Kima Bajo Resort & Spa Manado 

Small, well-appointed and located in a prime location in Manado, Kima Bajo is an upscale boutique resort that welcomes guests for a holiday that will remain in the memory banks for years to come. Being just a short transfer from Manado Airport, it's perfect for short breaks and weekends as well as longer holidays.

This tranquil resort nestles on Wori Bay amidst secluded palms on a hillside location right on the ocean's edge. The accommodation is elegantly designed in spacious villa-style houses with outdoor and indoor shower rooms, air-con, private veranda and ocean views. Or opt for the spacious budget long-house rooms situated at the top of the hill amidst lush coconut palms. Our private beach is an ideal place for you to lounge and relax and then there are the lush, exotic tropical landscaped gardens of beautiful plants and flowers. The Mayana Spa offers a restful and relaxing array of treatments and therapies.

                   
Sunset Dining at Restaurant                                          Longhouse Deluxe Suite

Here you can truly marry nature and luxury and experience, not only a delightful dive experience, but also see some of the most breathtaking sunsets over the Sea of Sulawesi towards Bunaken Island - exhilarating and exquisitely beautiful. We can also arrange trips to the critter capital of North Sulawesi, the Lembeh Strait.

                   
Beach                                                                                Dinner on the beach

The Nibong Restaurant & Bar, named after the local palm trees unique to this part of Indonesia, serves a selection of menus from local Manadonese and well-known Indonesian fare to a choice of international cuisine. And there's nowhere better to be after a great day's diving than in the recently opened Bunaken Sunset Bar. Chill out, sip a cocktail and watch the spectacular fiery sun sink into the deep blue waters around Bunaken Island and Manado Tua volcano.

                   
Suite - Interior                                                                 Swimming pool

BSL has quickly become the social focus of Kima Bajo Resort. With its tropical style bamboo furniture and surrounded by swaying palm trees, the mood is relaxed and casual and has quickly been adopted by divers sharing experiences from their day's fun below the waves.

Other Activities: Whilst staying with us at Kima Bajo Resort & Spa, you can also explore North Sulawesi's breathtaking natural beauty. From the exotic atmosphere of the lively market towns to the lush paddy fields and cascading waterfalls surrounding Lake Tondano. If it's adventure you crave, then experience the thrill of river-gorged white water rafting, hiking, horse riding or trekking in the rainforest of Tangkoko Nature Reserve. The Reserve is home to exotic birds, monkeys and the world's smallest primate, the Tarsius Spectrum monkey. Then again, you could just relax with a local coffee and a slice of delicious coconut pie at the highland flower city of Tomohon. And last but not least, there's the joy of diving!

Lembeh Combo Dive Package includes: 

• 5 nights' accommodation at Kima Bajo Resort & Spa in a Longhouse Room
• 1 night's accommodation at Eco Divers Lembeh Cottages
• 3 days' boat day-diving in Bunaken National Park (max. 3 dives/day)
• 2 days' boat day-diving in Lembeh Strait (max. 3 dives/day)
• 1 FREE night dive in Lembeh Strait
• Airport transfers and round trip Lembeh road transfer Breakfast, lunch & dinner
• Tax & service  

 
For a more detailed description of Kima Bajo's facilities, services and excursions please visit www.kimabajo.com

Lembeh Cottages

Each of the two cottages accommodates just six guests in comfort and is the very best value available anywhere in Lembeh. Elegantly furnished and air-conditioned throughout, each double bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with western-style toilet, shower and hot and cold running water. The cottage has a cosy living room with large TV and DVD player, a separate dining room and an indoor camera room for photographers.

We know how important food is on your holiday. That's why we've spared no expense in ensuring that our cooks provide you with a delicious and varied menu of western and Indonesian specialities.

When it comes to your diving, it gets even better! Our highly experienced Lembeh guides know every inch of the Strait and will show you where the best critter action can be found. Dive group size is a guaranteed maximum of just 4 guests per guide. The two speed boats, each with jump gates for easy access, quickly take you to over 40 dive sites. Between dives guests relax on 'day liveaboard', Nautica, where hot buffet lunches are served in its shaded salon. Facilities include two toilets, showers, charging racks, sundeck and full safety features. Nitrox is available and full photo and video support services are also offered. Thanks to Eco Divers, guests now have all the convenience of a liveaboard plus all the comfort of 'landed' accommodation, so once again you get the Best of Both Worlds!

PADI Introductory dives

Discover Scuba Pool Only
Discover Scuba Diving Pool + Reef

The PADI Discover Scuba/Discover Scuba Diving programs let you experience the thrill of diving whilst under the supervision of a PADI Instructor. You'll master some basic concepts and scuba skills and might even head off on an open water adventure. You usually spend a morning in the pool to get comfortable and then onto experience a fun dive with your instructor on one of the beautiful reefs.

Scuba Review
Scuba Review includes a supervised pool session with your PADI Instructor who will help you tune up important diving skills such as buoyancy and breath control, equipment assembly and breathing from an alternate air source. You can also elect to take an optional supervised open water dive to rediscover the beauty of the aquatic realm.

PADI Certification Courses

Scuba Diver The PADI Scuba Diver program is a pre-entry level certification that is perfect for vacationers or people who only plan to dive a couple of times a year. It can be completed in as little as two days. This rating allows you to gain certification quickly and easily by minimizing time constraints. With the PADI Scuba Diver certification you can dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, Instructor or higher professional on your next holiday or dive trip.

Open Water Diver
This is the first course available under PADI to achieve certification as an Open Water diver. It is the pre-requisite course for any further training. Armed with your Open Water Diver card, the diving world is your oyster as the certification will be recognised at dive centres around the globe.

Start Today Open Water Diver
"Start Today" courses, where you self-study before coming on holiday, ensure you spend more time where it counts - underwater! Start Today course includes:

• Course materials (CD ROM option available) and instructions (sent you your home)
• PADI Open Water course completed in resort
• Full set of diving equipment for duration of your holiday

The natural aquarium of the Sulawesi Sea will be your classroom!

Referral Dives for Open Water Diver
If you've already completed the confined-water and academic sections of the PADI Open Water Diver course at home, you can complete your open-water dives on our inviting reefs. In just two days you will gain full certification as an Open Water Diver.

PADI Continuing Education Courses

Advanced Open Water Diver
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is a two-day training course, which provides Open Water divers with well organised, structured and valuable supervised experience. You will complete five dives in various underwater activities to increase your experience and capabilities.

Emergency First Aid Response
Emergency First Response gives you the skills you need to perform CPR and First Aid. Whether you're a diver or a non-diver, Emergency First Response helps you to properly handle potentially life-threatening situations. This comprehensive program contains two core modules that can be taught in tandem or as stand-alone courses:
Emergency First Response - Primary Care and Emergency First Response - Secondary Care. Together, these courses provide extensive instruction in CPR and First Aid, as well as providing optional (yet recommended) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and Emergency Oxygen sections. This course is usually conducted over one day.

Rescue Diver
This course is a very important step in expanding knowledge and experience. As with all PADI courses, it is 'performance' based and involves classroom, confined water and beach skill development sessions followed by five open water training sessions. Self-rescue and diver stress; diving first aid; emergency management; equipment considerations; tired diver; panicked diver; response from shore or boat with both a conscious and unconscious victim; distressed diver; surfacing an unconscious diver; unconscious diver at the surface; egress with an unconscious diver; first aid for pressure related injuries; underwater search scenario; response, egress and management scenarios.

PADI Specialty Courses
The purpose of PADI Specialty Courses is to familiarise you with the techniques, knowledge, planning, organisation, potential hazards and safety skills for various special interest areas of diving. The Speciality Course is a safe and supervised introduction into that area:

Night Diver; Deep Divers; Naturalist; Navigation; Drift Diver; Underwater Photography; Multi-level Diver; Peak Performance Buoyancy; Oxygen Administrator.

Master Scuba Diver
Master Scuba Diver is the highest level that can be reached in recreational diving and denotes high achievement. To reach this level you must complete all levels of PADI training including Rescue Diver, Medic First Aid and 5 specialty courses.

PADI Professional-Level Courses

PADI Divemaster course
This course includes academic knowledge development. Watermanship and stamina are evaluated together with diving skills, which will be developed to demonstration quality. You will complete a rescue evaluation and underwater mapping exercises as well as demonstrating your skills in dive planning and leadership. You will also function as an instructional assistant, both in confined and open water. Completion of this course qualifies you to attend a PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) and eventual certification as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

Assistant Instructor course
The PADI Assistant Instructor course is designed to provide PADI Divemasters, or those qualified to leadership levels with other agencies, with additional training as Instructors and dive educators. The course builds on the abilities to organise and supervise dive activities while concentrating on developing teaching skills and teaching PADI programs.

IDC (Instructor Development Course):
Please email us for full details/prices: kimabajo@oxygenediving.com

A warm welcome to the newest member of Eco Divers' management team, Tania van Aert.
Tania joins us in mid-April as Manager of Lembeh Cottages, taking over that responsibility from Cary. A PADI Instructor (MSDT) with almost 3000 dives under her belt, Tania recently managed the dive centre at Lembeh Resort. Previously she gained work experience in several places around the world from Egypt to the Maldives, Thailand to the Philippines. Belgian by birth, she speaks Dutch/Flemish as her mother tongue but is also fluent in English, German and French.

Before getting into her diving career she worked for eleven years in banking in Luxembourg. Tania's role will be to ensure that the diving service is smooth, safe and organized; that your meals are mouth-watering and that your accommodation is immaculate and comfortable. Most of all, she'll be your host to welcome you to the famous Lembeh Strait and to manage the team so your holiday with Eco Divers is memorable for all the right reasons.

UW Photography

Our dedicated facility, staffed by qualified photography instructors and technicians, provides you with all you need to achieve the perfect picture every time.

Camera / lens / strobe rentals and sales (Sea & Sea) PADI Photography Specialty courses Intensive Photo Seminars with guest lecturers (beginner and advanced level) Boats designed for photographers (with camera table and fresh-water tanks) Crew experienced in handling cameras Maintenance and repairs Slide scanning & saving-to-CD service Cameras available for rental: 1.Sea & Sea Motormarine II + strobe 2.Sea & Sea MX10 + strobe

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I get to Manado?
• When is the best time of year to visit North Sulawesi?
• What is your advice on malaria?
• How do I pay for things in North Sulawesi?
• What's Manado's nightlife like?
• What else can I do in North Sulawesi?

Flight Connections

Via Singapore
The most direct way to reach Manado is via Singapore. Singapore Airlines offers reasonable rates from most European, North American and Asian cities. Singapore to Manado is on SilkAir, Singapore Air's regional wing, with four direct flights per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).

Flight time from Singapore to Manado is 3 hours and 20 minutes and many of the overnight flights from Europe and North American arrive early enough in Singapore to connect with the flight to Manado, with just a short transit (flights from Singapore to Manado depart at 9.25 or 10:35 in the morning).

Baggage Allowance on Singapore Airlines/Silk Air flights
SilkAir extends a 10 kg excess baggage allowance for customers with diving equipment travelling to Manado: Silk Air Baggage Allowance. For all other airlines, including Singapore Air, please ask them for their policy or ask your booking agent.

If you'd prefer to break up the trip, you can stop over on the way or on the way back and take in the atmosphere of Singapore, this unique city-state. Singapore is efficient, clean and offers some excellent shopping and nightlife opportunities. For hotels in Singapore, ask for a "Singapore Stopover", which is a special rates deal offered only by Singapore Air. Note that you must book your "Stopover" at the same time that you pay for your flights.

Important - this can also be a popular route and you should check with your booking agent about seat availability very early in your booking process, especially if you're a group*. In high season the price of the seat can go up quite a bit and this is even more likely for last-minute bookers, so book early!

* Group Bookings: please note that Singapore Air sometimes charges a surcharge for groups of 9 persons or more, so it is adviseable to check on their current policy with your booking agent. If you are in doubt, it may be safer to split the booking into more than one group. Also, if you can't get all the seats you need on the same flight, why not split your group and let some people have one night stopover in Singapore on the way to Manado and the rest have a night on the way back?

Via Jakarta and Denpasar/Bali
There are daily flights to Jakarta and Bali from many European and American cities. From there to Manado there are sometimes direct flights and sometimes a short stop is required. Please check with your booking agent about flight details and prices.

When is the best time of year to visit North Sulawesi?
You can dive year-round in Manado if you are on the right boat. All our boats are large, with double turbo inboard engines and they also have plenty of shelter in case of rain, so they are the best equipped to handle the year-round diving conditions in Manado. That's the reason PADI made us the only 5 Star Gold Palm Resort in North Sulawesi - our great boats!

The sunniest season is April to October. That's when the sunbathing is best, but you can also still get rain at any time of year. The nice thing about the rain is that it's warm.

If you're coming to visit the rainforest or go rafting, we actually prefer the rainy season (but again it is year-round) because that is when the forest and highlands are watered and are at their most lush.

In-Water Protection
Not too much thermal protection is required, however we suggest a 3mm or 5mm one-piece (or dive-skin for those who don't get easily chilled) - make sure it's full arms and legs, to protect against any stinging hydroids.

Land Clothing
It's normally shorts and T-shirt by day (even if it rains, because it's warm tropical rains) and at night in town the dress code is casual, nothing more than light trousers or jeans and a golf shirt is required. There is no need whatsoever for a sweatshirt.

What is your advice on malaria?
Manado is tropical and so malaria cannot be discounted. We suggest you follow your doctor's advice regarding malaria tablets. Officially, North Sulawesi is non-malarial, but if the tablets don't bother you too much it's always best to err on the side of caution. We also recommend that you spray anti-mosquito spray onto your arms and legs before going out at night. All rooms at Tasik Ria Resort are sprayed each evening and are air-conditioned.

The odd case of dengue fever has been reported in North Sulawesi, though these tend to be in the villages where rubbish is sometimes not properly cleared.

There are plenty of chemists and dentists in Manado and the general hospital has a good recompression chamber (around 20 minutes drive from Tasik Ria Resort). Manado is the regional capital of North Sulawesi and around 400,000 people live here, so facilities are generally available and are decent, if not fancy.

How do I pay for things in North Sulawesi?

At Tasik Ria Resort & and the dive centre
If paying in cash, payment should be made in Euro. Should you wish to pay in another currency, we also accept USD, SGD and GBP cash, but will convert from Euro at the day's bank exchange rate. Alternatively, payment can be made by Visa or Mastercard credit card, in Rupiah, converted at the day's bank exchange rate.

Due to a recent change in Indonesian banking policy, you can no longer use traveler cheques in local shops, dive centers and resorts. These can now only be cashed in local banks by the owner of the cheque. (Please note that the only Traveler Cheques accepted by the local banks are American Express USD cheques.)

You can draw cash in Rupiah from the ATMs at the local banks using your PIN (personal identity number) and you can draw up to 3,000,000 Rupiah on Visa or Mastercard at the local banks but only before 2pm (you must present your passport with your credit card). Banks and ATMs offer a reasonable exchange rate.

At Kungkungan Bay Resort
If paying in cash, payment should be made in USD. However, should you wish to pay in another currency, we also accept EUR, SGD and GBP cash, but will convert from USD at the day's bank exchange rate. Alternatively, payment can be made by AMEX, Visa or Mastercard credit card, in Rupiah, converted at the day's bank exchange rate.

Due to a recent change in Indonesian banking policy, you can no longer use traveler cheques in local shops, dive centers and resorts. These can now only be cashed in local banks by the owner of the cheque. (Please note that the only Traveler Cheques accepted by the local banks are American Express USD cheques.)

You can draw cash in Rupiah from the ATMs at the local banks using your PIN (personal identity number) and you can draw up to 3,000,000 Rupiah on Visa or Mastercard at the local banks but only before 2pm (you must present your passport with your credit card). Banks and ATMs offer a reasonable exchange rate.

What's Manado's nightlife like?
Should you wish to try the local cuisine in town one night, you can reach Manado from Tasik Ria Resort in around 30 minutes by taxi; these can be easily ordered through the hotel reception and cost only about US$6 each way.

Manado's "Warung" restaurants offer excellent seafood, Asian and (some) western food cuisine. Eating out is extremely cheap, most meals costing only around US$5! After dining, there is a reasonable but limited nightlife - a few good bars with live bands playing most nights (and let's not forget the great night-diving!). You can also shop at night for cheap clothes and snacks.

What else can I do in North Sulawesi?
Manado is the ideal base from which to explore North Sulawesi, an area of outstanding natural beauty. After diving, there are many additional activities for you to enjoy. White-water rafting, a relaxing visit to Kali Waterfalls or to a craft centre. Perhaps a stimulating trek through a lush, primeval rainforest takes your interest, or a trip to the paddy fields of Lake Tondano? Wander through the markets and absorb the exotic aromas of tropical fruits and spices. Arrangements can be made for your excursions to start from the Tasik Ria Resort and Kungkungan Bay Resort.

Please note:
Although the facilities and service are often basic, the people of North Sulawesi are friendly and willing. Manado is a dive destination that's off-the-beaten-track and is not a mainstream tourism resort - that is part of its appeal. It also means that Manado doesn't offer great shopping opportunities (but Singapore certainly does!), that there's nobody trying to annoy you by trying to sell you souvenirs and there are not masses of tourists making too much noise.

Diving, Snorkeling and Resort Rates

Price lists are available for all the options below. The selected price sheet will open in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format in a separate window.

If you don't have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you can download it here, or contact kimabajo@oxygenediving.com and we'll send you the price sheets in Microsoft Word format.

Kima Bajo Resort & Spa 

                                            Rates 2009/2010
                                           
                                (valid 01 April 2009 - 31 March 2010)

Scuba Review / Skills Review:
If you have not dived for some time we require that you adhere to the recommendations made by your training agency and complete a Scuba/Skills review before diving. Most agencies recommend a Scuba/Skills review if you have not dived for 6 months. To avoid problems on check-in, where possible a scuba/skills review should be booked in advance and will take place on the first days diving. Current prices are shown in the price list. Alternatively a Scuba/Skills Review can be completed prior to arrival in resort and signed by an Instructor in the divers’ logbook. Oxygene Manado/Eco Divers reserves the right to provide and charge for a Scuba/Skills review with an instructor if they have any doubts about diver safety.