Villa Markisa - Private Beach Bungalows - Dive Resort
This resort was wonderful! The staff was friendly at all times and any issues that came up were promptly addressed. The accommodations, at least the room we stayed in, were very large with lots of storage for our photographic and other equipment. There is also a dedicated camera room. The food was varied and of high quality, offering several choices at each meal. I think they are on a two week rotating menu there. Breakfast and lunch are a la carte; dinner is buffet style. Plenty of food at each meal was available. There are also snacks available in the afternoon. The grounds were absolutely beautiful. There is a large swimming pool with an ocean view should you choose to take advantage of it.
The dive operation was efficient and very helpful. I needed some help getting all my camera gear on to the boat and the guides were nice enough to help carry some of it. I think that they could have given a dive briefing before each dive; they could improve there. The marine life is generally small stuff. If you like macro photography this place is very good - maybe a step below other areas of Indonesia like Lembeh. All of the scuba divers were very experienced; many but not all were underwater photographers.
Overall I think this resort earned five stars in my book, and I am not an easy person to please sometimes. I think that Villa Markisa is best suited for serious divers, not families. There is little to do there besides dive. Definitely a place I would return to after the world gets control of the plague.
