Black Sand Dive Retreat

My boyfriend and I spent 10 days @Black sand dive retreat. We had a very lovely time. The rooms are spacious and clean and the food is exquisite. All the staff are kind and very service oriented. The diving is magnificent and the guides go above and beyond to make your dives as memorable as they can be. Everything is taken care of. The only thing we needed to do was dive and unwind. We will return.

Our 1-week stay at Black Sand was memorable. Accommodations, view and food were outstanding, not to mention the diving. A special mention for the diving staff, the dining room staff as well as Freely, Linda and the resort driver who were very friendly and helpful. We have been to Lembeh 3 times, the next time we return it will certainly be to Black Sand.

This was our first proper and continuous multi-day muck diving experience, and it well exceeded all expectations! Linda, Stefan, Yano, Angal, and all the crew were extremely knowledgeable, accommodating, and helpful. We spotted all the critters that were on our wish list, as well as being introduced to many more. The cabins are spacious, well-kept, and private. Fung provided great advice when we were booking and continual follow-up support for our numerous queries. Her top tip was great - to prepay for 2 dives per day, but you can add on up to an additional 2 dives if desired. The arrangement to be able to twin up with LumbaLumba dive resort for Bunaken diving was extremely convenient. The transfers to/from resorts and airports were all arranged.

INCREDIBLE. We had the most amazing stay at Black Sands. The guest bungalows are wonderful with great views over the bay and a lovely swimming pool and garden to relax in. Linda was absolutely fantastic at looking after us and her English is superb. The food was fantastic, freshly cooked and very good for vegetarians and meat eaters. The diving was incredible. We had never done muck diving before, and were astounded at what could be found. Huge thanks to Stefan and Yano for spotting the most extraordiary wildlife and to Captain Rimi on the boat. We could not have been more thrilled to see a flamboyant cuttlefish, mimic octopus, coconut octopus (so full of character), seahorses, ghost pipefish, sand-striker 'Bobbit' worms, frogfish, nudibranchs, mantis shrimp. Every dive brought new delights. There is also some incredibly beautiful coral here which was great for my Mum who snorkels. Huge thanks to all the staff for making our stay so memorable.

We had a nice welcome from Black Sands Retreat when we arrived. We really enjoyed this resort. It was on the smaller side which we liked. More intimate. The resort gave us our own dive guide so we didn't need to share. Very nice for Macro photography. They took very good care of us. The staff was attentive and the food was very good. Our dive guide was great. He helped us find some great “Muck Critters”, and again, we didn't have to share with anyone. We felt pampered in this regard. We definitely plan to return.

This resort was fabulous! The accommodations were spacious and comfortable. The staff were so attentive The pool was inviting. We loved the diving and snorkeling. The operation is very well run and the critters seen on the dives were amazing. Octopus, frog fish, sea snake, snake eels, angler fish, scorpion fish. Even the snorkeling just at and near the property was full of cool fish and critters. I had my seahorse friends that I would check on each day. There are anemones and damsels/clownfishes, lionfishes, puffers, and Bangka cardinal fishes all over the place. Maybe too common to be special but I loved them all! I recommend booking a package that includes full board and transportation to and from the resort. The meals were well crafted, delightful to look at plated, delicious and satisfying. We have very fond memories of our stay!