I recently returned from North Sulawesi, Indonesia. We did the Passport to Paradise trip in March/Apr.
Most of us took the new non-stop Newark-Singapore flight - 21 hours in a metal tube is an "interesting experience" in of itself. That is one long trip. We then spent three days touring Singapore which is a fantastic city to visit. From there we flew to Manado and stayed at the Murex Manado resort for four days. Resort is very pleasant; food is good and the staff outstanding. Accommodations could use a makeover but satisfactory nonetheless. Diving is mostly walls but incredible ones! Huge profusions of expansive multi-colored soft and hard corals. Huge schools of fish and infestations of turtles. On one dive, Liquan 2, we simply stopped counting the turtles because there were too many! Photographers could barely take pictures of anything else.
Transfers between resorts is accomplished by packing your bags the night before (except for your dive gear which remains on the boat), they are picked up by resort staff and transported to the next resort. After breakfast you report to the boat as usual for the two morning dives, the only difference is that you're dropped off at the next resort in time for lunch and your afternoon dive! A really efficient and enjoyable way of doing things. Your bags await you at the next resort in your room.
Our next stop was Bangka Island, a tiny remote island about two hours from Manado. We stayed there for four days. Accommodations there were a mixed bag. The rooms nearest the beach need a serious redo while the rooms "up the hill" had been renovated. The island is completely dependent on the mainland (a bigger island!) for everything. Water, food and all else. Electricity is limited but you barely notice it. When you're diving, there is no electricity in your room but when you return, it's back on. Food was once again very good. Diving is mainly reefs. Some of the best that I've ever seen. Enormous corals, both hard and soft, multitudes of different fish. I got bored with all the Pygmy seahorses - is that possible? I saw everything that I came to see and more. My bucket-list flowed over. Dive guides and captains were awesome. Just tell them what you want to see and it's served to you.
We then moved on to the Lembeh resort. Situated in the middle of the strait, this is one really upscale hotel. It has a Ritz Carlton type feel. Rooms are luxurious; the food is great and the diving is astoundingly good. There is a reason that they call this the muck diving capital of the world. I've attached a few pictures taken by one of our divers, Gerry Wilson.
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to get a real taste of what Indonesian waters offer. The diversity is superb and doing three resorts (without the hassle of airplane transfers) is awesome. Some divers did upwards of 40 dives in 13 days. Most averaged 38. Big shoutout to Danny the owner, he truly cares about his staff and customers. This is a great operation and I have no hesitation recommending it to fellow SBers.
Most of us took the new non-stop Newark-Singapore flight - 21 hours in a metal tube is an "interesting experience" in of itself. That is one long trip. We then spent three days touring Singapore which is a fantastic city to visit. From there we flew to Manado and stayed at the Murex Manado resort for four days. Resort is very pleasant; food is good and the staff outstanding. Accommodations could use a makeover but satisfactory nonetheless. Diving is mostly walls but incredible ones! Huge profusions of expansive multi-colored soft and hard corals. Huge schools of fish and infestations of turtles. On one dive, Liquan 2, we simply stopped counting the turtles because there were too many! Photographers could barely take pictures of anything else.
Transfers between resorts is accomplished by packing your bags the night before (except for your dive gear which remains on the boat), they are picked up by resort staff and transported to the next resort. After breakfast you report to the boat as usual for the two morning dives, the only difference is that you're dropped off at the next resort in time for lunch and your afternoon dive! A really efficient and enjoyable way of doing things. Your bags await you at the next resort in your room.
Our next stop was Bangka Island, a tiny remote island about two hours from Manado. We stayed there for four days. Accommodations there were a mixed bag. The rooms nearest the beach need a serious redo while the rooms "up the hill" had been renovated. The island is completely dependent on the mainland (a bigger island!) for everything. Water, food and all else. Electricity is limited but you barely notice it. When you're diving, there is no electricity in your room but when you return, it's back on. Food was once again very good. Diving is mainly reefs. Some of the best that I've ever seen. Enormous corals, both hard and soft, multitudes of different fish. I got bored with all the Pygmy seahorses - is that possible? I saw everything that I came to see and more. My bucket-list flowed over. Dive guides and captains were awesome. Just tell them what you want to see and it's served to you.
We then moved on to the Lembeh resort. Situated in the middle of the strait, this is one really upscale hotel. It has a Ritz Carlton type feel. Rooms are luxurious; the food is great and the diving is astoundingly good. There is a reason that they call this the muck diving capital of the world. I've attached a few pictures taken by one of our divers, Gerry Wilson.
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to get a real taste of what Indonesian waters offer. The diversity is superb and doing three resorts (without the hassle of airplane transfers) is awesome. Some divers did upwards of 40 dives in 13 days. Most averaged 38. Big shoutout to Danny the owner, he truly cares about his staff and customers. This is a great operation and I have no hesitation recommending it to fellow SBers.
