Dive Review of NAD Lembeh in
Indonesia/Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi

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NAD Lembeh: "Excellent service, wonderful dive crew and amazing photo opportunities", Jul, 2022, by Laurel Whillock, HI, US ( 1 report). Report 12021.
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	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	After two and a half years of postponements and rebooking due to Covid shut downs, my husband and I finally made it to NAD-Lembeh. This was our fourth dive trip to Sulawesi and second time to the Lembeh Strait. NAD Lembeh Resort was highly recommended by several dive friends and we looked forward to some serious muck diving and macro photography. NAD’s friendly representatives met us at baggage claim at Manado Airport and quickly transported us to their skiff at Bitung Harbor. It was a short ride from there to the resort where we were warmly welcomed and shown to our well appointed and comfortable bungalow. After we settled in and put dive gear in the plastic bin on our lanai for transfer to the dive boat by the crew, we got acquainted with the resort, including the spacious camera room. Not only was it large and well lit, each diver had the luxury of a private cubicle (and chair!) with dedicated charging plugs. Monitors were also available to view your photos if you hadn’t brought a personal computer. It was obvious why NAD is a favorite of dive shop camera clubs. Fortunately for us, if not for NAD, this was the second week of their soft opening after being closed for 2 1/2 years so we were sharing with only a couple of others divers. Although NAD’s usual guide/diver ratio is 2-1, with so few divers we were each the beneficiary of our own personal dive guide. During our 10 day stay, my guide, Stenly, was friendly, helpful, sharp-eyed and knowledgeable. He helped me get much more proficient with my Olympus GT-6 and encouraged me to learn better skills with the macro lens. I’m happy to say I succeeded in getting shots of Blue-ring octopus, coconut octopus, Hairy crab, frogfish and many colorful nudibrachs. Muck diving isn’t for everyone. Because we’d been to Lembeh Strait before, we knew what to expect but the amount of garbage in the water is initially distracting and heartbreaking. However, the variety of fish and critters that thrive in that environment is astonishing. Viz can be poor, which is one reason having a seasoned dive guide is not just beneficial but reassuring. Howeve, not every dive was muck and on several dives we also saw some beautiful, thriving corals, both hard and soft, including anemones. The resort staff was very friendly and went out of their way to see that we were comfortable and well cared for. The manager, Bertie, was extremely helpful and had a great sense of humor. The food was delicious, with several courses. The soups, especially, were wonderful. Meals were served at long communal tables and always with a smile. Our bungalow was serviced daily and kept clean and fresh. A special treat was getting an hour long in-room massage for an exceptionally reasonable price. Unfortunately, three days before we were scheduled to leave, a diver arrived from the UK and two days later tested positive for COVID. The resort immediately initiated quarantine for the individual but we had been in close contact and we tested positive the day after we arrived home, even though we had both had two initial vaccine shots, plus two booster shots. I would highly recommend NAD for serious muck divers and macro photographers. Throughout the 2 1/2 years of on and off again reservations, the owner, Zee, was always gracious and generous about shifting dates and numbers in our party. I’m glad we finally made it to NAD!
Websites	NAD Lembeh
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Banda Sea, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Bali, Sulawesi, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Fiji, Tahiti, Thailand, Mexico, Caribbean, Belize, Honduras, Hawaii.
Closest Airport	Manado	Getting There	Non-stop from Jakarta on this trip. Non-stop from Singapore on a previous trip.
Dive Conditions
Weather	windy, rainy	Seas	calm
Water Temp	78-81°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	5-35 Ft/ 2-11 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	I was fortunate to have a one-to-one guide/diver experience during my visit, which allowed me to dive my own profile. My dive guide, Stenly, was by my side finding critters and assisting me with getting the most out of my camera. He was enthusiastic, appreciative and instructive.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	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
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	See comments above.

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Dive Review of NAD Lembeh in Indonesia/Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi

NAD Lembeh: "Excellent service, wonderful dive crew and amazing photo opportunities", Jul, 2022,

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 NAD Lembeh in
Indonesia/Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi