10 Weeks ... Where would you dive?

[doa24uk]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice about a trip I've got coming up with my mate to Indonesia for 10 weeks.

- We're both fairly experienced divers (~50 dives each)
- Our budget for the 10 weeks is £3000 each (this must include everything: accomodation, food etc but not flights, jabs - these have already been paid for).

We both love diving & have agreed that one of the main reasons for going to Indo is the diving (although of course, we want to see some of the land).

We did a 5 day liveaboard on the GBR & that certainly was a highlight but we've dived in Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt etc.

My question is: If you were in my position, what would you do? Where would you dive? How would you get there etc.

We're both male, young, fit(ish) backpackers who don't mind 'roughing it' if it means seeing something you wouldn't otherwise see. We certainly don't plan on spending the time in hotels. Long, rough journeys are OK as long as the end justifies the time / expense.

Snorkelling is another option for a lot of the time so any 'hidden gems' you can offer would be excellent!

While we enjoy partying, we have a tendency to find alcohol wherever we go so really, places away from the crowds would be great!

Many, many thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Wingy]

Sulawesi for me - Lembeh, Bunaken and Bangka. Fly from singapore or from denpassar if you want to throw in bali and surrounds. If you head down into mid sulawesi you should be able to dive the togians and gorontalo. Theres also an island on the west coast of Sumatra that offers some really unusual diving (sponge gardens and soft corals but awesome night dive spot). Its called Cubadak and if you want to be way way out in the wilds its pretty amazing - private island but far less expensive than you would think and getting there requires a great trip through Sumatra Barat. In Sulawesi climbing Tangkoko and seeing Tarsiers and Yakis is a good day out. They are my out of the crowds places along with Alor if you can get there.

 

[pughio83]

Depends if u want macro and pelagic mix? Or just chill out places with good macro etc. also when in the year?

For the budget I would probably spend 2-3 weeks Bali including lembongan for mola mola, and east coast Bali Amed, tulumben and seraya. You could do a week in gillis for your party fix and a week south Lombok for big stuff (best aug,sept I think).! Then go to Sulawesi. Spend 3 weeks lembeh, 1 week bunaken and 1week bangka.

That option can keep on budget, is partly off beaten track, amazing diving with some big stuff. Check out togian islands for super chilled out good diving place that's cheap.

 

[jake11]

I think pughio83 has the right idea! 10 weeks!!!! I am green with envy!! Have a great trip!

 

[doa24uk]

Wow, thanks a lot for all the advice!

@pughio83 We arrive into Jakarta on the 6th July & fly back out of Jakarta on 13th September.

I've heard good things about Lombok, but come to think of it, I haven't heard bad things about anywhere!

 

[pughio83]

South Lombok between July-sept is good time for bigger stuff. Hammerheads possibly in sept time at the magnet dive site but I think you need 100 logged dives as strong current but would be at the end of you trip maybe? Sulawesi can't go wrong, lembeh for muck and macro, bunaken for walls, Bangka for pinnacles with corals and macro and poss dugong, lembongan for mola and drifts plus v good corals, gilli for drinking (diving so so vs the other places), south Lombok currents big stuff n surf, east coast Bali for liberty wreck, poss mola and macro. Budget options at each place, Sulawesi probably to cost the most, so may have to restrict dives to 1-2 daily to stay in budget. For dive resorts better get booking your spots as places tend to fill.

 

[Luko]

Since you're in Indo for a long time, and don't mind roughing it, I'd suggest you go to Flores to see what Indonesia has to offer best, both landside and underwater.
First stop Labuan Bajo to dive Komodo (the best diving in Indonesia with Raja Ampat). There are cheap liveaboards from Labuan Bajo, check for reports on this board. You can also use your time to relax on the very nice beaches located off Labuan Bajo bay, then take your time (a week or so) to ride across beautiful Flores to Maumere, where you could have additional dives too, or even decide to continue further east to Lamalera where the last indonesian traditional whale hunters live (I know in a diving board this might not sound popular, though it is a cultural fact, and at least there are still some whales around).

 

[Zippsy]

Doa, it's likely you will need to do a visa run out of the country, right? I think visas-on-arrival are 30 days and non-extendable. Visa's obtained in your home coutry may be for as much as 60 days. A visit to East Timor may be useful to get a new visa and there is some interesting diving there that can be cheap.

 

[gekodivebali]

Visas are extendable one time. Best is to use an agent who does it all for you. If not, you need to go one day to give documents, next day to pay and third day to get you passport back...

 

[doa24uk]

We have already arranged a 60 day visa but yes, we'll need a visa run. We've booked a cheap air asia flight from Medan - KL but it can be dumped if we're nowhere near there as it was only £10.

Forgive my ignorance but I thought East Timor was pretty much a no-go zone for Westerners / non-locals?

One of our ideas had us making it out to the middle of the Banda sea for Raja Ampat but I've got no idea how realistic that is because travelling will probably take much, much longer than I'm thinking in my head!