Kungkungan Bay Resort (KBR to its friends and soon to be friends) is proud to be the resort that introduced the world to the now famous “Lembeh Strait”, acknowledged as the #1 destination in the world for Critter / Muck diving. KBR was the original resort in the Lembeh Strait and as such pioneered the diving. They were the first International Dive Resort to open their doors in North Sulawesi and KBR was the first resort in the dive industry to use “Muck Diving” as their main diving attraction.
The resort has been open since 1994, in 1995 people started looking for another location with diving comparable to the Lembeh Strait but to this day, no one has succeeded. Anilao in the Philippines, Mabul in Malaysia and some other destinations within Indonesia can compare, but no where allows such an abundance of muck critters a short distance from your resort bed.
Being the first resort in Lembeh gave the resort owners some unique advantages, the most notable being their location. KBR is located in its own Private Bay, with year-round calm waters. They are isolated from the sounds of Indonesian Village Life which can be intrusive at times. The Bay is also home to the only, fully protected and exclusive dive site in North Sulawesi which has been guarded by KBR for the last 20 years (and it shows). Only the guests of KBR can dive and snorkel the beautiful house reef. Don’t miss it, plus it’s free!
KBR is the only Sea level Luxury Resort in the Lembeh Strait, 16 of the 17 rooms are Waterfront. It is nice to have an easy stroll back to your room between dives, no sitting on a boat all day, no steps to climb up and down, or waiting in line for the Electric Car to give you a ride up to your room.
KBR’s octagon shaped, over the water main building has become an Icon in North Sulawesi. It is home to the Resort Lobby, the Main Dining Room and Capt. Billy’s Bar. Here you can literally dine over the coral reef and colorful reef fish of the bay, all the while enjoying the great views of the Strait and the surrounding Tropical Islands. The Main Dining Room is open 24 hrs and is Full Menu Service. The resort serve “International Cuisine” with dishes coming from many parts of the world. Capt. Billy’s Bar is a social center for the resort. It is a great place to relax with a “Sundowner” at the end of a great day of diving. Capt. Billy’s also serves great “American Bar Food” to accompany the many offerings of the bar. Enjoy them both on the second floor balcony overlooking the Bay.
KBR’s other facilities include a Full Service PADI dive center complete with Camera Room, Equipment Rental, Instruction and, they have NITROX from their “Membrane System”. Enjoy Lembeh’s only Waterfront Infinity Pool, which is also home to the Tepi Laut (Seaside) Day Spa.
The Resort & Facillities
Kungkungan Bay Resort is nestled on the site of an old coconut plantation on the Sulawesi coast of Lembeh strait. Located on the sunrise side of the peninsula, the view from the guest accommodations encompasses rugged Lembeh Island and the smaller Serena Island. North Sulawesi enjoys a mild tropical climate with gentle breezes year-round. Daytime temperatures are generally in the mid-eighties cooling into the seventies at night.
The Resort was specifically designed to achieve a pleasing aesthetic effect with minimum impact on the environment. By using local materials and traditional architecture and adding western style bathrooms and amenities the resort reflects the local Minahasan culture, while providing international standards of comfort, convenience, safety, and privacy.
Facilities at KBR include a private jetty with camera rinse tanks and hot showers, camera charging room, air conditioned bar, swimming pool with swim-up bar, lounge, internet access and lending library. There are also WIFI hot spots available throughout the resort. Restaurant service is available 24-hours of every day.
Kungkungan Bay Resort is proud to offer North Sulawesi’s only truly exclusive dive site. Kungkungan Bay (our House Reef) can only be dived by the in-house guests. No fishing has been allowed in Kungkungan Bay since the resort opened, way back in 1994, making this without doubt the fishiest dive site anywhere in the Strait – and it’s your alone to enjoy, when you stay at KBR.
Food at Kungkungan Bay Resort is plentiful and of the highest quality. Our Menu features both Indonesian and Western Cuisine. The Restaurant Facility also serves as a social center and entertainment area. Here our guests often share their images from Lembeh and other dive destinations and when we have our special photo pros in residence they share their photographic tips and secrets with the guests.
Rooms
Accommodations
KBR has 17 Luxurious rooms in 4 categories. All the rooms are beachfront (with one exception) and are just steps from the magical waters of the Lembeh Strait. The resort is secluded and they are isolated from the bustle and noise of everyday Indonesian Village life. Here you can lie in bed at night and listen to the sound of small waves lapping on the beach as you fall asleep. You can then wake to the sounds of Birds in the Trees on a sunlit morning. All of the rooms are Air Conditioned with Ceiling Fans. Standard Room Amenities include: In-Room Telephones, Free Wi-Fi, Stocked Mini-Bar, Coffee/Tea Facilities, Un-Limited Bottled Water, Large Bathrooms w/ Walk-in Showers and Hair-dryer. A “Turndown” service every evening is included so your room is freshened and prepared for your nights rest.
Beachfront Cottage Suites
These beautiful Coconut Wood cottages are the original rooms that KBR opened in 1994. These rooms were built with the help of a Woodworking School run by Missionaries that is located in Tomohon. Over the years, these rooms have seen numerous upgrades, rebuilds and refurbishments to keep them fresh and beautiful. From the opening, the Cottages have been very popular with guests. These are duplex units that have a large spacious layout, with an Air Conditioned Bedroom and a separate Fan-Cooled Living Room. The large Bathroom is attached to the bedroom and has a big Stone Walk-In Shower. There is a large Waterfront Veranda with chairs that is shared with your neighbor and which has beautiful views of the Bay and the Strait and beyond.
Beachfront Traditional Houses
This is the first level of upgrade in the room categories. The buildings were originally built in the village of “Woloan” in the Tondono Highlands. Each villager would build one of these beautiful wooden houses in their front yard. These rooms are separate units and are “L shaped” with a Queen-sized Bed at each end of the “L”. That makes this room perfect for non-couples as this gives each bed some privacy from the other. There is a common sitting area located between the foot of each bed and a wood and stone bathroom with a Walk-In Shower. In addition to the above standard amenities, this room equipped with Satellite TV w/ Movie Channels.
Beachfront Villas
The Beachfront Villas were designed in house as the resorts Luxury Rooms and they were built by the Craftsmen of KBR. The Beachfront Villas are separate units with a large open floor plan that includes a sitting area, a separate work area with desk & chair and a wardrobe for storage. The attached bathroom has a Bathtub and a separate Stone Walk-In Shower. There is a very large Veranda with breathtaking views of the Bay. Each Veranda has a dining table and comfortable chairs where you can enjoy some delicious food from the Room Service in privacy and comfort.
Hillside Villas
The Hillside Villa is like a Tree-House. It is a romantic two story building with an Air Conditioned sitting area on the 1st floor. The 2nd floor is the Air Conditioned bedroom with French Doors that open onto a small balcony that is basically at tree top level and the view is fantastic. The attached bathroom also has separate bathing and shower facilities as above. In addition to the above standard amenities, all Villas are equipped with a Satellite TV w/ Movie Channels, the bathroom has separate bath and Room Service is available from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Owner’s Suite
This Suite has 2 bedrooms, a large bedroom with a luxury King-size bed and a comfortable daybed for curling up with a book, and a second smaller bedroom with 2 twin beds. The bathroom has been upgraded with stylish Vanity and Shower fixtures. The living room has beautiful Rattan Furniture, Mini-Bar, separate Desk & Chair and a 32 inch Flat screen Satellite TV. There is a separate Air Conditioning unit for each of the rooms. The front porch of this room is up off the ground as this is a stilt house. It is private and has great views of the resort and strait. This room is centrally located in the resort, so it is close to everything. The Owners Suite has all the above standard room amenities and the amenities of the Villas.
Diving with KBR
Lembeh Strait and Kungkungan Bay Resort is simply the best place in the world for macro photography! Lembeh plays host to a cornucopia of weird and wonderful creatures to be found here and here alone. They moor over shallow black sandy slopes, where seahorses and nudibranchs are in abundance. Then there are the Inimicus devilfish, dwarf lionfish, scorpionfish, pufferfish, octopus, pegasus sea moths, frogfish, ribbon eels and flying gunnards. Truly a one-off opportunity for all photographers and anyone looking for the unusual and unseen, you’re sure to see something that you have never seen before, no matter how experienced you are.
The exceptional year-round weather conditions provide a variety of diving experiences, from “muck dives” on pure black volcanic sand to colourful coral reefs and enticing historic wrecks. Whatever your pleasure, Lembeh is always sure to offer fascinating and exciting underwater discoveries.
Dive Site Map
Some say that Lembeh Strait is the Best Muck Diving place in the World! It is a real paradise for underwater macro photography and for all the critter lovers. Scuba diving in Lembeh is like jumping into a world of tiny strange and weird creatures. Famous photographers and enthusiastic divers come from all over the world to dive this famous spot and discover this incredible biodiversity.
For underwater photographers looking to shoot critters or those looking to learn or improve their underwater photography, Lembeh Strait is a MUST destination. We can create a multi destination package to include Bunaken Marine Park to allow great wall diving. We can also combine a stay at KBR with other destinations in SE Asia.
FACES OF THE SEA SCUBA HOLIDAYS 