January indo diving trip - recommendations?

[Ellie w]

hi again scuba boarders!

I would love to get some advice for my upcoming trip which I think will be Indonesia in Jan 2017 for 2 weeks.

I am considering wher to go, I like budget places with a bit of an independent traveller feel and preferably good friendly dive shops where I can hang out trying to find someone to have dinner with! I'm a 30year old and will be travelling solo. I'd like to go somewhere where I can do some things on land as well, and I'm keen to limit flights.

I'm thinking either Sulawesi as an island holiday and maybe Lembeh, or doing a live abroad in Flores or raja ampat and then chilling on an island somewhere for the other part of the trip (ideally with surfing or diving).

- does anyone have any views on which might be a better option for solo budget traveller?
- has anyone done any good budget live aboard a in Raja Ampat or Flores they could recommend? Would like one with bunks for costs and company reasons
- are there good other things to do in Sulawesi? Which places might be good to stay?

I'll be coming from Singapore so ideally somewhere accessible from there - Flores didn't seem to be so good on this.

I have been to Bali and dived in the gilis (no where else there though), also pulau weh twice. Have been diving all around Thailand and Philippines as well. Am an experienced diver but haven't dived now for 9 months.

Any ideas, thoughts, advice welcomed!
Ellie

 

[marijev]

Hi Ellie, I am looking for roughly the same (female diver, 100+dives) at the same time you travel... I want to go LOB in Rajah Ampat or Banda or do a crossing trip rajah - sulawesi. So I'll check your posting to see if any good advice comes in.


For land based diving Sulawesi I can recommend Bunaken, just don't stay on the bay but on the side of Bunaken Village Resort. That is a nice resort by the way, good diving, just a bit overly family-orientated guest crowd for a single traveller, but the meals are communal so you will not eat alone anyway...the food could be more original Indonesian, but for the rest, perfect, good housereef, and a very very lovely spa.
Lembeh: Divers Lodge lembeh is fantastic and they have a smaller bungalow without singles supplement. They have combi trips with Halmahera as well if you have longer. DLL has very nice people running it, and meals are great and communal so you will have fun. I could spend a full week diving there, so much to see.

On Bangka I stayed with Nomaddivers Banka, great people, cute little set-up, food was average except when they did the roasted pig which was wonderfull, fun old boat which was not efficient but a great place to hang out...and for friendlyness and fun, this is THE place to go, the British people who run it are great to hang out with.

Wish you happy holidays!
Marije

 

[Wingy]

Have fun. There's a lot to do in Sulawesi. I've had good service at Froggies in Manado and Lembeh and with Murex at Bangka - meals are served communally so you will have someone to talk to divers are never alone for long regardless of age, gender or point of origin.

Go for a trek up Mt Tangkoko and find Tarsiers in the wild and you may also see the Yaki macaques surfing in Lembeh strait if your lucky. There are home stays there that would suit you, also the flower city of Tomohon is interesting.

Enjoy!

 

[anenomefishman]

hi again scuba boarders!

I would love to get some advice for my upcoming trip which I think will be Indonesia in Jan 2017 for 2 weeks.

I am considering wher to go, I like budget places with a bit of an independent traveller feel and preferably good friendly dive shops where I can hang out trying to find someone to have dinner with! I'm a 30year old and will be travelling solo. I'd like to go somewhere where I can do some things on land as well, and I'm keen to limit flights.

I'm thinking either Sulawesi as an island holiday and maybe Lembeh, or doing a live abroad in Flores or raja ampat and then chilling on an island somewhere for the other part of the trip (ideally with surfing or diving).

- does anyone have any views on which might be a better option for solo budget traveller?
- has anyone done any good budget live aboard a in Raja Ampat or Flores they could recommend? Would like one with bunks for costs and company reasons
- are there good other things to do in Sulawesi? Which places might be good to stay?

I'll be coming from Singapore so ideally somewhere accessible from there - Flores didn't seem to be so good on this.

I have been to Bali and dived in the gilis (no where else there though), also pulau weh twice. Have been diving all around Thailand and Philippines as well. Am an experienced diver but haven't dived now for 9 months.

we were just in bunaken and raja ampat. both fantastic places to dive. very different though. bunaken easy acess from manado.

pic from bunaken. bunaken is mostly all wall drift dives.

Any ideas, thoughts, advice welcomed!
Ellie

 

[Dan]

hi again scuba boarders!

I would love to get some advice for my upcoming trip which I think will be Indonesia in Jan 2017 for 2 weeks.

I am considering wher to go, I like budget places with a bit of an independent traveller feel and preferably good friendly dive shops where I can hang out trying to find someone to have dinner with! I'm a 30year old and will be travelling solo. I'd like to go somewhere where I can do some things on land as well, and I'm keen to limit flights.

I'm thinking either Sulawesi as an island holiday and maybe Lembeh, or doing a live abroad in Flores or raja ampat and then chilling on an island somewhere for the other part of the trip (ideally with surfing or diving).

- does anyone have any views on which might be a better option for solo budget traveller?
- has anyone done any good budget live aboard a in Raja Ampat or Flores they could recommend? Would like one with bunks for costs and company reasons
- are there good other things to do in Sulawesi? Which places might be good to stay?

I'll be coming from Singapore so ideally somewhere accessible from there - Flores didn't seem to be so good on this.

I have been to Bali and dived in the gilis (no where else there though), also pulau weh twice. Have been diving all around Thailand and Philippines as well. Am an experienced diver but haven't dived now for 9 months.

Any ideas, thoughts, advice welcomed!
Ellie

I just add other options that have not been mentioned by others. January is the perfect month to go to south Raja Ampat / Misool with a liveaboard. I went with Grand Komodo MV Temukira to Misool in January 2010. Check out their Schedules & Rates

The quality of service is great & their costs are very reasonable. Since you are going solo, they will find you another female diver to share cabin with or you could be lucky for getting cabin to yourself without additional cost. It happened to me 8 months ago. I've been in their liveaboard trips 3 times & staying in their resort once. All is good & want to come back for more.

You can take Singapore Airlines/ Silk Air to Manado, hang out in Manado / Bunaken / Bangka / Lembeh until you are ready to fly to Sorong & then continue to Sorong with Garuda Airlines. You can do the same on the way back.

Enjoy it!

 

[dirtfarmer]

Budget LOBS in Raja with bunks really don't exist. There are some home stays in the Kri area. The diving around Kri is really nice but I would rate Komodo better than Kri area.
You might check out Two Fish they have locations in Bunaken, Lembeh, Nusa Lembongan, Amed. It's a budget operation but well run.
Lots of locations in Indonesia are resorts, not really villiages, but you'll be eating, drinking,relaxing with the other divers at the resort, so you won't be lonely. ( I travel alone in Indo mostly)

Another spot you might look at is Scuba Junkies Komodo, another budget option I've used, they have loads of backpackers coming thru, are well priced with good options from your own room to a dorm room. The diving in Komodo can be epic, some of the best in Indo. You can fly to LBJ from Bali which can be reached directly from SIN I believe.