Lembeh Strait / Bunaken combo?

[rickcavanaugh]

If it is a Honeymoon check out Gannga. Expensive, but very nice. You can dive Bunaken and Lembeh from there on full day trips.

You really can't go wrong with the diving in that area

 

[Camel]

Rick, Ganga is a pretty resort but when the wind is blowing strong it is not possible for them to get their boats to Lembeh, which is why the 2 resort combo is so popular. It would be tragic to go all the way to North Sulawesi and not get to dive the very unique highlight of the whole area, the Lembeh Strait.

 

[rickcavanaugh]

Camel, I agree there is a small risk of not being able to do a dive at Lembeh fron Gangga as it is about 90 minutes one way by boat. But this is true anywhere. In our habit, we are bound to the weather gods. Also, you might not be able to get off the island to make your flight if the weather is bad. Terrible place to get stuck.

The original question mentioned Honeymoon and non photographer. To me that is Gannga.

Lembeh is one of the the most magical dive sites for me as a photographer. I could dive there every day for months and never get bored. For others it could be their worst spot in the world. In my opinion, if you want a high class resort (Honeymoon style) and varied diving Gangga is your best choice for one location in the area. It is easy to do a combo trip of Bunaken, Gangga and Bunaken as they are all so close and it is so easy to transfer between them.

 

[Indah]

I do not believe the conditions ever will be that bad that someone would miss his flight. To crossover from Gangga to the main land is always possible. However, going to Lembeh between December and March could be hard now and then because of the swell caused by the North East winds.

 

[Camel]

I agree with Indah and her time frame though it can also be big seas in April too . Also July and especially August the place is overflowing as they do a lot of non diving business which is not so romantic.
Siladen Resort is smaller resort ( half the rooms of Ganga ) but with bigger rooms and better kitchen. They also have one of the best beaches in the whole of North Sulawesi.
Doing full day trips on a honeymoon!!! A lot of couples prefer the option of being able to spend more time in their rooms if they want :biggrin: Married for 10 plus years like the full day trips. Not very nice if it is raining all day being couped up on a boat.
It is a very rare day that a diver complains about what they see in Lembeh. Photographer or non photographer. What is very important is to choose an operation that is organised and will ensure that photographers and non photographers are all catered for. Most non photographers who do a North Sulawesi combo tend to spend more time in Bunaken / Ganga than Lembeh on their first visit as they are not sure about the whole "muck" thing. They always end up wishing they had done it the other way around by the end of the holidays. They were only looking at doing 3 days in Lembeh which will give them the option of doing 12 - 15 dives in the strait. Thats 5 full day trips from Ganga!!
I know Ganga and Siladen very well and get on very well with both sets of owners. Both resorts are good high end operations but for Honeymooners Siladen definitly takes it.
I am only speaking from the many years experience I have from that area.
BTW, I am no longer there so not trying to drum up some extra business.
Rick as a Photographer then u should think about NAD in Lembeh for your next trip as currently they have 2 of the best photographers in Asia running the place, Simon Buxton and Mike Veitch. Very good at passing on their knowledge which is not so common these days.

 

[Ryu]

take all the land base resort. if you bring yo camera with.. better to spend lot of yo time in lembeh. Lembeh Resort is fine but have so many stairs, KLR don't hav beautiful beach, KBR is old. you better consider those as reff....

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks for all the input. The original poster (me) is still reading this thread.

As for Rick/Camel/Indah's suggestion of Gangga or Siladen Resorts, I checked out Siladen's web site. They emphasize Bunaken for diving and don't mention Lembeh if they indeed make trips there. Looks luxurious, though. There are more guest comments about the food, service and scenery than about diving, and it mentions people doing their Open Water there. I would say that Siladen looks nice but is not for us. We may be looking for a little luxury on this trip, but we're definitely focused on diving and want to be at a resort that's dedicated to diving.

 

[xariatay]

Hey, we are gg to Manado too (end dec, early Jan), after the trip to Christmas Island is blown off... So I am frantically looking for alternatives & found these offers on this website... Book Manado Hotels, Tours and Manado Activities
Gangga Island Special Dive Package! 4D/3N Dive Package USD 330 / pax, 7 dives (6 day dives + 1 night dive), based on double occupancy (low season). Pls note this is only the dive pkg...
Note: Have not used this website/agency (would be glad to hear if another one else did)... Have contacted them abt the offers & their response is prompt.
Oh, rates for Tasik Ria is good too! We should be taking it...
Have friends who just came bk from Lembeh Hills Resort (soft opening). Great diving but the resort is still work-in-progress...

 

[sloss]

Just to add to the discussion...

I spent a few days over at NAD with Mike Veitch this summer and for the price you can't beat it- excellent food, friendly people and of course the diving is great! If you are on that side and want more upscale, KBR and Lembeh are fantastic operations that really know how to take care of you. Based on my experiences there, the staff, accommodations, food, and complete experiences were, and always, are wonderful.

On the other side, Tasik Ria is a fine place to spend time as well as Kimo Bajo Resort & Spa and Cocotinos where I also spent a week this summer. The staff was awesome, the food super tasty and Andrew and company at Cocotinos are always there for you, a great operation all the way around; good guides too! And the rooms are fantastic.

Wherever you go have a great time!

 

[Travelnsj]

Thanks for all the input. The original poster (me) is still reading this thread.

As for Rick/Camel/Indah's suggestion of Gangga or Siladen Resorts, I checked out Siladen's web site. They emphasize Bunaken for diving and don't mention Lembeh if they indeed make trips there. Looks luxurious, though. There are more guest comments about the food, service and scenery than about diving, and it mentions people doing their Open Water there. I would say that Siladen looks nice but is not for us. We may be looking for a little luxury on this trip, but we're definitely focused on diving and want to be at a resort that's dedicated to diving.

I would strongly suggest doing Bangka. I was just there a week or so ago...very impressed with the diving.....I’ve known people who’ve been to Bunaken before
..Bangka is much better diving. I stayed at the Murex resort, it was basic but doable. Took a boat from Lembeh Resort to Bangka and they dropped me off.