Diving in April - Komodo, Raja Ampat, Somewhere Else?

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Hi guys,

I'm trying to find a diving destination on New years for two weeks trip. Komodo and Raja Ampat looks both great so I try to find flights over there. Do you wan't to recommend dive operator in Komodo? I have understood that there's no accommodation in Raja Ampat on land and all the dive operators are liveboard.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hey Santa, of course there are resorts on land in Raja Ampat. There are numerous places offering accommodation.
You can check homestay here Stay Raja Ampat: The best Raja Ampat accommodation
There is one resort, which is not included there because it is not a homestay, and I strongly recommend you to check. http://rajaampatbiodiversity.com/en
To go to Raja Ampat you can check next flight operators: Lion / Wings Air, Garuda and Sriwijaya

Hope it helps
 
There are plenty of resorts, as mentioned (RA biodiversity, Papuap Explorers, Kir Eco, Sordido Bay, Misool Eco resort, and so on). I would personally be very hesitant to stay with a Homestay if diving is your top priority - this is a very remote area, and I simply don't trust very small operations / homestays to have properly maintained fill stations and safety measures (O2 on board, fast boat / radio to get you to the Deco chamber if necessary, experienced guides, etc.). The resorts do. We had a great time at Papupa Explorers, which is a very nice resort and at the lower end of the price scale for that area.

For Komodo, we took a day boat out twice, but I would either stay at a resort deeper in the park, or do a liveaboard next time. And do some reading on which ones. We had a few great and a few 'meh' dives at Komodo, in part because Labuan Bajo is pretty far from the dive sites (so long boat ride out) and because the day boats serve a lot of backpackers, so they tailor the trip to the level of diver present. We were with several folks who had only just completed their open water dives, and some of the current / drift dives were clearly beyond their ability and comfort zone, so we ended up doing some very, very average dives because of that. The liveaboards will tend to attract slightly more hardcore divers.

The two land-based operations in Komodo that looked interesting to us were Scuba Junkies (were full when we were there) and, at the other end of the price spectrum, Komodo Resort (in the park), which we heard very positive stories about from a fellow diver at Papua Explorers.

In terms of itinerary, if you only have 2 weeks, pick one of the two destinations. We had 3, and spent 1 week in RA, 1 week doing land-based stuff on Flores and 2 days of diving in Komodo, starting the trip with a bit of acclimatisation on Bali for a few days. It was a fantastic vacation, but it was really too busy by half. Next time (and there will be a next time!) I would say 10 to 14 days in Raja Ampat (maybe liveaboard, but the resort life is pretty relaxing, with your own personal pondok and hammock), and then maybe a week of doing very little except galivanting around on another island (Bali, Lombok, lots of choices).
 
Hi Mattia, I support your plan! Stay in one place and in Raja Ampat. About staying in a liveboard or in a resort, I strongly recommend the resort. Liveboard is fun, but only for one or two days...
Best
 
Thank you soo much for your tips. I booked the 5 days dive trip to Komodo from the dive operator called Scuba Junkie Komodo (www.scubajunkiekomodo.com). They had really good reviews. I can't wait to go diving in tropical waters in Komodo after working like a hamster for soo many months in a row.

I'm flying from Bali to Komodo and I have 5 days to do something before my flight. Do you want to recommend some nice nature adventure of destination for me in Java, or some nice island near Bali?

Thanks.
 
No need to leave Bali. Do some diving in Tulamben, and spend some time in Ubud checking out the scenery and loads of tourists. Lots of beautiful temples all over Bali and lush green countryside.
 
I was primarily going to focus on Lombok island and have heard that tiny Gili islands are nice too. Would people recommend going to Lombok, Gili islands or somewhere in Java between 22-28.12)? Or perhaps consider one of the southern islands instead like Gili Gede or Gili Layar as an alternative? I fly from Finland into Jakarta on 22.1. then to some island later that same day.

Like always, I don't have any special requirements for this trip. I just would to relax, hike in the beautiful nature as much as possible, see local Indonesian culture, enjoy beaches, local food and do some wave surf and diving of course.

Any tips such as places, areas or tourist traps to avoid would be much appreciated. Once again, thank you :)

P.s. I'm not looking for: Very tourist crowded or overpopulated areas.

Here's couple of links for you if someone else is considering these places too.

Komodo, beyond the dragons: diving and empty beaches in Indonesia
Lombok bids to attract tourists – but keep the island green
 
You don't need to leave Bali to relax, hike, experience culture, surf, enjoy food, and dive. Why spend time flying when you could be having fun.
If it's to touristy then yes maybe something more off the radar is in order.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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