A few times I dove 80+ minutes with a few dives of 95+ minutes.
The diving area for the resort is an area that includes several islands (i.e., Talisei, Bangka, Gangga) and several sites on the Northern Sulawesi mainland. Travel times were from 30 to 45 minutes depending on the site being visited. Many guests would sit on the bow of the boat or on top of the cabin.
After the first dive there was a refreshment consisting of a "coconut with a straw" and bananas. Water and fresh towels were provided on every dive. The diving schedule was a departure at 8:00 AM for two dives in the local area with a return to the resort for lunch. The afternoon dive was at 3:30 PM. Several times a 5:00 PM dive at a site with Mandarin fish was offered. There were also trips to Lembeh and Bunaken that left a bit earlier. I did not do any of these trips as I had already spent dedicated time at both of these locations.
Bangka Island. Sahaung Dua. This was a nice dive among of rocks that formed a series of small walls and slope areas. There was a small Notoris Minor nudibranch, a Cuttle Fish, and a nice Ornate Ghost Pipe Fish. In the shallow area there were several large nudibranchs. Water Temperature: 79F. Visibility: 35 to 50 feet. Dive Time: 84 minutes. Maximum Depth: 89 feet. Current: Mild to Moderate. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Flat.
Northern Sulawesi Mainland. Pulisan. This site provided a combination of a nice wall with some slope areas. The dive began on a rather uninteresting slope but got very interesting when we got to the wall section. There were a couple of nice nudibranchs, a large Blue Ribbon Eel, several Mantis Shrimp, and a medium size gray Frog Fish. Water Temperature: 80F. Visibility: 35 to 50 feet. Dive Time: 97 minutes. Maximum Depth: 64 feet. Current: None to Mild. Weather: Sunny. Sea State: Slight Chop.
Gannga Island. Lakehe. We were supposed to go across to North Sulawesi but the wind was up and they had a novice diver. The site was nothing more than rubble and more rubble. There was a couple of nudibranchs, a Common Pipe Fish, and a cute trio of Ringed Pipe Fish. I found two small White Tip Sharks hiding under some coral. Water Temperature: 81F. Visibility: 35 to 50 feet. Dive Time: 90 minutes. Maximum Depth: 65 feet. Current: Mild to Moderate. Weather: Partly Clouding. Sea State: Slight Chop.
Meals.
Breakfast had a small collection of cheese and meats. There was cooked-to-order eggs with a small selection of items that you could have in an omelet - ham, tomato, onion - and if you brought it over - some cheese. There was fresh fruit juices and sliced and whole fruit. There was cereal and a collection of rolls and muffins.
Lunch which had been stated as buffet on the web-site was a fixed menu - but a good one. There was a choice of two appetizers - Smoked Tuna or an Italian Salad, the First Course was a choice of a Red Bean Soup or Spaghetti Carbonara, next was a Cucumber Salad. The main was a choice of three dishes - I chose to have Pork Filets in Mustard Sauce with Lyonnaise Potatoes and Egglant. There was fresh fruit, a custard, or cake as dessert options.
Dinner was like lunch. A menu from which one picked between two choices of appetizer, three different mains, and desserts. There was also a salad and soup. Food was tasty and brought promptly.
