Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Lembeh Resort in
Indonesia/North Sulawesi

Lembeh Resort: "Diver Heaven!", Feb, 2016,

by Ken New, MN, US (Contributor Contributor 18 reports with 11 Helpful votes). Report 8849.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments We went to Lembeh for "muck" diving, to see all the weird & amazing creatures that live in that part of the world; we got everything we hoped for and more!

The dive operation at Lembeh Resort is a separate business: Critters@Lembeh. It is a superb operation in every way. The physical layout is great -- individual locker for your gear, dedicated rinse tanks, well-appointed camera room, easy boat access. Service is outstanding: once we gave the staff our gear, they took care of everything all week. Our gear was cleaned individually, not just crammed in a mesh bag & dunked like at many other dive shops; dried daily, and returned to the boat for the next day's diving. We rinsed our own wetsuits but they would have done that too if we'd wanted. The entire staff worked really hard to make sure everything was as perfect as possible for us. I have no idea how our guides managed to find & ID so many of the tiny, well-camouflaged, & weird critters. They asked us for a "wish list" at the beginning of our stay, and found everything on it! I love the slate they give you at the end of each dive with all your critters on it -- even the scientific names. Another plus is that the sites are so close to the resort that we returned there for surface intervals -- and were always met with freshly baked goodies to enjoy by the pool.

We were there at the end of the rainy season, so visibility was not the best; but when you're getting your nose to within inches of your subject, it's not so critical. And it certainly didn't hamper the guides in finding all the wonderful critters for us. I could go on & on about what we saw, but just go to the website photo gallery -- we saw most of what's there!

As for the resort itself, where to start? The grounds are immaculate & beautifully landscaped, the rooms are clean, charming, & have all the amenities. Even the wifi works well! The restaurant was being renovated while we were there, but the staff didn't miss a beat: two hillside guest rooms were reconfigured into a very enjoyable outdoor dining space, and it's hard to imagine that a new kitchen will produce meals that are any better than what we enjoyed. We especially liked the wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits, and the variety of healthy preparations. The new restaurant is open now, and it looked like it will be lovely.

The entire staff is amazing. They promptly filled every request, and suggested additions to make our stay even better; frequently checked to make sure everything was perfect for us, always had time to chat. Almost all the staff is from the neighboring village or the town just across the strait. The resort provides electricity from their generator for the village church, supports its school, and buys most of its vegetables, fruit, chicken, pork and seafood from the villagers. This has created an atmosphere where the community is extremely connected to the resort -- proud to work there, with lots of buy-in to its success. They are the best anywhere!

I have only two cautions for other travelers. One, the resort is built on hillsides; even the lowest rooms require steps. I think it would be a difficult place for those with mobility issues. Second, the resort is enclosed by those hills, only accessible by boat. This makes it beautiful and wonderfully private, but unless you take a boat across to the mainland for tours there is not much for non-diving companions to do. I did not rate the snorkeling because we didn't do any, but it is available; the pool is lovely, a great place to curl up with a book. If your companion enjoys relaxing in a beautiful location with top-notch service, you will both be totally happy.

We will be back!

[tripadvisor.com link]

[tripadvisor.com link]
Websites Lembeh Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Most of the Caribbean, Galapagos, Hawaii, S. Pacific
Closest Airport Manado Getting There Like most remote destinations in the South Pacific, time-consuming to get to. From Minnesota it required 4 flights.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, rainy, cloudy, dry Seas calm, currents, no currents
Water Temp 80-82°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 20-40 Ft/ 6-12 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Divers are expected to stay with their guide, but with no more than 4 divers per guide that was no problem. Dives generally 1 hour; but if you have air left your guide will stay down with you.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals N/A Tropical Fish 3 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 N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities 5 stars
UW Photo Comments There are no rinse buckets on the boats, but boats return to the resort after each dive. Guides immediately take cameras to dedicated rinse tanks.
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 1386 dive reviews of Indonesia and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Looking for Biodiversity, critters, Komodo, Raja Ampat, temples? We specialize in adventures to Indonesia.

Want to assemble your own collection of Indonesia reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

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.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.15 seconds