Sulawesi in March; Pantai Bira/Palu vs Bunaken/Lembeh

[Seta]

Hello,

My girlfriend and I will spend 2 months in sukawesi next March/April.
Before going there we will have spend 5 months in Bali and Phillipines having dived most probably Lembongan, Tulamben, Malapascua, Moalboal, Subic Bay, Padre Burgos/Pintuyan, Bohol, Siquijor and Apo island. After Sulawesi we will spend another month in Pulau Weh before going back home.

I know Bunaken/ Lembeh are world class sites but how do Pantai Biara and Palu compare to these?

We know we want to spend a month between Tana Toraja and Togean islands ( Visiting friends) and we get and out of Sulawesi via Makassar so travelwise is easier for us to visit south and central Sulawesi and leave the north for the next time. Apart from diving we enjoy local live and I fear that is something Bunaken/Lembeh lack ( I may be wrong)

Also diving Bunaken and specially Lembeh seem expensive compared to other indonesia locations, at least it dies seem so online.

We do not need works class diving, we rather have very good diving with less bubbles in the water. We did enjoy Pula Weh a lot, as an example of what we are looking for.

We travel with diving/Photographic gear; so we want to be between 1 to 3 weeks at each location on our trip. We do not do 2 days here 4 days there anymore...

Regards
Javier

 

[billt4sf]

Don't forget Raja Ampat. WOW. Most places are very expensive but you might find something you can afford.

- Bill

 

[AlMitch]

Bangka Island and Lembeh both blow P Weh out of the water in terms of diving. No contest!
There are definitely cheaper options around such as in Bangka: Sea Souls; Coral Eye; Nomad .... In Lembeh: Froggies, NAD, Two fish,....Bunaken: Froggies, and a bunch of others.

5 month in Bali & Philli + 2 month Sulawesi - frik 7 months of travel!!! How on earth do you get that right???!!!! Man that makes me jealous!

 

[Dan]

One lucky dude

Like Bill said, with that kind of travel time in your hand, you should try to visit Alor, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Maratua Atoll, Banda Sea & Ambon too.

 

[matts1w]

After nine years in Indonesia I have yet to go to Bira. It is a long drive from the Makassar airport...so much so I never wanted to make the trip as I despise long car rides with possibly crazy drivers. I almost did a few years ago as the guy managing the dive camp there had a good presence on ScubaBoard for a short time. Sadly, he passed away in a traffic accident and the camp kinda faded away.

Also, after nine years in Indonesia, I have never met anyone who has actually been to Bira to dive. To me, and I stress this is strictly my opinion, if a location has been pretty well explored and no one is going there...well...usually there is a reason...not always...but usually.

 

[Indah]

You could fly from Makassar to Ternate and dive with one of the two dive-centers at Ternate and before or after stay and dive with us at Weda Resort. Full board accommodation starts at Weda Resort from EUR 50 per person.
Further, Lembeh Island is not Bali or Gili Trawangan ;-). Until now you will find not one bar or restaurant on the island.
The budget full-board accommodation with us at Lembeh is only EUR 43, - per person and self-guided house-reef dives cost EUR 6.50 per dive.

 

[Dan]

You could fly from Makassar to Ternate and dive with one of the two dive-centers at Ternate and before or after stay and dive with us at Weda Resort. Full board accommodation starts at Weda Resort from EUR 50 per person.
Further, Lembeh Island is not Bali or Gili Trawangan ;-). Until now you will find not one bar or restaurant on the island.
The budget full-board accommodation with us at Lembeh is only EUR 43, - per person and self-guided house-reef dives cost EUR 6.50 per dive.

@Indah this sounds like a really good deal for those who like to dive on budget in a nice dive location. I'll pass this info to my dive buddies. Thanks!

 

[Dan]

After nine years in Indonesia I have yet to go to Bira. It is a long drive from the Makassar airport...so much so I never wanted to make the trip as I despise long car rides with possibly crazy drivers. I almost did a few years ago as the guy managing the dive camp there had a good presence on ScubaBoard for a short time. Sadly, he passed away in a traffic accident and the camp kinda faded away.

Also, after nine years in Indonesia, I have never met anyone who has actually been to Bira to dive. To me, and I stress this is strictly my opinion, if a location has been pretty well explored and no one is going there...well...usually there is a reason...not always...but usually.

Some of my dive buddies, who have been in Bira say the current could be fierce to the point of you need to hold your mask from peeling off your face. So, I'll pass on that place too.

 

[Seta]

@billt4sf Thanks for reminding me Raja Ampat, we will go for that as it is pretty easy to do from Sulawesi. We will then have to skip both Palu/Bira and Bunaken/Lembeh

We would do something like this then:
2 day Makassar
2 weeks + Raja Ampat (2 locations/homestays) Fly Makassar-Sorong return..
2 day Makassar ( Visa extension)
2 weeks TanaToraja by road
3 weeks Togean ( Visiting friends) by road/ferry
Fly Poso to Makassar to leave Indonesia


@AlMitch We are backpackers and can afford some luxuries (eg Raja Ampat)..We would love we could afford top diving al the trip but we can not. We loved Pulau Weh last year, not just the diving, but the people. Also is as cheap as you can get. We paid 7$ for a water front Bungalow (very basic but enough for our needs) and less than 15$ per dive incluiding gear.
I have to correct you, 2 months Bali, 3 1/2 months Phillipines, 2 months Sulawesi and a month Pulau Weh; that makes 8 1/2 months You have to save the money first but then we spend almost the same travelling around asia than living here in Spain. At some places we spend 200$+ a day and at some places less than 50$, between the two of us I mean. My nice and her boyfriend have spent almost the same in a 10 day trip to thailand with no diving than we did in a 70day trip to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia last year, incluiding diving and a 4 day liveabors in the similans, it depends the way you travel.

@Dan_T Too many places you are suggesting, we travel with our own gear. We want to travel at a slow pace, 1 to 3 weeks at each place. Some places more and some places less

@matts1w 9 hous is nothing....Last year in Myanmar we did the 600 km from Yangon to Hsipaw by bus. It was supposed to be 15h but it ended being 42h due to the caraziest traffic jam I have ever seen.
We wanted to go to Panta Bira as it is supposed to be a sharky place, this places tend too suffer from strong currents too.

@Indah That was an option too, but we will have leave that area for next trip

Regards
Javier

 

[scubajunky17]

Bankga Island blows Pula Weh out of the water ?