LumbaLumba Manado Resort
I cannot say enough good things about Lumbalumba. This is a stunning resort. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and manicured. The cottages are comfortable and very spacious. The bathroom is huge. Each cottages has a porch that looks out over the water. The infinity pools is gorgeous with plenty of loungers lining the sand and palm trees surrounding it. Small swallows swoop in over the water creating a beautiful ambiance.
Meals are served in the main building which has a bar, seating for casual conversation, and plenty of resources to look up information about what you saw on your dives that day. The food is excellent with plenty of options for all types of palates. Of course the specialties are Asian and fish. Meals included soups, salads, sides, a choice of main course, and dessert. Each night was different and each offered 2-3 options of mains, sides, and salads.
The staff was phenomenal. Every person on the Lumbalumba team, from gardeners, to cooks, to housekeeping, to the dive team, and especially the owners bluegave 120% to ensure your stay was exactly what you had planned.
The diving in Bunaken National Park was spectacular. Beautiful wall dives, nice corals spotted rays, white tips, frog fish and lots of turtles. This truly is a great place to dive. And true to the name, dolphins escorted us to the park on a few days of the trip.
Lumbalumba also offers a variety of land tours for those who aren't diving or for no-dive days. We took a tour of the surrounding region that included a trip to the Tomahan Market, several local villages, a walk to the top of a volcano, and a visit to the rice fields in the valley.
I highly recommend this resort to anyone thinking of traveling to the Manado area.