Suggestions for our third (land based) Indonesian dive holiday?
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OP
Thanks everyone, this is great info. We'll probably give central Raja Ampat a try.
So far the most negative info I've heard on weather in August was from the dive guides themselves, which is why I was a little worried. If we stay on Kri more than 2 weeks, I guess the chances of having a few good days are higher though.
Bangka seems a bit off limits to us budgetwise.
No homestay like option that I know of.
Murex is 64 euros a night + 74 euro for two dives, so 276 euros a day (2 dives), which is over our budget.
Coral eye is 80 euros a night simply for accommodation/board... Nomad divers' 7 day package is also interesting, but for two it's over 1400 euros for 7 days...
Cheapest I've found in Bangka is Mimpi Indah brings it down to 205 euros a day for two dives full board accomodation, which still much more than what we usually pay. On Kri we'll be paying 500 000 Rp a night full board for two, for instance.
Such prices would be fine for shorter / single trip, but we're travelling 2 months, diving in 3 other places and have to squeeze over a 1000 euros of domestic airfare in there as well, and are, after all on a tight budget.
I would be great to dive Bali, Komodo, Bangka and Kri on the same trip, but Bangka seems off limits financially. Bali, Komodo, Kri, Bunaken or Weh, would probably work better.
@Manneca, thanks for the info on Bali, sounds good.
If we're going to Bangka + Raja Ampat as well I'm not sure we'll be able to dive all the sites I'd planned in Bali.
Any tips on what to choose between Tulamben / Amed, Lembongan, Menjangan, Nusa Penida?
We were planning on staying a week in Bali, 10 days tops. We could split it in two, a couple of sites before Komodo, a couple on the way back.
So far the most negative info I've heard on weather in August was from the dive guides themselves, which is why I was a little worried. If we stay on Kri more than 2 weeks, I guess the chances of having a few good days are higher though.
Bangka seems a bit off limits to us budgetwise.
No homestay like option that I know of.
Murex is 64 euros a night + 74 euro for two dives, so 276 euros a day (2 dives), which is over our budget.
Coral eye is 80 euros a night simply for accommodation/board... Nomad divers' 7 day package is also interesting, but for two it's over 1400 euros for 7 days...
Cheapest I've found in Bangka is Mimpi Indah brings it down to 205 euros a day for two dives full board accomodation, which still much more than what we usually pay. On Kri we'll be paying 500 000 Rp a night full board for two, for instance.
Such prices would be fine for shorter / single trip, but we're travelling 2 months, diving in 3 other places and have to squeeze over a 1000 euros of domestic airfare in there as well, and are, after all on a tight budget.
I would be great to dive Bali, Komodo, Bangka and Kri on the same trip, but Bangka seems off limits financially. Bali, Komodo, Kri, Bunaken or Weh, would probably work better.
@Manneca, thanks for the info on Bali, sounds good.
If we're going to Bangka + Raja Ampat as well I'm not sure we'll be able to dive all the sites I'd planned in Bali.
Any tips on what to choose between Tulamben / Amed, Lembongan, Menjangan, Nusa Penida?
We were planning on staying a week in Bali, 10 days tops. We could split it in two, a couple of sites before Komodo, a couple on the way back.
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Wingy
Contributor
Wow Luko thanks for the heads up - thats outrageous - will be checking out Froggies at Lembehs op. Sad to hear theyre cutting down on the guides at Bangka but not suprised - I was there once and the only guide was Steven who was only 17 years old. Any updating of the boats?. Seems tipping culture has found its way to Indo, people should remember they have a worldwide clientele too. I would never pay 97USD for a single dive and even contemplate 15% ontop of that again. Liveaboards and the falling aussie dollar ....dont even want to think about it.
Hi,
why not continue from Labuan Bajo to Maumere? I did this trip in 2010. We rent a car + driver in LB (your dive shop will help you) and drove all the way through the interior of Flores to Maumere. (Stunning landscape, trad. villages, Kelimutu, etc.) It took us 5 days. In Maumere we stayed at Ankermie (Diving with Ankermi Happy Dive in Maumere, Flores, Indonesia: Dive center and Bungalows) and enjoyed the muck and reef diving very much. Another option: Sea World Club: Indonesia :: Flores Island :: Sea World Club Beach & Diving Resort in Maumere
From Maumere we continued via Kupang to Alor and stayed at Alor Divers Resort. La Petite Kepa is much cheaper but usually crowded in July/August. There is also a new resort now in Alor: Alami Alor - Scuba dive and stay resort in Alor, Indonesia
Cheers,
Michael
why not continue from Labuan Bajo to Maumere? I did this trip in 2010. We rent a car + driver in LB (your dive shop will help you) and drove all the way through the interior of Flores to Maumere. (Stunning landscape, trad. villages, Kelimutu, etc.) It took us 5 days. In Maumere we stayed at Ankermie (Diving with Ankermi Happy Dive in Maumere, Flores, Indonesia: Dive center and Bungalows) and enjoyed the muck and reef diving very much. Another option: Sea World Club: Indonesia :: Flores Island :: Sea World Club Beach & Diving Resort in Maumere
From Maumere we continued via Kupang to Alor and stayed at Alor Divers Resort. La Petite Kepa is much cheaper but usually crowded in July/August. There is also a new resort now in Alor: Alami Alor - Scuba dive and stay resort in Alor, Indonesia
Cheers,
Michael
Wingy
Contributor
OP
Hi Michael, and thanks, but we'd kind of ruled out the Flores overland drive.
If Kri/ Dampier Strights is really diveable in August, I think we'll focus on this for now and save Mamere and Alor for another trip.
We'd do 7 to 10 days in Bali, 15 days in Labuan Bajo, 3 weeks on Kri Island and a large week either hanging around on Bunaken doing a few dives, Lembeh or Bangka if we can afford it before going back to KL.
Planewise it would be KL-Bali-LBJ-Bali-Manado-Sorong-Manado-KL
Has anyone been diving the dampier straits in August? Was it also snorkellable or the waves just too rough? We already did 20 dives there in February so would probably do a little less and snorkel some as well, depending on the conditions. I'm thinking that in roughly 3 weeks on Kri we should hopefully have some good days. I just don't really know what to expect.
Cheers,
Ben
Maggie ILRA
Registered
If you are already in Labuan Bajo I think it makes sense to continue your trip visiting the island of Flores, as mbode said, and then continue to Alor. I stayed at Petit Kepa last August, and I think you would enjoy it there. Some of the rooms are very simple, but the most expensive ones are quite comfortable. Diving wasn't very difficult, so after diving Komodo you shouldn't be worried about diving Alor. (By the way, after a morning dive where we spent 10 minutes with a blueringed octopus, in the afternoon we saw another one in a mud pool walking on the beach at low tide not far from the resort)
You ask about visiting Raja Ampat in August. I have been three times to Raja Ampat (2004 Kri Eco Resort, 2008 Sorido Resort, 2012 Raja Ampat Dive Lodge) always in the second half of August. The weather was ok. Usually sunshine in the morning, some day but not everyday, rain in the afternoon or at night. When it rained it could be quite strong (our neighbors at Sorido Resort needed to change bungalow because it rained on their bed). But we never missed a dive because of the weather. The sea was rarely flat but never really dangerous. Visibility under water was usually quite good. It is not Manta season, but on every trip we saw Mantas (in 2004 we snorkelled wih 22 mantas). We always managed to visit far away sites like the Passage or Fam.
I would love to go back to Raja Ampat and of course I would like to visit in the "dry" season and visit the Misool area, but I would not hesitate to go back in August, also because it is less crowded and I recommend to stay for at least two weeks.
You ask about visiting Raja Ampat in August. I have been three times to Raja Ampat (2004 Kri Eco Resort, 2008 Sorido Resort, 2012 Raja Ampat Dive Lodge) always in the second half of August. The weather was ok. Usually sunshine in the morning, some day but not everyday, rain in the afternoon or at night. When it rained it could be quite strong (our neighbors at Sorido Resort needed to change bungalow because it rained on their bed). But we never missed a dive because of the weather. The sea was rarely flat but never really dangerous. Visibility under water was usually quite good. It is not Manta season, but on every trip we saw Mantas (in 2004 we snorkelled wih 22 mantas). We always managed to visit far away sites like the Passage or Fam.
I would love to go back to Raja Ampat and of course I would like to visit in the "dry" season and visit the Misool area, but I would not hesitate to go back in August, also because it is less crowded and I recommend to stay for at least two weeks.
Luko
Contributor
OP
Thanks Maggie. We won't be going to Alor, it's a little too much in one go. If we're going to Raja Ampat as well I have to scale down our ambitions because of airfare.
I just booked a flight from Bali to LBJ and back. So, after 10 days diving in Bali, we'll be in Labuan Bajo for 13 days, and then will go back to Bali.
From there on it looks like it's going to be Denpasar-Manado-Sorong. We'll stay in a homestay on Kri for roughly three weeks, then fly back to Manado for a week, probably staying a homestay we know in Bunaken, doing a couple of dives in places we liked (Sachiko's point?, with options on Lembeh and Bangka), then fly back to KL.
So it's basically going to be a more simple Bali-Komodo-Central Raja Ampat-Manado.
We really wanted to go back to Kri island, so if it's actually worth it August this will be our main goal.
ben
I just booked a flight from Bali to LBJ and back. So, after 10 days diving in Bali, we'll be in Labuan Bajo for 13 days, and then will go back to Bali.
From there on it looks like it's going to be Denpasar-Manado-Sorong. We'll stay in a homestay on Kri for roughly three weeks, then fly back to Manado for a week, probably staying a homestay we know in Bunaken, doing a couple of dives in places we liked (Sachiko's point?, with options on Lembeh and Bangka), then fly back to KL.
So it's basically going to be a more simple Bali-Komodo-Central Raja Ampat-Manado.
We really wanted to go back to Kri island, so if it's actually worth it August this will be our main goal.
ben
Luko
Contributor
Re-Bangka, forgot this operator Pulisan resort which is located on the mainland, just in front of Bangka island. Could be a budget option for you too. Pulisan Jungle Beach Resort and near Manado, North Sulawesi - Diving Bunaken, Lembeh Strait and Bangka
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