Lembeh in february. Which resort would you recommend and why?

[WetPup]

If you don't need a camera room with air guns and all the bells and whistles (need being a relative term here...), then one of the other resorts like NAD might be something to consider. KBR and Lembeh Resort are really the top end of the market for Lembeh (even if KBR has declined a bit), so if you don't need that camera room setup and aren't chasing luxury digs, then somewhere cheaper might be ok. I've not stayed at NAD personally, but they seem to get good reviews for a mid-range option

 

[Cali_diver]

NAD has a 2-1 dive guide ratio which is essential for videographers and a huge plus for photographers. They have an amazing camera room with large rinse tanks and air guns for drying. Great stations with individual charging receptacles Boats are comfortable and have bathrooms. Food is great and the resort is nice and comfortable. Get a bungalow! I was there twice last year. I have used other OPs but would go back to NAD for sure.

 

[outofofficebrb]

NAD has a 2-1 dive guide ratio which is essential for videographers and a huge plus for photographers. They have an amazing camera room with large rinse tanks and air guns for drying. Great stations with individual charging receptacles Boats are comfortable and have bathrooms. Food is great and the resort is nice and comfortable. Get a bungalow! I was there twice last year. I have used other OPs but would go back to NAD for sure.

Super stoked to hear such great reviews. We just booked NAD for Oct and am looking forward to it. Thank you for your post!

 

[AlMitch]

Have been three times. Divers Lodge, Black Sands, NAD

Would do any of the three again

The drawback to Divers Lodge is that it is a bit far from most of the sites in Lembe so you spend more time travelling to and from sites than the others. Also WAY more mosquitoes almost none at the other two. Without repellent you will be eaten alive. Otherwise very nice. Food was good guides were good accommodation also good

Black Sands food was excellent you are very close to the best sites and they use very fast boats so you return to the Lodge after every dive. Accommodation is also excellent. Dive guides are not as good as the other two IMHO

NAD guides were the best. No climb up a long set of stairs to get to accommodation or food. Everything is close to the dock. Accommodation is good food is good.

All things considered I would choose NAD because I found the guides to be so much better and everything else was good. If accommodation and food are important then Black Sands, but you will pay more. If $ is most important than Divers Lodge is a good choice. Just make sure you use the mosquito repellant- everything else is good.

@Darnold9999 heck are you my shadow??!!!
I've done 3 trips and stayed at the exact same resorts! What are the odds!!??

I agree on with everything you've written.
Divers Lodge does have access to the far less dived Eastern Side of Lembeh Island which could be an interesting change of scenery if you are there 10-12 days.
But of the 3 Black Sands was definitely the one I would return to the soonest....$$'s permitting.

But honestly I have hardly heard a bad review from any of the resorts in Lembeh. It is such a great place.

I've posted trip reports on all three if you want a more detailed review of each.

 

[Centrals]

Stayed at Two Fish several yrs ago and they were fine. If you are worried that 10 - 12 days might be a bit too long then Two Fish has another operation at Bunaken. Completely different from Lembeh.

 

[Indah]

The drawback to Divers Lodge is that it is a bit far from most of the sites in Lembeh so you spend more time travelling to and from sites than the others. Also WAY more mosquitoes almost none at the other two. Without repellent you will be eaten alive.

True we have had problems with mosquitoes. But we solved that. Was caused by water trapped in our rainwater collectors. And for example now, I am sitting in short trousers in our restaurant without using any repellent and there are no mosquitoes around at all.
We are having many excellent dive-sites near our resort which are at least as good as the more crowded "famous" spots. Our boats are not only spacious, comfortable and equipped with toilets, but also fast. Some distances in minutes: Goby a Crab (Tanjung Lampu) 8 minutes, Indah Wreck 10 minutes, Nudi Falls 15 minutes, Hairball (which is actually only 10 kilometers from our Lodge) 25 minutes. These times include launching from the resort and mooring at the site.
Because we do not work with high commission consuming travel agents and we do not have to employ expensive foreigners we can offer the highest value for money: spacious private bungalow with full board and 3 dives by boat = USD 159, -. No single surcharge. Never more than 2 divers/1 excellent guide. No limits on dive-time. 15 liter tanks and Nitrox available.
We are having the best team since our start in 2002. None of our guides made less than 2000 dive in Lembeh Strait.

 

[Manuel Sam]

I'll second almost everything that Cali-diver said. I was there in 2014, 2015, and will be there this coming November. Prior to the above, I did KBR in 2009 - nothing bad to say about them but they are pricier than NAD. I'm not saying that you will be as lucky, but as a single diver, I was fortunate that the 2:1 dive guide ratio became 1:1 for me on both NAD trips.

Where I differ with Cali-diver: it's a matter of personal preference but even tho the bungalows are more spacious, I prefer the beachfront rooms because there are no stairs to climb. They are also slightly cheaper.

Lastly, as others have already said, if you enjoy macro, 10-12 places in Lembeh is not a lot. However, if you are leaning towards combining, one easy combo option is Raja Ampat because there are nonstop flights between Manado and Sorong. Another option is Bali, but you have to usually connect in Makassar. Lastly, I am doing Ambon in combo with Lembeh in November in hopes of lucking out with the Psycho Frogfish. You do lose at least one day of diving if you do a combo trip.

 

[Darnold9999]

The drawback to Divers Lodge is that it is a bit far from most of the sites in Lembeh so you spend more time travelling to and from sites than the others. Also WAY more mosquitoes almost none at the other two. Without repellent you will be eaten alive.

True we have had problems with mosquitoes. But we solved that. Was caused by water trapped in our rainwater collectors. And for example now, I am sitting in short trousers in our restaurant without using any repellent and there are no mosquitoes around at all.
We are having many excellent dive-sites near our resort which are at least as good as the more crowded "famous" spots. Our boats are not only spacious, comfortable and equipped with toilets, but also fast. Some distances in minutes: Goby a Crab (Tanjung Lampu) 8 minutes, Indah Wreck 10 minutes, Nudi Falls 15 minutes, Hairball (which is actually only 10 kilometers from our Lodge) 25 minutes. These times include launching from the resort and mooring at the site.
Because we do not work with high commission consuming travel agents and we do not have to employ expensive foreigners we can offer the highest value for money: spacious private bungalow with full board and 3 dives by boat = USD 159, -. No single surcharge. Never more than 2 divers/1 excellent guide. No limits on dive-time. 15 liter tanks and Nitrox available.
We are having the best team since our start in 2002. None of our guides made less than 2000 dive in Lembeh Strait.

Am so glad you solved that. Was the only truly negative thing about my time there. As I said would go back to any of the resorts again. The hard part is deciding which one as they are all good.

 

[Indah]

Garuda is flying direct non-stop Manado - Bali. By the way, many of our guests combine Lembeh with our Weda Resort at Halmahera. Garuda flies Manado - Ternate daily.

 

[billt4sf]

Ok, so I've been to Lembeh 7 times, and my 8th trip will be next month In all my previous stays, I have stayed at KBR (Kungkungan Bay Resort). As with other dive resorts around the world, they were hit by declining guest numbers due to the economy, and have downgraded their soft product as a way to bring down resort prices. The thing is that while it's now cheaper to stay at KBR, I dislike the changes they've made (note: this has nothing to do with the quality of their dive operations which are still phenomenal, it is specifically about the resort itself). This is just a personal opinion and others may find the changes acceptable. I would have been prepared to keep paying what they used to charge. So this time, on my 8th trip to Lembeh, I've decided to stay at Lembeh Resort instead. Time will tell how it compares.

The reason I like KBR (and Lembeh Resort) is because of their serious setups for photographers. If you are not a desperate obsessive photographer and just want to "go have a look at the critters" and you're not about to throw a tantrum because you still haven't seen that damn hairy octopus...find me a hairy octopus then it's probably not as big of a deal for you to have the kind of setups that KBR and Lembeh Resort have.

Ok I'll stay away. Give me my reefs.