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Dive Review of Kungkungan Bay Resort in
Indonesia/Lembeh Strait

Kungkungan Bay Resort, Oct, 2013,

by Steve Dussault, NH, US (Contributor Contributor 18 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 7455.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Lembeh Strait Indonesia


BOOKING:
Our booking process went very smoothly. Everything was handled via e-mail and responses were very quick especially considering the time 12 hour time change. Our credit card deposit was mailed to California, and the balance of our reservation was sent via personal check to the same California address 60 days prior to our trip. As we were attempting to minimize our packing due to strict luggage policies, we sent a couple e-mails to the resort and the dive center manager promptly responded to our questions.


TRAVEL:

Getting to Indonesia can be a challenge depending on where you are coming from and your budget for airfare.  As we are all aware, the luggage restrictions are becoming more and more strict.  We were traveling from the northeast US and selected Singapore Airlines as the primary carrier.  The flights consisted of three different carriers, Virgin America, Singapore Airlines, and Silk Air.  I called Singapore Airlines to clearly understand the luggage policy.  After talking with SA I also had to call Virgin America for further clarification on their luggage policy.  First call to VA the luggage policy was that we would have to pay $25 for the second bag and would have to re-check the luggage either in San Francisco or Singapore.  The second call to VA informed us that there would be no charge for the second bag and the luggage would be checked all the way through.  When we did check in at the counter(unable to checkin online for some reason) the bags were checked all the way through and there was no charge for the second bag.  Be sure to read the size restrictions closely - Singapore Airlines does not allow for two standard size bags.  It is more like a bag and a half in size.  Also SA is strict on the weight of carry ons - maximum of 15 pounds. When the gate agent saw my carry on Pelican Case in SFO she required me to gate check it with no additional fees.  So when flying to Lembeh be sure to do your luggage allowance homework and pack accordingly.

ARRIVAL AND ORIENTATION

Staff from Kungkungan Bay Resort met us outside the arrival terminal and loaded us and our luggage into taxis for the 1.5 hour drive to the resort. After a full 48 hours of travel we arrived at Kungkungan Bay Resort. The resort staff was there to greet us with beverages and cool towels. They had check-in packets on the table with your names.  After a brief orientation and some paperwork we were escorted to our Bungalow and then to the dive center to meet the dive center manager, Stefan.

LODGING

The lodging at KBR consists of multiple standalone bungalows lined up along the waterfront.  The bungalows are spacious, comfortable, and clean.


DIVE OPERATION

The diving in Lembeh Strait is amazing!  The resort has 3 boats that hold 10 divers each and the longest boat ride was 15 minutes (dual 100 HP outboards) with most dive sites 5 - 10 minutes away.  Dives were at 8:15, 11:15, and 2:45.  A Mandarin fish dive or night dive is available for an additional charge.  Stefan the Dive Manager does a great job making sure the needs of the divers are met.

DIVING

There is coral, sand, and rubble to dive to look for the underwater critters and there is plenty to see.  Night diving is very good.


FOOD:

Due to the location of the resort all our meals were at the resort restaurant.  The service and food is good with a large variety of meal options.  There are American, Japanese, and Indonesian menu items available plus local specials every evening.

Websites Kungkungan Bay Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Canada, US, Caribbean, Central America, South America, Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Maldives
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 82-86°F / 28-30°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 30-50 Ft/ 9-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions 60-90 minute bottom time and no DECO diving
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 2 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments There is a dedicated camera room (not air conditioned) with 110V and 220V receptacles at the stations.  There are two large camera tanks with baskets to place your camera in.  The tank water could be changed a little more often and the tanks cleaned. The dive staff will transfer your camera from the tank to the boat and back for each dive.  The staff is very attentive to the care of the cameras. There are plenty of macro objects to shoot.  I used a 105mm for the entire trip.  There can be a lot of backscatter in the water at times.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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