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Dive Review of Dive Into Lembeh in
Indonesia/Lembeh

Dive Into Lembeh: "Great Location in Lembeh", Oct, 2018,

by Rik Pavlescak, FL, US (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 23 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 10663.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 5 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Dive Into Lembeh was clearly designed by divers who understand (and love) diving. I booked my stay on my own through email correspondence with Miranda (who I later found out was one of the owners). She was very helpful, answered all of my questions quickly, and everything went very smoothly. Deposits and final payment are made via wire transfer.

From the moment I arrived on site to the time I left, the staff was attentive, and I appreciated the attention to details that make a diver's life comfortable. Things such as a gear room with each diver assigned to his/her own space with hangers and hooks provided for fins, booties, and wet suits. An outdoor space to hang same, if desired, to dry in the sun. Very spacious camera room with two compressed air guns, shelves above and below counter spaces equipped with fresh towels, and baskets to carry photo gear to and from freshwater tanks where the staff pick up cameras and carry to and from boat. Separate tanks for rinsing/cleaning gear, wet suits, etc. located right next to the gear room and distant enough from camera tanks so that there is no confusion.

The room was comfortable, although there was an issue while I was there with noise from a neighbor. After the first night I was told it was just a "one-off" party--the house is usually vacant but was being rented for a party that night. The noise (essentially music, karaoke) continued throughout the stay, and the story evolved to it being rented out by an ex-military general with political connections, so no opportunity to "rock the boat" and cause problems. I had brought earplugs so it did not bother me--I gave some to other guests who were also nearby. (Rooms 7-8-9). Another feature of each room: the porch has a Japanese soaking tub/hot tub that many guests enjoy after their final dive of the day. The resort also has a beautiful swimming pool which I didn't see anyone use during the week I was there--but it looked very inviting.

Food was served buffet style. The schedule started with "pre-breakfast" (tea, coffee, toast if desired) before 7:45 a.m. dive. After the first dive, a regular breakfast, consisting of cooked to order eggs/omelettes and a buffet that included pancakes, bacon, sausage, french toast, etc. and plenty of fruit, cereals, and other breakfast fare. Then another dive, followed by lunch. Then another dive, with a break before dinner. Lunch and dinner often started with soup and then a buffet with rice or noodles, two vegetable dishes, and two types of meat/fish. As a vegetarian, I was able to find something to eat for each meal. Dinner desserts included ice cream and baked goods.

The diving was superb. Lembeh has a well-deserved reputation as a macro-photographer's paradise. The dive guides have eagle eyes and pointed out multiple subjects. We had 1 guide to 2 divers, and we would often "swap" photo-subjects while the guide was off locating the next subject. Blue ring octopus, mimic octopus, wonderpuss, pygmy seahorses, traditional seahorses, coconut octopus, a gajillion types of shrimp and nudibranchs, yes please, more please, yes, yes, yes! It just didn't end--until the tanks ran out. Then it was climb on board using the ladder over the side (help provided, if needed: o.k. to take gear off in water and hand it up), have a meal, and get back out and dive. The owner described it as a "Live aboard schedule, but on land" and he was speaking the truth. The two dive sites right at the resort are both great shore dives. Worth taking a dive guide out on a night dive for one or both of the sites. On a night dive at another site the highlight was seeing a Bobbit Worm--actually 2 of them, about 4 feet apart.

After each dive, divers are offered fresh water and fruit, along with a fresh towel.

I was surprised that the boats did not have accommodations for cameras--no table, and no freshwater buckets, tanks, or coolers. Each dive site is within 10 minutes boat ride from the resort, and each camera is carried to and from the boat in a small plastic basket--where it stays until it is handed to its owner in the water. At the end of the dive, cameras are returned to the baskets that are stored on the floor of the boat. Staff carry the cameras (and all other gear) off the boat, this system worked fine.

Websites Dive Into Lembeh   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Costa Brava, Roatan, Key West, Cozumel, Key Largo, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac
Closest Airport Manado Getting There Fly from Singapore or Bali to Manado. About a 2 hour drive from airport to the resort.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 79-82°F / 26-28°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 25-100 Ft/ 8-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals N/A Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 2 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities 5 stars
UW Photo Comments Camera room at the resort is the best I've seen. Plenty of outlets at each station for charging. Shelf above the main counter to keep batteries, chargers, etc. Shelf below the main counter to keep the "basket" used to carry the camera to and from the freshwater tank just outside the camera room. Two air compressor guns for drying equipment. Well-lit room, that is secured at night.

Staff carry cameras to the boat for each dive--using the baskets provided. They pick cameras up from the fresh water tank and store on the floor of the boat. Each dive site is 5-10 minutes away from the resort. Staff hand cameras to divers in the water and at the end of the dive, staff return the camera to the basket. No tables, no water tanks on the boat--but again, a quick 5-10 minute boat ride back to the resort. Once there, staff take the cameras in the baskets and put them back into the freshwater tanks, where they can be retrieved (if necessary) to change batteries.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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