Lembeh Resort
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Booking by Tour Leader Club
3 room types · house reef
Lembeh Resort sits in a private cove at the northeastern tip of Sulawesi — on Lembeh Island, across the strait from the port town of Bitung. That strait is known as the critter capital of the world: marine biologists rate it as the highest concentration of rare and unusual marine life anywhere on the planet. Hairy frogfish, mimic and coconut octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipefish — species people hunt for over weeks elsewhere turn up here on a single dive.
The resort began as the family holiday home of Alex Rorimpandey, a North Sulawesi native. Together with diving pioneer Dr Batuna he turned the house into a resort, which opened in December 2002 with three cottages. Today it is owned by a family from Jakarta who fell in love with the place on a dive holiday, while the dive centre — Critters at Lembeh Resort — is still owned and run by Danny Charlton and Angelique Batuna, the daughter of that same Dr Batuna.
The diving is short on logistics and long on encounters: sites are 5 to 15 minutes away by boat, most critters live between 5 and 20 metres, and currents are usually mild. Three scheduled dives a day, plus night, sunset, mandarin fish, blackwater and bonfire dives. The house reef is steps from the shore — every diving day with two paid boat dives includes one free self-guided house reef dive.
Underwater photography is a reason in itself. The resort runs Asia’s first Backscatter-authorized photo centre: individual workstations with power outlets, rental cameras, housings, strobes and snoots, repairs and even 3D-printed spare parts, courses and workshops. Every guide is photo-trained and knows the critters by their Latin names.
Accommodation comes in three categories: six Garden View Rooms a few steps from the restaurant and dive centre, thirteen Premium Luxury Cottages with ocean views, and one Cliffside Villa with an infinity pool and butler service. The Langka restaurant is semi-open, framed by sea and jungle; the kitchen cooks Minahasan and Western dishes without MSG, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
No markup
You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.
We run the deal
Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.
Card payment
We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.
Support all the way
We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.
The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.
About the resort
- Country
- Indonesia
- Location
- Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi
- Nearest airport
- Sam Ratulangi (Manado, MDC)
- Transfer
- About 60 minutes by road to Bitung plus a 10-minute boat ride
- House reef
- Yes — one free self-guided dive a day with two paid boat dives
- Dive centre
- Critters at Lembeh Resort, PADI
- Nitrox
- Yes, $7 surcharge per dive
- Rooms
- 20 rooms, cottages and villas
- Internet
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the property
- Languages
- English, German, Japanese, French, Indonesian
At the resort
Diving
The boats run twin four-stroke engines — the resort was the first in Lembeh to switch to them. Onboard: toilet, oxygen and medical kit, camera rinse tanks, water, snacks and towels. Staff look after cameras on the boat and on land.
Dining
Allergies and special diets need advance notice — the kitchen cooks separately. Soft drinks, alcohol and espresso are charged to your bill.
Beyond diving
Rooms
Garden room
from $162 per person per night
View: Tropical garden
Beds: King-size or twin
Simple, comfortable rooms a few steps from the restaurant, pool, photo centre and dive centre — the practical choice for people who came to dive rather than sit on a veranda. Four rooms at ground level, two on the second floor, each with a connecting veranda looking into the greenery.
Ocean-view cottage
from $320 per person per night
View: Ocean and sunsets
Beds: King-size or twin
Thirteen free-standing cottages set in tropical greenery: a wide veranda facing the strait and the sunset, floor-to-ceiling windows, custom-made furniture. Some sit behind the pool closer to the water, others slightly uphill behind the dive centre. Adjoining cottages are available.
Pool villa with butler
from $510 per person per night
View: Panorama of the strait and volcanoes
Beds: King-size canopy bed
The resort's only villa stands on a cliff: 180-degree views with volcanoes on the horizon, a 32 m² infinity pool, two private sundecks and butler service. Inside there is a large desk for photo editing, a lounge, a bathroom with two sinks and both indoor and outdoor rainfall showers. A spa treatment per person and a bottle of wine per stay are included.
Rates
Accommodation, 1 April 2026 — 31 March 2027
| Category | Double | Single | Extra bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden View Room | $162 | $228 | — |
| Premium Luxury Cottage | $320 | $448 | $145 |
| Cliffside Villa | $510 | $712 | $198 |
Per person per night in US dollars. High-season supplement is $14 a night from 24 December to 5 January. Children under 6 stay free, ages 7–12 are $128 a night in the villa and $102 in a cottage, teenagers are charged as adults.
Diving
| Dive | Air | Nitrox |
|---|---|---|
| Guided boat dive in the Lembeh Strait | $61 | $68 |
| Mandarin fish or night dive | $81 | $88 |
| Blackwater or bonfire dive | $86 | $93 |
Price per guided boat dive. Each diving day with two paid boat dives includes one free self-guided house reef dive on air. High-season supplement is $3.50 per dive from 24 December to 5 January.
Sample packages
| Nights and dives | Garden View | Premium Cottage | Cliffside Villa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 nights, 8 dives | $1,228 | $1,860 | $2,620 |
| 5 nights, 11 dives | $1,573 | $2,363 | $3,313 |
| 7 nights, 17 dives | $2,263 | $3,369 | $4,699 |
| 10 nights, 24 dives | $3,176 | $4,756 | $6,656 |
| 14 nights, 32 dives | $4,312 | $6,524 | $9,184 |
Per person based on double occupancy, in US dollars. Includes return airport transfers, full board, drinking water, coffee and tea, Wi-Fi, all taxes and one free self-guided house reef dive a day. Nitrox surcharge runs from $56 for 4 nights to $224 for 14 nights. Packages are samples and can be tailored.
Transfers and dive centre services
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Return airport transfer | $92 |
| Day trip to Bangka or East Lembeh | $304 per boat |
| Private guide, per day | $127 |
| Private boat, per day | $364 |
| 15-litre tank, per day | $13 |
| Guided boat snorkelling, per trip | $38 |
Day trips beyond the Lembeh Strait are charged per boat and shared between participants; the dives themselves are not included. Private guide and private boat pricing is based on three dives a day from 8am to 5pm.
Rental equipment and photo courses
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Full scuba set with computer, per day | $22 |
| Regulator or BCD, per day | $8 |
| Wetsuit, per day | $7 |
| Mask and snorkel or fins, per day | $6 |
| Dive computer, per day | $12 |
| Torch, per day | $10 |
| Basic underwater macro photography, 2 hours | $220 |
| Macro video, editing or critique session, 1 hour | $110 |
PADI courses on request. The photo centre rents compacts, mirrorless bodies, housings, strobes, video lights and snoots.
Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.
When to go
The strait is sheltered from big swells and most monsoon winds, so it stays divable in any month. Currents are usually mild, and when they pick up they bring in even more critters — there are always protected spots. The rainy season runs from November to March, but rain tends to fall at night or in short bursts and does not affect diving. Changing trade winds shift which critters show up in the strait.
Getting there
The gateway is Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado (MDC). Direct flights from Singapore run six times a week, every day except Sunday, plus daily services from Jakarta and flights from Bali, Makassar and Sorong.
From there it is a resort transfer: around an hour by air-conditioned vehicle along the new toll road to the port of Bitung, then 10 minutes by boat to the cove. Staff meet arrivals around the clock with a name board. Return transfer costs $92 per person.
If you are coming from elsewhere in North Sulawesi, the resort arranges a point-to-point transfer — from Bunaken or Siladen the boat runs directly from the neighbouring resort’s pier.
Included in the price
Not included
Optional extras
Extras are per person and paid on site.
from 162 USD per person per night
We will get back to you within 24 hours
Booking managers
Garden room
Simple, comfortable rooms a few steps from the restaurant, pool, photo centre and dive centre — the practical choice for people who came to dive rather than sit on a veranda. Four rooms at ground level, two on the second floor, each with a connecting veranda looking into the greenery.
- View
- Tropical garden
- Beds
- King-size or twin
- Size
- 41 m²
- Maximum guests
- 2
- Rooms of this type
- 6
- Rate
- from $162 per person per night
Ocean-view cottage
Thirteen free-standing cottages set in tropical greenery: a wide veranda facing the strait and the sunset, floor-to-ceiling windows, custom-made furniture. Some sit behind the pool closer to the water, others slightly uphill behind the dive centre. Adjoining cottages are available.
- View
- Ocean and sunsets
- Beds
- King-size or twin
- Size
- 60 m²
- Maximum guests
- 3
- Rooms of this type
- 13
- Rate
- from $320 per person per night
Pool villa with butler
The resort's only villa stands on a cliff: 180-degree views with volcanoes on the horizon, a 32 m² infinity pool, two private sundecks and butler service. Inside there is a large desk for photo editing, a lounge, a bathroom with two sinks and both indoor and outdoor rainfall showers. A spa treatment per person and a bottle of wine per stay are included.
- View
- Panorama of the strait and volcanoes
- Beds
- King-size canopy bed
- Size
- 124 m²
- Maximum guests
- 3
- Rooms of this type
- 1
- Rate
- from $510 per person per night
Lembeh Resort
from 162 USD
