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TRAVEL & ADVICES
How to get to Divers Lodge Lembeh

Divers Lodge Lembeh is situated on the south-western tip of Lembeh island, opposite the town of Bitung.
If traveling by air, you will arrive at the international airport of Manado (or Menado), called Bandara Sam Ratulangi, but often abbreviated to MDC.

The trip from the airport to Divers Lodge Lembeh takes about 1 hour by car and then another 15 minutes by boat. We will pick you up from the airport if you tell us in advance your date and time of arrival. Transfer cost is 15 Euro for one person and 25 Euro for two or three persons traveling together.

Silk Air, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, flies from Singapore to Manado, and back again, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Flights arrive in Manado at about 1.15 pm.

Domestic flights from Jakarta (several flights daily), Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar (used to be called Ujung Pandang), Sorong, Ternate and Luwuk arrive every day. During the last couple of years the number of airlines offering flights to Manado has increased and the airfares have dropped a lot in price. However, it is not always possible to make reservations for domestic flights from your home country, but travel agents in Manado can arrange this

Preparation

General Tips for your preparation :

  • Preparation starts at least 6 to 4 weeks before departure!
  • Make sure your travel insurance covers you for medical expenses abroad and, if you will be diving, that diving is covered. If not, supplemental insurance for overseas coverage, including possible evacuation, should be seriously considered.
  • Ensure that you are covered by your insurance policy if you need to cancel your trip.
  • Bring adequate supplies of all medications in their original containers, clearly labelled. Pack all medications in hand luggage. Carry a duplicate supply in the checked luggage.
  • Before leaving, visit your dentist for your regular check-up.
  • If you wear glasses or contacts, bring an extra pair. Don’t forget to take lens liquid
  • If you will need to use tampons, bring all you will need as they are not available locally.

Visa

BECAUSE OF FREQUENT CHANGES IN POLICY, WE URGE YOU TO ENQUIRE AT THE EMBASSY IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY REGARDING SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN A VISA FOR INDONESIA!

General Visa Information :

  • Visa On Arrival (VOA)
    Visa On Arrival can be obtained at the designated Airport/Seaport and Land Border on entry into Indonesia. It is valid for a maximum stay of 30 (thirty) days, and is given to citizens from countries that can apply for a VOA for a leisure visit to Indonesia. However, NOT all visitors from every country can obtain a VOA and not every Airport/Seaport and Land Border can grant a VOA. Therefore find out before you leave.
  • If you are not eligible for a VOA or want to stay for longer than 30 days, then you need to find out the exact requirements from the Indonesian Embassy in your home country. Start this process some time before you intend to travel, as it can take time.
To take along

Travel Documents & Money

  • Passport:
    That is valid for six more months and at least has one empty page
  • Visa
  • Watertight bag for your valuable documents
    Indonesia is a warm country, but water and damp is everywhere
  • Money:
    There is a bank on the airport where you can get a small amount of money from the machine. You can also change some money at the Divers Lodge Lembeh at a better rate. In Bitung city you can get maximum 4.500.000, - Rupiah from the machine (ATM) per card per day.
    Sorry, we cannot accept VISA or other credit cards. You cannot pay with traveller checks either. We DO accept United States dollars (not older than 1996, without any marks, absolutely undamaged and unfolded, otherwise they will -for some strange reason- not be accepted by the local banks)
    We also accept Euros
  • Travel insurance number

To stay healthy

  • Malaria-tablets (ask your doctor)
  • Insect-repellent (with DEET)
  • After-bite (with ammonia, also for jellyfish stings)
  • Sun block (factor 20)
  • Iodine or antiseptic lotion and lots of (watertight) band aids
  • Ointment (to prevent fungal skin infections)
  • Eardrops (to prevent ear infections)
  • Hat or cap

To Dive

  • Dive computer, inflatable buoy, and loud whistle (or underwater horn) are obligatory items
  • Buoyancy jacket, breathing regulator, weight belt, fins, shoes, mask, snorkel, dive knife (weights and 80-cubic feet tanks are available)
  • Dive suit 3 mm neoprene or 5 mm plus hood when you get cold fast
  • Underwater horn (air hammer), tank banger or underwater rattle
  • Dive lamp (there is 220 V electricity to charge batteries)
  • Mesh bag for your gear (to and from the boat)
  • Spare parts, o-rings, battery for computer etc.
  • Photo / video equipment if applicable
  • The proper cables if you want to watch your own video or photos on our television set or computer
  • If you have a regulator with a din connection please bring a din/inter connector

Clothing and..

  • Swim suit (2x so you always can wear something dry)
  • Walking shoes
  • Shoes that may be used in the water (against coral, stinging animals, hot sandy beaches, etc)
  • Shorts and long trousers (for jungle trips, village visits, against mosquitoes)
  • Shirts (also long sleeved)
  • Underwear, socks
  • Sweater
  • Toothbrush, shampoo, etc
  • Soap for your clothes, at the Divers Lodge Lembeh we offer laundry service free of charge
  • Torch
  • Binoculars
  • Locks on your luggage
  • Umbrella, raincoat
  • Book(s). Although we have a library with Dutch, English and German books on the resort

Health

Your Skin
You may need to accustom yourself to the Indonesian climate. The temperature varies from ca. 32 °C during daytime to 24 °C at night, with a high relative humidity of 80 to 90%. There is a 'dry' season and a 'rainy' season with a peak in January in Sulawesi. Divers Lodge Lembeh gets about only 40% of the rain Manado is receiving yearly. Everything in the (sub) tropics grows more abundantly, even bacteria and parasites. You will have to take extra care of your skin. Bathe regularly, but dry yourself carefully afterwards, also between your toes and in your armpits and groins. Change quickly out of your wet swimsuit. Use ointment in your groins and special drops in your ears after each dive to prevent fungal infections. Keep your body covered as much as possible on jungle trips. Even though your cloths get soaking wet, it's better than coming home with scratches and insect bites. Take every little wound seriously. Do not scratch mosquito bites. Wound infection is much more frequent and more severe than in colder climates. Treat small wounds immediately (do not wait until you reach your cottage) with iodine or another antiseptic lotion and cover them with a band aid.

Prevention of Malaria (and dengue)
Malaria is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium-species that damage liver and blood cells. There are four different parasites that can cause different forms of malaria. The parasite is transferred by mosquitoes. Because of resistance of the parasite against several of the anti-malaria medicines, even if you take appropriate prophylactic medicine, malaria can occur. After infection it may take several days and sometimes years, before symptoms appear. At first the resemblance with an ordinary flu may be confusing (headache, fever, nausea, muscle ache). Diagnosis can be obtained through examination of blood. Therapy with other anti-malaria medicine must follow. The best way to prevent malaria is not getting mosquito-bites. Malaria-mosquitoes are active at night. Especially then you will have to use insect-repellent. Wear long trousers and sleeves and socks. Sleep under a mosquito net (klamboo) and burn some insect-repelling pyrethrine ('obat nyamuk', this can be bought everywhere in Indonesia). Dengue is also transferred by mosquitoes, but these usually bite during daytime. Always be careful! All rooms in our Divers Lodge Lembeh are protected against insects thus you do not need a klamboo here.

Tropical disease

  • All travellers should visit before departure either their personal physician or a travel health clinic for advice, prevention and vaccination. Watching what you eat and drink when you travel is just as important as being vaccinated.
  • Because descriptions and advices regularly change and this site is not brought up to date frequently, they may be outdated.

Disease & the description

Disease Description
Travellers' diarrhoea Travellers' diarrhoea is a condition characterised by a marked increase in the frequency of unformed bowel movements and is commonly accompanied by abdominal cramps, urgency, nausea, bloating, vomiting, fever, and malaise. Particularly risky foods that can cause TD are raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, raw fruits and vegetables. Tap water, ice, and unpasteurized milk and dairy products are also associated with increased risk of TD Most cases of diarrhoea are self-limiting and require only simple replacement of fluids and salts buy using sachet of ORS.
Malaria Medication in advance recommended.
There are four different parasites that can cause different forms of malaria. The parasite is transferred by mosquitoes. Because of resistance of the parasite against several of the anti-malaria medicines, even if you take appropriate prophylactic medicine, malaria can occur. After infection it may take several days and sometimes years, before symptoms appear. At first the resemblance with an ordinary flu may be confusing (headache, fever, nausea, muscle ache). Diagnosis can be obtained through examination of blood. Therapy with other anti-malaria medicine must follow. The best way to prevent malaria is not getting mosquito-bites!
Dengue No vaccination or medication yet available.
Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which is active during daytime. Dengue fever is characterized by sudden onset after an incubation period of 3-14 days (most commonly 4-7 days), high fevers, severe frontal headache, and joint and muscle pain. Many patients have nausea, vomiting, and rash.
In rare cases dengue can also present as a severe, sometimes fatal disease characterized by hemorrhagic manifestations and hypotension (DHF/ dengue shock syndrome).
Diphtheria Tetanus Polio Vaccination available in advance.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that causes a moderately sore throat with a greyish membrane over the infected area (usually membranes of the tonsils, pharynx, or nose) with low grade fever. In severe cases the neck tissue may become very swollen.
It is passed from person to person by droplet transmission, usually by breathing in diphtheria bacteria after an infected person has coughed, sneezed or even laughed. It can also be spread by handling used tissues or by drinking from a glass used by an infected person.
Tetanus is a disease which is caused by an infection of the bacterium Clostridium Tetani. Tetanus spores are present in soil worldwide and may be introduced into the body during injury through a puncture wound, burn or trivial, unnoticed wounds. All wounds, even minor ones should be thoroughly washed with clean water and soap taking particular care to remove all dirt and loose tissue.
Polio is caused by a virus which is spread from person-to-person primarily through faecal contamination of food and water, although it can also be spread by droplet transfer.
In many cases infection with the polio virus is asymptomatic. When symptoms do occur, the onset of polio is sudden with fever, headache, nausea and vomiting as the virus multiplies in the gut. The virus then invades the blood stream and nervous system. Paralysis occurs in less than 1 in 100 cases of infection.
Hepatitis A Vaccination available in advance
Hepatitis A is the most common vaccine-preventable infection acquired during travel. It is a viral infection of the liver caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV). Clinical manifestations of hepatitis A often include fever, malaise, anorexia, nausea, and abdominal discomfort, followed within a few days by jaundice.
HAV is shed in the feces of persons with HAV infection. Transmission can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested from sewage-contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.
Typhoid Vaccination available in advance.
Typhoid fever can be a life-threatening illness, but mild and atypical infections also occur. The hallmark of typhoid infection is persistent, high fevers. Other common symptoms and signs include headache, malaise, anorexia, enlargement of the milt, and slowness of heart beat. You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been contaminated by a person who has been infected with the bacterium or if sewage contaminated with the bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Typhoid fever is usually treated with antibiotics and persons treated with antibiotics usually improve within 2 to 3 days.
Yellow fever Vaccination available in advance.
Yellow fever is a viral illness which is spread by the bite of a mosquito. Many yellow fever infections are mild and go unrecognised but severe and life threatening illness is not uncommon. After an incubation period of about three to six days fever, headache, abdominal pain and vomiting develop. After a brief recovery period, shock, bleeding and signs of liver and kidney failure develop. Liver failure is associated with jaundice hence the name "yellow fever".
Hepatitis B Vaccination available in advance
Hepatitis B is a serious illness which is spread as described above. Symptoms include chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, fever and jaundice. In a small percentage of individuals the disease may cause permanent damage or liver cancer. Vaccination is recommended for those travelling to areas of high prevalence who plan to remain there for lengthy periods such as voluntary workers, who may be at risk from medical or dental procedures carried out in those countries. Short term travellers are not generally at risk but may place themselves at risk by their sexual behaviour. It is given as a course of three 1ml intra-muscular injections, the second 28 days after the first and the third 6 months after the second.

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Email: info@diving-on-sulawesi.com
phone: +62 812 44 33 754 (Dutch, English, German and Indonesian)