Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
5.0
#1 of 1 special resort in Atauro
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
My partner and I had a wonderful experience getting our PADI open water cards at Atauro Dive Resort. We travelled there in January during the middle of the wet season, but there was no rain falling on Atauro despite it bucketing down in Dili through the week.
The resort is serene and minimal. Generous bungalows are open to the air with basic shower facilities. Healthy, sustaining and reasonably priced meals are provided on site three times a day. The beach is fifty metres away. Hammocks stretch between the trees in a few places. The dive equipment available is practical and carefully maintained. Our instructors Marti and Bailey were both excellent communicators, lovers of the ocean, and great company in the evening.
Out in the ocean nearby you can dive in a few different places, to most of which you're delivered by boat. You can readily find yourself at fifteen metres deep on a coral wall teeming with life, with another fifty metres of reef below you. The diversity of crustaceans, turtles, reef fish, nudibranches and sea snakes is pretty amazing. We dived two or three times a day during our stay, once in the morning, once after lunch and sometimes once later in the afternoon or evening.
I'd highly recommend this experience to any new diver.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Response from Volker Katzung, Owner at Atauro Dive Resort
Responded 10 July 2020
Thank you very much for your nice review. We are happy that you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to see you again. Regards Volker
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip 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.
Atauro Dive Resort is a small eco resort on Atauro Island. We had a memorable week there. The staff was friendly and accommodating, the rooms clean, dive masters knew the reefs, and the food was great. I was especially impressed by the local coffee. However, what really impressed me was the exceptional coral reefs. These are, simply, the healthiest coral reefs I have ever dived (45 years diving experience). We also had great experiences with the migrating blue whales. This is an eco resort that minimizes environmental impact, so they have composting toilets, which some may object to, but this a superior alternative to letting raw sewage run into the ocean.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â All are good.
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.
Amazing dive resort, dive location, local staff and diving instructors Marty, Beat and Desi. Rooms were ok wooden villas were great, accom accross the road was baking hot and horrible. Toilets are eco toilets but they smell really bad.
Food was top shelf made by the local staff who really add value. Amazing home made ice cream. Vege options were great too but often no variety in meals...
Volker the owner however, is a real dirty piece of work. This resort offers discounts for multiple dives however, the owner will often back track on his word. He will lie, cheat and not keep his word any chance he can if it means he saves one dollar...
I do not recommend this dive resort for the reason that the owner just wants to take advantage. My suggestion is to stay at another resort on the island an be treated with respect. Its worth the extra few dollars it costs.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2019Trip 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.
Response from vollie, Manager at Atauro Dive Resort
Responded 14 Mar 2020
Hi Charlie, Thanks for your feedback and its good to know we have an amazing place and amazing staff! First and foremost our prices and all the discounts we offer are written clearly in guest information leaflets placed in all the guest rooms and on the emails we send to our guests. And for anyone to decide to go diving with us, it is obvious that they agreed with the price. It is such a shame for you to write things about the owner which are not true just because you want to massage your ego . The owner just wanted you to pay your bill and not causing a scene at the resort. If you wanted a discount you would have asked before you did any dives, not when it is time to make the payment. I am sure previous reviews we have had from other guests will speak for themselves. Thanks, Saffy
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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).
Read more
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.
We intended to stay for just two nights at Atauro Dive Resort and ended up staying for a whole week. This place is perfect. The bungalows are beautiful, the beds are comfy, the food is delicious, the staff is very kind and always available and the whole place is perfectly clean and well taken care of. We contacted the owner Volker and Safi in advance and they were very kind and responsive. Oh and the diving is sublime. We went on several dives with Marti and Bailey and had a blast. Such nice, professional and fun guys. We can’t recommend this place enough and would come back in a heartbeat.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip 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.
Response from Volker Katzung, Owner at Atauro Dive Resort
Responded 10 July 2020
Thank you very much for your nice review. We are happy that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again. Regards Volker
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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.
Read more
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.
I spent a wonderful week in this lovely resort. My bungalow was situated near the beach and had a beautiful view of the sea. It was very relaxing to sit on your terrace and watch the sun rising. Scuba diving in Atauro is absolutely breathtaking. Chris the dive master took us every day to see amazing underwater life. The corals and walls were probably the best I have ever seen. Chris was a very professional, friendly and polite dive guide.
Bungalows are simple but there is everything you need. The water pressure in the shower was good and the water was warm. The staff clean the bungalows everyday.
I liked the food in the restaurant. Breakfast is included and they ask everyday if you want to order lunch and dinner.
Most of the staff are quite shy in a cute way. They don't talk too much and you need to be proactive if you need something, but that's perfectly fine.
I highly recommend this place to all who want to have a relaxing dive vacation. There is no extra hassle, not pretentious service but the most amazing dive sites.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2024Trip 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.
- Best staff on the island- we will miss everyone. - Amazing diving opportunities - Great food - amazing experiences on offer - whale swimming etc
If you are an avid diver, you should stay here.
We were primarily on Atauro for snorkeling, beers and swimming at the beaches. This resort was able to cater for this- but another competitor’s resort has slightly better facilities / day beds/ shaded areas, we used every day.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
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.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip 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.
There are more places to choose from in the Atauro area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$69 - AU$100 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Timor-LesteDili DistrictAtauro
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
