Dive Resort in Northeast Bali

[expatdiver 0]

A while back I remember reading somewhere that a hotel on the northeast corner of Bali was adding a dive center to be able to dive both Secret Bay and Menjangan Islands. Does anyone know which hotel is was and what their operation is like?

Edited July 11, 2008 by expatdiver

[Scuba_SI 39]

Secret Bay is only a one hour drive from Pemuteran (the main place people stay to dive Menjangan). Secret Bay is good, but probably only good for one day, max two. I'd recommend staying in Pemuteran and doing day trips.

 

Many operations dive up there, but if you're after photo specific diving you should make sure they understand your needs before booking.

 

Are you tying this in with another dive location in Bali?

 

Let me know if you need any help with the specifics.

 

Simon

Edited July 11, 2008 by Scuba_SI

[MikeVeitch 0]

also, Pemuteran puts you 45 mins or so to Puri Jati. PJs one day, Menjangan, and Secret Bay... all easily reached from Pemuteran

 

there are 2 or 3 shops in Pemuteran, i use Bali Hai. I like them a lot

[Drew 0]

First of all, Secret Bay and Menjangan is on the North WEST coast of Bali. While Mike and Simon like Pemuteran as a base for diving the area, I suggest a different route that reduces the driving around and also allows for better accomodations for 2 of the 3 nights.

For Menjangan, I suggest staying at WakaShorea. It's right next to menjangan island. The Mimpi is also ok but to me the Waka is the better hotel for value and atmosphere. If you use a local dive shop from Kuta/Sanur, insist on using the local guide instead of the Waka's own dive ops. you will have to pay a nominal fee for the boat ride to Waka and main island for him but it's worth it if you are comfortable with the dive guide. I can't remember if they have staff accomodations at the Waka but I doubt it. Their dive center is just decent and there's no EAN for the wall.

Although you can drive to Gilimanuk daily where secret bay is, I suggest staying in Gilimanuk. There's a very modest motel whose name I can never remember. This allows you to dive at secret bay and have a base nearby (5 minute drive) to recharge batteries, mess with cameras etc. You also don't have to be in the wetsuit all day and sit in the car wet for an hour going back to wherever you come from. Mind you it is very basic and the food is very basic Balinese Indonesia stuff but you're there for the diving. Do that first then go to Wakashorea to pamper yourself

As for PJ (Grrrr), check out the Zen Resort which is a few hundred meters from the dive site. Very nice resort. Again gives you the option of a night dive and work area without driving around.

You'll find dive ops in Kuta/Sanur don't even know about these choices because they get deals in Pemuteran and fuel is subsidized in Indo, so driving around is nothing.

As an aside, I only use BIDP as my dive ops in Bali and have been using them since they opened in 2000. The owners are now my friends so I may be biased but I've never had a complaint from the people I've sent to them.

[expatdiver 0]

Doah! East... west. I guess I was looking at my map upside down.

 

I am thinking about a trip in late August and was planning on looking for Molas, as I have never been to Bali during their season. The last time I was there, I stayed at Scuba Seraya, and I did a one day trip out to PJ, and it was well worth it. I saw my first and only mimics so far. This time I wanted to hit the northWEST area, before heading out to Lembongan/Penida.

 

I think I would rather stay at one place for a few days, then have to move around all the time. So it sounds like I can dive Menjangan, Secret Bay, and PJ all from the Pemuteran area?

[MikeVeitch 0]

yep, Pemuteran is probably the most centrally located for all 3. But Mimpi and Waka that Drew mention are not far away, 15 mins by car from Pem.

In Pemuteran there is Bali Hai (www.scubali.com), Werner Lau, and a few others that i can't think of the name of at the moment.

[expatdiver 0]

Mike,

 

The last time I did Bali it was with Bali Hai, but now their website isn't working. So I am not sure what is going on with them.

 

What resort do they normally use in the Pemuteran area?

[okuma 64]

Watch out for the mosquitoes at Secret Bay - my wife got Dengue there several years ago!

[Drew 0]

Dengue is prevalent all of the island now, especially in the swampy, mangrove and developed areas (even Kuta and Sanur are not exempt). The Aedes mosquito is active in the daytime, which is why I advocate having a room to relax and you can spray down the room to kill mossies. Unlike when you are waiting around in secret bay or menjangan etc during the SI. It's just more comfortable too, especially for night dives in Secret Bay ( a must for the dragonets and mandarin fish) and also for PJ.

[MikeVeitch 0]

i got dengue in Sanur

[frogfish 5]

Just to endorse Drew's comments re: Menjangan and Gilimanuk. I also can't remember the name of the hotel/motel near Gilimanuk, but it is convenient and cheap. If you want to combine multiple days diving at Menjangan Island and Secret Bay, you might want to stay closer to Menjangan.

 

A new option is to stay with Linda and Karl, whom many here know from their days running the Kararu live-aboard and latterly as managers of Lembeh Resort. They have recently built a lovely house near Lovina, which they have opened to accomodate groups of up to six divers. Their place is only a few minutes away from Puri Jadi, and about an hour's drive away from Menjangan.

 

All their main villa rooms have ocean views. Breakfast is included, and lunches and dinners can be arranged. They only accept one booking at a time. Check out the notice in the current issue of UwP (p. 43), or email tem at <lindadiverjohnston@hotmail.com>. Do keep in mind that email communications to north bali can be tricky. I also use BIDP for most of my diving here in in Bali, but I'll certainly be staying with Karl and Linda the next time I am diving in that corner of the island.

 

Regarding dengue fever, Mike Veitch surely knows what he is talking about. Unfortunately, Sanur seems to have become one of the easiest places in Bali to contract this virus. The high risk period is from December through April - I have never heard of anyone here coming down with dengue outside that time frame, but (as usual) I may be mis- or under-informed. Part of the problem is that the Aedes aegypti. mosquito (the vector for dengue) is mainly active during daylight hours, when people are least likely to have applied DEET or be protected behind permethrin-treated mosquito nets. A. aegypti likes to live inside houses and buidings, where it may lurk under furniture. Applications of persistent insecticide sprays (such as those intended to kill roaches) on walls, curtains, and the undersides of wooden tables and chairs, etc. may help.

 

February-March in Indonesia (or Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, for that matter) may not be the best time to worry overly about the long-term effects of DEET.

 

Frogfish (Robert Delfs)

Edited July 15, 2008 by frogfish