Sipadan or Bunaken/Gangka

[strmko]

Although this has been already discussed a few times... I would apreciate help with choosing: Sidapan(kapalai) or Bunaken(siladen)/Bangka.
I am an amateur UW photographer while my girlfriend does not dive. To make her happy I would choose a nice place with beautiful reef right in front of the bungalow. I read Siladan or Bangka offer this.
Kapalai offers nice accomodation, nice white sandy beach... diving at sipadan + snorkeling at sipadan. Also a lot more expensive choice. Is the money worth in this case when compared with Bunaken or Bangka?
I intend to do 2 dives a day and then snorkel and shoot with my girlfriend. Night dive possible.
What would be your recommendation? I have not dived Sipadan eighter Bunaken/Bangka. The huge schools of jacks and barracudas attracts me a lot but beside jacks, turtles and possibly barracudas there is not much to see.. is it?
Bunaken carals would be great for wide angle shots but no pelagics. Really tough decision... please help. Bali and Komodo are the next stops so you could consider this too.

thank you

Martin

 

[Repetitive Diver]

Hi Strmko

Sipadan has a lot more than just barracuda and turtles - loads of jacks, bumphead parrotfish different types of sharks, occasional mantas and stack of other common reef fish - plenty of variety. Also if you stay at Mabul or Kapalai (no beach there - no land there!) then there is a lot to interest the macro-photographer.

Bunaken might be a better bet for the non-diver and as you say you can expect better healthier corals in Bunaken than Sipadan. Here you can get a mix of big and small stuff too. Of course Lembeh is just down the road and is possibly the BEST place in the world for critters.

In my opinion it comes down to this:
Big schools and macro-photography - Sipadan
Clear water - healthy corals - Bunaken

Here are some links you may find useful:
http://www.divetheworldindonesia.com/manado-diving-sites-bunaken-island.htm
http://www.divetheworldmalaysia.com/sipadan-scuba-diving.htm

 

[Quero]

I love Sipadan, but if you have a non-diver you want to keep happy with easy-access snorkeling over a pretty house reef, it's probably better to go to Bunaken/Siladen, especially if you're looking at a resort on Kapalai, which is only a sandbank, not an actual island. On the other hand, Kapalai makes for a very romantic place, with the guest rooms on stilts over the water.

While I find that the variety of marine life at Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai is greater than at Bunaken (Sipadan = turtles, pelagics, reef fish, macro subjects; Bunaken = beautiful walls, reef fish and macro), I still took hundreds of pictures at Bunaken!

It is true that Lembeh is extremely interesting for underwater photo, but going there from Bunaken or Siladen would take a specially arranged trip, as it's hours away around the other side of the tip of Sulawesi island. I wouldn't recommend staying at Lembeh with a non-diver since the beaches are not nice, and the water is silty and often full of trash from the local villages.

 

[hallboy]

If you want to stay with the same girlfriend more than 30 seconds after your return of hollydays don't think anymore about Sipadan.
You can still think about Bunaken but mostly with 2 options:
A/ Celebes divers ( share your stay in betwenn the 2 resorts that they have: Onong resort on Siladen - with the only nice beach of bunaken - really romantic good food and good snorkling for her when you dive if she wants; the second resortis on mainland from there you can go to the volcano or the forest park. really nice place too; pool but no beach and snorkel if she comes on the boat while you are diving )
B/ Bali with a great mix of dives, temples, rice terraces, beautifull hotels, spa etc etc

So if it's a diving trip where you intend to keep your girlfriend happy got with celebes divers. - there a lot of pictures on their website and the place is even more nicer than that in fact- + its less expensive and easier to reach than Sipadan: 3 hours of flight from Sinagapour.
If it's a trip and - two birds one stone - you will take advantage of it to dive go to Bali: the place is really special if you don't intend to stay where the night clubs are. even without diving you will enjoy Bali. And diving there can be really nice.
Ikandive can organise you some form of safari depending of what you want: diving only in the morning or one day diving one day not or whatever you want. Keep at least one day without divng for ubud

 

[strmko]

Thank you for advice. I decided to do Bunaken this time and leave Sipadan for pure diving trip. From Bali we will do 6 days trip to Komodo and hopefully this makes me happy in terms of diving and marine life.

 

[Batfish]

strmko - Is that Martin Strminska? - we met when you came and dived on the Colona VI here in Phuket.

Enjoy your diving!

Jamie

 

[strmko]

Yes it is!!! Nice to hear from you, Jamie )) Still working in Thailand!?
I see you have the travell agency - dive the world - and probably have been all over the place.. right? What would be your suggestion? I only was in Asia twice but have been diving in Red Sea 10 years. A friend of mine I met in Sudan in April told my it is not worth do dive Sipadan anymore. But he might have been spoiled with Sudaneese waters. So am I but think Asia still offers some great destinations. Tell my your opinion.
BTW, i bought a camera and shot couple pics. Check them out.

Thank you Jamie!

Martin

 

[strmko]

I forgott the url: www.aquasphere.sk

Martin

 

[Batfish]

Great photos!

I am still in Thailand, but unfortunately "Dive The World" is not mine

I know you always do need to compromise a little with a non diving partner. The trouble with Sipadan is that you have nothing else to do but dive (and snorkel). Some resorts are on Mabul, which is a small island with not a lot going on. Some are "water bungalows" like Kapalai, where it's just you and the sea. I would agree and head for North Sulawesi. I mean, Manado ain't exactly a big place either but you can stay at a decent resort like Tasik Ria on the mainland...and I would try to mix it up and do Bunaken and Lembeh to get the most out of your stay and get the best photos, especially macro.

Wishing you all the best!

Jamie

 

[ricjohnson]

Hi
The Lembeh trip I did was superb....an old shack of a boat, singing boatmen...wondeful muck diving....arranged via Froggies. Got to do it once in your life! (fROGGIES could possibly be a bit Teutonic but friendly lot when i was there...owner female and excentric) . Superb places Bunaken + Lembeh....I will go again!!