Bali diving - Lembongan Chalets?

[ylin42]

Hi all,

I'm going to Indonesia in July, and was hoping to get some advice about diving on Bali.

I'll be going on the Komodo Dancer, but have about a week in Bali beforehand, so I thought I'd check out the Liberty wreck and the mantas / sunfish at Nusa Lembongan. I know it's a bit early in the season for the sunfish but that's when I'll be there, so I'll take my chances.

I'm thinking a few days at Tulamben, a couple days in Ubud, and then a few days in the southern part of Bali (Sanur/Kuta/Lembongan).

For Tulamben, I'm planning on staying with Tulamben Wreck Divers and doing an advanced OW certification, as well as dive the wreck obviously.

However, for Lembongan I'm not sure if the best choice is to stay in Sanur and go on day trips, or stay in a resort on Lembongan. Staying in Sanur might be better for non-diving activities, but perhaps the longer boat transfers would make staying on the island worthwhile. I'd kind of like to learn to surf while in Bali, but it sounds like I can't dive and take the class on the same day. (I have never surfed before and the idea sounds slightly terrifying, but sounds like Bali is a good place to try.)

Lembongan Chalets was suggested to me as a resort on Lembongan, but they don't seem to have much of an internet presence and I can't find reviews online, which makes me a bit nervous about staying there. Has anyone else stayed there before?

I'd welcome any advice or suggestions. Happy diving!

 

[AlMitch]

Bali is great for both surfing and diving.
As most people on here will be able to give you great diving advise I will try give you some surfing advise.

Surfing is not easy, and in a day or or two it is very unlikely that you will "become a surfer". If you are serious about surfing then you will need to basically use the whole week you are in Bali to learn to surf. Stay in one of the "surf camps" and then you go out with guys who know where to take beginners and teach you what to do. You will surf two to three times a day. This is the only way you will actually learn to surf. BUT Once you ride that first wave you will be hooked! It is AMAZING!!

What I'm basically saying is that if you are going for a dive holiday and diving is your focus, as it seems it is, then just focus on the diving. One afternoon in the waves is not going to make you a surfer.... that is unless you are just a complete natural!!

I'm sure you will have fun in the waves and under the waves regardless.

 

[ylin42]

I'm not expecting to become a surfer, any more than I was a skier after my first day of flailing about on the mountain and still not really having any idea how to control my speed or stop (except by falling and hoping that I would slow down eventually). I figured that I'd try it for maybe a day. I don't really expect to even be able to stand up by the end of it, the goal is just have a little fun.

Diving is definitely the main goal here.

 

[vladimir]

Sorry, I have not stayed on Lembongan, but the logistics of diving Lembongan from Sanur (about an hour boat ride, depending on the sea condition) will make me lean in that direction the next time I dive there.

I have spent a lot of time in Kuta. I once met a beautiful Tasmanian surfer girl in one of the nightclubs, so it wasn't a complete waste of time, but if that's not on your agenda then consider skipping Kuta.

The distance between Tulamben and Ubud, for example, doesn't look like much on a map, but the traffic can be quite an obstacle, and it gets worse as you go south. So figure some travel time in your itinerary.

I dived with Bali Diving Academy last year, and I can recommend them.

 

[Valwood1]

I find that staying on Lembongan is a lot better for diving than staying in Sanur and making a day trip. My trip report from August 2010 about my stay in Lembongan follows.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/350054-lembongan-trip-report.html

The downside to staying on Lembongan is that the non-diving activities are fairly limited unless you want to do some sightseeing. I don't believe that there's much nightlife there -- or perhaps I am just too old to go looking. )

 

[gee13]

I stayed at Dream Beach Chalets last time I dived around Lembongan/ Nusa Penida area. Very quiet, not much to do but great location on a nice beach. I dived with World Diving, and they offered a mortorbike pickup from the resort 15-20 min bike ride. Next time though Id look at staying at their newer Pondok Baruna accomodation on site, so I can just wake up and stroll on to the dive boat! Excellent Dive Op with UK managers and top DM spotters. If you get lucky you may get to see the Molas like I did.

 

[chaztheman45]

I just got back from 4 nights on Lembongan yesterday..staying in Kuta now and I would not recommend it. Lembongan was very laid back. I did 4 dives over 2 days with World Diving and stayed at Mandara Bungalows just down the beach. Dream Beach Bungalows looked really nice and the beach is the nicest on the island, but they are extremely isolated and there is nothing to do on that side of the island unless you rent a motorbike. Jungbatu beach is the main spot which is also were the majority of the dive shops are located. The diving was good, but the currents at some sites was ripping. I did get lucky and saw 1 Mola and 6+ Mantas. Some of the sites are great some were so so. But I was happy I made the trip. If you are planning on doing the trip from Sanur, be ready for at least a 45 minute crossing in rough seas. From Lembongan the sites were only 15-20 minutes away. There is not much to do on the island aside from diving, surfing, and drinking. There are tons of places to stay ranging from budget to luxury but most of the smaller family run places do not have websites, but it is easy to just show up and find a place to stay.

 

[ylin42]

@chaztheman45: so are you suggesting that I simply show up on Lembongan and find a place to stay, and dive with one of the operators such as World Divers? I always get nervous not booking beforehand but sounds like just showing up is the way to go in SE Asia.

I'd like to find an operator that lets me do as many dives as possible... is 3 + night dive an unreasonable number, if staying on Lembongan?

What did you do during the surface intervals? I'm not much of a nightlife person so lack of partying is fine, but it would be nice to have something to do in the afternoon when I'm not diving.

Thanks everybody!

 

[vladimir]

@chaztheman45: so are you suggesting that I simply show up on Lembongan and find a place to stay, and dive with one of the operators such as World Divers? I always get nervous not booking beforehand but sounds like just showing up is the way to go in SE Asia.

Not always. Here's an old post of mine describing a trip where that plan went a little awry:

On my first trip to Tioman Island in Malaysia I showed up with no reservations. Usually not a problem if you're willing to stay in a shack, which I was. Unfortunately, I showed up on Aid Il Fitri or Hari Raya Haji, I don't remember which, and every shack was occupied, as was the lone resort, the Berjaya. I walked up and down that road on the northwest coast where all the shacks are (were?), with 50 pounds of dive gear on my back, sweating my butt off. I sat down in a restaurant and shooed flies off my food feeling increasingly desperate. The waiter offered to put me up at his house, which was either an incredibly generous gesture or a flagrant sexual come-on, I'm still not sure. I declined however, because I don't roll that way, and I did another tour of the shacks, this time asking for one night's accommodation instead of 4 and finding a shack at ABC (no fan, no mosquito net), if I remember correctly. I managed to get accommodation for the next three nights at Nazri's, I think, and it was a nice trip. But I wish I'd booked in advance.

 

[Valwood1]

@chaztheman45: so are you suggesting that I simply show up on Lembongan and find a place to stay, and dive with one of the operators such as World Divers? I always get nervous not booking beforehand but sounds like just showing up is the way to go in SE Asia.

I'd like to find an operator that lets me do as many dives as possible... is 3 + night dive an unreasonable number, if staying on Lembongan?

What did you do during the surface intervals? I'm not much of a nightlife person so lack of partying is fine, but it would be nice to have something to do in the afternoon when I'm not diving.

Thanks everybody!

I know that you can make a reservation through World Divers on the internet, and imagine that there are other internet-based accommodations on Lembongan.

World Divers did two dives per day, and I seem to recall that there was a concern with currents in the afternoons. You need to ask the shops about the third and any night dives. Surface intervals were the usual heading to the next dive site and then sitting on the boat to offgas, though they did try to move the boat into calmer waters while waiting.