Lembeh, Indonesia - Passport to Paradise Field Survey Trip

Explore three distinct destinations in one trip, seeing everything Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia has to offer. This amazing trip will start off by spending 4 nights at Murex Manado Resort, where you will dive stunning walls, losing count of the number of species you see in one dive. You will then spend 3 nights at Murex Bangka Resort that will leave you with sensory overload, where the pristine reefs are teeming with life. We'll end the trip at the critter capital of the world and spend 4 nights at Lembeh Resort, looking for the rare and unusual marine life found there. 

Project Focus: The purpose of this trip is to conduct fish surveys to support REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Click here to learn more about participating in fish surveys on a REEF Field Survey Trip!

Best Suited For: Divers

Accommodations: 11 nights accommodation total, 4 nights at Murex Manado Resort, 3 nights at Murex Bangka Resort, and 4 nights at Lembeh Resort. All meals, snacks, and water are included, as well as WiFi at each resort. There are three room-type packages available - Garden View Room, Hillside Luxury Cottage, and Luxury Cottage - specific accommodations at each resort will vary (for examples, see - Lembeh Resort and Murex Resorts). All rooms include en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, and king or twin beds. 

Diving: The package includes 26 boat dives -- 2 morning dives each day, and 2 dives in transit on transfer days between resorts. Unlimited shore diving on the house reefs and Nitrox for certified divers is included. Additional boat dives can be scheduled for the afternoons when not transiting.

• Manado: Stunning walls and hard corals. Lose count of the number of turtles in a single dive. Look out for reef sharks, schooling fish, sea snakes, passing eagle rays, sting rays, abundant critters, and macro life, and resident dolphin and pilot whale pods alongside the boat.
• Bangka: Bangka dive sites are a sensory overload where the pristine reefs are teeming with life. Pelagics and critters, Bangka has it all! Unique species include resident dugongs, dolphins and pilot whales, several species of pygmy seahorse, harlequin and tiger shrimps, blue ring, mimic, reef and wonderpus octopus, ghost pipefish, Ambon scorpionfish, frogfishes, turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, great barracuda, schooling fish including snappers, fusiliers, cardinals and mackerel.
• Lembeh Strait: 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 Strait over the years due to the high density, and diversity, of rare and unusual marine life. Diving in Lembeh is unlike diving anywhere else, as every dive reveals countless species of critters which have made their homes here. Lembeh isn’t just home to frogfish, it’s home to 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, and 3 species of pygmy seahorse.

Pricing, Inclusions, and Other Fees

Your Package Includes: The trip package includes 11 nights of accommodations and all meals; 4 nights at Murex Manado Resort, 3 nights at Murex Bangka Resort, and 4 nights at Lembeh Resort, as well as 24 boat dives and unlimited house reef shore dives. Nitrox for certified divers. Transfers to and from each resort are included as well as transfers to and from the airport.

REEF Program Fee: A REEF Program Fee of $350 per diver will be added to each package to cover the cost of the group leader, seminar, and REEF survey materials.

Additional Fees - Not Included: The following costs are not included in the price paid to REEF. All flights, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, optional rental equipment, additional boat dives, and Bunaken Marine park fee. Gratuities for the crew are not included in the cost of the charter and are at each individual's discretion.

Registration

To reserve your space, email trips@REEF.org or call 305-588-5869. A $1,000 per person deposit will be due to confirm your reservation. Visit our Trip Policies page for more information on deposit and payment schedules. 

Indonesia Travel Info

Insurance: Travel insurance is not included. REEF strongly recommends that each participant purchase adequate dive travel insurance to protect you from unforeseen circumstances. REEF partners with both DiveAssure and DAN to offer travel insurance packages specifically for divers. REEF will receive a portion of the proceeds from travel insurance purchases when you click on the following affiliate links for DiveAssure or DAN.

How to Get There: Participants should make arrangements to fly into Manado International Airport (MDC), arriving Saturday, November 2, and departing Wednesday, November 13. There are several direct flights to MDC out of Singapore, Jakarta, and Bali.

Transfers: Participants will be transferred from the MDC airport to Murex Manado Resort on the day of arrival. Boat transfers to each following resort are included. At the end of the trip, participants will be transferred from Lembeh Resort to the MDC airport for departure.

Passports, Documentation and Visas: Visitors to Indonesia are required to have a passport that has at least 2 blank passport pages and is valid for at least 6 months after the date of arrival, and proof of return flights. Tourists from most countries do not need to obtain a visa if staying in Indonesia for less than 30 days. Please consult the appropriate consulate for specific travel regulations.

COVID-19 Considerations: It is the participant's responsibility to ensure that they understand and comply with all local requirements (for entry and visit as a tourist) of the host destination, and for exit and entry requirements for their home country. Be prepared for your plans to change. Be sure your travel insurance covers COVID-related issues. No travel is risk-free during the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries may further restrict travel or bring in new rules at short notice, for example, due to a new COVID-19 variant. Please be aware that REEF is not a travel agent. We are doing our best to interpret the information provided by our trip vendor and the host country’s government COVID-19 webpages. We encourage everyone to do their own research, interpretation, and due diligence. Please see REEF’s COVID-19 Considerations and Vaccine Policies section in our REEF Field Survey Trips Policies page for more information.