Komodo: land-based diving

[silent running]

Ironically, the best experience I had in my past dive trips was not diving itself. It was snorkeling with the mantas at Komodo.

Hello kopin, glad you had such a good experience snorkleling with Mantas, but who did you dive with?

 

[silent running]

Thanks for the fantastic report silentrunning! I got to bring my gear next time I go there!

Some info I put together about Alor

Alor

I haven't dove there yet but plan to next time passing through. As silentrunning mentions - the food scene in Kalabahi is limited but I usually eat at the warungs or food stalls in the harbor at night.

Cedric's set up on Kepa Kecil has a kitchen and they cook for their guests.

The French guy on Pulau Pantar does more of a gourmet thing.

The most popular place to stay in Kalabahi is the Pelangi Inda, but being a cheap Charlie i stay at the Adi Dharma in the harbor.

Alor is an incredible place with a rich history. Be sure to have a look at the museum.

dp

You're welcome dp, and yes, you must dive next time you visit Alor. The conditions can be very challenging, sometimes even more so than Komodo. But I would say that it's the most unique dive destination I've ever been to and well worth the trouble. It's sort of like bunch tropical fijords, but instead of being a bunch of deep, narrow inlets, they are deep, narrow straights sitting between 2 major seas and have tremendous volumes of water moving through. They are protected by their tight geography and the territorial locals from any commercial fishing boats coming in for a quick pillage and deep enough to be hospitable to the whole food chain, from whales to tiny critters.

Your description of the operators seems accurate, and you are a braver man than most if you stayed at the harbor hotel. Pelangi Indah was entirely vacant and looked quite neglected when I saw it. Thomas said it was actually a little nicer than the harbor hotel, but which probably has more interesting people staying there. We were only the 2nd customers to stay at the new hotel which was very clean, had a decent restaurant and some minimal AC when the voltage wasn't so low that it cut out, which wouldn't have been so bad if they had windows that opened and screens, or at least a mosquito net. I have no idea how they plan to stay in business, nor did Thomas who is amazed that this locally owned hotel/restaurant is functional as all. I never even found out the name of the place, which is hilarious.

Kalabahi makes Labuanbajo look positively cosmopolitan. We did not see any other dive boats during the 10 days we were there. Only saw 1 other Westerner who was a missionary. The 4 of us caused quite a commotion wherever we went... -Andy

 

[dutchpickle]

Right you are silent running, about the uniqueness of Alor Island. The most amazing thing about that island is the bronze drums or "Moko" that are found underground by farmers working thier plots. The origin of these drums has not yet been verified with the exception of the more recent ones.

They are highly prixed by the locals and used in the New Years ceremonies and the traditional "Lego Lego" dance. Mathiasen could write an epistle about this tribal custom as it is almost a sureal experience, like a drug induced escape from this world. It's spiritual.

LPetite Kepa (Cedrics' place)
L'Petite Kepa

misc Alor
Alor misc

Pelangi Inda
Hotel Pelangi Inda

local fish traps
Bubu fish traps

Pulau Pantar
Pulau Pantar Baranusa

Unfortunately due to cost restraints I have become an avid sorkeler which I thoughly enjoy. Friends who have dive shops just charge me for tank fills so my diving is restricted to those locations. I will give it a go next time through however. I am toying with the idea of getting a portable compressor and leasing a boat from some of the guys that I know that live there but want to spend 6 months there if I go that route.

Not trying to get too far off track but nearby Timor has some pristine diving too. Atauro and the northern coast of East Timor has been explored. The corals are so diverse and flawless. There is still a lot of undiscovered territory to stake out.

 

[silent running]

Right you are silent running, about the uniqueness of Alor Island. The most amazing thing about that island is the bronze drums or "Moko" that are found underground by farmers working thier plots. The origin of these drums has not yet been verified with the exception of the more recent ones.

They are highly prixed by the locals and used in the New Years ceremonies and the traditional "Lego Lego" dance. Mathiasen could write an epistle about this tribal custom as it is almost a sureal experience, like a drug induced escape from this world. It's spiritual.

LPetite Kepa (Cedrics' place)
L'Petite Kepa

misc Alor
Alor misc

Pelangi Inda
Hotel Pelangi Inda

local fish traps
Bubu fish traps

Pulau Pantar
Pulau Pantar Baranusa

Unfortunately due to cost restraints I have become an avid sorkeler which I thoughly enjoy. Friends who have dive shops just charge me for tank fills so my diving is restricted to those locations. I will give it a go next time through however. I am toying with the idea of getting a portable compressor and leasing a boat from some of the guys that I know that live there but want to spend 6 months there if I go that route.

Not trying to get too far off track but nearby Timor has some pristine diving too. Atauro and the northern coast of East Timor has been explored. The corals are so diverse and flawless. There is still a lot of undiscovered territory to stake out.

Next time in Alor, I will do more exploring on land, didn't get to do much this time as i was in a big hurry to see as much of the underwater environment as possible in a limited time.

Thanks for the Timor info dp, sounds great. East Timor is on my list and easy to do as there's a direct flight from Bali. East Nusa has so much coastline, there's probably more diving than can be done in a lifetime. Speaking of land based diving in East Nusa, have you or anybody you know been to Sumba?

 

[dutchpickle]

A close friend thay has just returned to France after almost 3 years in Sumba, Alor, and other parts of NTT.

He is a bit mad
http://web.mac.com/graffounet

He is a balloonist that now works on building wells in Sumba. A most extraordinary fellow that is over the edge but his heart is true.

If you do go to the back country be prepared for hardship. There will be no restaraunt or loseman (hotel) People eat termites and dogs - really. On some islands you will not be well recieved. Do you speak Indonesian? Consider bringing a mosqito net. For me tents are too hot and I sleep in the open.

I have only dove from the shore in East Timor. There are no offshore reefs that I am aware of and it quickly gets to a depth of 6000 meters between Atauro and the main island.

freeflow diving - Wayne
dive lorosea - beneath Castaways

assuming that you are diving with rebreather you will of course have to bring all supplies with you as you likely did in Alor and Komodo

In Dili East Timor lodging is no problem but a tad pricy for what you get. The workers on the UN gravy train tend to jack up prices. Diving on Atauro is usually based at Berry's place - Nema's Lodge Nema's Lodge

Asia Diver magazine did an exclusive on the shore diving in ET (Ethan Daniels) about 2 years ago

I have only snorkeled at Atauro but it gets raves from divers.

If you want to try some exploratory diving hook up with Wayne and try the channel between Jaco and the main island. Take everything you will need including water and camp on the main island. The tunas and dolphins run through there in droves. The local fishermen get tunas with head shots. Plan on at least 5 days (two days to get there and back, 3 days for diving)

Two new divers that I know tried it but were too inexperienced to do it right and claimed that it was no good but I can assure that it is indeed very very good but it will take planning.

dp

 

[kilo_fox]

Ho kilo fox ...
Sorry for the short hijack detour, but just curious ... if Pulau Weh is your number one, in what ways does it rate over Rajah Ampat, in your mind?

OK kf, your turn. Can you please elaborate a little on why you like PW better than Komodo? That is high praise indeed. -Andy

Hmmmmm.. that’s not easy to answer….. Diving in Komodo is fantastic, as it is in R4, as it is in Alor (just reading your (Andy’s) post makes me want to go back NOW and dive again with Thomas although I’m on my way to Pulau Weh), as it is in Maumere or Lembeh or Krakatau….. and I’ve seen extraordinary things in all those places. But each time someone asks me about my favourite place for diving in Indonesia, before I even start thinking about it I’ve said it already. Pulau Weh. I guess I kind of lost my heart there. Which is (at least for me) very difficult to explain with words.

The one thing I loved so much in P. Weh was the visibility of 40 m +. This clear blue sea with zillions of fish and other creatures, big and small, and there was that one dive where Guillaume, my DM, banged at his tank and I turned away from the reef and there was that huge school of jacks passing by, just 2 m away from me but I felt as if I was right in the middle of that fish “horde”, I can still picture it in front of me, and so far this has been to me the most stunning view and the most touching moment of all my (short) diving history.

I think it’s also the topside atmosphere in P. Weh at that time that made a difference, it’s just so relaxed and peaceful. And the beauty of the place, which, to me, is a particular one.

Said that, I know that when I dived in P. Weh last year I was still very easily impressed as I had just about 30 dives at that time. But now (tomorrow, to be precise ), 100 dives later, I’m going back there. So I’d say give me two weeks and I’ll come back to you with my latest impressions!??

 

[silent running]

A close friend thay has just returned to France after almost 3 years in Sumba, Alor, and other parts of NTT.

He is a bit mad
http://web.mac.com/graffounet

Excellent, thank you dp. Nothing like a madman to get a feel for a place. I have also been described the same way by a few good people, which I take as a compliment.

If you do go to the back country be prepared for hardship. There will be no restaraunt or loseman (hotel) People eat termites and dogs - really. On some islands you will not be well recieved.

I don't doubt any of it. I was very intrigued by the maps I've seen of Sumba-few roads or towns large enough to appear on a map, maybe a bit more like the rest of Eastern Indonesia was 30 years ago. And all that coast on the Southern Ocean with nothing until Antarctica..!

Do you speak Indonesian? Consider bringing a mosqito net. For me tents are too hot and I sleep in the open.

No, I don't speak much bahasa, yet. I said "Trema kasi" to a woman in the Kupang airport who helped me with something and who then chastised me for using a bahasa expression, saying "We don't speak that here". It got me wondering if bahasa always functions the same positive way in Eastern Indo as pidgin/english does in PNG. I will be traveling through East Nusa with a Jakartan friend of mine next summer and plan to learn some bahasa in advance and get more pointers from him. Is speaking bahasa in rural ENT frowned on?

I have only dove from the shore in East Timor. There are no offshore reefs that I am aware of and it quickly gets to a depth of 6000 meters between Atauro and the main island.

Good stuff. Close proximity to deep water increases the chances of good diving and an intact food chain. I definitely plan to spend some time on Atauro when I go to ET.

assuming that you are diving with rebreather you will of course have to bring all supplies with you as you likely did in Alor and Komodo

Yes indeed, pain in the ass and routine, I always have to bring everything I need. Luckily, I can fit everything I need for a months worth of diving into 2 checked bags and a carry-on. Anywhere that has a hospital, I can get some O2 and in business. It's always worth it, more so in places where logistics are hardest and people fewest, which is always amusing. No bubbles means I blend in better with the fishes who then either ignore me altogether, or become extra curious and territorial, especially the bigger animals. Not many better thrills than diving with a rebreather in remote places.

In Dili East Timor lodging is no problem but a tad pricy for what you get. The workers on the UN gravy train tend to jack up prices. Diving on Atauro is usually based at Berry's place - Nema's Lodge

Thanks for the specifics. I had wondered why the prices were so much higher in ET than Indo. I only hope that the benefits to the local economy from the UN gravy offset the loss of thrifty tourists, who are always the first to sing the praises of a new destination.

If you want to try some exploratory diving hook up with Wayne and try the channel between Jaco and the main island. Take everything you will need including water and camp on the main island. The tunas and dolphins run through there in droves. The local fishermen get tunas with head shots. Plan on at least 5 days (two days to get there and back, 3 days for diving)

Again, thanks very much for the specifics. "exploratory diving"...the words alone get my heart beating faster. There is no exploratory diving in heaven, which is why we do that and drink beer here on the earth.

Two new divers that I know tried it but were too inexperienced to do it right and claimed that it was no good but I can assure that it is indeed very very good but it will take planning.

Sounds a lot like all the recent posts I read about Alor before going there. Somebody from a liveaboard once described Kal's Dream as a barren rock with strong down currents on what obviously must have been a very bad day+their own weird criteria for a barren rock. I did 2 dives there and can't imagine it being so described in any conceivable conditions. Obviously Thomas's local knowledge is better after 2 years than some might have led me to believe if he put me on the site twice for 2 fantastic dives, not to mention all the other great sites he has intimate knowledge of...

Thanks again dp, you are the goods! -Andy