Nusa Lembongan Or Padang Bai Or Menjanhan?

[choiahoy]

Calidiver and Lorenzoid,

Thanks for the info. Since the time that I originally posted this thread, we've already booked our trip, but it's not too late to change. I'm thinking of extending our stay in Tulamben for an extra three days rather than go to Lembongan.

Thanks for the honest reviews guys.

 

[gekodivebali]

@billt4sf Some operators from Lembongan cannot depart during very low tides and have to wait for deeper water to arrive. A lot of boats are of poor quality and quite slow so that it does to necessarily takes less time to go from Sanur to Manta Point than from Lembongan to Manta Point.

Regarding @Lorenzoid 's comments about Lembongan, bear in mind he was there diving 3 days during a 3 days storm with spring tides that are only seen once a year. Some bleaching on North Nusa Penida may not have helped either with his experience of the place, but this is currently happening on the entire Eastern hemisphere.

Lastly, regarding a crowded Crystal Bay, well there are ways around this... but I won't reveal all my secrets in one go!

 

[Lorenzoid]

@billt4sf Some operators from Lembongan cannot depart during very low tides and have to wait for deeper water to arrive. A lot of boats are of poor quality and quite slow so that it does to necessarily takes less time to go from Sanur to Manta Point than from Lembongan to Manta Point.

That is my understanding (now that I'm more educated about these things). From reviews I have read, the day boats from Bali are apparently fast and equipped for the channel crossing, whereas the average dive boat leaving from Lembongan is designed for short hops between the shore and local dive sites.

[Regarding @Lorenzoid 's comments about Lembongan, bear in mind he was there diving 3 days during a 3 days storm with spring tides that are only seen once a year. Some bleaching on North Nusa Penida may not have helped either with his experience of the place, but this is currently happening on the entire Eastern hemisphere.

We had no idea there was a "storm." We tend to think of storms as meaning rain, etc. But the topside weather was beautiful and sunny, as it had been throughout our trip around Bali. However, we later learned that the waves were unusually high during the period of our stay. We were not informed about the possibility of "spring tides" preventing us from diving the pelagic sites. Had I known in advance, we very well might have decided to cancel and stay in Tulamben (or give Padang Bai or Candidasa a go). Even during our trip, nobody mentioned that this was unusual. So, May-June is not an optimal time to visit? I had not read that anywhere.

@Cali_diver's comment about Lembongan being a "great place for backpackers and Aussies looking for cheap getaways" is spot on. We saw lots of just such backpackers and Aussies. The average age of visitors seemed somewhere in the 20s-30s. I suppose that in addition to the cheap guesthouses there are a few more upscale choices for accommodations, so you could manage to avoid the dusty streets and filth if you seek out such a place. And in the vein of the saying "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," it is possible to rent a motorbike so as to avoid being run over by them in the street. In summary, it isn't so much that I hated Lembongan as that we were caught off guard by what we experienced, as we did not have an accurate image of it in our minds when we made our plans. I'm glad we went, as we now have an accurate picture, and it wasn't all bad. But as I said, I wouldn't choose to stay there again.

 

[Cali_diver]

I didn't mind the dusty streets or the trash (welcome to Indonesia) but it was definitely the vibe. It was pretty laughable when the truck dropped us off with all of our camera and dive gear a 1/2 block away from the resort and we had to drag (would not roll) our bags through the dirt and sand to the resort. I can say that even the cheapest Indonesian hotels ($30/night) had someone or at least a cart for you when you arrived to help with the luggage. This is where I wished I was a backpacker!!

@gekodivebali is right on about the fast boats from Bali. They were all at the sites way before us!!

If you dive there just make sure you have a deployable surface marker and you know how to use it. There are so many boats at Manta and Crystal that it is quite a feat to find a safe open area to surface... There are other dive sites that were quite beautiful (some very chilly and some warm) but the boats seem to hit at least one of the crowded sites each day.

 

[billt4sf]

Thanks all for your comments! Very helpful. We decided to go primarily the Geko / Padang Bai route, and spend just couple days in Lambongan.

- Bill & Emily

 

[gekodivebali]

Had I known in advance, we very well might have decided to cancel and stay in Tulamben (or give Padang Bai or Candidasa a go). Even during our trip, nobody mentioned that this was unusual. So, May-June is not an optimal time to visit? I had not read that anywhere.

Well it's impossible for operators to know weeks in advance if there will be a storm somewhere thousands of miles away (in this case Southern Ocean) bringing in big swell. The spring tides, which we know of in advance, only made the situation worse.
Last few days, there have been huge waves in Tulamben. This does not mean that you should not ever dive Tulamben in July, just that there was a storm over some days this July. May-June is a great time to visit...

 

[Lorenzoid]

Well it's impossible for operators to know weeks in advance if there will be a storm somewhere thousands of miles away (in this case Southern Ocean) bringing in big swell. The spring tides, which we know of in advance, only made the situation worse.
Last few days, there have been huge waves in Tulamben. This does not mean that you should not ever dive Tulamben in July, just that there was a storm over some days this July. May-June is a great time to visit...

A day in advance would have been okay. I'd rather have forfeited my deposit than spent five days of valuable vacation time on that side trip. Of course, since we were unfamiliar with Lembongan, even if they had warned us "we won't be visiting the southern sites until at least next Tuesday," my wife and I probably wouldn't have changed our plans. We were curious about the place. Now, our curiosity is more than satisfied. Next time: day boat from Sanur or Padang Bai.

 

[gekodivebali]

@Lorenzoid : I hope you told that to the operator you dive with. Nigel @TwoFish is a pretty sensible man that knows how to make the most of such advice.
I'm still surprised about your comments regarding North penida. For me, sites like Toyapakeh, Buyuk, SD, Blue Corner or Malibu point are as good as anything.
Also glad you're turning this unfortunate side trip into a learning experience!

 

[Lorenzoid]

@gekodivebali, I can't really expect a dive op to scare away guests by taking the initiative to caution guests a day or two in advance that they likely will not visit the sites for which Nusa Penida is most known. We divers are aware that in most places in the world, we take our chances with the sea conditions. However, I hope threads like this will help others in the future by encouraging them to ask their Lembongan dive op a few days in advance about the likelihood of visiting the sites in which they are interested.

I suppose if I had anything to say to Two Fish, it would be to remind them that THEY asked US to email them a week or two in advance to let them know if we would like to dive Manta Point and Crystal Bay. I suppose they need to have some minimum number of guests who are interested, and then of course for the sea conditions to cooperate. We complied with their request to let them know. It would have been nice if they had returned the courtesy, by letting us know that they likely would be unable to dive there during our stay. I filled out Two Fish's survey when we departed, but I did not mention this. You really think it would be useful to Nigel?

The sites you mentioned were fine, but just not interesting enough by themselves to have warranted a 5-day side trip to Lembongan out of our 2-1/2 week Bali dive safari. It seems to me that these sites don't offer anything that a diver cannot see in Bali, with less hassle. As I mentioned, it was not just the dive sites themselves, but a number of small negatives--the ferry/transport hassle, the strong currents, the trash in the water, etc.--that cumulatively outweighed the positives.

 

[charlier]

@Lorenzoid : I hope you told that to the operator you dive with. Nigel @TwoFish is a pretty sensible man that knows how to make the most of such advice.
I'm still surprised about your comments regarding North penida. For me, sites like Toyapakeh, Buyuk, SD, Blue Corner or Malibu point are as good as anything.
Also glad you're turning this unfortunate side trip into a learning experience!

I agree with the boys from Geko. Toyapakeh, Butik, SD, PD, etc are great dive sites. We visited in late May and had a wonderful time. Our last day with James @Padang Bai put smiles on all of our faces. Next time you visit, give us a shout and will will try to met you in Bali.