Dive Review of Bali Hai Divers in
Indonesia/Bali

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Bali Hai Divers: "Look out below ... and above!!!!", Sep, 2022, by Michael J. Millet, CA, US ( Top Contributor 96 reports with 61 Helpful votes). Report 12096.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	MENJANGAN DYNASTY REVIEW The third stop on our 2022 Indonesian dive excursion was the Menjangan Dynasty Resort. The van ride from Tulamben to Menjangan was about 3 hours. The resort describes itself as “beach glamping”. However the glamping accommodations area actually on a hillside not a beach. The rooms with canvas sides are actually quite nice. They have a large king bed, a large desk, lots of storage and an outside deck area. The bathroom facilities are separated from the rest of the unit by a screen and a curtain; they are not in separate room. It was quite windy during our stay so the canvas sides of our glamping unit would sway and move causing a bit of racket. Also, with the canvas sides, noises from other units are readily heard. The food offered at the resort is quite varied between Indonesian and Western selections. The dive package includes breakfast, which is ordered from a menu but not lunch or dinner. These meals are also ordered from a menu at additional cost. The food is generally nicely prepared and tasty. The restaurant staff was always very friendly and wanting to please. The resort has a spa and a very nice infinity pool with a great view of the volcanos in Eastern Java. The dive operation is run by Bali Hai Divers. The primary dive sites are at Menjangan Island, a 25-30 minute boat ride away. The morning 2-tank departs about 8:30 AM. On our first day of diving to the island, we were in an open, shallow draft boat with only a 40 hp motor. This craft did not fare so well in the choppy waters stirred up by the windy conditions. During our second dive we had a very memorable encounter with a broadclub cuttlefish. We spent almost 20 minutes with her as she very deliberately and delicately placed her eggs into the reef. Very nice! Due to the windy conditions, on the second dive day we did the dive sites in the local bay, which are quite murky and with a minimum of photo ops. On the third dive day we motored over to Pemuteran Bay. The diving here was an improvement over the local dive sites but still not as good as Menjangan Island. So on our 4th dive day we headed back to MI in a more suitable dive boat. After we tied up, I did the usual backroll, retrieved my camera from the boat crew and started to descend. I then noticed a pair of sunglasses slowing falling in the water column. (The dive guide’s RayBans). So I kicked down a few feet and snagged them. (Now there was another diver in the water but still 2 on the boat.) After getting the sunglasses, I headed back to the surface to hand them to someone on the boat. As I swam along side the boat, another diver (actually my dive buddy) bankrolled on me causing a large laceration on the top of my head. After a quick check of my vital signs (which were OK), we agreed to return to the resort for medical treatment. My head wound was bleeding badly. After returning to the resort, a doctor arrived from a local village to assess my injury, which had been somewhat bandaged on the boat. The doctor quickly determined that it was necessary for me to go to his clinic for treatment. The clinic was very simple but clean with a very friendly and caring staff. After cleaning the wound, the doctor sewed it up with 6 stitches and applied a water-resistant bandage. I was also given an antibiotic to prevent infection. I truly appreciated the care and service I received at this small clinic; I made a donation to the clinic not for payment but to help it serve the village. BTW, the doctor charged me the equivalent of $60 USD for his services. Remarkable! After I returned home 4 days later (I sat out the last 3 days of diving), I had the wound checked out by my primary care doctor who was impressed by the quality of work done by the Indonesian physician. Lessons Learned: First, the dive boat did not have a first aid kit on board. Fortunately, we were tied up with 2 other dive boats that provided some bandages and tape. The Bali Hai manager was rightfully embarrassed by this omission and took the corrective steps. Second, we sometimes get a bit too casual about checking for divers in the water when a diver on board is about to backroll. In this instance, the boat crew assumed that the other diver and myself had started our dives and were not at the side of the boat. The crew member should have actually looked in the water right before the diver bankrolled. If he had done this, I would have been seen by the side of the boat. Third, the lesson for me is in the rare instance that I return to the boat after descending and starting my dive, I should surface several feet away from the dive boat to allow for any other divers that may be entering the water (especially with backrolls.) The dive staff was quite concerned about my injury and inquired several times regarding my status. They truly regretted the event; but accidents do happen— even avoidable ones. In summary, although the resort is quite nice and the dive staff quite friendly and helpful, due to the quality of the diving and the distance/time required to get to Menjangan, it is unlikely that I will make a return trip. But it is worth doing once.
Websites	Bali Hai Divers [same]Menjangan Dynasty
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	All over the Caribbean; Galapagos, Socorro, Fiji, Solomons, GBR, Vanuatu, PNG, Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Yap, Kosrae
Closest Airport	DPS	Getting There	Good connections to DPS thru SIN. About a 5 hour ride to resort
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	30-100 Ft/ 9-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The dive operation does not have a camera room. The dive shop does have a dedicated camera rinse tank. Cameras were loaded in a crate while on the dive boat.

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Dive Review of Bali Hai Divers in Indonesia/Bali

Bali Hai Divers: "Look out below ... and above!!!!", Sep, 2022,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Bali Hai Divers in
Indonesia/Bali