Murex Bangka Dive Resort

We recently stayed at Murex Bangka for 9 nights and did 13 dives, including a check dive on the house reef. The resort does not have a jetty on the mainland side or at the resort so you will get your feet wet for the boat transfer but the thoughtful resort staff provided water for washing our feet and sandals on departure. We stayed in one of the newly built Premium Oceanfront Cottages, it was very well appointed and the view from the room and balcony was wonderful. The direct access to the bathroom was a nice idea so there was no need to traipse through the bedroom for a rinse after diving. These cottages are in an elevated position so there are steps leading to them from the beach. The resort staff were all thoughtful, helpful and welcoming. We were amazed how they managed to remember the names of guests. Food was served buffet style as the resort was nearly full when we were there. The options were varied and tasty, especially the cakes. The drinks menu was very good too and included mocktails and healthy options. The diving operation was very well organised and efficient. All the dive staff were considerate and helpful, and the dive guides (including our guides Billy and Rafael) were experts in finding critters. We knew this would be the case as we have been to Lembeh Resort and they have the same dive operator. We have enjoyed our holiday at Murex Bangka immensely.

We did a custom Passport to Paradise option with 3 nights at Murex Manado, 3 nights at Murex Bangka, and 6 nights at Lembeh Resort. Custom because we booked Lembeh Resort first and then added Murex. The combination of the three resorts works great, and we will book it like that again. All three resorts had great diving operations, delicious food, beautiful rooms, and friendly, thoughtful, and professional staff. That said, the food was best at Murex Manado, Murex Bangka has the best diving operation of all three, but Lembeh resort is the overall best. Our room at Bangka was newly built and stunning, with lots of space and great views and an area for our camera setup in the room; though there is also a dedicated, well equipped camera room. All three resorts had options for different power plugs.

Extremely friendly staff, excellent food, super competent dive guides and management of the dive center, super service, very well maintained rental equipment and help even with privately owned one, when problems, friendly and helpful boat crews and captains, interesting, variable dive sites and not having seen all of them yet, bungalow clean and comfortable, but ours was next to restaurant, so too noisy to my taste, could change rooms after intervention of guide, because at first some front desk staff very unfriendly and not helpful at all, music playing all day at restaurant, so not able to listen to nature sounds like waves and wind, but after frequent request they turned it down till end of stay, would go there again immediately, Thank you, everyone, and especially Reykmon, our guide: You made this vacation very special to us by looking after our family with so much care and amiability under and above water.

The resort is really nice with a white sand beach from where you can snorkel in the house reef when the tide is high. The oceanfront cottages are really nice and just a few steps from the beach. What I really liked was the resort team high quality of customer care.They are very well organised and with a high professional level with the aim to please the guest stay. The food was really good and every day there were always different food options. I've been there to snorkel but I realised that all the service level provided by the resort team for scuba diving was very good as well. It was a big pleasure to stay there.

Lovely setting with great staff both on land and for diving. Rooms are well appointed with mosquito repellents and water dispensers. Food is OK and plentiful. The Spa offers wonderful massages at a very fair price. The diving was nice but jot spectacular. Visibility was very poor, unfortunately, but they can't help that!

Even though we’ve been diving off Bangka Island a number of times before, this was our first visit to Murex Bangka. It’s a small, more traditionally built property that has a long family history and excellent reputation in the area. Rooms are good-sized with well-equipped semi-outdoor showers/bathrooms. Property is very compact with a huge central restaurant, dive storage & dive briefing area, brand new well equipped camera room, dive center & spa. Food was served buffet style with numerous selections, including vegetarian, to choose from. Some breakfast items were made to order along with traditional Indonesian offerings & lots of fresh fruits. On our last night we were served an excellent traditional, completely steamed in bamboo, Indonesian dinner. One night our dive guides joined us for dinner and then a good portion of the staff performed both traditional Indonesian & contemporary songs as well. I’ve never met an Indonesian who cannot sing beautifully & play an instrument! Dive guides followed us up from Lembeh Resort so we had consistency in our guides and excellent dives up in the bluer waters off Bangka with amazing hard & soft corals and big schools of fish. 30-40 dives per person over two weeks was the average for this group of 15 between Lembeh & Bangka. Diversity of marine creatures was excellent. The beachfront property is lovely, the staff friendly and caring, excellent food, delightful spa & top notch diving. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer end to two weeks in N. Sulawesi and everyone left with tears & smiling faces, vowing to return!