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Dive Review of Diving 4 Images/Matahari Tulamben Resort in
Indonesia/Tulamben, Bali

Diving 4 Images/Matahari Tulamben Resort, Aug, 2002,

by David Lenderman, TX, USA . Report 179.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 3 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 4 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Tulamben offered several types of diving. The big draw there is the wreck of the Liberty. It’s a 300 foot long WWII wreck. It’s totally covered with hard and soft corals. A large school of jacks is usually circling above the wreck. The other beach dive sites include Paradise Reef and The River for macro photo opportunities and The Drop Off for wide angle. A fifth site, Batu Kelebit, can be accessed via a short boat ride. For nominal charge porters carry tank/bc set up to beach entry point of your choice. The “beach” is composed of smooth, flat rocks about 8 –12 inches in diameter. Heavy , thick sole booties are a must. Even with thick sole booties the rocks hurt our feet.

Day trippers from south Bali show up late morning to dive the wreck. Plan you wreck dives to avoid the crowds. Before day trippers arrive and after they leave Tulamben is a very quiet place. The village is very small.

We stayed five nights at Matahari Tulamben Resort (www.maturebali.com). Room was adequate for divers. Big gated outdoor area to store dive gear. For $18/night including breakfast for two it was a bargain. Beachfront restaurant had friendly staff and cheap, tasty food. Of the less expensive places I thought Matahari Tulamben was the best pick. If you need top end accommodations Mimpi next door is beautiful.

For diving we enlisted the services of Graham Abbott of Diving 4 Images (www.diving4images.com or email info@diving4images.com). After working in Indonesia for five years, with the likes of Wakatobi and Kararu, Graham just started his own operation. He caters to photographers, videographers and film crews. He does Bali based diving as well as custom live-aboard charters throughout Indonesia. I dived with him two years earlier at Wakatobi. He is an amazing critter spotter. Even after five years of near daily diving in Indonesia he still logs every dive. He keeps detailed notes on what he sees and where it was found. The information he has compiled aids him in locating rare critters. He has a very good understanding of in what habitat/terrain different critters can be found. If you are looking for the rare, strange or bizarre he is your man. Ask and he finds it for you.

Some critters that Graham guided us to included: 10 ghost pipefish of several varieties, 3 Spanish Dancers, Boxer Crabs, ribbon eels, frogfish, tons of different shrimp, crabs and nudibranchs. On night dives Graham would find so many bizarre little crabs and shrimp that I was overwhelmed. I was amazed at his ability to relocate photo subjects on subsequent dives. Being able to return to subjects with more film helps to get “the shot” of rare subjects.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Wakatobi, Sipadan, Fiji, Palau, Yap, Bonaire, Little Cayman, Belize, Hawaii, Cozumel
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather windy, dry Seas choppy, noCurrents
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 50-60 Ft/ 15-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions No restrictions
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments Matahari Tulamben Resort had no special rinse tanks for photographers. We were able to borrow a large tub to keep at our room for a rinse tank. Owner is considering adding camera rinse tanks near pool. Mimpi,next door, had nice rubber lined rinse tanks at their dive center.
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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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