Right up in the North West corner of Bali, it's over 4 hours drive from Denpasar. After check in there is a 20 minute boat ride to the resort itself, no roads go there only the motorcycle tracks used by the park rangers.
The accommodation is in 10 individual lanai, equipped with everything you would expect in a good hotel. As you are in the Park there is wildlife everywhere from insects and frogs up to deer, wild pigs and monkeys so you are recommended to keep the doors shut.
However, where else can you have breakfast and watch long tailed monkeys watching you from the trees 20 feet away or have a candlelit dinner by the beach while wild pigs charge about nearby.
Snorkelling from the jetty is spectacular and there is a PADI dive school.
A unique resort well away from everything, but if you have to keep in touch, they have a WiFi link

We started our Bali trip with a refreshing stay at Waka Gangga on the south coast. Loved it so much (see review) that chose to go to its sister hotel to do some diving on the NW coast.

Its a very different resort. To get there, you have to take a boat - great for remoteness, natural beauty and wow factor, but then you have to have all your meals there - the restau was good, not great. However, they made up for it by arranging candlelit meals on the beach.

Main attraction is living in a national park with wild deer, monkeys and birds around the wooden huts (ecologically sound - you can't even see them from the ea as they are hidden beneath the tree line).

The monkeys are brilliant fun by day, if somewhat annoying (and scary!) at night.

Diving was great - lots of sites, not many people. Unfortunately, we saw the results of cyanide fishing, an increasingly common practice in SE Asia whereby cyanide is used to stun big fish which can then be transported live to China. Problem is of course loads of other fish die. We reported our findings to the local park ranger, but its hard to stop this without addressing demand.

Saw loads of barracuda, crustacea and snapper. Very clear seas.

Overall, a good place to stay, but showing signs of wear and tear at the edges (hard to maintain something so remote), with good diving.

Ok, here is the deal.

I stayed at the Waka Shorea for 5 nights in August 2006. I was pretty curious about the Waka Shorea since I had a hard time finding any reviews of the place!

The Waka Shorea is for Nature lovers unafraid of a few rough edges.

The location of the Waka shorea is in a very remote part of the National Park. There are long hair deer ( more like mooses) and grey monkeys roaming the grounds. Waking up at the Waka shorea is kind of like being in a safari. The ocean was the clearest and bluest water I had experienced surrounding Bali. Snorkeling is truly amazing just off their peer. ( I have snorkeled in the Maldives, Tahiti, and Hawaii) They have sports center that gives mountain bike and hiking tours through the park. There are snorkeling trips everyday to the famous Deer island. I was traveling solo so I did not want to snorkel by myself so the Waka Shorea assisgned one of their divers to snorkel with me which was alot of fun. Go to station number 2 on the island. It was one of the best places I have ever snorkeled.

Back to the hotel. If you are looking for a luxury hotel, the Waka Shorea is not your choice. Yet, being in such an amazing natural santuary made me forget about all the rough edges.

They really need to have a reception area at the Waka shorea. It was hard getting a manager to speak with but when I did finally speak to one my request was always fulfilled.

I wish they would have a bar where guests could relax and hang out.

The food was ok. Fresh fish mixed in with some Balinese dishes at reasonable prices. They also had Italian and Inter continental food to please all tastes. They do make their own bread. The breakfasts are perfect with eggs, fruit, and fresh bread. There is no bar but you order a drink at the pool they will make one up for you.

I saw several families with small children who seemed to be enjoying themselves, All the cabins are made with natural materials so it is very zen. They have 2 massage therapists working on the premises. I would not recommend the Waka for elderly people who have a problem with stairs since there are a few.

Their beach is not that friendly since the low tide makes it impossible to enter the water without cutting yourself on the coral.
All in all, it was the location of the Waka Shorea that is really special.

If you are willing to give up some of that Western luxury to experience a truly unique location, then the Waka Shorea may be for you!