Murex Dive Resort Bangka

How To Get There

Sam Ratulangi International Airport (also called Manado International Airport) is the nearest entry point and receives flights from all major Indonesian cities including Bali and Jakarta as well as international flights from Singapore. Murex Bangka offers airport pickups in private air-conditioned vehicles - it is around90 minutes to the local harbor and then 20 minutes by boat to the resort.

Dive Overview

Bangka is a beautiful lush island and one of Indonesias most famous dive areas. The House Reef right in front of the Resort is amazing; snorkeling and diving there is a must!

[Read More: Manado & Bunaken Dive Travel Guide]

Room Overview

Murex Bangka Resort offers a choice of charming and comfortable, traditionally styled timber bungalows, larger duplex rooms, which have adjoining doors and are perfect for families, as well as deluxe ocean view cottages located on the hillside which offer comfortable indoor living and large verandas with built-in day beds. Rooms have en-suite hot-water bathrooms, air conditioning throughout the night, and either king-size or twin beds. Whichever room you stay in you’ll be on the beach and just steps away from the crystal clear water. Accommodation is on a full board basis with buffet-style Asian, Western and Indonesian cuisine. Murex Bangka is the only resort on Bangka Island able to offer hot water, en-suite showers, and air conditioning. Power operates in the rooms from 5 pm – 7 am and additionally in the restaurant and camera room during

Food & Drinks

Murex Bangka Resort offers buffet-style dining which combines a tantalizing mix of International and Asian flavors using fresh local ingredients. The team of western trained chefs is able to cater to special dietary requirements upon request. Bangka Island may be remote but the flavors delivered by the chefs are definitely not. Selection of wines and local beer are available.

Dive Information & Itineraries

Bangka Dive Overview

• As the first operator to dive the sites around Bangka Island, Murex has been exploring the area since 1990 so you can rest assured that you will be diving with experienced and professional dive guides throughout your stay. Not only do the Dive Guides have thousands of dives experience in the region, they also undergo intensive training programs, which include marine biology and underwater photography training to ensure that you receive the best underwater experience possible. Just like you, diving is their passion.
• Safety is a high priority and all Murex boats are equipped with emergency oxygen, full first aid kits, and communications devices. All staff are also trained in rescue and emergency procedures.
• From arrival in the resort, you wont need to lift a bag or carry or wash your gear as the dive guides strive to anticipate your every need. Dive Guides also check the conditions each day and plan accordingly to take you to the best sites at the right time. Your diving program can be tailored to suit your needs with options for single dives, double dive trips, or full-day excursions with lunch served on the boat.
• The kaleidoscopic reefs and pinnacles for which Bangka is so famous are right on your doorstep. Year-round warm water combined with good visibility makes Bangka suitable for all levels of divers and for those who enjoy something more challenging there are also some exhilarating drift diving sites. Highlights of diving in Bangka include an explosion of colorful soft corals, three species of pygmy seahorses, schooling fish, reef sharks, eagle rays, dugongs, passing pelagics, and a plethora of other critters including numerous nudibranch species, soft coral crabs, ghost pipefish and a variety of frogfish, crustacean and cephalopod species.
• Murex Bangka House Reef is just a step off the beach and with a white sand bottom, colorful corals, and lots of fish its not only a great dive site but also an excellent spot for snorkeling.
• Tailor-made packages are available as are night dives, day trips to Bunaken and the Lembeh Strait, PADI courses, snorkeling, land tours, and combination packages with Murex Manado, Lembeh Resort, or take a Passport to Paradise and visit all 3.

Bangka Dive Sites

Here are some of the dive sites in Bangka. Feel free to ask us if you would like to know more about these and other dive sites.

• Batu Goso (Bangka Island) - Batu Goso consists of a series of steep pinnacles rising up from the ocean just off Bangka Island. There are two drift dives in this area, starting at opposite ends of pinnacles, around and through coral-covered pinnacles with a moderate slope beneath them. As you approach the site, waves can be seen crashing against the pinnacles, sending the whitewater everywhere. The dive ranges from 5-35m and there can be a strong current present.
• There is enough topography to allow divers to eddy out of currents and watch the abundance of marine life around them. Highlights include: White Tip & Black Tip Sharks, Turtles & Groupers, Yellow, green and red soft corals.
• Sahaung (Bangka Island) - Sahaung also consists of a series of underwater boulders and pinnacles that barely break the surface of the ocean. There are two dives in this area on separate pinnacles. These pinnacles consist of a continuously sloping bottom with several shelves as you descend. The dives range from 5 35 m. There can be strong currents and surge at shallower depths.
• Highlights include Big table coral, often with White Tip Reef Sharks resting under them; An abundance of green and purple soft coral; and A multitude of fish including Jack, Dog Tooth Tuna, Barracuda, Red Tooth Triggerfish, and a huge school of Blue Striped Snappers.
• Batu Mandi (Sulawesi Mainland) - This dive is located just opposite of Bangka Island off the northern tip of Sulawesi, off the shore of Pulisan. This dive is a series of underwater pinnacles rising from a sandy bottom. This is a shallower dive ranging from 5 to 25m. Besides the abundance of hard and soft corals and numerous reef fish, some of the highlights are: Pygmy Sea Horses; Cuttle Fish; and Giant and Warty Frog Fish.
• Batu Pendeta (Sulawesi Mainland) - Located east of Batu Mandi and with vegetation similar to Sahaung. This is an advanced dive because of the strong current that can occur here and the depth of the dive. Dropping down in the blue you will have to dive straight down to 25m, where the reef starts. This site consists of several large submerged rocks with one pinnacle up out of the water, situated on a reef plateau about 15 meters deep. There is a drop-off with canyons where you can eddy out of the current and observe many Sweetlips, Dogtooth Tuna, Jacks, and Sharks.
• Sabora (Bangka Island) - Located just around the corner of the resort, this coral slope offers a huge variety of fish and critters. A resident school of Blue Stripe Snappers welcomes you when you go down. Between the corals lives a whole array of Nudibranchs, and your dive guide will show you several types of Pygmy Seahorses. You will spend your safety stop looking at huge sea fans scattered across the reef slope. Night dives in particular are very good here.

Dive Center Information

Murex Bangka Resort Dive Center Overview

Murex Bangka Resort is a PADI facility. Murex dive center is also an Aqua Lung partner center and offers full dive equipment rentals. The equipment rinsing/drying facilities are only steps from the boat. Charging stations are powered between 5 pm and 9 am.

Diving Facilities & Services

• Full dive equipment rentals.
• Equipment rinsing/drying facilities only steps from the boat
• Charging stations
• Dive courses
• The boats are spacious, covered, and all have an onboard toilet
• English speaking dive crew

Practical Information

• Time zone: GMT+8:00
• Language: English, Indonesian, Dutch, German and French
• Electricity: 220V
• Payment methods: Visa or MasterCard, Indonesian Rupiah, Euro or US Dollar