Question Stay on Bangka or Gangga?

[CF L]

Hi, I've just joined ScubaBoard hoping to get some help deciding between Murex Bangka and Gangga Island Resort.

• As most of the dive sites seem to be around Bangka Island, is it better to stay on Bangka or is the boat journey from Gangga not long?
• Do Gangga Divers regularly dive around Bangka Island?
• How do the dive operations compare between the 2 resorts?

TIA

 

[Luko]

The furthest we went on Bangka was Sahaung (which I could dive every day of the trip).

My first stay in Bangka was also Gangga island resort (13 years ago), they didn't dive further than Sahaung as well while Murex located on Bangka would often take us dive yonder to Batu Gosoh or such which would take 30 minutes more for Gangga's boats (hence I 'm not sure Gangga would even propose this dive).

While food at the time Gaspare managed Gangga was some of the best I had in an Indonesian resort, I would state the beach at Murex was much better.

 

[ChrisM]

@ChrisM thanks very much for sharing your experience at Gangga Island Resort.

It's good to know boat trips from Gangga to Bangka dive sites do not take long, 20-30 minutes on a dive boat is not new to me so I will not discount the resort on this basis.

The resort looks very nice on their website and I do like my creature comforts .

You're welcome. Can't comment on the Murex's et al, but probably can't go wrong with either one.

Would I stay at GIR again? Not sure, but only because Indo is a big place, and there are other things I'd like to see. I would do Lembeh again in a heartbeat (NAD).

 

[ChrisM]

My first stay in Bangka was also Gangga island resort (13 years ago), they didn't dive further than Sahaung as well while Murex located on Bangka would often take us dive yonder to Batu Gosoh or such which would take 30 minutes more for Gangga's boats (hence I 'm not sure Gangga would even propose this dive).

While food at the time Gaspare managed Gangga was some of the best I had in an Indonesian resort, I would state the beach at Murex was much better.

Beach at GIR was fine, but we're not the type to lay out on the beach or do much on it other than morning walk with coffee, or a quick afternoon splash. Each bungalow had a dedicated covered area with two pads so shade was pretty much always available and that's about all we used it for.

 

[boletus1973]

Based on yours and Luko's advice on diving around Bangka, I will focus my search for a resort on Bangka Island itself. I'll look into Coral Eye, thanks.

I only looked at Murex to start with because I've been to their sister resort Lembeh Resort.

Murex is nice… close to coraleye and bastianos.. in coraleye and murex they clean the beach every morning, in bastianos last summer the beach was covered with trash… they don’t mind
I'm a bit biased with coraleye because I've been there many times, in the end we became friends rather than customers .. we witnessed the evolution from a research center open to tourism to a more luxurious dive resort ... now everything is almost new .. every year better and better!

 

[CF L]

Murex is nice… close to coraleye and bastianos.. in coraleye and murex they clean the beach every morning, in bastianos last summer the beach was covered with trash… they don’t mind
I'm a bit biased with coraleye because I've been there many times, in the end we became friends rather than customers .. we witnessed the evolution from a research center open to tourism to a more luxurious dive resort ... now everything is almost new .. every year better and better!

I've read comments that Bastianos only clears the beach right in front of the resort, not to the sides .

I'd be interested to see photos of the new beach view villas Coral Eye is building, their website says available from June. The rest of the resort looks very nice, I'm not sure about not being able to lock my room though . Also I think the rooms don't have AC?

 

[CF L]

Beach at GIR was fine, but we're not the type to lay out on the beach or do much on it other than morning walk with coffee, or a quick afternoon splash. Each bungalow had a dedicated covered area with two pads so shade was pretty much always available and that's about all we used it for.

We don't lay on the beach sunbathing either, preferring to walk along it or go swimming . The option to swim in a pool as well as the sea is nice.

 

[CF L]

You're welcome. Can't comment on the Murex's et al, but probably can't go wrong with either one.

Would I stay at GIR again? Not sure, but only because Indo is a big place, and there are other things I'd like to see. I would do Lembeh again in a heartbeat (NAD).

We really like Lembeh too, already booked to go back to Lembeh Resort in a few months .

 

[CF L]

My first stay in Bangka was also Gangga island resort (13 years ago), they didn't dive further than Sahaung as well while Murex located on Bangka would often take us dive yonder to Batu Gosoh or such which would take 30 minutes more for Gangga's boats (hence I 'm not sure Gangga would even propose this dive).

While food at the time Gaspare managed Gangga was some of the best I had in an Indonesian resort, I would state the beach at Murex was much better.

Thanks Luko, I will have a read of the all the dive site descriptions.

Not the end of the world if we have to return to the Bangka Archipelago to dive the sites we don't get to the first time around .

 

[boletus1973]

I've read comments that Bastianos only clears the beach right in front of the resort, not to the sides .

I'd be interested to see photos of the new beach view villas Coral Eye is building, their website says available from June. The rest of the resort looks very nice, I'm not sure about not being able to lock my room though . Also I think the rooms don't have AC?

There is a huge problem with plastic garbage in North Sulawesi.. with current and waves every beaches become full of plastic in two days..
I don’t know nothing about the villas.. but I can assure you that the main building is fully integrated with the nature and is architecturally jaw dropping.. I know that AC is coming but every august i was happy with only the FAN..
I’m not sure but I don’t remember a key.. but I never close my room in the past.. is a lot different than a hotel..
The beach from the jetty during low tide

 

[CF L]

@ChrisM Are the bungalows at GIR detached?

Their website says "Gangga Island Resort boasts 15 gorgeous beachfront bungalows in the simple local Minahasa style, each with 2 separate units". Does it mean they are semi-detached?

I've asked them this question a couple of days ago through their website but haven't heard back.