Black Sand Dive Retreat
Dive Center
🌏 Sulawesi
🌊 Activities: Fun dives
🤿 Instructor languages: English
📞 Booking languages: English
🟢 Nitrox available: Available for an extra charge
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Groups accepted: Yes
👌 Affiliation: None
✅ Structure: Professional centre
Black Sand Dive Retreat is a boutique dive resort made up of 7 bungalows, spread across three hectares of tropical gardens, with a private black sand beach located in the sheltered Kambahu Bay.
Since opening in 2007, BSDR has offered personalised services to provide an exceptional dive holiday experience in Indonesia, in the "exotic capital of rare creatures".
Dive groups are deliberately kept small, with a maximum of 4 divers per speedboat.
Most dive sites are just 1 to 10 minutes away, allowing you to return to the resort between dives to relax.
Free unguided dives are available directly from the beach, on one of the best sites in Lembeh, particularly for night dives.
Tauchen magazine (Germany) ranked us among "the 40 best house reefs in the world".
Website
🌐 www.blacksanddive.comAccommodation
Accommodation
Stay on site:
The centre has seven bungalows offering a magnificent view over Kambahu Bay and the Lembeh Strait. Each bungalow is equipped with a bedroom with ceiling fan and air conditioning for optimal comfort, as well as complimentary drinking water, coffee and tea. Free Wi-Fi is available in all bungalows.
Each unit also includes a dressing area to organise your luggage, a safe for your valuables and a semi-open bathroom in an enclosed garden, with a hot water shower, ideal for warming up after repeated dives. The resort restaurant offers international à la carte cuisine (no buffet), ordered daily from a short menu that rotates over 3 courses.
Agreements or discounts with partner accommodations:
Combined packages can be organised with the Lumbalumba Resort for divers wishing to discover both the Lembeh Strait and the Bunaken Marine Park. These packages help avoid losing a day of diving, which is generally the case when changing resorts.
We can take care of your accommodation bookings:
Aside from combined packages with the Lumbalumba Resort, the centre can recommend other accommodations, but does not handle bookings outside of Black Sand Dive Retreat.
Good to Know
Good to know
Safety information:
The nearest decompression chamber is located in Bitung, about a 30-minute drive from the resort.
Other activities offered by the centre:
The centre also offers snorkelling trips.
Opening days and annual closing:
The centre is open all year round.
Google Reviews
Debbie Fagan
★★★★★
We just stayed here for 10 days and had the best time !! Linda is the manager. She goes above and beyond her job and she really likes to get to know her guests. She felt like a friend by the time we left Nothing is too much trouble for her and the staff I had an accident whilst I was there ( slipped and banged my head ) and needed a doctor and immediately she made sure that she and Romi the driver got me to him and took me to the Pharmacy after. I also need a flight change which she organised and even phoned the airline to get me a partial refund on my previous flight !! The kitchen and waiting staff , Rene Megga and the chef all made sure our mealtimes were great. They are so attentive, again making you feel so at home. Nothing to much trouble The cleaning staff who made our rooms spotless each morning The Dive centre staff. The Captain of the boat and Etmo and Stefan are all fantastic and the dives were each and everyone spectacular and safety is always first !! Thankyou each and everyone of you for taking care of us and ensuring we had the best holiday. We will be back in the future 🤿🤿🤿🤿🤿
Benimo-Villas
★★★★★
Highly recommended!!! So relaxing, the staff super friendly and no request is too much. The cottage lovley and private, well kept and maintained with good privacy on the balcony. The whole resort is very well maintained. The food is excellent and freshly prepared. And the diving is marvelous. Etmo, the dive master, loves his job, loves finding the smallest of the creatures and makes every necessary to have a great time under water. And Linda is very helpful and knowledgable about the area. If we ever go back to Lembeh we would stay at BSDR without a doubt.
Elaine Brown
★★★★★
I recently enjoyed a one-week stay at Black Sand Dive Retreat. BSDR is a gem, beautifully situated in an amazing location for diving Lembeh Strait. The initial planning was promptly and thoughtfully managed by Fung, wherein my questions/concerns were resolved in advance of travel. The diving was terrific! Much credit to Stephan and Romi for overseeing dive logistics. The small groups (maximum 4 divers, and often less) made for memorable dives. Accommodation was very comfortable--nestled in a rainforest of greenery with a gorgeous view of the bay. Meal times were special--delicious food, beautifully presented--a treat for the eye and the tummy. The rotating menu offered varied choices. I have very fond memories of that delicious "mango mousse dessert"; and I looked forward to that wonderful "mango juice" each morning! Linda was terrific in managing day-to-day routines. Thank you for overseeing my transfer arrangements to Bangka Island, and for helping with smaller details like my need for white vinegar, or a switch from diving air to nitrox. Linda gets things done: she is professional, pleasant, and very approachable. This was my first visit to Black Sand Dive Resort--but not my last--and I will stay longer next time!
Fiona Kettle-Muspratt
★★★★★
This is a beautiful resort in an excellent location for diving. The dive team is very professional and all have excellent knowledge of the dive sites and animals, as well as a great talent for finding all the critters. The rooms are beautifully designed, the food is excellent and the restaurant staff are very friendly and kind. As a solo traveller, everyone made sure that I was well looked after.
Sabine Puhl
★★★★★
We were able to spend three weeks in June at this small but beautiful resort. It's a quiet place to relax and a wonderful spot for divers. All of the dive sites in the Lembeh Strait are easily accessible by boat, and three dives are offered per day. I have to single out our guide, Etmo, for his unwavering dedication to searching for all the small creatures. You can also dive the beautiful house reef at any time. There's plenty to discover here that will make any diver's heart beat faster. The bungalows are simple but clean. The food is delicious and lovingly prepared, and there are always a few treats offered along the way. All in all, an unforgettable vacation. We would love to come back.