Dive Review of Lembeh Resort in
Indonesia/North Sulawesi

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Lembeh Resort: "Diver Heaven!", Feb, 2016, by Ken New, MN, US ( Contributor 18 reports with 11 Helpful votes). Report 8849.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We went to Lembeh for "muck" diving, to see all the weird & amazing creatures that live in that part of the world; we got everything we hoped for and more! The dive operation at Lembeh Resort is a separate business: Critters@Lembeh. It is a superb operation in every way. The physical layout is great -- individual locker for your gear, dedicated rinse tanks, well-appointed camera room, easy boat access. Service is outstanding: once we gave the staff our gear, they took care of everything all week. Our gear was cleaned individually, not just crammed in a mesh bag & dunked like at many other dive shops; dried daily, and returned to the boat for the next day's diving. We rinsed our own wetsuits but they would have done that too if we'd wanted. The entire staff worked really hard to make sure everything was as perfect as possible for us. I have no idea how our guides managed to find & ID so many of the tiny, well-camouflaged, & weird critters. They asked us for a "wish list" at the beginning of our stay, and found everything on it! I love the slate they give you at the end of each dive with all your critters on it -- even the scientific names. Another plus is that the sites are so close to the resort that we returned there for surface intervals -- and were always met with freshly baked goodies to enjoy by the pool. We were there at the end of the rainy season, so visibility was not the best; but when you're getting your nose to within inches of your subject, it's not so critical. And it certainly didn't hamper the guides in finding all the wonderful critters for us. I could go on & on about what we saw, but just go to the website photo gallery -- we saw most of what's there! As for the resort itself, where to start? The grounds are immaculate & beautifully landscaped, the rooms are clean, charming, & have all the amenities. Even the wifi works well! The restaurant was being renovated while we were there, but the staff didn't miss a beat: two hillside guest rooms were reconfigured into a very enjoyable outdoor dining space, and it's hard to imagine that a new kitchen will produce meals that are any better than what we enjoyed. We especially liked the wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits, and the variety of healthy preparations. The new restaurant is open now, and it looked like it will be lovely. The entire staff is amazing. They promptly filled every request, and suggested additions to make our stay even better; frequently checked to make sure everything was perfect for us, always had time to chat. Almost all the staff is from the neighboring village or the town just across the strait. The resort provides electricity from their generator for the village church, supports its school, and buys most of its vegetables, fruit, chicken, pork and seafood from the villagers. This has created an atmosphere where the community is extremely connected to the resort -- proud to work there, with lots of buy-in to its success. They are the best anywhere! I have only two cautions for other travelers. One, the resort is built on hillsides; even the lowest rooms require steps. I think it would be a difficult place for those with mobility issues. Second, the resort is enclosed by those hills, only accessible by boat. This makes it beautiful and wonderfully private, but unless you take a boat across to the mainland for tours there is not much for non-diving companions to do. I did not rate the snorkeling because we didn't do any, but it is available; the pool is lovely, a great place to curl up with a book. If your companion enjoys relaxing in a beautiful location with top-notch service, you will both be totally happy. We will be back! [tripadvisor.com link] [tripadvisor.com link]
Websites	Lembeh Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Most of the Caribbean, Galapagos, Hawaii, S. Pacific
Closest Airport	Manado	Getting There	Like most remote destinations in the South Pacific, time-consuming to get to. From Minnesota it required 4 flights.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, rainy, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, currents, no currents
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	20-40 Ft/ 6-12 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Divers are expected to stay with their guide, but with no more than 4 divers per guide that was no problem. Dives generally 1 hour; but if you have air left your guide will stay down with you.
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	N/A	Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	There are no rinse buckets on the boats, but boats return to the resort after each dive. Guides immediately take cameras to dedicated rinse tanks.

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Dive Review of Lembeh Resort in Indonesia/North Sulawesi

Lembeh Resort: "Diver Heaven!", Feb, 2016,

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 Lembeh Resort in
Indonesia/North Sulawesi