Bunaken + Lembeh (Bangka?) for 7 days in July

[FreedR]

Currently planning a July trip to Indonesia for my wife and me, looking at Bunaken/Bangka/Lembeh in North Sulawesi. We'll have about a week there, so probably 5 days of diving. We're less experienced divers (15 dives each), and are probably more interested in coral and fish, but curious about muck diving. First time in Indonesia, and interested in experiencing the full range the area has to offer.

I chose to focus on North Sulawesi because I'd heard such great things about the Bunaken area, but I've been reading some of the archives, and it seems that people tend to prefer Lembeh? And now I'm learning about Bangka, which throws another variable in the mix...

We're looking for what I'd call mid-range accommodations. We're not backpackers, but don't need pampering. Looking for a decent place, with great diving. Just starting to make inquiries for pricing and availability.

Also, I've heard that airfares are easier to book from within Indonesia. Any recommendations for travel agents for this? I usually book airfares directly online.

Any thoughts/tips would be great.

 

[Wisnu]

FreedR
With only 5 diving days, I suggest to split to Bunaken and Lembeh (3/2 or 2/3). Personally, I will stay more in Lembeh - but for firstimer I don't think you'll be boring with Bunaken.
There's several dive resorts (2fish, bastianos, eco diver, ect) operate at both location which make easy transfer.

For airline, I prefer Garuda - you can book on-line.

 

[FreedR]

Thanks for the advice, Wisnu. I've contacted a few of the resorts, and it seems like splitting time is the best way to go. Wish we had more time on this trip. If it's half as good as people say, then we may just come back for a longer trip later.

 

[AlanWald]

[FONT=lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif]Do as many night dives as you can at Lembeh. I saw a crab spawning at [/FONT][h=3]PANTAI PARIGI which is a site located on the Lembeh Island side.[/h]

 

[pughio83]

Would agree if between lembeh and bunaken do 2/3rds lembeh and 1/3 bunaken. Now going bk to lembeh only for 2 weeks with bangka side trip. Bangka gets recommended a lot. Bunaken for me was good but not great. I found very monotonous after 3 days there.

 

[FreedR]

We've decided to stay on Bangka, which gives us a chance to sample the area, including Bunaken and Lembeh. Although I'm interested in muck diving, my wife is much more interested in pelagics and big schools of fish. So I think we'll find something for us both to enjoy. Thank you for all your suggestions.

 

[TSandM]

You should be aware that the diving in Bunaken is along huge walls, often with the bottom at 600 feet or so. Good buoyancy control is critical, as is the ability to function in current and cope with mild up- and downwellings. I would not have felt comfortable in Bunaken when I had 15 dives.

Lembeh, on the other hand, consists more of sites with a hard deck (if you can call a silty bottom that) well within recreational range. Lembeh is silty, though, so good buoyancy control and the ability to kick softly and not ruin the visibility is awfully useful.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Indonesia, and saw a plethora of fascinating and exotic marine critters. But do set yourself up for success -- either do a bunch of dives and practice buoyancy without a visible seafloor, or choose less challenging sites.

 

[Xscream100]

Five days is not much time. Since you've never done muck diving, I suggest you spend most of your time in Bunaken. You can do a day trip from Bunaken to Lembeh if you want to see what muck is all about. If you're not into underwater photography, you might not appreciate Lembeh. What you'll see there is the weird stuff like devil scorpionfish, wonderpus, mimic octopus, flambouyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimp, some shrimps and crabs that you'll barely be able to see without magnification, and, if you're very lucky, maybe a rhinopias. You will not see any pretty corals and the colourful fish that inhabit those pretty corals. Nor will you see any sharks or turtles or most of the other bigger stuff.

That said, I prefer Lembeh and when I go back to North Sulawesi sometime in the not too distant future, I'll spend most if not all of my time in Lembeh. That's because taking photos and sometimes video of the weird and small stuff is much more satisfying than taking photos of the bigger stuff.

 

[Interceptor121]

I have booked a 12 nights trip with twofish divers with the Bunaken/Lembeh combo. Bunaken seems to be classic reef diving however there are muck diving sites too from what I have seen. Bunaken is a nicer place for a couple with better beach than Lembeh. At Lembeh is muck diving with lower visibility and some silt but some weird critters. I would think that if you are not into photos or video Bunaken will be fabulous as you have limited dive experience and will be more interested in the general reef life as opposed to small or weird critters.

 

[Wingy]

Be prepared for the bumpy drive out to Bangka, beautiful scenery makes up for the potholes - on the upside you are guaranteed to be able to stop roadside and grab some straight off the tree fruit for the trip over - Sauhong Pinacles is a beautiful divesite. I would also recommend stopping at the Mega Mall in Manado before you leave for Bangka and stocking up on some munchies and anything you may need to keep occupied while you are not under the water. Enjoy it now while you can before the chinese mining really kicks in.