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

[James R]

We stayed at Kasawari for about that long in Feb 2014. Our group took the whole resort, 10 villas I think. We really liked everything about the resort, except the occasional noise from the neighbors. We were in Villa 5, and it wasn't an issue at all if we were inside/sleeping for us.

If you are a fan of getting in extra shore dives, there may be a better location as the shore diving at Kasawari was not so good.

That said, we would stay there again for sure. Great staff, great food, really nice villas, and unreal macro diving even 5min away by boat.

 

[Lorenzoid]

When my wife and I stayed at KLR the rest of the resort was occupied by group of Texans. We thought the food was pretty bland, until several days into the trip we sheepishly asked for a little sambal to brighten it up. That led the staff to mention that they had been preparing the food to cater to preferences of the Texans, who had been coming to KLR for years. When the staff discovered we enjoyed more variety, including (and especially) Indonesian food, they gladly obliged us, and from then on the food was great. And there was fresh sambal on our table every meal.

 

[pelan-pelan]

We were at NAD in February and had an excellent time. There had been heavy rain and sadly some houses on the mainland had been washed away, but the staff kept coming in. Visibility was a bit patchy but settled down in a matter of ours. Guides were excellent at choosing the right sites. Special thanks to the kitchen staff who discovered I love Minehasan food and produced an extra bowl of local deliciousness for me. (It was shared!)

We have also stayed at Divers Lodge and had excellent diving. Like NAD they have a superb dive guide/diver ratio. Their dive guides were very clued up to tailoring your dive to what you ask for. Food was very good, Indonesian style, but if you want European style, just ask - it will be no problem. And like Lorenzoid says - wherever you are, if you want a bit more zing, just ask - the sambal will make your eyes sparkle!

We would be hard put to choose between the two places. Probably Divers Lodge because of the views and the site. (And they both have toilets on the boat.)

Enjoy Lembeh - but don't forget to look up. There's some startlingly large things about. (And I never want to see a puffer fish that size ever again. Who needs sci fi?)

 

[Searcaigh]

I've done 3 trips to Lembeh Resort over 3 consecutive years 2013-15, I missed out last year and will be missing this year too maybe mainly die to work and timing, but I'd return there in a heartbeat.

The sites are all the same no matter who you dive with, and of course it's up to luck what you find there ... assuming no guide

Why?

In no particular order

pickup at the airport
Incredibly friendly staff
fantastic accommodation
the food is brilliant
great camera room
fantastic knowledgeable guides
good guide v guest ratio 1:4 but I have had 1:1 frequently
great shore diving
no less than 60 min dives on the boat dives
unlimited time on shore dives, all of mine have been around 80-90min range
no charge for air when shore diving, just grab a tank and go
good boat crew
extensive library for checking photos

The longest I have spent there was 3 weeks and was never bored.

It can be cold so bring a 5mm

 

[whysocold]

Anywhere but Two Fish.

I received a written quote for my dive trip. After flying around the world and arriving at their property, they tell me that the quote was wrong and that I would have to pay a higher price. The owner was on site while I was there and he said that because they emailed me a corrected quote after I arrived at the property, that the new quote was binding. I argued every single day that I was there that changing the price after arriving (or even booking airfare) is unethical and he either didn't care or didn't care to understand. I ended up agreeing to skip dives to pay the original price because I didn't want to see what would happen when he called the Indonesian police.

This was a very unpleasant and stressful trip.

 

[Searcaigh]

When I brought my daughter with me to Lembeh Resort in 2014 she developed a cold and couldn't dive for a few days resulting in her not using the quota of dives allocated. When we returned in 2015 this was taken into account and we had extra dives which were essentially FOC

 

[whysocold]

@Searcaigh that's a great contrast of customer service.

 

[Searcaigh]

One of the reasons I returned after my first trip in 2013, the hospitality at Lembeh resort was second to none, and probably one of the best places I have ever dived, but that's all due to the people working there.

Talking about it makes me want to book something now but limited time to take leave is my problem unfortunately.

 

[NYCcowgirl]

Hi all -
Looking for some specific advice from folks who have been to several different spots. I am considering Bastianos, 2 Fish, Divers Lodge, NAD, & Eco Divers. Cost is a big factor since A traveling alone (ah, the dreaded Single Supplement!), and B extended trip, planning to stay in Lembeh for 2 weeks.

Other specific issues for me:
Would love the option of included shore diving
Picky eater, not a fan of spicy food, concerned about menu being only Indo dishes
Dive time restrictions - nothing worse than being forced out of the water with half a tank left
This one may sound goofy but it was a major point of unhappiness on my last dive trip - easy access to COLD water / drinks. I know all the resorts include water - but is it cold???
Less of a point, but ideally would love guides who are receptive to a critter wish list (of course nothing is guaranteed, totally get that)

Thank you in advance for any helpful advice

 

[Manuel Sam]

NYCcowgirl,

Regarding NAD, yes, I am paying a single supplement ($20/nt.).

As to your specific issues:

Shore diving: it is available......With that said, I've never done it because I have never been able to dqueeze in a shore dive with 3 day boat dives and one night dive. Maybe because I am getting old, and maybe because the dives are long and there just isn't enough time to dive and eat and mess with the camera and then do a shore dive in between.

Meals: at NAD, all meals are buffet style with a bias towards Indonesian but there are always multiple options. If there was heat, it was very tame. At breakfast, you can order eggs any way you wish, to go with the breakfast meat of the day.

Dive time restrictions: never had any. When we ended a dive, it was due to my own air limitations. I do recall that night dives ARE time restricted.

Cold water: as I recall there is an ice dispenser. As for the water itself being refrigerated-cold, I can't remember: too much nitrogen and too many different resorts fogs my memory. There is also coffee, tea and hot water available at all times.

Critter list: Yes, I always put one together. My dive guide takes it, checks things off and hands it back to me at the end of my trip. I can't say that all dive guides do the same because I've only used one dive guide on my two prior trips at NAD.

And along these lines, I believe that an earlier post by Freewillow asked about going in November in lieu of February. Part of my reason for picking November is that it has been a good time to hopefully see the Hairy Octopus and I'd like to hopefully see and shoot it again.