Snorkeling in the Northwest

    On Tuesday morning we checked out of the Amaris Hotel in Legian and had a driver, Wayan Merta, take us to Pemuteran in the northwest corner of Bali. Pemuteran is a resort area near the marine reserve at Menjangan Island. Doreen had booked us into the Adi Assri Resort and had arranged a package of five snorkel trips with a local dive shop, Sea Rovers, who promised groups of six or smaller.
    It was a lovely drive up through the middle of Bali to the north coast and then west to Pemuteran. Wayan is the best driver we’ve had in Bali. His English was very good and his knowledge of the island and enthusiasm for sharing were remarkable. He made several suggestions for stops and they provided excellent picture opportunities. We stopped along the way for lunch at Sanda Villas, a lovely setting. We’ll use Wayan again when we get to Jimbaran.
    We had a big room at Adi Assri with a separate washroom and an outdoor toilet/bath/shower (the shower area was roofless). The room had plenty of storage space but was dominated by a very large four-poster (I think Doreen and I were in different area codes). What it didn’t have was a single chair. There was no place to sit except on the bed and there was no desk area where I could work on my pictures on the laptop.
    It was a nice resort with gorgeous views, two large pools with plenty of lounges, a nice dining area and a friendly. helpful staff. The beach was pebbly, black sand - not great for walking. Your feet got so dirty when you walked the beach that the resort provided foot baths at each beach access point. It was the only way to keep the black out. One trek of the beach for me and, from then on, it was a pool lounge.
    The trip took another major downturn on our third day at Adi Assri when my new travel kettle died (or fried itself). For years I’ve used a heating coil to ensure access to a good, hot cup of tea. That’s also why I always carry a supply of tea bags (PG Tips or Tetley). This year Doreen spotted a dual-voltage Austin House travel kettle at CAA and we decided to try it. Like an idiot, I didn’t bring the heating coil as backup. After a night of abject despair, I discovered that I can get lots of boiling water at the bar. All is not lost!!
    We ate most of our meals at the hotel (breakfast is part of the deal) but Doreen had compiled a list of recommended spots in the area from her enquiries on Trip Advisor and we got a chance to try several. We enjoyed a dinner at Warung Susa, a lunch at Taman Salini and a dinner at Frangipani was so good that we intended to go back for our final night. That changed when we went to Warung Tirta Sari for dinner on Friday night. The setting was lovely, the presentation was awesome, the food was delicious, the service was wonderful and the prices were outstanding. We were back again on Saturday night for another great meal.
    But we came to this area for the snorkeling and, so, much hinged on our experiences with Sea Rovers. On Wednesday we did our first snorkel tour to Menjangan Island and discovered we would have one diver as well as six snorkelers. At least they sent along two guides as well as a boat driver. When we dropped off the boat at our first spot it was very deep (great for the diver) but we quickly reached an area of great coral with lots of fish. The only drawback was an absence of soft corals but that’s nitpicking. A good start!
    After a beach interlude and a somewhat mediocre lunch, we went to our second spot. This was even better. Pretty much the same as the first spot but a little more coral, a few more fish and a lot less water. A great way to spend an hour and a half!
    The next morning we went off again with Sea Rovers to snorkel the local reef. This time there were only four of us with yesterday’s diver and his partner joining Doreen and I. This was the major disappointment of our five tours. It was a divers’ spot and the water never came close to snorkel depth. Everything was so far away I didn’t even turn on my camera. Then we came to a dead area and our guide seemed to disappear, leaving us swimming aimlessly over rubble for half an hour until the boat finally showed up again and we could get out of the water. That afternoon my kettle died. Talk about a bad day!
    Friday we were back at Menjangan Island. Again we had the diver along with three other snorkelers. Again we had a mediocre lunch, this time amid swarms of flies. Again we had a very rough, wet ride back. But, today, none of that mattered. Our first stop was marvelous, easily the best we’ve had in Bali and as good as just about anything we’ve ever done short of Raja Ampat and Palau. The second spot, after lunch, was a drift snorkel and, although not as good as the earlier one, was quite enjoyable. A great way to finish!
    So, five snorkels and, on a scale of 1(poor)-5(great), I’d say we had a 1, two 3's. a 4 and a 5. Can’t ask for much more than that. I wouldn’t rate Sea Rovers as high. I’ve mentioned the mediocre lunches–the boat leaves at 8:30 am, we eat at 11 and they’re serving cold, soggy french fries. They’ve dropped the fresh fruit. Too expensive I guess.
    More importantly their customer service was minimal. The owner with whom Doreen had corresponded was never around. The lady at the office was very friendly and helpful but the other crew did not impress.    There was minimal information about what to expect to see on each snorkel and where to look. Just basically–we’ll drop you here, pick you up later, there are fish and coral in the water. We were supposed to have a snorkel guide for each trip but the diver’s partner was an uneasy swimmer so she got a personal hand-held tour and the rest of us could follow along at her pace or go off on our own.
    After the last snorkel of the day, they never give you enough time to get settled away before they blast off for home. They pride themselves on their fast boats but they don’t adjust for ocean conditions. On the trip out in the early morning the ocean is glassy and speed gets you to the snorkeling quicker. With the waves up on the ride back, speed get you a sore rear end and a good soaking. Especially when the boat driver seems to be doing his best to get his buddies wet, to hell with the paying customers. Not very professional.