Destination: Indonesia
North Lembeh, Pintukota, Lembeh Utara, Kota Bitung, Sulawesi Utara 95500 | Full-board + 2 dives from $266/ppn
Lembeh Resort Quick Pitch
Lembeh Resort is nestled away in a private cove with a wealth of exotic flora and fauna in a central part of Lembeh Island. The secluded location of the resort ensures a quiet and tranquil experience, while the warmhearted team offers service with a smile to make certain that your experience of Lembeh will be the best that it possibly can be. The cottages are charming, spacious, and comfortable with a wealth of modern amenities. Lembeh Resort is committed to delivering North Sulawesi hospitality at its best and making guests' stay enjoyable and memorable both above and below the water.
Quick Information
- No of Rooms: 20
- Dive Center: On-site
- Amenities: AC, ensuite bathrooms, restaurant, bar, pool, spa, on-site photo pro, stocked mini-bar, Nitrox
- WiFi: Yes, free
- Nearest International Airport: Sam Ratulangi International Airport
- Airport shuttle: Yes, surcharge
Jump to:
Accommodations - Resort Facilities - Packages & Rates
Dive Information - Dive Center Facilities - Other Information - Underwater Gallery
How to Get There
To get to North Sulawesi, fly into Manado International airport which is serviced four times per week by Silk Air, (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat) direct from Singapore. There are also several daily non-stop flights from Jakarta and services from Bali. Once arrived, guests are picked up and transferred to Lembeh Resort are carried out using the resort’s comfortable air-conditioned vehicles. Transfers from Manado Airport take approximately 90 minutes by road, followed by a short 10-minute boat journey to the resort. For guests staying at another location in North Sulawesi before visiting Lembeh Resort, a point-to-point transfer will be arranged by the resort.
Dive Overview
The Lembeh Strait is widely recognized by marine biologists as having the Worlds highest concentration of rare and unusual marine life. The practice of Muck-Diving, also known as Critter-Diving, began in Lembeh Strait in the mid-nineties when marine biologists started to explore the black sand slopes of Lembeh Strait to identify the amazing diversity of animals that inhabit the underwater realm of Lembeh Strait. Today, 20 years later, divers who enjoy both macro as well as wide-angle underwater photography travel from all over the world to experience this magical place in North Sulawesi.
[Read More: Lembeh Dive Travel Guide]
Accommodations
Types of Rooms, Amenities and Photos
Lembeh Resort Accommodation Overview
Guests of Lembeh Resort have a choice of 3 different categories of accommodations, Deluxe Ocean View Cottages, Garden View Rooms, and Cliffside Villa. Due to Lembeh Resorts' remote tropical island location, accommodations come with a full board meal plan – 3 sumptuous meals daily, along with snacks, coffee, & tea. Rooms are equipped with:
- 24 hours electricity
- Minibar
- Air-condition
- Complimentary tea, coffee & mineral water
- Complimentary refillable aluminum water bottle
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Hairdryer
- Safe
- King Size bed (all rooms can be set as a double or twin)
- Resort information folder
Cliffside Villa
The fully air-conditioned one-bedroom villa offers a spacious lounge with an espresso machine, minibar, flatscreen TV, and a comfortable desk. The bedroom has floor-to-ceiling windows, a kingsize canopy bed and is through sliding doors connected to an elegantly decorated bathroom with two sinks, one indoor shower as well as one Balinese style open-air shower from which one can directly access one of the pool-side sundecks. The two sundecks and one covered veranda offer privacy and 180° panoramic views of volcanoes, sunsets, and the calm waters of Lembeh Strait. The large 27m2 infinity pool offers the best spot in the resort to enjoy a leisurely swim or a chilled sundowner cocktail with a loved one.
The Cliffside Villa offers the “Standard room features” plus the following features:
- Private infinity pool (3x9m)
- 1 bedroom, 1 living room, 1 bathroom, 1 sun deck, 1 patio, 1 balcony
- 1 outside shower
- 1 inside shower
- Air conditioning & ceiling fan
- Flat-screen TV and Blue Tooth Speaker
- Nespresso machine & French press
- Cookies, tea, 1 complimentary bottle of wine
- First fully stocked minibar is complimentary
- Butler service
- Room service
- Room-to-Room telephone
Luxury Cottages
These beautiful cottages provide a slice of tropical living with their semi-open-air bathrooms and modern amenities. Our cottages are designed to ensure that you experience Lembeh with a touch of luxury. All cottages offer stunning sea views and offer spacious living with large double beds, sofas, and both indoor and outdoor seating. Enjoy the dramatic sunsets over the Strait from your verandah after a day of diving.
The Luxury Cottages offer the “Standard room features” plus the following features:
- Ocean Views
- Ceiling fan
- Semi open-air bathrooms
- All Luxury Cottages can hold an extra bed, four are suite-style and suitable for quad-share
- Room-to-Room telephone
Garden View Rooms
Constructed in 2012, the Garden View Rooms are located close to the restaurant and Dive Center and are nestled in lush tropical gardens. Wander along the groomed walkways or just sit back and relax on the verandah and enjoy the tropical sounds, local fauna, and flora that the Garden View Rooms offer. These rooms are perfect for single travelers or those guests with a smaller budget.
The Garden View Rooms offer the “Standard room features” plus the following features:
- Fully enclosed bathrooms
- Garden views
- Note: Garden View Rooms can hold maximum 2 guests
Resort Facilities
Lembeh Resort Features
- Restaurant & bar
- Pool
- Pool bar
- Spa
- Dive center
- Photo center
Lembeh Resort Food & Drinks
All-inclusive meals featuring international and local cuisine.
Lembeh Resort Activities
- Diving
- Hiking
- Cooking class
- Land excursions & tour
Packages & Rates
Lembeh Resort Rates
accommodation rates
All rates are in USD and per person. Valid from April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025.
Accommodations | Double | Single | Extra Bed |
Cliffside Villa | $450 | $630 | $175 |
Premium Luxury Cottage | $280 | $395 | $125 |
Hillside Luxury Cottage | $240 | $335 | $118 |
Garden View Room | $150 | $210 | N/A |
diving RATES
All rates are in USD and per person. Valid from April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025.
Diving Packages | Air | Nitrox |
Guided Boat Dives | $58 | $65 |
Night / Mandarin Fish Dives | $76 | $83 |
Blackwater / Bonfire Dive | $79 | $86 |
Private guide | $120 per day | |
Private boat | $336 per day | |
15 ltr / 100c ft. tanks | $11 per day | |
Bangka Island - Day Trips Beyong Lembeh Straight | $394 / boat - shared between participants | |
Eastern Lembeh - Day Trips Beyong Lembeh Straight | $336 / boat - shared between participants | |
Guided Boat Snorkeling w/ Own Rental Equipment | $34 per person |
accommodation & DIVING RATES
All rates are in USD and per person. Valid from April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025.
Nights | Dives | Cliffside Villa | Premium Luxury Cottages | Hillside Luxury Cottages | Garden View Room |
4 | 8 | $2,344 | $1,664 | $1,504 | $1,144 |
5 | 11 | $2,968 | $2,118 | $1,918 | $1,468 |
6 | 14 | $3,592 | $2,572 | $2,332 | $1,792 |
7 | 17 | $4,216 | $3,026 | $2,746 | $2,116 |
8 | 20 | $4,840 | $3,480 | $3,160 | $2,440 |
9 | 22 | $5,406 | $3,876 | $3,516 | $2,706 |
10 | 24 | $5,972 | $4,272 | $3,872 | $2,972 |
11 | 26 | $6,538 | $4,668 | $4,228 | $3,238 |
12 | 28 | $7,104 | $5,064 | $4,584 | $3,504 |
13 | 30 | $7,670 | $5,460 | $4,940 | $3,700 |
14 | 32 | $8,236 | $5,856 | $5,296 | $4,036 |
15 | 34 | $8,802 | $6,252 | $5,652 | $4,302 |
inclusions
- Roundtrip airport transfers
- Breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Morning & afternoon snacks
- Free-flow mineral water
- Free-flow brewed coffee & tea
- Wi-Fi throughout the property
- Welcome drink & fruits
- All taxes & fees
- 1 free unguided house reef dive per day
RATES & AVAILABILITY
For information on rates, availability and to book, drop us an email at bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us at +1-310-915-6677 and we will gladly help you plan your dream dive vacation!
Dive Information
Dive Overview
The resort follows a policy of “Dive as You Like”. Guests can take three boat dives one day, and two morning dives on the house reef plus a night dive the next. Lembeh offers a flexible dive schedule determined by their guests. The dive center has an optimal location in the middle of Lembeh Strait and there are about 35 sites are accessible by boat in 15 minutes or less. Lembeh Resort’s dive center offers a variety of dive opportunities every day:
- Guided house reef dives any time early morning until late night
- Guided boat dives at 08:00 / 10:45 / 14:30
- Guided Mandarin Fish boat dive at 16:45
- Guided night dive at 18:30
- A guided late-night dive (after 20:00)
- Self-guided house reef dives are available any time
Muck Diving in Lembeh
The “Critter Capital of the World”, a “Muck Diving Mecca”, and the “Twilight Zone” are just a few of the names that have been given to Lembeh over the years – but is it really that good? Absolutely. Lembeh is famous for having the world’s best macro and critter diving for good reason and Lembeh “muck” is probably the most famous “muck” in the world!
Lembeh isn’t just home to frogfish, it’s home to 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, numerous crustacean species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth, 3 species of pygmy seahorse, countless numbers of nudibranch species, and new finds and discoveries are continuously being made. Some of Lembeh’s most iconic species include the Hairy Frogfish, Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse, Wunderpus, Mandarin Fish, Mimic Octopus, Rhinopias Scorpionfish, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Blue Ring Octopus, and the list goes on – take a look at our Critter Log to see the weird, wonderful, and bizarre species that await you.
Muck diving is at its best in Lembeh, where the sheer abundance of biodiversity and unique critters is greater than it is anywhere else; every dive reveals countless “special finds!” The particular excitement in muck diving lies in finding rare, camouflaged, and breathtakingly beautiful critters in the strangest of places. For beginners, the marine life found by your guide is simply intriguing, unique, and downright weird all at once. For more experienced divers, the exhilaration of making “special finds” for yourself gives a rush of adrenaline that can’t be matched. And for underwater photographers, a great photograph speaks many millions of words.
Muck diving offers something for everyone and it develops unparalleled attention to detail like no other style of diving can: With nothing to distract, the smallest of details begin to surface. That’s why when we muck dive we go at a slow pace and look to find the most camouflaged and often smallest of critters. Slow and relaxed diving also offers you the opportunity to observe and photograph the wondrous marine life that our expert-trained dive guides are so adept at finding.
Going slowly also allows us to witness fascinating and often quite hilarious behavior, such as an irate blue-ring octopus flashing its rings at a sand-perch that has just landed on an octopus’ head or a flamboyant cuttlefish stalking, catching, and eating its shrimp prey.
Lembeh’s classic muck sites feature gentle slopes of volcanic sand scattered with bits of debris, sponge, algae or rubble. If you aren’t already in the know, Lembeh will convince you that the most beautiful animals are sometimes seen in the strangest habitats!
We also have many combination dive sites within minutes of the resort that offer the best of muck diving together with lovely corals in the shallows, perfect for enjoying a leisurely safety stop
We spend quite a lot of time between 18-22 meters (60-75 feet), so Nitrox is ideal, and Enriched Air Nitrox courses are also available on-site.
Due to Lembeh’s protected location, diving is good year-round, seas are always calm and most dives have little to no current. Lembeh diving is suitable for all levels; from beginner to the most experienced diver, you will certainly see something you have never seen before!
Wide-Angle Diving
Although we often return to the dive center in between the two-morning dives to offer maximum flexibility and convenience for our divers, we also offer some double-dive morning excursions that depart at 8:00 and return at lunchtime. These excursions allow us to explore a little further afield and sample some of Lembeh’s stunning coral reefs. The Lembeh Strait sits in the heart of the Coral Triangle – this area boasts the widest range of marine species and coral diversity of anywhere else on Earth. It is no wonder that some of our favorite reef sites such as California Dreaming, Angel’s Window, and Batu Kapal are just as famous as our muck diving slopes! Lembeh’s reef dive sites boast healthy coral, blue water, and a host of different critters to those found on the black sand sites.
Pygmy seahorses decorate the fans, allied cowries are nestled on the soft corals and you’ll find a host of different nudibranchs and flatworms.
If you want to focus on bigger fish and reef scapes, then these sites also offer excellent wide-angle photography opportunities. During surface intervals, depending on the location chosen, you can enjoy cruising through mangroves or just relaxing with a hot beverage, fresh fruit, and snacks.
Passport to Paradise
Passport to Paradise is a unique diving experience that allows you to explore three distinct diving destinations in one trip. You’ll have 150 dive sites to choose from and with seamless boat diving transfers from resort to resort there’s no gear packing, no wasted transfer days, just relax, enjoy and dive, dive, dive. North Sulawesi is a diver’s paradise situated in the heart of the coral triangle. Imagine 500 species of coral, more than 3,000 species of fish, 6 out of the 7 world turtle species, a migratory route for over 30 species of marine mammals, and home to more than one-third of all whale and dolphin species.
You’ll explore Bunaken Marine Park which is home to some of Indonesia’s best wall diving sites, Bangka Island which offers such an explosion of color it will leave you spellbound and the Lembeh Strait which has the undisputed best muck diving in the world.
Dive Center Information
Lembeh Resort Dive Center Overview
The resort’s dive center – Critters@LembehResort – is a fully operating facility. Each diver has its own spacious, personal locker area with drying pegs for boots and hangers for suits and BCs. There are long benches for kitting-up and a briefing area with big whiteboards to help you plan your diving program and keep an eye on the day’s events.
Dive Center Features
Before your first dive of the day, your gear will be loaded onto the boat and assembled ready to use. After your last dive of the day, dive valets will see that your equipment is carried, rinsed with fresh water, and properly stored. Wetsuits are washed in special soap every two or three days or on request, and after the last dive of your trip. There are dedicated rinse tanks for cameras, dive gear, and wetsuits.
A full range of high-quality dive equipment (AquaLung, Suunto, Intova, and others) is available for rent. Additionally, you can rent a torch/flashlight for a night dive, or a special U/V light for viewing luminescent critters and coral – a must-try if you have never seen this before!
The Genus Bar is located just next to the Dive Center where you can relax in or out of your wetsuit, enjoy a complimentary tea or coffee, and peruse our library of dive magazines and identification books. A great place to chat with fellow divers as well as Lembeh’s professional guides and marine biologists who can help identify those critters captured in pixels.
All resort dive boats are custom-built with divers’ comfort and convenience in mind. There are amply padded areas for your camera and hooks and storage areas for dive accessories. All boats are covered for protection from the sun and have a toilet, emergency oxygen, first-aid kits, and lifejackets. Lembeh staff is trained every year in CPR, first aid, and emergency rescue procedures.
All boats are fully equipped with spare tanks and spare dive equipment as well as towels, drinking water, fresh fruit, and candies. Dive boats are also equipped with hot water for coffee or tea as well as snacks and biscuits.
Lembeh Strait is the premier muck diving destination in Indonesia for divers who love not only critter diving, but also underwater photography, macro photography, and wide-angle photography. Cameras@Lembeh Resort is the first and only dedicated photo & video center in Lembeh Strait with full-time on-site photo professionals.
The photo center was started in 2010 by renowned Photo Pro Steve Fish and is currently operated by Sascha Janson. An expert in all types of underwater photography, Sascha has years of experience and can provide instruction and equipment repairs in all areas. He is originally from Germany but has worked and lived in Indonesia for nearly 10 years. Sascha is available for critiques, photo coaching to help you solve problems with your photo equipment or improve your technique to capture unforgettable images from your macro diving adventures in Lembeh Strait.
A wide range of underwater photography and video equipment is available for rent at the photo center. If you have a problem with a balky piece of gear, repairs are available onsite. Small parts can even be fabricated with our 3D printer to replace broken, lost, or forgotten pieces.
Other Information
Practical Information
- Electricity: 220 V
- Time zone: UTC+8
- Languages: Indonesian, English, Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian & French
- Accept Credit Cards?: Yes, VISA, MasterCard & American Express
GOT QUESTIONS? READY TO BOOK?
Call us today at +1-310-915-6677 or email us bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com
And let us book your dream vacation!