Matahari Tulamben Resort, Dive & Spa

We stated at Matahari for 8 nights and dived for 6 days . Everything was great from booking to arriving to diving. Staff are helpful and genuinely want your stay and dive to be memorable. Diving was fabulous, when there was current we often did a drift and the reefs were healthy. Loved the macro diving where we found many weird and wonderful critters. Our dive Komang was great and could spot the smallest nudibranchs that were so difficult for us to see. Our driver Gede (for trip to Padang bai and up north for a land tour) was personable and a great diver.

On first look, everything looks great. But working condition is actually not so good when in use. Floor is not mopped well, only swept so still got dust on my feet when i walk. One of the bed "collapsed" meaning sunk in at the middle cos many ppl have probably slept on it. Toilet door is creaky. Water heater is inconsistent; at first warm later cold. Shower drainage is kind of clogged, doesnt flow well and the shower floor will flood abit. Toilet sink tap is shaky. Toilet bowl flushing is weak; after flushing toilet paper would still remain in e bowl. The toilet flushing water also emits a smell, not too bad jux have to close the cover. I did not dare to do any big business in my room toilet due to the flushing problem. Decided to walk to the restaurant toilet to do any big business since the flushing there works well. Other than the above mentioned, its still livable. One pro of this place is that i love the food there. Not oily/salty and healthy, they serve fruit platters. I would come back for the food. I wanted to upload photos for this review but am facing a network error.. hope this review helps another travellor make a more informed decision.

There are so many wonderful things to say about this place. The rooms and clean, comfortable, and quiet. The food is wonderful. The staff is fantastic. They go out of their way to help and make you feel welcomed at all times. I can’t say enough about how great the staff is. They remember your name and preferences. It was a great place as a solo traveler. The house reef out dive was my favorite dive in Tulamben. It’s so full of life. The food and spa are both excellent!

A superb diving resort! There are plenty of knowledgeable guides for varied type of dives. The Liberty wreck is only 2 mins away but the house reefs had an abundance of macro lives . The whole resort was well ran by owner, Succi. The room I booked was large and even had a settee but the balcony opened to the main road, I couldn't sleep the 1st night and upgraded to a bungalow, for a small extra charge, away from the road. Recommended if you are a light sleeper. The food in the small restaurant had great views overlooking the pebble beach and provided great food at low cost. I didn't need or wanted to eat anywhere else. A lovely small friendly resort mainly for divers and their families.

This was our third time that we spent a week in this amazing resort, after having stayed here in October 2013 and 2018. This time we came with a group of six Belgian divers. The accommodation was excellent in spacious and clean (deluxe) rooms with private bathroom and equipped with air conditioning. Breakfast and other meals were well above average (certainly as good as elsewhere in Tulamben). But the main attractiveness of Matahari Resort is the quiet and relaxed atmosphere that is transmitted by the overall arrangement of the place, with lush gardens and cozy Balinese-style rooms and bungalows. Most important is that the staff are all amazingly friendly and helpful. All this makes you feeling at home. We had booked a package including accommodation, diving, a one day excursion, Balinese massage in the SPA and transport from and to other locations in Bali. All this was offered as indicated. Moreover, the timetable was very flexible (no objection to last-minute changes), excursions and transport were in a comfortable minibus. The dive center is very comfortably located on the beach, next to the restaurant. The diving, as arranged by two “private” dive guides, was just superb. In short, Matahari Resort does not offer luxurious but rather very convenient accommodation and activities at a very reasonable price. An absolute recommendable site for both divers and non-divers. We will certainly be back!

I stayed at the Matahari for 2 weeks back in June 2022 and had such a great time that I came back again in August 2023. This time I upgraded my room to Delux as I was with a friend which gave us a little more space. The purpose of our visit was to scuba dive and do underwater photography. I did 39 dives (cracked my 1000th dive) and got some great photos - especially macro - in fact having dived many places in the 'Coral Triangle' I really think that when you weigh things up this is one of the best locations you will find anywhere as you have a great variety creatures, the diving is easy, the accommodation is great in every way... in fact staying at the Matahari is like being on a land based live aboard! The visibility underwater was better this time... on a few days we had an honest 30m, most days 20-25 and a couple of dives around 18m. The menu in the restaurant is varied and includes western, Balinese, Chinese, Italian and Indian dishes. The prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious. The owner of the resort, Suci, takes a great interest in the food at the restaurant and it shows that she cares. I tried many different dishes and enjoyed everyone. The staff are very helpful and polite, especially the dive guides, Parta and Koming and the guys who look after you at reception... nothing is too much trouble. When I arrived it was great that many of the staff were still there and remembered me from my previous visit. I have booked again to return in 2024!!!