nikefreekz
Contributor
between raja ampat and komodo, which one is a more rewarding destination? or is it a case where both offers very different experiences?
Raja Ampat vs Komodo--which is more rewarding?
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jake11
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Both stellar locations! Komodo is unique due to the top side dragons and has fabulous diving. RA is gorgeous topside and has amazing diving. The schools of fish in RA are plentiful! We have repeated both locations numerous times!
In my mind, Komodo offers an amazingly wide range of very high quality diving, in a compact area. Mantas, sharks, nudis, macro, soft and hard coral, currents, dragons, the works. Doing both the North and the South is a must.
Raja Ampat offers much of the same, but on a much broader scale, plus the stunning, emerald-green topside scenery. Biomass by the ton(s). Amazing sunsets! And again, different experiences north to south.
Komodo is but a shuttle flight from Bali, offering a great return on your effort. RA is "out there", and worth every bit of the effort to get there. For all the similarities the two locations have, they are also very much their own. Some sites in Indonesia we might not return to, but not the case with these two. Always rewarding trips.
You just said all of that, didn't you, jake?
Raja Ampat offers much of the same, but on a much broader scale, plus the stunning, emerald-green topside scenery. Biomass by the ton(s). Amazing sunsets! And again, different experiences north to south.
Komodo is but a shuttle flight from Bali, offering a great return on your effort. RA is "out there", and worth every bit of the effort to get there. For all the similarities the two locations have, they are also very much their own. Some sites in Indonesia we might not return to, but not the case with these two. Always rewarding trips.
You just said all of that, didn't you, jake?
OP
nikefreekz
Contributor
tough call really
Tough call for the reasons already stated but if I could choose the season, I prefer Komodo by a whisker. If I have to travel during a specific time, then I choose based on which is more "in season" (Komodo: April - October, Raja Ampat: October - March).
MA
Contributor
i agree with all the above. I've been to both but only once. I think my next trip will be komodo (but i'm still deciding between the two). For me, komodo because:
- its cheaper
- easier and quicker to get to (so less annual leave so again cheaper but to me similar quality)
- as mentioned above the sites are so close so there's not half days wasted just steaming (steaming is still beautiful but i prefer to dive)
However, wow with Raja boy does it feel remote. I went at the tail end of the season and only saw one other dive boat in 10 days. V. cool. It really did feel like "frontier" diving. We were doing exploratory dives too - it was a true adventure. But still i think i will choose komodo. if i had all the time in the world and enough money i'd probably go with Raja, no actually i'd just do both!!! Either way you cannot go wrong.
- its cheaper
- easier and quicker to get to (so less annual leave so again cheaper but to me similar quality)
- as mentioned above the sites are so close so there's not half days wasted just steaming (steaming is still beautiful but i prefer to dive)
However, wow with Raja boy does it feel remote. I went at the tail end of the season and only saw one other dive boat in 10 days. V. cool. It really did feel like "frontier" diving. We were doing exploratory dives too - it was a true adventure. But still i think i will choose komodo. if i had all the time in the world and enough money i'd probably go with Raja, no actually i'd just do both!!! Either way you cannot go wrong.
Basically, it's just hat I have enjoyed my Komodo trips a little bit more than the trips to RA. There are pros and cons to both but two of the things that stick out are: 1) Sorong airport REALLY sucks and 2) while both have incredible diversity for big and small critters, I like seeing all the sharks in Komodo. The dragons are also a bonus. It is just a whisker though.
I agree with the above posts, do love both, and keep coming back for more ! They are my favorite destinations... R4 has a slight edge in my opinion in terms of variety of dive sites (but it is a bigger area), and the corals - particularly around Misool - are absolutely incredible; Komodo has more sharks though (if you don't count the Wobbegong which are very common in Papua). Macro can be fantastic in both.
From the perspective of we who live on the other side of the world, you Singaporeans are already practically on top of both Komodo and Raja Ampat. Just pick one for this trip and do the other next time. Living in N. America, that part of the world is a long and expensive trip I manage to take only once every five years or so. You lucky Singaporeans!
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