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Topic: Lembeh Straits Indonesia by BigJeff (Read 5829 times)
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BigJeff
Cleaner Shrimp
 Offline
Thailand & Wherever I'm Paid to Go
Posts: 90
Try, try again!
 
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Re:Lembeh Straits Indonesia by BigJeff
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2008, 01:17:39 AM »
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Thanks Jeff, I'd almost given up on the DD community.
1. A juvenile pufferfish of some sort.
Yes, I belive it's a Juv. Star Puffer.
2. (Robust) Ghost pipefish Solenostomus cyanopterus
No, id books have it as a Velvet GP (Solenostomus sp.)
3. It's a nudibranch (e'nuff said )
Aw come on, nudi's are great for variety and colour. Hypselodoris iacula
4. Leafy Leatherjacket Chaetoderma penicilligera
Yes
5. Local guides called this a "Tiger shrimp". I've yet to find its scientific name.
Yes, (Phyllognathia ceratophthalmus?)
6. I think it is a soft coral of some sort.
Gotcha, another Nudi. Phyllodesmium Rudmani
7. Might be a bobtail squid, or one of the pygmy cuttlefish?
Yes, Pygmy cuttlefish of some type.
8. Saw blade shrimp Tozeuma armatum
Yes
9. Coleman's shrimp Periclimenes colemani
Yes
10. I know this is a scorpionfish of sorts ... could it be a juvenile Rhinopias?
No, it's an Ambon Scorpionfish
Well done Jeff, by far the best answers on DDiver.
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Sony SLT-A55, Ike Housing, 2 x DS-161
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URL of this post: http://www.digitaldiver.net/yabbse/index.php?board=18;action=display;threadid=24900;start=msg228743#msg228743
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BigJeff
Cleaner Shrimp
Offline
Thailand & Wherever I'm Paid to Go
Posts: 90
Try, try again!
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Re:Lembeh Straits Indonesia by BigJeff
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2009, 10:07:01 AM »
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Thanks for the compliment, I've no problem with you keeping the trip report - I've used similar ones many times when trying to decide where to stay.
There was one a little earlier that contained more on the accommodation; here is a link (that I hope works):
http://www.digitaldiver.net/trip_reports.php?reportID=231
I've never stayed with Two Fish so don't know what they are like. I have stayed at Kasawari and KBR, and while I prefer Kasawari, KBR is also one of the better resorts. Unfortunately that also means they are two of the most expensive.
The diving should be the same from all, so you just need to decide what level of comfort you’re happy with (AC, Fan, Hot Water, food etc...). Apart for diving there is very little to do, and the area is not especially picturesque.
The best way to save some money, and beat the crowds is not to go in the "peak" season (July/Aug/Sep/Oct). Early on in the year (Jan/Feb/Mar/April) also have great diving and the water is a little warmer. After being there most time of year I now prefer the "low" season and have not noticed any great variation in critters.
I agree with the choice not to take a snorkeler to Lembeh, but if you’re going out a little further (Bunaken or Gangga) then there are much better opportunities there.
Whatever happens, the diving will blow you away - imagine Milne Bay with all the dive sites within a 15min boat ride, but be ready for quite a bit more trash in the water.
Jeff
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MikeO
Great White
Offline
Fairfax, VA
Posts: 1831
I will not make art from dung
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Re:Lembeh Straits Indonesia by BigJeff
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2009, 12:50:42 PM »
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I was at Diver's Lodge about exactly a year ago. It is a nice place and I like it, but I would wager that it isn't for everyone. It depends on your expectations. A few key things I'll note from my experience:
1. Diver's Lodge is at the south end of Lembeh Island, south of the port of Bitung (which is on the mainland). Because most of the dive sites are farther north, it takes 30-45 minutes to get from the resort to the most popular dive sites. Many of the other resorts are positioned where the dive sites are, so the transit time is much reduced if you stay there. Have a look at the map here:
http://www.starfish.ch/dive/Lembeh.html
and you'll see what I mean. If you plan properly, four dives a day is pretty easy to accomplish, but five may be pushing it (unless you dive the house reef). The house reef has a good mandarin dive and everyone in our group save two of us (sadly, I was one of the two) saw a blue-ring on the house reef at dusk. Other than the mandarins and the blue-ring, the house reef is not all that special unless you go pretty deep.
2. Nothing at Diver's Lodge is air conditioned. That being said, the resort is positioned on a narrow ridge at the tip of the island with the channel on one side and a bay full of killer jellyfish from hell on the other side (no kidding!) so there is normally a nice breeze and there are ceiling fans. In fact, if there was any precipitation, it actually got a bit chilly in the rooms at night on occasion! Stadard mosquito protection measures apply -- the cottages are screened and you fog the room before dinner to make sure there isn't anything left when you come back. Mosquito coil at the door and in the bathroom just in case.
3. In the interests of being eco-friendly, they have a rain water collection system ad hot water is solar. So, be prepared for it to take a minute or two, or three (depending on how far your cottage is from the heating point) to get hot water. The good news is that you can refill the "flush tank" used to flush the toilet with the cold water that precedes the hot.
4. I found the food to be quite good, though you will not have the choices you might have at other resorts. It's kind of like being on a live-aboard -- you can give input into what you like to eat but you'll get a limited selection to choose from when all is said and done. Food served family style when I was there, though they can be somewhat flexible with that.
5. They allow you to be very flexible about your diving, but the are very regimented in how they manage it. In order for them to plan food, guides, boats, etc., you normally need to plan out your dive day the evening before. Tell them how many dives you want to do, what time you want to leave in the AM, whether you want food on the boat or whether you'd like to return for lunch, whether you want to plan a night dive there or at another spot somewhere else. Everything you tell them will be taken quite literally (literally!)! We normally told them we wanted to go out for three day dives and have lunch (basically a simple Indonesian box lunch -- rice or noodles, some chicken, a vegetable dish, cold sodas) on the boat. We'd also tell them whether we wanted a night dive or not as the fourth dive. We'd leave fairly early, pick up our guide at the port, then do the first dive. Then we'd move to another site, eat a few biscuits and do the second dive. Then we'd have lunch on the boat, do the third dive and return to base. We'd rest for a while and either do a mandarin dive at the resort or a night dive back up the channel (so yes, another 30-45 minutes each way for that). They did seem a bit surprised by how much diving we wanted to do but it didn't seem to be a problem.
6. Given your description of your booking, you will likely be assigned to a boat for the week. If that is the case, your diving gear will just stay with the boat. The crew will worry about rinsing stuff and hanging it on the boat to dry (as much as it can). If you are required to switch boats, be sure to check that all your gear has made the switch with you nefore leaving -- it is a long way back!
7. The boats are comforatable to dive from and the dive masters will ask you what you want to see or where you want to dive. Despite the "rivalry" that exists between resorts sometimes, the dive guides do, in general, all know each other and will share critters. They know their livelihood is based on making sure divers are all seeing the most stuff, so they are are fairly well adept at coordinating with the guides from the other resorts, especially on popular sites. That being said, there are a few sites that get quite crowded so be prepared to "stay with the tour" on those. Tell your guide (whom you may pick up from the port as you drive by Bitung) the critters you're looking for and he'll know where they've been seen most recently -- or he'll ask some of the other guides as you pass their boats.
8. You get free laundry service at Diver's lodge, but remember that they are eco-friendly. So be prepared to not get your stuff back bleached and starched. Oh, and if it is raining, the line-drying doesn't happen very fast. I didn't get a pile of shirts back (we went there direct from a 12-day live-aboard trip so there WAS laundry) for three days -- took them that long to dry because of the rain showers.
9. The staff are very nice to work with. It is a bit more of a laid back environment but it works. The crew were all conscientious and helpful. Guides are up to the high standards that the area has set. All are good critter spotters and they take it personally when they can't find you what you're looking to photograph. Only interesting thing I'd note is that it appeared that the place was not all that used to people diving NITROX. I had to help the guides confiure their computers for NITROX, then later to set the correct safety setting (we had a very funny moment at the surface where the guide handed me his computer and asked if it was set up properly -- and I said, "Sure, I'll take look if you turn on my air!"). I suspect that this is no longer a problem (the guides and the computers -- I still, from time to time, forget to turn my air on  ).
10. To sum it up: Divers Lodge is a really good value as long as you are not expecting to be in the lap of luxury. The cottages are nice and comfortable, the operation is laid back and mostly efficient. Food is good and the staff is very nice. One other thing we noticed -- they seemed used to the "European" tipping model and the owner was a bit surprised at how much some of us were planning to leave for the staff. I'll leave the translation of that comment to the individual -- nuff said.
If you have any other questions, just PM me!
Mike
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Mike Oelrich
Canon EOS 40D in Seatool housing, 100mm macro, Tokina 10-17, Sigma 17-70, INON Z240s
All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure. -- Mark Twain
| « Last Edit: May 19, 2009, 05:15:12 PM by MikeO » |
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