Kuda Laut Boutique Dive Resort

This is a lovely, small, relaxing resort on a tiny, remote island in Indonesia. The staff were friendly and laid-back. It's not plush and posh but we enjoyed the chilled atmosphere and had a great week with my sister and brother-in-law. The weather (for us) was perfect, warm and dry but for Indonesia, the dry season is very difficult. The resort's trips, drinks and spa are great value for money and we all took full advantage of everything. Our brother -in-law was there to dive and he thought the dives were excellent. They even took him out for a night dive when he was the only diver. We snorkelled and especially enjoyed the snorkelling boat trips, especially the one that included an incredible dolphin spotting trip. We spent at least an hour with a huge pod of spinner dolphins that seem to enjoy entertaining us and swim along with the boat! Then we visited a fabulous reef for a snorkel with turtles and thousands of fish. We enjoyed the trip so much that we did it twice. This excursion leaves early so we have the dolphins and the reef to ourselves until the very end. We also did a sunset boat trip which was lovely and everyone was extremely relaxed, even the crew.We had a cocktail and were serenaded by the young staff. The house reef is decent but don't miss the boat trips.The rooms are rustic but have what you need. The a/c struggles during the day but with the fan, you stay cool at night. You get drinking water from the open dining area and there is a little fridge. Our view was gorgeous to wake up to. We all enjoyed many treatments at the spa, as they were such good value. It's not posh but the young ladies work very hard and are very talented. The food was mixed. The BBQ was very good and we enjoyed the villagers coming to sing for us. The cocktails and beers at the bar were very nice. A selection of mixed drinks were available at Happy Hour for a very good price. Try the Celebes Divers Special!

The food is hit and miss, the best dishes were when they stuck to Indonesian food, rather than trying to cater to the European tastes.If you serve bacon at breakfast, it should be well cooked. Obviously, a small remote resort probably has issues with supplies and deliveries. Tea and coffee should be available all day long, it would be simple at the open dining area. And the water bottles supplied are very difficult to fill at the water dispenser. Other than that, we had a super week.

I was a little scared about the full boarding experience as my previous one was not good. But they organized that very well and that allow you a bit of flexibility (lunch and dinner time are at between certain hours) they also allow you to choose from their daily menu (limited, but well varied so there is for everyone taste). The staff was all very nice, and the dolphins experience was the highlight of our stay. Thanks to all the staff, it is a well-managed property and a great experience overall.

No much

We were upgraded for free in a garden beach house which was amazing. Room was very nice and beautiful. The bed was very comfortable and big. Every house has an outdoor shower which was amazing. Food was excellent - very tasty and delicious. I also had 6 divings and it was amazing. The front beach is also amazing.

Nothing

The day to day staff were incredible - such lovely people in the resort and for the diving/snorkelling/excursions. They also went the extra mile by putting out a private table with handpicked flowers for our honeymoon one evening. The location is unparalleled for snorkelling and diving - can see coral reef and diverse marine life just in front of the resort (including turtles, lion fish and anemone fish). The diving instruction was also brilliant, as were the diving and snorkeling trips which run multiple times a day (this was a real highlight of our trip). If diving or snorkeling is.your focus you can't go wrong here.

The booking.com listing says a la carte and buffet food. Only on arrival, we were told the food was set menu, only choosing between X2 dishes per course. Further, the food was very inconsistent - meat overcooked often, dishes drowned in mayonnaise, undercooked pasta and fed rancid chocolate on X4 separate occasions, despite flagging to the staff that the dessert didn't taste right after the 2nd time. They also have a 'gym' which consists of a bike and cross trainer that don't work, air-conditioning that doesn't work and a rusty treadmill that fell apart when used. The multi gym was also rusty and the only exercise mat disappeared after our first day. We'd recommend this isn't advertised to better manage expectations. Finally, the bathroom was outdoors which initially seems cool, but in practicality means you're too hot after using the toilet or get attacked by bugs and have to keep the bathroom door shut constantly. We also found a live cockroach on top of the dresser on the 4th day...