If you have been to Lembeh Strait before, please share your experiences, ideas and feedback (Hotel, Excursions, General Feeling,…) in the comments section below, by doing so you will help fellow travellers to plan their next trip
Lembeh Strait is beside Bitung on the northeastern side of Sulawesi. Most visitors arrive through Manado and continue by road, with a short boat transfer for an island resort. The strait is famous for small marine creatures, but the holiday need not consist entirely of dive briefings and camera batteries.
The first choice is mainland or island accommodation. Then come the details that shape the stay: meals, transfers, guided snorkelling, land outings and how much diving the package actually includes.
In this page you will find practical information to plan a scuba diving trip to Lembeh Strait:
Table of contents
Where to stay?
I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Lembeh Strait as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.
| Base | Good fit | Detail to settle |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland shore | Diving with simpler road access for excursions. | Distance from the airport, town and dive departures. |
| Lembeh Island | A quieter resort-focused stay beside the strait. | Boat-transfer timing and accessible landing arrangements. |
| Regional cruise | A wider North Sulawesi or crossing itinerary. | Whether Lembeh diving is included, rather than only a nearby embarkation port. |
Two Fish lists a full-board, air-conditioned garden room at IDR 805,000 per person/night sharing. Room and package details. Checked 12 November 2026; equipment and optional dives belong in the final quote.
Room category, meals, transfers and the exact dive allowance vary between properties; a complete quote makes the comparison much clearer.
Activities and excursions in Lembeh Strait
Travelling with a non-diver?
Guided snorkelling, kayaking, spa treatments and shore-based activities are offered by some resorts, giving a mixed group several ways to spend the day. Lembeh Resort’s activity and pricing information includes several options, with land-tour and spa prices available separately.
Tangkoko wildlife excursions can add a different side of North Sulawesi, with a local guide and current access arrangements. Two Fish advertises an afternoon outing on request. Tarsiers and other wildlife are not guaranteed; the guide can explain the walking conditions and appropriate viewing distance.
Highland and volcano excursions need altitude planning after diving. A lowland outing or a quiet afternoon at the resort may fit the dive schedule more comfortably.
The Critters of Lembeh
Joel Penner / Newmediasoup’s film combines aerial views and underwater life from a stay at Lembeh Resort. It illustrates the destination, not current conditions.
Best time to visit Lembeh Strait
Lembeh is a year-round destination. Rain and wind vary, and exposed reef or boat excursions may be changed even when protected muck sites remain workable. Local seasonal guidance. Christmas and New Year can carry accommodation and diving supplements, which belong in the dated quote.
A few flexible days are useful when the party wants both diving and land activities. The best month for a particular creature cannot be promised from a calendar alone.
Health and Safety
Insurance should cover the intended diving and realistic evacuation needs. The operator can explain oxygen, communications and transport arrangements; proximity to a town does not establish immediate access to specialist diving care.
Flying and altitude travel after diving need an appropriate interval. DAN’s guidance helps with the timetable, while personal medical questions belong with a qualified clinician.
If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Lembeh Strait, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Where is Lembeh Strait located in the world?
The strait separates Lembeh Island from the Sulawesi mainland around Bitung. Bunaken and Manado are on the other side of the northern peninsula and make a complementary reef-and-macro holiday, with a transfer day planned between bases.
Lembeh dive-site references
These geographic references distinguish three parts of the strait. Hairball and Police Pier use historical survey locations, not current entry instructions. They are for holiday planning, not underwater navigation or a guaranteed dive route.
- Nudi Falls: Mini-wall and sandy-bottom reference. Location source
- Hairball reference area: Historic 2009 geographic reference for the muck-diving area; not an entry waypoint. Location source
- Police Pier reference area: Historic 2009 geographic reference; access and the actual entry need local confirmation. Location source
How to get to Lembeh Strait?
Sam Ratulangi Airport, Manado (MDC), is the usual arrival airport. Current flight schedules determine the connection and the arrival time available for the resort transfer.
A resort transfer normally combines road travel towards Bitung with a boat crossing if required. The actual jetty, travel time and late-arrival arrangements depend on the property. An island resort’s boat is not necessarily a scheduled public ferry.
Two Fish quotes IDR 910,000 for a one-way airport transfer for two people, per car including the boat leg. Transfer prices. Checked 12 November 2026.
Do I need a visa for Lembeh Strait?
Nationality, purpose and arrival point determine entry eligibility. The Indonesia travel guide covers the wider arrangements; Indonesian Immigration is the authority for visa conditions. A resort reservation does not itself provide immigration permission.
Getting Around
Resort boats handle most dive-site journeys. Mainland excursions need separate road transport, while an island stay adds a crossing. The transfer quote should say whether the fare is per person, per car or per boat.
Footpaths, steps and jetty boarding can be more important than a short map distance for someone with limited mobility. The property can describe the route from landing point to room before a booking is made.
Manado’s Sam Ratulangi Airport is the usual arrival point, followed by road travel and, for island properties, a boat crossing. No. Properties exist on both the mainland and island sides of the strait. No. Some published packages charge separately, and the fare may be per person, car or boat. Yes. They offer different diving styles, with the transfer organised between the actual properties. Yes. Suitable guided snorkelling and resort or mainland activities are available, but their inclusions and supervision depend on the booking.Questions about Lembeh
Which airport serves Lembeh?
Are all resorts on Lembeh Island?
Are airport transfers always included?
Can I combine Bunaken and Lembeh?
Is there anything for non-divers?
Lembeh diving guide · Indonesia liveaboard guide
Original guide by Julien; updated 12 November 2026.
Lembeh Strait Photos
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Yellow Seahorse in Lembeh StraitPhoto by Agnes Tjandranegara -
Blue Nudibranch in Lembeh StraitPhoto by Rich Guest -
Lion Fish swimming in crystal clear waterPhoto by Agnes Tjandranegara -
Surreal LifePhoto by Jihye Lee -
CrabPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Surprising Looking NudibranchPhoto by Agnes Tjandranegara -
Octopus Alone On Sea FloorPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Stonefish Lembeh StraitPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Lion FishPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Black Spotted NudibranchPhoto by Jihye Lee
Scuba diving
You will find all information about sea life, best time to visit, top dive spots, etc. in our review: Lembeh Strait Diving
Diving Reviews for this region
Lembeh Strait
Lembeh’s volcanic sand hides frogfish, seahorses and other remarkable small creatures. Slow macro dives are the main draw, with coral sites and guided snorkelling adding variety.
Liveaboard Reviews in Lembeh Strait
KLM Sea Safari VI
Indonesia · A smaller phinisi with a changing island programme
KLM Sunshine
The 30 meters KLM Sunshine is a liveaboard vessel sailing in Indonesia. Indeed, the member of the Blue Bay Divers Fleet offers itineraries in North Sulawesi, Halmahera and the Sangihe Islands. The vessel was built in 2011 and refreshed in 2014, upholdi
SMY ONDINA
SMY Ondina is a 32-metre Indonesian phinisi for up to 16 guests in eight cabins. Its appeal lies in the combination of a small dive group, traditional wooden surroundings and voyages reaching well beyond a single island group.
hello,
i have 1 question: when is the best time (season) to travel to Lembeh strait? I mean about the weather conditions? I’m interested to go there for X-mas and Newyeas, but i’m affraid to come in the raining season or some realy bad weather.
Thank you for ur help.
Katarina
We are staying in Sanur Bali but want to dive the Lembeh Strait – What’s the easiest way to get there?
@Katarina : We went there last year in the month of December, just a week before Christmas. Weather conditions were awesome. We were warned up front that weather might not be that great, but we only had a few minor rain showers, and it didn’t affect diving. Visibility in Lembeh Strait isn’t that great anyway, clouds and rain do not affect diving conditions that much. This contrary to diving at Bunaken; where you want optimal conditions (though we were lucky there too with no rain at all for 5 days).
That said; Lembeh/Sulawesi is located near the equator. It’s a tropical climate which means it can rain daily, sometimes only a few minutes, but also a whole day.
@Beth : Easiest way is to catch a flight from Denpasar. You should check if there are direct flights from Denpasar to Manado. If not then you have two choices: check for flights from Denpasar to Jakarta, then from Jakarta to Manado, or check for flights from Denpasar to Makassar (Southern Sulawesi) and then from Makassar to Manado. From Manado Airport it is a 2 hour drive to Bitung. As an alternative you could consider the more expensive Wakatobi Marine Park in Southern Sulawesi. I read recently that there now is a direct flight from Denpasar to Wakatobi (muck diving is best at Lembeh though).
We dove at Lembeh for a few days and it was awesome. It really raised the bar for us when it comes to diving. We discovered we really love muck diving over all other types. I would not pass up a chance to visit Lembeh.
Ilya
Although I haven’t actually been to Lembeh Strait myself I have heard nothing but good reviews from people who have been there when I have picked them up from the airport. Seeing more good reviews and the pictures of this place really makes me want to take a trip so I think I may have to put this on my to do list! Great review.