Lembeh Resort

We ended our Indonesia dive trip at Lembeh Resort, and honestly, it was the perfect place to wrap things up. Our suite was gorgeous, peaceful, and had a view that made us stop in our tracks every time we walked outside. The staff? Incredible. Every single person we met was kind, professional, and somehow remembered our names from day one. But Solene at the front desk—oh my gosh, we adored her. She’s the kind of person who makes you feel completely at home right away. We had the best chats with her, and anytime we even hinted at something, she took care of it before we could ask. She’s an absolute gem and a big part of why the place felt so special. The spa was amazing—some of the best massages we’ve ever had. And I don’t say that lightly… my husband is a massage therapist and very picky. We both floated out of there. Food was delicious with plenty of variety. Every morning there was a chef ready to make eggs or pancakes, and at lunch, fresh grilled catch of the day was always an option—and always fantastic. Now let’s talk diving. The Lembeh Strait is basically the Disneyworld of diving. Every dive brought something weird, wild, and totally new to us. We were blown away. Our dive crew was split between Lembeh’s staff and the incredible team from Murex—Charley , Romey, Jardi, Eldo, and especially Rein, who was with us the whole journey. These folks are seriously some of the hardest-working, most gracious dive professionals we’ve ever met. They made every day underwater feel easy, safe, and unforgettable. Tarkan and Kathrin, the resort managers, were warm, thoughtful, and clearly love what they do. That energy runs through the whole resort. We left feeling relaxed, cared for, and already dreaming about when we can come back. If you’re on the fence—go. You’ll be so glad you did.

We are so lucky to have found the Lembeh Resort as our virtual second home in Indonesia. Our first visit was in 2017. We have just returned from our 8th wonderful time there and we have already booked our 9th, 10th, and 11th visits at the Lembeh Resort among people whose warmth and hospitality are like a loving family. Of course, behind the friendliness is a high degree of professionalism and expertise. And it also helps that this resort is home to the finest land-based dive operation we have ever seen: Critters-at-Lembeh (Critters@Lembeh). Diving is the main attraction here. Lembeh Strait is on every serious diver's bucket list for good reason. Many people come to see their first Blue-ring Octopus or Wonderpus or Mimic Octopus, and we have seen these and many others multiple times. But we have learned that is best to approach each dive as a new adventure to see what presents itself to a patient observer. The guides here are not just leaders--they are eagle-eyed spotters, naturalists, marine biologists, taxonomists, and photography coaches. At the end of each dive, you will be presented with a list of about 20-30 names of the creatures you have seen, most with their Latin names! Our photo collections provide hours of enjoyment reviewing shots of nudibranchs, fish, octopuses, corals, worms, tunicates, and crustaceans. The dive crew and photo staff all cooperate to take excellent care of all the guests. Gitti, Julz, Pettri, and Glen in the dive shop, Ross, the photo pro along with Fandy, Opo K, and Sandro leading the photo team and also guiding, all of the dive guides and tank technicians (too many to name, but all fantastic), the boat crews including Jonly, Ifer, Tommy, Yongki, Rafel, Rein, and especially Momo work hard and cheerfully together to make your diving easy and fun. If you are not diving, there are several fascinating day trips available. We once went to Tangkoko National Park and had a blast with Snou from the front desk along with us. Videos of this excursion and dive videos are available on our YouTube channel (Fugawe Travel International). It is not easy to get to Lembeh, but the Resort takes good care of their guests as soon as they exit the Manado Airport. Your escort holds a sign with your name and once you connect, you're given a cold towel and ice-cold water in a keepsake aluminum bottle. After a smooth 45-minute drive and a 10-minute boat ride to the resort, guests are escorted to their rooms where their bags have already been delivered. There are orientations to the resort and the dive operation, but I cannot give details since my wife and I have been there so many times that we skip these formalities. But we see new guests participating with amazement in their faces and we remember what that was like our first time there. The garden areas are beautifully manicured to look balanced in a natural way. The walkways are routinely maintained for safety. The buildings are perched like precious gems in a jungle. The food is amaz

Well run resort. Excellent food and service and comfortable rooms with a lovely view. Diving well organised with good additional services the place to visit for muck diving. interesting excursions possible to the mainland for wildlife and culture.

The best place to stay in Lembeh. This is my third trip to Lembeh, and I have stayed at a different hotel each time. Lembeh Resort is by far the best and when we go back to Lembeh, we will be staying there again. Fantastic diving crews, not just the dive guides (ours was excellent) but the rest of the boat crews had a passion for making sure we saw everything Lembeh strait had to offer. Every meal was delicious and the rooms were clean and comfortable. Everyone at Lembeh Resort looked after us, adding personal touches on several occasions. After five days of diving it was sad to leave. We will miss everyone and hope to get back soon.

For the second time I spent nearly 2 weeks in this resort and enjoyed every minute. You are made to feel very welcome by all the staff and if desired can exchange stories at the communal table with other guest or members of the staff. Every request we had was immediately taken care of, including more unusual ones. Kitchen and housekeeping even prepared a surprise to celebrate the beginning of my retirement and for our diving milestone. The new spa is very nice and wonderful experience as well.

We travel a lot to scuba dive and had always been disappointed and let down by dive resorts. We had found them to offer either great diving and poor food and accommodation or vice versa. Liveaboards had become our thing. Lembeh Resort & Spa tested that view! The resort is able somehow to deliver both a high class dive operation along with quality accommodation and food while maintaining balance between the two. The staff are amazing and the attention to detail in their training shows on every encounter and irrespective of the role they play. They are all amazing, but a big thankyou in particular to our dive guide, Samual. We aren't usually muck divers, but the critters on every dive are amazing. We are so glad we made the decision to visit. Something about the resort simply clicked for us. We have already begun planning a return trip. John and Linda Russell