Best house reefs

[specorelli]

Hi all

I am planning to travel in March-May 2019.
My husband and I are DM but we are traveling with our 4 and 6 y.o. kids and my mom (all snorkelers).

Last year we were in Vilamendhoo Maldives (South Ari) which was a good combination of snorkeling / diving and a decent house reef except that the coral was completely hit by bleaching in 2016 and this spoiled the experience

We were wondering if you had any suggestions for this challenging checklist:
- decent house reef, ability to dive
- good accommodation/resort
- no safety problems

We are struggling to find something fitting the criteria
So far we were looking at Redang, El Nido, Raja Ampat but we are open to other places (including liveaboard if they take kids)

Thanks

 

[Luko]

Alor Divers in Alor/Indonesia. Lovely bungalows, great beach and housereef, awesome diving.
Murex Bangka in North Sulawesi, great beach, good wooden bungalows, nice house reef but you can also hop aboard the boats and go snorkeling a few hundred meters from the resort for excellent corals.
Tulamben in Bali, Ocean View or Puri Madha resorts are just in front of the Liberty wreck which is an amazing place for snorkeling, Tauch Terminal has IMO better accoms on the sea front but 200m east from the wreck.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Mermaid Liveaboards in Indonesia permits kids on board. I would reach out to them for more details. The reef in El Nido was disappointing and it isn't easy to get in and out (long car ride or ferry ride) with kids.

@Luko Komodo Resort looks like a good fit as well but I wonder if it has a good house reef - do you know anything about that one?

 

[Luko]

@Luko Komodo Resort looks like a good fit as well but I wonder if it has a good house reef - do you know anything about that one?

Nope, I have written off Komodo resort from my list. too expensive and not specific enough for the location IMO.
But probably you may find that chartering a whole snorkeling phinisi for the family may be of interest, providing of course you don't snorkel Tatawa Kecil at ebb tide or Castle rock anytime of the day.

 

[UFOrb]

We’ve just come back from N Sulawesi with our 2 and 5 years old kids.

We stayed at Bastianos on Bunaken first - seafront rooms with aircon available. Decent little beach with safe swimming, and amazing snorkelling in front of the resort, particularly out at the drop off. I also jumped on an afternoon dive boat for snorkelling at another spot with my 5 year old. He got back on the boat after 20 mins and I carried on following the current / divers bubbles and the snorkelling was so good it cheered me up A LOT after having to stay dry due to an ear issue. The dive sites are mostly close by so you’re not out too long. They normally do a 2 tank trip in the morning and a single dive in the afternoon, with evening Mandarin fish or night dives available. They also have a little pool. We also heard good things about Two Fish and Living Colours on the other side of the island. Siladen island also looks appealing.

Next we headed to Blue Bay Divers at Sahaung, Bangka island. What can I say! An idyllic little resort in a protected bay with a beautiful beach and safe swimming for the boys. Lovely bungalows right on the beach. No a/c or running water but that wasn’t a problem for us (in fact we liked the eco-friendly aspect of it). Good snorkelling in front of the resort - we saw blue spotted rays, seahorses, juv sweetlips, cat fish etc. etc. Great diving close by, incl the fantastic Batu Sahaung 5-10 mins boat ride away. They often return to the resort for SIs. There is also a shore entry site in front of the resort, which is more of a muck site than the other local sites, but I really enjoyed it (twice) - luckily my ear was holding up when we got to Bangka
The owner Anke and the staff were great with ours kids and we can’t wait to go back! Highly recommended.

Last year we went to Gili Air (Manta Dive) and Bali (Liberty Dive Resort, Tulamben & Genggong Hotel, Candidasa). Gili Air was great for the kids but, apart from turtles (which were obviously awesome too see), the snorkelling was only ok. We didn’t snorkel at Tulamben but there’s a nice protected spot in front of Genggong Hotel in Candidasa.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more info.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

Hi all

I am planning to travel in March-May 2019.
My husband and I are DM but we are traveling with our 4 and 6 y.o. kids and my mom (all snorkelers).

Last year we were in Vilamendhoo Maldives (South Ari) which was a good combination of snorkeling / diving and a decent house reef except that the coral was completely hit by bleaching in 2016 and this spoiled the experience

We were wondering if you had any suggestions for this challenging checklist:
- decent house reef, ability to dive
- good accommodation/resort
- no safety problems

We are struggling to find something fitting the criteria
So far we were looking at Redang, El Nido, Raja Ampat but we are open to other places (including liveaboard if they take kids)

Thanks

If you might consider a liveaboard option, we would love to welcome you onboard! We are perfectly suited for families and often get family charter bookings. We are available by email if you'd like more information!

 

[saila]

Hi, you might want to check out Atmosphere Resort in Dauin/Dumaguete, Philippines. Nice House Reef for both diving and snorkeling (different areas for different depths), and Apo Island marine sanctuary only 35min boat ride away. The resort works great for families, and kids have separate pool area for playing. The area is safe, and the weather is usually stunning in March-May. Diving in Dauin is a mix of macro and corals.

 

[chris kippax]

Wakatobi may fit the bill

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Apparently orca dive club in soma bay Hurghada is excellent. Possibly the best house reef in the world. (So say German dive mag taschen) they also have a kitesurfing school. I’m going for a few days in nov before getting on MY Blue. I’ll post a review. It’s apparently great for kids, breakers is the dive/surf hotel attached and there are other 5 star resorts where they pickup for free for dives. Expect the clientele to mainly be German/Austria/Swiss, but English too. I’d be interested to hear if anyone has been?

 

[nudisusie]

Try Atmosphere Resort in the Philippines (Negros Island, Dumaguete/Dauin area)

• Their house reef has some of the best critters around, just walk in from the resort (guides carry kit for you) and its all there - frogfish, pipefish, seahorses, shrimps, crabs. There are a couple of artificial reef sections with plenty of coral growth and fans. Its a simple site that as a DM you'll have no difficulty navigating with your buddy but you might want a guide for the really tiny stuff.
• Resort is luxury. I've stayed in the garden apartment (dbl bed room bathroom, lounge, kitchen and terrace) and family room (3 beds and bathroom and terrace). You might want to look at their penthouse which has 2 dbl rooms with ensuite, lounge, dining and kitchen and balcony/terrace and they can add extra beds in and you are all together in one suite. The resort has all amenities, 2 pools with shallow areas for smaller kids, restaurant with loads of menu choices or you can cook for yourself if needed in apartments or penthouse. Also kids club and nanny service (so you and your husband can dive together and if mum needs a break!)
• Extremely safe, good quality boats (with toilet), professional guides. The whole staff takes good care of everyone. The owners and some managers also have young children so they understand your concerns
• Day trips to Apo island are great for snorkelling and its only 25 mins by boat from the resort

I've been 5 times!