Recommendations for Indonesia diving trip

Hi all,

I am hoping someone might be able to help me, I'm looking to book my next dive holiday, and am thinking of somewhere in Indonesia - would be there for 2-3 weeks in Dec/Jan/Feb. I'm a solo 26yo female traveller and would like to find a few places with a healthy balance of fun (but not crazy thailand style parties, more some beers on beach and cards!) and great diving. I'm keen to see some big stuff, but beautiful scenery as well and Would ideally love to be in with a chance of seeing whale sharks and mantas, but I'm conscious that if I go in December (looking most likely) then this may not be an option!

In my mind i'm hoping to find somewhere chillled and beautiful but with a good number of fellow independent travellers up for a laugh like Ko Phayam in thailand, but with fantastic diving accessible! I realise this is probably too much to hope for!

I've been to Pulah Weh, Gillis and Semporna before, so no looking to return there, I'd like some serious diving, but in a nicer place than Semporna! Am thinking Raja Ampat or Sulawesi- I'd like to go to a few places and ideally diving from the beach with some nightlife and then a liveaboard too.

Any recommendations welcomed. I've posted similar messages in other boards so please don't think i'm trolling, just undecided and looking forward to peoples ideas!

Thanks
Ellie

PS: I'm really grateful for any comments, but am not at my computer often so may be a little poor at replying - please don't be offended though!

Hi, Komodo ticks all of your boxes except whalesharks, you may need to check the conditions at that time of year though. If you want to get close to whalesharks it will probably be snorkeling rather than on scuba. I was in Mozambique in early jan and we had three of more everyday and Tofo ticks all of your boxes again except its not in Asia haha, pretty easy to get to from Heathrow.
You could try Malapascua, Philippines for your reef dives and chances of seeing Mantas/Mobula rays and of course if your lucky thresher sharks. Then head over to one of the other islands (forgot the name) for whalesharks.
Cenderawasih Bay, West papua offers snorkling/diving with whalesharks that the locals are feeding.

Big Fish, in Malapascua it's not about luck anymore to see Threshers. They changed dive sites on Monad Shoal and now it's almost guaranteed to see Thresher on every dive. In general Malapascua is a good destination indeed and Bohol for the whalesharks. Malapascua ticks also all other boxes for the OP, in Indonesia I would recommend Komodo as a live aboard option.

limbo:

Big Fish, in Malapascua it's not about luck anymore to see Threshers. They changed dive sites on Monad Shoal and now it's almost guaranteed to see Thresher on every dive. In general Malapascua is a good destination indeed and Bohol for the whalesharks. Malapascua ticks also all other boxes for the OP, in Indonesia I would recommend Komodo as a live aboard option.

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Of course it's luck, you can't guarantee it, it's a wild animal. You said it yourself "almost"

Indonesia? You mention the Gilis but nowhere else on Bali, so consider Bali (though in December-February it could be rough water there) and look specifically at Menjangan and Tulamben. Honestly, in the time period you target, most of Indonesia is in the midst of the monsoon season. Raja Ampat is good at that time of year, and so are the Togians. No nightlife at either one of these, though.

(Just a geography note for those who simply stumble across this thread -- Malapascua is in the Philippines and not in Indonesia, and in a different thread the OP did ask about the PI, so it makes sense as a recommendation to her, but for the sake of clarity, it's good to note that little detail, and the OP herself mixed up a Malaysia destination--Semporna--among a bunch of Indonesia ones.)

Big fish63:

Of course it's luck, you can't guarantee it, it's a wild animal. You said it yourself "almost"

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OK Big Fish, how about this, before the new locations where visited at Monad, you had about a 30% chance of seeing a Thresher, since they changed locations, Sea Explorers didn't miss out on sightings during each visit since over 8 or 9 consecutive months now. Almost beats 'almost'

Indonesia is such a vast archipelago that it is impossible to give a complete picture of the climate. In general October - March will bring winds from the North West to North East. April - October we are having the South and South East winds. The windward side of mountains (islands) will get more rain than the ones at the leeward sides. But, for example South Maluku have a total different weather pattern than South Sulawesi (Makassar). Juli and August most rain at Ambon and driest time of year at Makassar. So, it is hard to speak about Bali or North Sulawesi in general terms. North West coast, mountains or South East coast? All different. Strong winds from the South, South East is the reason resort at Selayar, Misool and our Weda Resort at Halmahera close for diving during that period.
at http://maritiem.bmkg.go.id you will find predictions for wave heights.

Hi all! Thanks so so much for responding to my post! I have now decided to go with Philippines, as I think it fits better with the timing and my budgets (indo liveaboards are much more expensive than I first assumed!)

Special thanks to Quero for a second helpful response to my sporadic posts for advice (I think you replied to my Thailand post last year!); and oops, I do know Semporna is in Malaysia, I spent a month there before

Thanks again all, take care of yourselves and happy diving!
Ellie

i think u made for that time of the year a good choose. Komodo in Indonesia the seson is over and there is only RA left if u like live a boards.