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 Villa Markisa in
Indonesia/Tulamben, Bali

Villa Markisa: "The Best Dive Resort We Have Ever Stayed", Sep, 2022,

by Brian Morrow, GA, US (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 21 reports with 9 Helpful votes). Report 12079 has 2 Helpful votes.

Photos Submitted with this Report


Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions

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 N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments The resort provides transportation from the airport. It takes 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the resort. If you've been to Bali before you know that there is no quick way to get from here to there.

The resort, owned by German and Swiss nationals, is breathtaking and in the shadow of Mt. Agung. The grounds are immaculate, and the set-up designed with divers in mind.

We stayed in a deluxe bungalow which had an enclosed outdoor bathroom with shower, sink, toilet set among flowering trees. The room was large with a canopy bed and a daybed. There was also a porch facing the ocean with a table, chairs and daybed. There are a few other rooms at the resort but we did not see how they were set-up.

Meals are served in an open-air dining room that you get to by walking over stepping-stones in the koi pond. For most of our stay, our group of four were the only guests. Breakfast is made to order with a selection of eggs, bakery, french toast, etc. to select from. You order your lunch while at breakfast from a selection of five items that changed daily. Dinner was always a variety of items including seafood, chicken, beef, pork, vegetables and other side dishes. All the meals were wonderful and served in ample amounts. There are daily dessert choices but they also make homemade ice cream...if coffee is in stock go for that.

In the evening, before dinner, you can get a drink at the bar and sit near ocean's edge. The owners and some of their friends were there just about every night and delightful to speak with.

Diving is conducted from one of the two boats at the resort. First dive of the day is at 8 am, the second at 10:30 and the third at 2:30 pm. Night dives and black water dives are provided at extra cost.

The staff carries most of your equipment to the boat. Back-roll entries to get in the water. At the completion of the dive you remove your weights and BC, the staff pulls the BC into the boat. Remove your fins and climb the sturdy ladder back on board.

This area of Bali is mostly muck diving but there are some areas with reef structures. There is also a sunken Liberty ship from WWII a short distance away. There is much to see underwater including a wide variety of nudibranchs, pipefish, octopus (large and small). Christianne, one of the resort owners is a nudibranch expert and has books published of her photos of them.

In summary, everything about Villa Markisa is top notch and is the best dive resort we have ever stayed at.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving All over Caribbean, Sea of Cortez, PNG, Solomons, Palau, Yap, Raja Ampat, Ambon, N.Sulawesi, Alor, Bali, Moorea, Bora Bora, Hawaii, Philippines
Closest Airport DPS Getting There We flew in from Singapore. It is a 2.5 - 3 hour drive to the resort

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, dry Seas choppy
Water Temp 81-83°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-75 Ft/ 15-23 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions We were assigned our own guide and followed him because he was an excellent spotter of critters
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 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 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments Cameras were carried to/from the boat by the staff. There are no rinse buckets on the boat but you return to the resort after each dive and there is a rinse tank dedicated to cameras. They also have compressed air to dry your camera. You use one of the daybeds/tables in your room to work on your camera and charge your batteries. There is ample space and outlets to do this.
Was this report helpful to you?
Report currently has 2 Helpful votes
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 1443 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 0.58 seconds