Need your advice- Bunaken or Komodo?

[badkao]

Hello guys-

We are planning our diving trip down to Indonesia the first week of November of 2010. I've done quite a bit of research on Bunaken vs Komodo. I understand that for the most part diving in Bunaken is land based and Komodo is "liveaboard" based. They both seem very nice sites and i am having a tough time deciding which one to visit.

Not too much into the small "macro" stuff. (we know about Lembeh) I think we are interested in seeing large schools of fish and just in general, any kind of large marine life. What can we realistically expect to see at Bunaken? or Komodo?

Komodo has the added benefit of seeing the dragons. And staying in a liveaboard will be a new and hopefully fun experience. Thinking about going with the "mona Lisa" because of the flexibility and convenience that it offers. maybe "KV divekomodo"? comments?

I'd like to hear a little bit about people's experience with both of these dive sites at both of these locations. And weather conditions, visibility in early November.

Tks.

Ken

 

[mjh]

We "just" got back from Komodo but have not got the trip report done yet, but the gallery is up along with a Trip report for our Bunaken/Lembeh trip at our site.

Hands down, no question go to Komodo. Komodo is really a great trip, with a little bit of everything and you will typically have it all to yourselves. We loved it. Add to that the Dragons a couple of mantas and while Bunaken is nice Komodo just has more to offer.

 

[frogfish]

Manado, in my experience, is all about small critters and beautiful corals. Komodo on the other hand has more schooling fish, and a fair chance to see mantas. But I wouldn't say it's a big fish destination...
Both are great places, but I must say that Komodo is very special.

 

[OnTheSpot]

You can go liveaboard diving in Komodo all year round. The liveaboards here do not close for an off-season because every month of the year promises top quality action. Overall, the absolute best visibility is from November to January.

January to March can have rough surface conditions at the northern dive sites. July and August can have rough seas in the south and Rinca. But these conditions rarely interfere with the liveaboard schedules to any great extent.

 

[badkao]

Tks folks. This confirms pretty much what i have been hearing.

The next challenge is finding a good dive crew at a relatively reasonable price. I like Mona Lisa the fact that their schedule is flexible... come and go as you wish. But not so sure about the quality of their dive crew, especially the DMs? The reviews are mixed. Any comments/updates on this ?

 

[Tapas bali]

How long actually you plan to be in Indonesia?
Some liveaboards do 7 nights cruise and as Bunaken has land basis accommodation so if you have 12 days of holiday you can visit both places actually.

You mentioned Divekomodo on your above post and they got good complimentary from one our guests. Another liveaboard operators that do cruise in Komodo all year round that I can suggest is Grand Komodo. I have not dove with them myself.

Just like Divekomodo, the liveaboards are budget but have professional crews incl. dive master and have been in the area for more than one decade so they really know what they are doing.

For me personally, I would prefer to dive with operators that use local dive masters who have been dove the area for years/decades so they really know the divesites instead of operators that using freelance dive master who work in certain area during one year of contract.

Divekomodo also arranges land basis diving in Komodo to help you split your time between two areas Bunaken & Komodo.

 

[ScubaduoAdventures]

We like Bunaken but without a question Komodo is the choice to go and is one of the great dive areas in the world.

 

[Luko]

Another vote for Komodo hands down!!! ten times better than Bunaken. :cool2:

I dived in Komodo a few days, beginning of august, I certainly would not recommend the landbased dive operation I was diving with, lots of problems, crappy boat, but I definitely will return another time. I reckon that due to long boat transfer times from Labuhan Bajo, live aboard is the best solution.

Coral life is simply out of this world, fishlife abundant and with experimented dive guides (mine unfortunately were only 1,5 month experienced on the area... so for the schedule anticipation of that dive operation, at peak season!) you may get all the macro stuff you can spot anywhere else.

 

[danz]

I was last year in July on the Mona Lisa in Komodo. I will return next november for a LOB of 10 days in the south of Komodo. I liked very much the boat, the crew, the food and ... the dives. Last year I was there for 5 days and I had 3 different DM's, but it was OK. They all know currents and divesites very well.
You will enjoy it!

 

[NotYetBent]

Go to Lembeh over Bunaken. While I did love Bunaken (robust ghost pipefish, turtle, shark, nice walls and pretty coral), Lembeh is pure magic. But I really, really, really love muck diving...