Lembeh - can you help?

Have searched Lembeh threads and have found some of information. Have been to Lembeh before so have a good idea of the conditions.

But can anyone help with up to date reports and answers to these questions?

Expect to be there July/August 2009. So trip reports about now will be relevant.

I have read comments about current, wind, sea temperature at this time being a bit more current and wind and less temperature. Does anyone have any comments about any of the dive ops having a particularly sheltered location? My recollection of diving in July at Lembeh was of slightly cooler water but I don't recall problems with currents.

We are looking for superb dive guides and 60 min plus dives. Any recommendations? Clearly Nitrox would be an advantage. There will be a group of three of us and we would want to dive with one guide. Don't like competing with too many cameras. We will have one camera amongst us and they will not be elbowing us away from seeing things! (No comment about the idiot who cut my elbow with his camera in his eagerness to get a shot of a whaleshark in Holbox.)

We are likely to be there for only one overnight, or two at the most. So we shall want as many dives as we can get. Hope to arrive in the morning and depart as late the next afternoon as possible. Any comments or suggestions? A night dive seems a must. A good house-reef might provide opportunity for a 6 am dive. Who would be that flexible? It's worth having a dive-guide because these critters are so easy to miss even after weeks of practice.

Any comments on prices? As it's only one overnight, what we are looking for is the quality of diving - but we find that where there is care over diving, there is usually care over accommodation and food. KBR is way too expensive.

We will be transferring to and from Manado - the dive resorts can probably help - but any comments about this? And what are the transfer times from Manado to the various dive lodges? I think some take longer than others.

Thanks in advance for your help. We can't wait to get back.

July -August is the busy season in the manado area, so book way ahead. Yes your dive resort will help with a Lembeh-Bunaken transfer. Some resorts have facilities at both Lembeh and Bunaken area so they are regularly transporting staff and divers and supplies.

If you are going to a resort owned by a different company, typically what they do is rendezvous at the airport as most resorts have people going to the airport or are doing pickups. Check with the resorts to coordinate things.

Do as many night dives as you can in Lembeh. It's great fun.

Hello Pelan Pelan,

Currents in July and August are definitely not stronger than the other months. Actually if you could point out a moths with more currents it would be May. But any dive center will pick the proper sites at the proper times.

From the airport to Bitung takes only one hour by car.

If you come from Bynaken:
Useally the dive centers from Bunaken bring their guests to the harbour in Manado (Manado Plaza) where we pick them up. This boat trip takes 30 - 45 minutes. From there we pick them up by car and take them to the harbour in Bitung (70 minutes) and last part of the trip is 20 minutes by our boat. So all together the whole trip takes about two and a half hours.
Our (Divers Lodge Lembeh) non limit package seems to be the perfect solution for you. You would have your own boat with crew and two dive guides for the three of you. Really diving as often and whenever you want.

I have been to Lembeh in Dec 2006 and last week. I didn't notice any difference in currents. In fact we didn't have any currents to speak of in any of the dives. The waters were a bit colder than in December, but nothing too harsh. The only dive sites not accessible during July/August are on the ocean side of Lembeh which very few people go to anyway. We had a bit of rain every day, but again it wasn't anything major.
On this last trip we stayed with Diver's Lodge. It is a bit further away from the main dive sites, but they have an unlimited dive package that is very good value. Basically you have your own dive-boat and dive guide and you can dive where ever and when ever you want. Also the dives are not limited in time - most of our dives were 70+ minutes.
Our first trip to Lembeh we stayed at KBR. We loved it, but it was a bit expensive. I think you will find Diver's Lodge to be much more affordable.

From their website, this place looks great - close to the Lembeh diving, nice rooms, good services, very good rates. I have also been looking into Two Fish divers up in that area. For someone who wants to dive for 7 or 8 days in Bunaken and Lembeh, would those who have been there say that I would be better picking one resort to do both, and deal with the longer boat rides, or stay in a place like Divers Lodge for Lembeh and the switch to a place on Bunaken to be closer to those sites for the other four days?

Hello

I can suggest what I did, and liked a lot : diving in Bunaken and going on a cruise to Lembeh with the same dive center... no waste of time, you can dive everyday... no package to pack and unpack, the dive equipment can stay wet...
I did it with Froggies, look here : Diving Manado & Bunaken - FROGGIES DIVERS - North Sulawesi - Indonesia

AngelfishDiver,
This place looks great! I especially like the motto up top: "The Laziest Dive Experience Ever!" For me, a dive vacation must be, first and foremost, a total relaxing and rejuvenating experience from my normal hectic life. This place sounds perfect. From their descriptions, they have a housereef that is shore diving - is this true? Is it any good?
How many dives did you do each day? I usually like to do 3 day-dives plus one night dive most days.
Was the operation well-run? Safety conscious? How many divers were on the boat?
The website states that they cruise to Lembeh for a multi-day dive trip, where you stay on the boat overnight. Did you do that? How did you like it?

Sorry for all the questions - but this place looks like exactly the kind of laid back place I have been looking for.

dampcooker:

AngelfishDiver,
This place looks great! I especially like the motto up top: "The Laziest Dive Experience Ever!" For me, a dive vacation must be, first and foremost, a total relaxing and rejuvenating experience from my normal hectic life. This place sounds perfect. From their descriptions, they have a housereef that is shore diving - is this true? Is it any good?
How many dives did you do each day? I usually like to do 3 day-dives plus one night dive most days.
Was the operation well-run? Safety conscious? How many divers were on the boat?
The website states that they cruise to Lembeh for a multi-day dive trip, where you stay on the boat overnight. Did you do that? How did you like it?

Sorry for all the questions - but this place looks like exactly the kind of laid back place I have been looking for.

Click to expand...

Hi Dampcooker

No problem for the questions, I'm happy if I can help you!
This place is just like it says, relax, dive, eat, sleep... no engine noise, there are no cars on the island, you can only come by boat... you go to sleep with the sound of the waves and wake up with the sound of the dive boats getting ready.
No TV, no parties, no shopping (but you can join the daily boat of the dive center goint to the market in Manado)... music in the evening during dinner when the staff is playing and singing... some people will like, some would not !

I did a maximum of 4 dives a day : 7 am (a great dive at this hour), 9.30 am, then lunch, then diving at 1.30 pm, then tea time, then, you can choose a sunset dive at 5.30 pm (at this time, you can see the mandarin fishes), or night dive before dinner.
I did all the dives with the boat, but you are right, there is a house reef. And you can dive there for free. I did once, it was OK, but not as good as the other dive sites. I saw some people doing a night dive there and coming back very happy, but I never tried.

About the operation, I've been there 3 times during 3 weeks already and the organisation has always been perfect. I have never been with more than 5 people per boat, and usually 1 guide for 2 divers, sometimes 1 guide is with only 1 diver, sometimes maximum with 3, but usually is 2. You go up when you have no more air (I mean no much air left!), and you can stay underwater 60, 70, 80, 90 minutes if you like (and if you can) !
My usual dive time there is between 70 and 80 minutes, my maximum has been more than 110 !
The guides know the dive sites, they are careful, respectful of the environment (unlike some other dive centers I saw there, touching everything, and I do not like that!)

Each time I've been there, I did a Lembeh cruise. You leave for 4 days and sleep on the boat, which is new and confortable. I love this cruise because it is very different from the dives around Bunaken and Manado. On the way, you dive Bankga, but mostly Lembeh, and if you like stange and macro stuff, you will love it too!

I hope this helps.
Sorry for my english, I am french, tell me if there is something I did not expressed properly.
Do not hesitate if you have more questions

Thanks for the info about Froggies, your English is excellent. We will be staying with our favourite lumbalumba but we have very good memories of Froggies. Christiane (Froggies) was one of the first dive operators in the area - is she still runing it? She and Roel and Juud at lumbalumba are old friends. The liveaboard arrangement sounds a very good idea. I shall go and check out their web-site - four days liveaboard with Froggies sounds like a good idea.

Any other reports of Lembeh and comments - please keep them coming - this has been a really useful thread.

Hi Pelan Pelan

Yes, Christiane is still running the place and participating a lot to preserve the environment and the national park.
She is a really nice and interesting woman, and amazing when you discover how many languages she can speak!