Paradise Dancer in Raja Ampat was great

[petsygal]

Thanks for your help, there are 2 of us traveling with the 5 bags. 2 of them are carryons and they can be stored inside the other luggage. Domestic airlines allow us 2 checked bags each so we should be OK. Sounds like they'll fit in the cabin with no problem. I'll be starting the countdown to RA after Christmas.. too much holiday stuff to do right now!

 

[coloradojeff]

I am leaving for a trip on the Dancer. March 2010 and am wondering about the need for Malarone. I have read mixed reports. I will not be staying on except for one night in Jakarta. Any suggestions? What did folks on your trips do?

The trip reports are so exciting that I can hardly wait. Any additional suggestions would be appreciated.

How "strict" are the domestic airline carriers about "carry on " weight.
thanks
jeff

 

[Shasta_man]

My experience was that 99% of the time we weren't close enough to land to get mossies. The rest of the time, I didn't see any mossies so I would say the risk on board is negligible. I did get bitten twice on the single night hotel stay in Sorong on the way in. No malaria as of now. (knock on formica). Realize we are talking about malaria so my opinion is it's worth a few bad dreams (my only side effect) to avoid. I stayed in the airport transit hotel in Jakarta so no problem there.

The carry on weight thing is a moving target. The short answer is they do care and they do charge for overweight in checked baggage though really very little for the convienence. I used a camera backpack and wore it the entire time to appear "light" and just a backpack, even though it was about 19 lbs. They never checked it. If you walk up loaded with stuff, I think they (international and domestic) will want to weigh it.

Only extra tips I can suggest is bring "ear drying" stuff. I started to get an ear infection during the trip, never noted one on past trips, which started to hinder equalization. Luckily they have medicine for that on board but it would be better to prevent it. Make sure your travel gets you there a day before and there can be travel delays on the way out. Marvel at the inefficiency of the airport which has 30 (no lie) baggage porters but only one guy from the airline to pass the entire luggage of a 737 through a door in the airport to the waiting porters. Be prepared for serious heat in the airport on the way out as it can be a long process.

I'm writing my trip report and you should see it before your trip.

 

[Darnold9999]

Not one mozzy on the boat - nor any in Sarong going or coming. Lembeh - bitten half a dozen times in the trip from the water taxi to the room. Bathed in repellant from then on.

Domestic air travel is a joke. Assume you will be significantly delayed on every internal flight, that way you might be surprised, but I doubt it.

 

[jake11]

When you are in misery from your travels to Raja A. just keep your eyes on the prize!
It will all be worth it! We did the same trip as Shasta Man in Nov.09 and we did not take malarone. We have taken it in the past to North Sulawesi but not this past trip.
So far so good! On our travels to SoWrong via Bali we were not charged in Bali by Garuda airlines. They were pretty lax on the way in and on the way back.
Express Air charged from Makassar to Sorong and also on the way back to Makassar from Sorong. There were others on the Dancer that negotiated with Express Air and got their excess weight charges down. It was so hectic in Makassar I was willing to pay anything to just get out of there , get on the plane, and be on our way. Shasta Man is correct about the Sorong airport and he describes all aspects of it well!
In closing, I am green with envy about your upcoming trip on the Paradise Dancer!
I won't even say have a great time, because I know you will!!!!

 

[petsygal]

My boyfriend and I just finished up the Dancer's Jan. 29-Feb 9th trip. Never saw a mosquito the whole time except for a couple when we took a side trip to the Pearl Farm. A few people complained of them when we toured the Misool Eco Resort for an hour but we used repellent and weren't bothered.
We traveled to Sorong via Manado and were charged for our overweight luggage using Wings airline. Everyone in our group was charged something extra but it didn't seem like there was any consistency in the rate you were charged vs. the additional pounds. We paid $20 on the way to Sorong from Manado and $40 on the way back. Even with proof that the baggage weighed almost identical made no difference. Make sure you have rupiah's at the Sorong because they WON'T take US dollars.
But kathylovesmts was correct in saying, keep your eye on the prize. All the little inconveniences along the way are worth the price of the incredible diving in Raja Ampat!

 

[Shasta_man]

That's cool you got to tour the Pearl Farm. We just got the owner on board for lunch.

 

[jake11]

Great minds think alike Shasta Man ! That is exactly what I thought when I read that post!
Would have been cool!!! ( also would have been neat to see the Misool Eco Resort!) Looks like we have to go back and do it all over again!!!!

Mrs.M.&C.