Atauro Dive Resort
Atauro Street, Atauro Timor-Leste
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About
#1 of 1 special resort in Atauro
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Atauro's first Dive Resort, our fully equipped dive centre offers daily trips to the numerous dive spots around the island. Whales and doplhins can be seen in October/November every year. Our cabins are right at the beach aswell as the restaurant where you can enjoy our delicious food, cold drinks and our home made ice cream. No eftpos/card payments available, USD CASH only accepted. Mastercards are no longer accepted anywhere in Timor Leste.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Wifi
Free breakfast
Beach
Bicycle rental
Books, DVDs, music for children
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Baggage storage
Street parking
Paid internet
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Diving
Hiking
Snorkelling
Fishing
Board games / puzzles
Mosquito net
Outdoor furniture
Shared bathroom
Sun terrace
Laundry service
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Room features
Safe
Seating area
Bottled water
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, German, Portuguese
Location
Atauro Street, Atauro Timor-Leste
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Atauro car hire
91Reviews0Q+A9Room tips
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Atauro Island is regarded as one of the hidden gems of world diving. The reef is just mind-blowingly good. Like, ridiculously, oh-my-god-why-haven't-I-dived-here-before type good. Kilometre after kilometre of incredible reef, millions upon millions of fish, hundreds of species. The water is warm and the visibility is incredible. On a clear day you can easily see the surface from 15+ metres below. There are two PADI certified dive centres on the island. I stayed with Volker and Saffy at Atauro Dive Resort, probably the more established of the two. It has two dive boats, Saffy I and Saffy II, and all the gear you would expect from a well-run and professional dive school. Volker has thousands of dives under this belt, and it shows. He knows what he's doing. Downside? Not much really. Atauro can be complicated to get to. For Australians, flights to Dili, the capital of Timor Leste, presently only depart from Darwin, and getting to Darwin from any other Australian capital can be expensive. Flights to Dili are also not every day. Once you are in Dili, you will need to either catch the Mission Aviation Fellowship flight to Atauro (a little six seater hitting a dirt strip on Atauro) or get a ferry or fishing boat from the port at Dili. The boats are much cheaper but take much longer. None of them run daily, so I would suggest that the first thing you do is plan your transit from Dili to Atauro and back, then build the rest of your arrangements around that. This may require a night or two in Dili, which is a bit of a hole. The luggage allowance on the MAF flight is only 10 kilos, but extra can be purchased. If you have a heap of gear get the boat. All diving equipment is available onsite, so just bring your personal faves. On Atauro itself, the resort is quite basic. It's basically a place to sleep between dives. The rooms are basic wooden huts with thatched roofs, but kept conspicuously clean and well maintained. The bungalows have their own shower; the garden rooms and the dorms have a shared shower; neither has hot water, but honestly you won't need it. Toilets are shared, long drop but with western style toilet seats. Three meals a day are made on site. The girls will ask you which meals you want for the day, and they cost $10 each. You get what you get, there is no menu, but honestly the food has been fantastic. Fried chicken, whole baked fish, excellent steamed vegetable, curries. They cater to vegetarians and diet restrictions, but other than that, just let the surprise come. If you like, as a variation, you can eat at the "Italian" place in Villa, a short tuktuk away. I only tried the pizza there, but it was terrific. Remember to call on Whatsapp an hour ahead though so they can make it for you. Oh, and you have to try Saffy's come made ice cream. People come from all over the island for it. Electricity can be intermittent. The mains runs for 4 hours in the morning, and 4 hours in the evening. Volker has a solar system and a generator, but if these don't work when the mains is off, you don't have power. Simples. So charge your electronics when the power is on, even if you don't think they need it. The dive equipment is exactly what you'd expect from a PADI 5 star resort. I did 16 dives using tanks filled on site, and did not have a single problem. Sound diving procedures were practiced at all times during the dives. Most entry is back-roll entry from the boat, and your DM will likely use an SMB on ascent but it is not really necessary, the reef is essentially empty. Nitrox is not available, nor are any of the weird gases for you tech divers. The boat has oxy and a first aid kit. All dives are no-decompression dives. Remember, the nearest decompression tank is in Bali, which is a long way away. It's generally not considered OK to let your no-deco time go below 10, 8 at the very least. Drop tanks are not customarily released. But there are no wrecks, and there is nothing better to see deep than you will see further up the wall or slope, so why go deep and go into deco? Night diving is available as a shore entry. It's also heavenly of you crazy freedivers. There are several coral slopes so you can pick a comfortable depth and go for it. Me, I like my tank. Dives are generally organised each evening for the next day. The DMs will tell you what dives are on, and you let them know if you want to come. Simple. Dives are USD60 each, and a three-dive boat tour on the West side of the island, which basically takes all day, is USD180 including lunch. Night dives cost USD80. All dives include a guide. If you are keen you can easily do 3 dives a day, and 4 if people are up for a night dive. If you want one of those dive trips where you live in luxury but then have a dive here and there, Atauro isn't for you. If you're after a real adventure, and dive after dive on some of the very best reef in the world, this is for you. I absolutely loved my time here, and I will be back. …
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We had a great time in atauro. The island is good located, close to dili by ferry, but remote enough to keep the big crowds away. Right in front of the bungalows you have the possibility for decent snorkling. We stayed in the gardenrooms. The room itself is ok, but the bed was quite uncomfortable and the generator and the compressor are quite close and noisy (but thats the prize you pay for energy 24/7). The bungalows are definitly the better choice. We did dives all around the island. Beautiful soft and hard corals, interesting landscapes, various fishs... A special thanks to Kevin our dive instructor. For a good dive prep he always did a clear briefing - what we miss at most of the previous diveschools. He pointed lots of cool stuff for us. We enjoyed the great energy he puts into his guiding, and we had real fundives together.…
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I spent 10 days at the dive centre. Had one of the bungalows with shower which was really comfortable. Had great time and Kevin the dive instructor introduced me to scuba diving as I had only snorkeled . Kevin explained everything really well and was very patient as I learnt to breathe underwater. We then did a guided dive and I'm now committed to taking my open water course next. Highly recommend him as an instructor. Coral, reef and fish are extraordinary with sections beautiful even for snorkeling. And resort staff were friendly and very responsive to people's needs. Would have a good laugh with Saffi and then hired bicycle through resort to explore the flatter parts of the island. Overall a great time and many thanks to you all at the resort! 👍🙏
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
I had an amazing time staying at Atauro Dive Resort, the diving and snorkelling sites were incredible and among the best I've seen. I would recommend taking the boat out to the west side of the island where we had excellent wall diving and saw massive schools of barracuda and jackfish. Even the closer sites (2 minute boat ride out) like the house reef Haruina had some of the most healthy, colourful and extensive coverage of coral I've ever encountered. I felt comfortable staying here for 8 days as a solo traveller, and was well taken care of throughout my stay at the resort and on my 11 dives - the equipment was in good quality, and I had so much fun diving with my dive guide Kevin, who was friendly, thorough, flexible with how often and where I wanted to dive, and took extra care to help me descend slowly after I informed him of my ear troubles/difficulty with equalising. The dive crew were excellent in picking out ideal diving sites for the conditions and in their effort to find marine life (we encountered schools of whales and dolphins on more than one occasion on our way to the dives). All the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming (shout out to Saffi and Aloo), and the food was wholesome and delicious. I would love to come back again in the future. …
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
My 12 year old daughter Hannah did her Padi open water with Kevin at Atauro Dive. He was absolutely fantastic and put both Hannah and us parents at ease with his super safe yet very engaging approach. Hannah loved it and I joined her on her last 2 magnificent dives..a bucket list moment for me. What Coral! My 9 year old and my wife did a Discovery dive. Again a great moment for both of them. Thanks to all Atauro Dive Resort
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
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Room Tip: Just get there
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
I took my first ever scuba diving lesson with Kevin in Atauro Dive Resort, and greatly enjoyed myself! He was a very clear and patient instructor, and for my first dive I felt completely safe. We did some exercises in the shallow ocean, before venturing out further to the reefs of about 12m. We saw so many fishes! Kevin pointed out all the interesting bits to me and it was amazing. I still have lots to learn but this trip definitely inspired me to explore diving further! I also took another snorkelling trip with a group (who dived) to another part of the Atauro island. We saw whales en-route! It was so special. The local staff operating the boat were so helpful and supportive. I would 100% come back again. Thank you Atauro Dive Resort!
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
I stayed here two nights so I could explore the reefs of Atauro Island. I recommend choosing a bungalow so you can sit on the porch and hear the ocean at night. The meals we had were plentiful and delicious. The resort offers snorkelling right offshore. The staff are lovely and Saffy in particular was an awesome host and looked after us when diving. Possibly the most amazing snorkelling and diving I’ve experienced. It’s an underwater paradise in Timor-Leste. Oh and the sunrises are spectacular.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Couldn’t recommend this place more. The staff are super friendly, and the food and cleanliness are both above expectations. The reef in front of the accommodation is undoubtedly one of the best to snorkel or dive it, and their dive instructor is incredibly knowledgable, kind, funny, and patient giving you lots of confidence in the water. Thanks for a great stay!
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
I stayed here as a non-diver for two nights. I arrived and was greeted by one of the staff and the bungalow I booked was available straight away. The bungalow was basic, more basic that expected, especially for $50USD a night. It isn't enclosed (open between roof and top of walls) which is nice for breeze but not for bugs (mosquito nets provided). The shower room was partially open air with cold shower and sink. The toilet was a drop toilet and shared with the other bungalows. There is wifi in the dining/common area which is a big plus. The room has a small info sheet but I think this could be expanded. I wasn't told the price of lunch or dinner for example ($8 lunch/$10 dinner). There was a bigger group staying in the other bungalows which meant as a solo person it wasn't very social when they kept to themselves. The food was sufficient, no issues with it but I think it would get quite repetitive. Breakfast was eggs/omelette plus fruit and bread/jam. I think this is a good place for divers, but perhaps the other bungalows (Barry's) for solos, as it's bigger so more options for meeting others. I did a snorkel trip, 1 hr taking boat to outer reef just in front of resort/jetty. Lot of fish but current can be strong (luckily ok the day I went). …
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We stayed for 2 weeks and could have stayed much longer. The cabins are great, lots of places to lounge and relax. You can snorkel right from shore and the house reef is amazing in both directions. They do dive trips but also took great care of us as snorkelers and we went to spots on all sides of the island with them, each of which was great in its own way. Nice breakfast included in the morning and then you have the option of having lunch and/or dinner for an extra $10 and these were all delicious, varied and cooked very well with vegetarian options available. There good wifi in the common areas and nearby cabins. The location is just a short walk from the pier. The island itself is a gem and the reef honestly some of the best we have seen in the world. The people here were just great; really friendly and helpful throughout. I already miss this place and am thinking about my return trip.…
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
USD 36 - USD 40 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Timor-LesteDili DistrictAtauro
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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Frequently Asked Questions about Atauro Dive Resort
Which popular attractions are close to Atauro Dive Resort?
Nearby attractions include Empreza Di'ak (1.4 km) and Ponkys Cocktail Lounge (3.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Atauro Dive Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at Atauro Dive Resort?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and an on-site restaurant during their stay.
Is parking available at Atauro Dive Resort?
Yes, free parking and street parking are available to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Atauro Dive Resort?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, German, and Portuguese.