Looking for help choosing places to dive in Indonesia

[klynchie]

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently living in East Kalimantan working for an environmental NGO, and am planning on traveling around Indonesia for two months or so after im finished here, probably in early December. I definitely want to do some diving during that trip, and have done research into the large number of dive spots around the country, but am having trouble choosing where to go. I'm planning on going from Borneo to Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, and maybe Papua.

I'm a DM with 100+ dives in various conditions...warm, cold, currents, etc.

So far places I'm considering (a long list, I know) are Komodo, Palau Bunaken/The Bangka islands, Raja Ampat, the Togean Islands, Alor, Derawan, Palau Ambon, the Lembeh Strait, Tukangbesi Islands and Taka Bone Rate. The only place I'm just about set on going is Komodo, and would like to pick probably 2 more great sites to visit.

I'm on a somewhat limited budget (read: recent college grad, working for an NGO) but have enough saved to splurge on things like safety standards. Places like Raja Ampat, though, may be a little out of my price range (unless it's really worth skipping other places for). I'd like to see some of the "big stuff," particularly mantas, but also love a good reef and some interesting macro critters. Places with a cool atmosphere/culture and things to do above water are a plus but not a necessity.

I'm hoping to get some opinions from people who've visited some of these places on where may be best to go, as I really want to make the most out of this trip. Tips on places to stay or dive with are also appreciated. I also realize that I'm traveling during the wet season for much of Indonesia, so any considerations on how that may affect conditions are welcome.

Thanks a ton folks, and happy diving!

 

[pughio83]

If you are sorted for Komodo that will be a great destination. If you are already at East Kalimantan then you might as well dive Derawan, but also sangalaki, maratua. That way get some macro and mantas though probably get mantas in Komodo. For the rest it's really take ya pick. You could start at Bali and work your way east, including alor (chk la petite kepa or alor eco resort - both have heard good things). Re Sulawesi I always stay with two fish divers, who have resorts in bunaken and lembongan as well. I wouldn't bother with bunaken if you are going Komodo as it won't compete, but lembeh is great in dec (blue ring octo season around that time!). There are home stay type places in lembeh if u look I think. Raja and Papua probably the high end of the budget and I don't think there is a particular cheap way to go there unless with home stay. Not sure if you mentioned palau but again v expensive. Don't know much about the other areas you have mentioned.

 

[DiveExploreIndonesia]

Hi klynchie!! Having dived all the places you've mentioned, I can certainly say that early December is still good time for Komodo and Alor and the mantas will be almost guarantied in Komodo!
Alor has some handsome fish dives as well as good macro.
The Togean might be difficult to reach in December if the wind has started and not all the dive sites will be accessible.
Lembeh strait, I suppose you know, is for muck diving and macro
Bangka has some amazing soft coral and worth the visit
Ambon is also a prime destination for muck and macro, it has also some nice reefs outside the bay , but not much concerning big fish…
About tukangbesi and taka bonerate reefs, I have to say I've seen healthier....
Raja Ampat is very nice and you can find now some local losmen , they also offer diving but I've never been with them and I'm not sure about organization/safety when diving with them.
Hope this help!!

 

[Luko]

I've dived to most places you mention in Indonesia, and some you may forget.

If I were to pick up a few places in Indonesia (all the photos below I've taken personally, some of them published in international magazines, are actually taken in teh location I mention, unlike the images some of the sellers put on the front of their website -wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more -):

- Raja Ampat comes at the top of my list, there are now various price ranges from luxury scam prices (Sorido, Raja4divers) to budget with dive guides (Yenkoranu homestay) to medium priced lodges like RADL which I strongly recommend. You'll be in the middle of the peak season.


Bommie and glassfish school by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

- Komodo is ticked on your list, so no need to add it.


Shallows on Penga by Luko Gecko, on Flickr


- Alor is great too with lotsa current, healthy coral and shades of blue I've never seen elsewhere. (I'm going back in a few weeks). The problem is the season, if your 2 months start early december and you hit january, you could be washed up with rain, resorts even close at the start of the year.


Bama Wall color explosion - Alor by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

- Bangka, I love it! At least 5 times in the area : great macro and a few spectacular coral dives on top of it. Alas end of the year is not the season to go, just like N/Sulawesi in general.


Bangka Soft Corals by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

- Maluku including Ambon+Lease islands, good season too. May not be the best of indonesia though quite close, I really like the remoteness and freedom of journeying in Maluku. I suppose you speak a little bahasa, Ambon is a little Lembeh for muck without the divers around, someone mentioned South Ambon coast but there is better in the Lease islands for corals, plenty of fish, incredible lakelike viz. More difficult to arrange, but worth, go with local dive centers if anda bisa bahasa sedikit.


Molana south wall reefscape by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

- And... hey wait. Have you given Bali a chance? Personally I think the diving in Bali is world class : one of the most varied in such a small area. Comparable to the best you can get, I hardly know any other place where you'll find such good corals like in Nusa Penida or Tulamben, close to big fish or supermacro spots.

Toyapakeh reefscape by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

I think I would skip Kalimantan, which is a long way to go and was overfished with corals partly destroyed. On the other hand you're quite close to Sipadan which IMO is really special in South East Asia for impressive fish schools.

Into the barracuda tornado by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

 

[Worldwide Dive and Sail]

Hi Klynchie!

The diving in Indonesia is really amazing all over the country (Bali, Komodo, Lembeh, Raja Ampat).

I only know 2 areas: Komodo and Raja Ampat.

Komodo is a must for its dragons first of all and for its underwater life and scenarios! Nudis, cuttlefish, shrimps, ghost pipefish, octopus, pigmy seahorses, crabs, rhinopias, mantas, eagles and sting rays, white tip and grey reef sharks, Napoleons, turtles, schools for jacks, snappers, surgeon fish, soft and hard coral, sea fans, black coral, whip coral. Reef hooks are highly recommended in some dive sites!

Raja Ampat can be expensive but it really worth it! It’s one of the few places where the coral is still intact (soft and hard coral, sea fans everywhere) since it’s such a remote place; and the underwater life is really amazing. Mantas, octopus, frog fish, schools of barracudas, surgeon fish, bumphead parrot fish, fusiliers and sweet lips, nudis, mantas, the famous wobbegong or carpet shark, crabs, blue ring octopus, scorpion fish, cuttle fish, squids. You can sometimes see some white tip sharks but as soon as they see a diver, they run away. Here reef hooks are also highly recommended in some dive sites. What I also like about Raja ampat is the diversity of island types. Each area is different from each other. December is a good time to go moreover.

I hope I have been helpful! I personally heard Lembeh is also a must for its muck diving.

Enjoy your trip wherever you finally decide to go!

Leticia

 

[chillyinCanada]

Luko, when is the best time for Bangka?

 

[Wingy]

Ive done Bangka in October and March...not sure if there ''is'' a season there. Just across the straight from Lembeh so I dont imagine any big differences.

Another couple of spots in Indo you may like to think about - off the west coast of Sumatra - Cubadak island, not Alor, Komodo, Bangka or RA standards but something out of the ordinary with a brilliant night dive spot. You are pretty much guaranteed to be diving with the island owners and the island has only 6 cabins so unless they are divers...you got it to yourself.

Others not mentioned yet - Pulau Weh Banda Aceh (seasonable) or something really different - Sanhige Archipeligo to dive active volcanos.

 

[Luko]

Luko, when is the best time for Bangka?

Late march to june is at best.
July August can be windy but it's fine.
From december on to january can be wavy and very rainy.

The main difference between Lembeh and Bangka is that Bangka strait engulfs winds coming from both south.east and esp west side, while Lembeh strait is quite protected, being perpendicular from the dec/jan monsoon winds.

 

[highdesert]

We've had glassy calm conditions at Bangka in October, excellent viz too.

 

[klynchie]

Thanks everyone! This has been very helpful.

I haven't really looked into Bali, but I will now! And haven't heard of Sanhige, but it sounds cool-I'll have to check it out.

Luko those pictures have me even more stoked! Awesome shots.