Dive Review of Eco-Divers/Tasik Ria in
Indonesia/North Sulewesi

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Eco-Divers/Tasik Ria, Aug, 2004, by William & Frances, CA, USA ( Sr. Contributor 24 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 1293.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We flew on Singapore Airlines sixteen hourse from LAX to Singapore non-stop. The trip was made bareable by the superb accomodations, i.e., a new class of seating called "business-economy" featuring ample leg room, more reclining seat angle and an entertainment center. After a brief layover in Singapore we took a four hour Silk Air flight into Manado, North Sulewesi, Indonesia. Following an hour bus ride we arrived at the Tasik Ria Resort. Entering its gates is into another world. Its a beautiful property with an opulent pool and nice rooms. Being just a degree or two north of the equator makes this a pretty hot place, but not that bad considering. The daytime highs rose into the high 90s. The diving is conducted by Eco-Divers on large, almost liveaboard-type, (80 foot) boats. Three dives a day, staying out all day and returning at around 1600. The dives are mostly wall and top of reef dives with lots of fish life. Saw a Manta on the first dive and several Whitetip and Blacktip sharks throughout the week. Turtles too. Both hard and soft corals are in abundance. There is a great muck dive on the house reef (accessible only by boat) with lots of critters. The diveguides are knowledgeable, professional, but never overbearing once comfortable with your diving acumen. There is a "speciality trip" to Bangka Island (three hours there, three hours back) that is quite interesting with beautiful displays of soft corals for an extra $25.00 US (Indonesia money is the Rupia, about 9K to the US dollar). Water temps were 81-83 degrees and viz flucuated between 70 and 90 feet, with thirty feet on the muck dive. Sunsets are gorgeous from the resorts seaside Sunset Bar. Enjoy the fabulous garlic roasted peanuts along with a Bintang beer. Get a legitimate fifty minute massage from lithe Indonesian women for (yes) ten dollars US. Lounge in the pool and swim-up to the bar for a relaxing apres-dive cocktail. Despite US State Department advisals we found no evidence of anti-American attitudes in this principally Christine area of Indonesia. In fact, churches rather than mosques predominated on the journey in from the airport. The people were all genuinely friendly in a natural, non-commercial sense. One could only wish for attitudes like this in Nassau. This trip was arranged by Patty Shales of Aquatic Images, Inc. who worked tirelessly before and during the trip to make everybody happy. Normally, we are not joiners in group trips nor do we do singalongs. This trip was perfectly orchestrated with no forced group dynamics. Frindships were made and interactions with other divers was as casual or interactive as you wanted. This was a meritorious trip, well worth the reasonable investment. From here we went across the island to the Lembeh Resort located across the Lembeh Straits on an island. But that's as they say, another story which you can check out as a separate review.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Fiji, Truk, Yap, Palau, Cozumel, Grand Turk, Providentialis, Bay Islands, Hawaii, Belize, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, St. Lucia, Barbados, USVI (St. John), Bahamas (multiple locations)
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, currents, noCurrents
Water Temp	76-83°F / 24-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	20-90 Ft/ 6-27 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	depth limits usually stated as 100 feet but not enforced. max dive time 60 mimutes
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Large rinse tank for cameras but extremely samll work table but really posed no problem.

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Dive Review of Eco-Divers/Tasik Ria in Indonesia/North Sulewesi

Eco-Divers/Tasik Ria, Aug, 2004,

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 Eco-Divers/Tasik Ria in
Indonesia/North Sulewesi