Shasta_man
Contributor
I'm on the West Coast so West is what makes sense but I second getting there as early as possible to not waste part of your trip. I stupidly booked a midnight flight out of SFO to Sorong via Jakarta after working 8-5 that day. And as usual the days leading up to the trip were hectic and not enough sleep. Thought I'd have to be tired and actually sleep some in coach. For some strange reason, I find it very hard to actually sleep in their reclined AKA upright position. Then keyed up, I got almost no sleep during a multi-hour layover in the transit hotel in Singapore. Then a pitiful amount of sleep in Jakarta after arriving early evening for a 5 AM flight to Sorong. I ended up being up for 30+ hours. Never so tired but unable to sleep in my life.
Then woke in Jakarta to find some problem with domestic check in and they said my seat was never confirmed so they don't have one for me. I couldn't even get in the airport itself because I had no ticket to get through security. The local travel agent my travel agent used for domestic tickets argued to no avail with the airline by phone. Paying a small fee the night before to the transit hotel to bring me over to the terminal and help me check in ended up saving the day. He could get in to communicate directly and negotiated getting me on the flight in a seat in first class (1 row) which I rushed to make.
Then sat next to a local guy who coughed and sneezed the entire flight so much that I hung over the armsrest into the aisle to try to get away from him. I was certain all my paranoia about not getting sick leading up the trip (in Dec) would be shot to hell at the end, but I never got sick. I skipped the first night dive ( of course the one with the epaulette shark they saw) but otherwise made the rest of the 12 days of diving.
My experience is Sorong has a high likelihood of being delayed. We were delayed in Makassar on the way in (very early morning flight) and 2-3 hours in Sorong on the way back. Unless you are conditioned to humidity it can be brutally hot in Sorong and they did not have aircon in the airport departure lounge at the time. Meanwhile locals standing around in coats and sweaters, no exaggeration. Despite shorts and tank top, I and others from my boat got close to overheating in line in the airport on the way back, and then had an agonizing wait with fans only in the departure lounge. Only plus was sweating out my fluids avoided a trip to the truly third world restroom (hole in the floor).
One other tip if you have not been on a liveaboard in RA: if it's a 11-12 night trip. Doing all the dives is a bit of a marathon on your body and particularly ears. Pace yourself to make it the whole trip because dives keep getting better.
Then woke in Jakarta to find some problem with domestic check in and they said my seat was never confirmed so they don't have one for me. I couldn't even get in the airport itself because I had no ticket to get through security. The local travel agent my travel agent used for domestic tickets argued to no avail with the airline by phone. Paying a small fee the night before to the transit hotel to bring me over to the terminal and help me check in ended up saving the day. He could get in to communicate directly and negotiated getting me on the flight in a seat in first class (1 row) which I rushed to make.
Then sat next to a local guy who coughed and sneezed the entire flight so much that I hung over the armsrest into the aisle to try to get away from him. I was certain all my paranoia about not getting sick leading up the trip (in Dec) would be shot to hell at the end, but I never got sick. I skipped the first night dive ( of course the one with the epaulette shark they saw) but otherwise made the rest of the 12 days of diving.
My experience is Sorong has a high likelihood of being delayed. We were delayed in Makassar on the way in (very early morning flight) and 2-3 hours in Sorong on the way back. Unless you are conditioned to humidity it can be brutally hot in Sorong and they did not have aircon in the airport departure lounge at the time. Meanwhile locals standing around in coats and sweaters, no exaggeration. Despite shorts and tank top, I and others from my boat got close to overheating in line in the airport on the way back, and then had an agonizing wait with fans only in the departure lounge. Only plus was sweating out my fluids avoided a trip to the truly third world restroom (hole in the floor).
One other tip if you have not been on a liveaboard in RA: if it's a 11-12 night trip. Doing all the dives is a bit of a marathon on your body and particularly ears. Pace yourself to make it the whole trip because dives keep getting better.