Passport to Paradise - Northern Sulawesi

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coreb62

Registered
Messages
18
Reaction score
3
Location
Denver
# of dives
200 - 499
Hello - Looking at the Passport to Paradise experience in North Sulawesi with Murex Resorts - Bunaken, Bankga, Lembeh. I know that Lembeh is macro heaven - wondering if Bunaken and Bankga would satisfy a "NON -MACRO" enthuisast *my wife -not a fan - I love macro :)) Would love to hear of experiences?
 
Hello - Looking at the Passport to Paradise experience in North Sulawesi with Murex Resorts - Bunaken, Bankga, Lembeh. I know that Lembeh is macro heaven - wondering if Bunaken and Bankga would satisfy a "NON -MACRO" enthuisast *my wife -not a fan - I love macro :)) Would love to hear of experiences?

Oh my gosh yes! That is unless she's looking for mantas and whale sharks. If she can be happy with various frogfish, colorful soft corals of various varieties sprinkled with some macro to prepare for Lembeh, oh yes I think that she will love it.

I'm not a huge fan of the Lembeh Straight muck diving. That said, I've still done it 3 times.

For me, the best time was on Passport to Paradise with Murex. This was before the new units went in and prices seem to have gone up drastically.

But the diving was so sweet and then off to Lembeh resort after diving a little Bunaken, a lot of Bangka, and then a few days at Lembeh. Oh that sweet resort at the end . . .it felt like such luxury.

Yes, I think if you do it right, you'll both have a blast. Sahaung Sahaung, how I miss you so.

Now, all that said, I haven't been on the Passport trip with with Bastianos. It may be very good too though I don't believe that the Bastianos' Lembeh property is on par with Lembeh Resort (Murex).

Here's a caveat for you? When are you planning to go? There's a vollcano blowing its top in the vicinity and due to its gas/smoke plumes, etc., air travel is currently shut down a few places, one of them being Manado.
 
Thanks you so much for your response - great info. Yes, saw the news on the Volcano, but we are looking to go in December/January so hopefully by then....??

BY the way, we are chilly in Denver, CO today - got 7 inches of snow overnight and today. And it was almost 80 Degrees F 2 days ago - go figure....

Again, thanks for the experience.
 
My wife and I did the Paradise 3 resort trip last year and absolutely loved it. We were scheduled to be back in Manado this past week, leaving today. Life got in the way and we had to cancel, but we are going back this September.

In over 45 years of dive travel this was one of our best trips. Can't say enough good things about the diving, food, accommodations and staff. I can't wait to go back.
 
Thank you Brent for the review - sounds great - I think I am going to go ahead and book for late this year. Hopefully, the volcanic eruption will be over by then?
 
+1 on Passport to Paradise although my last trip was in 2015 with my daughter.

I did however return to Bangka in 2022 and stayed / dived with Murex for a week before moving to Lembeh to dive with NAD. The reason for choosing NAD was due to my dive buddy having credit there from a previously cancelled trip due to Covid.

Plenty of non macro stuff to see in Manado / Bangka and Lembeh might also surprise your wife too.
 
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