Bali vs Komodo?

[Coldwaters]

Got a (luxury) dilemma regarding a planned trip to Bali/Komdo in october that I need to sort out:

We, three buddies, got tickets to Bali from 10. - 18 october. Have read a lot about diving in both Komodo and Bali, but cannot decide whether to stay on Bali exploring the island (divevise), or traveling further to Komodo the next day.

Basically my question is; Is it worth travelling the extra day to explore Komodo (liveaboard) or do Bali (and the fact that we get an extra day of diving) match up?

Would apreciate any opinion on the subject

 

[Darnold9999]

I would take the liveaboard on Komodo over diving in Bali if diving was the only criteria. Much better diving if you can do a liveaboard in Komodo in my opinion. However, Bali is an interesting place and spending a week both exploring and diving is the best of both worlds. Good diving and a cool place to explore.

 

[Hintermann]

I did both last June but then I had the best part of 3 weeks. With only 9 days to hand, I would say a Komodo Liveaboard easily wins. Don't get me wrong, Bali has some great diving locations like Tulamben, Padang Bai, Nusa Penida etc but a liveaboard line Mermaid I will take you to the best dive sites in and around Komodo and the icing on the cake is seeing the Komodo Dragons.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Komodo is awesome BUT since your flying into Bali, more than likely another flight to Labuan Bajo is at least gonna cost you 1/2 day. Then you have flight back from LB
and your no fly time, so unless you can get some really favorable connections I'd stick with Bali.

Bali has some incredible diving and easy travel. There are liveaboards to Komodo that leave from Bali but with your dates finding one to fit your schedule out of Bali would be a miracle. It is an epic route for a trip though.
For Bali with the 7-8 days of diving you have, I would ask do you like Muck/Macro? If not I'd do 4 days of diving off Lembongan. It's got great coral/fish/manta's and October I believe is Mola Mola season. Then for the last days head to Tulamben for the Liberty wreck and incredible muck/macro. If you don't like muck there are nice coral dives in the Tulamben area also. If you have never tried Muck diving Tulamben is a great place to start.

 

[billt4sf]

Diving on Lombok is said to be very currenty at times, anyway, am I right?

A lot depends on whether you'll like the actual LOB you are signed up for.

- Bill

 

[lamarpaulski]

Best advice is to beg, borrow, buy, or steal more time because neither place is to be missed and after all that flying its a shame not to do both properly. If diving is sole/main criteria then Komodo live-aboard would be awesome.

 

[Hintermann]

Komodo is awesome BUT since your flying into Bali, more than likely another flight to Labuan Bajo is at least gonna cost you 1/2 day. Then you have flight back from LB
and your no fly time, so unless you can get some really favorable connections I'd stick with Bali.

Not if one is going on one of the Mermaid liveaboards. Mermaid I is an upmarket boat that starts out of and returns to Benoa Harbour in Bali itself, less than 30 minutes from Denpasar. No internal flights involved.

 

[Coldwaters]

Thank you all. It nrrows Down to what I suspected;Both Places seems to have a lot to offer divevise, but Komodo being the best (Not sure how much better, but in another tread, someone compared Bali with a your local national park and Komodo with Yellowstone. I Guess thats a fair description?

On the other hand, Bali seems to have more to offer onshore. So I Guess it all narrows d
own to how hardcore diving we want?

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Four years ago we spend 12 days in Bali. 5 diving days and 7 exploring the Island. Bali is an incredible place, its culture is fascinating, there are Hindu temples thousands of years old, beautiful rice terrace scenery, colorful local markets, nice people, amazing arts and crafts particularly intricate silverwork, wood carving and stone carving. A week was even not enough to cover the Island.

And, 5 days was not enough to cover the diving. We did two days on the Liberty Wreck (incredible macro, but also much more than macro, with huge schools of jacks), shallow drop-dead beautiful reefs, deep reefs, mantas at Nusa Penida, strong current drift dives, and wall dives. We still misses a lot of spots and did not see Mola because we went late November. You might still have a shot in mid October, something you won't have a chance to see Molas at in Komodo. The underwater scenery was stunning and marine live incredibly abundant. I can guarantee you the diving will be fantastic. Get a good Bali diving guide and work with a good operator who can supply local guides.

I will take people's word, though, that Komodo on a liveaboard will be better diving overall.

It depends what kind of traveler you are. If you like exploring exotic cultures, different religions (many Hindu temples have their ceremonies open to anyone who wants to observe, we saw some spectacular colorful rituals), arts, scenery, history and all else that opens your mind with travel, then there is no contest. Go to Bali and explore. You absolutely will be thrilled with the diving as well.

If you are hardcore dive-and-dont'-give-a-darn about seeing other countries, go Komodo.

Having visited Bali, I am considering a liveaboard trip when I go to Indonesia again. However, I would never have wanted to miss the non-diving adventures that I experienced in Bali for my first time there.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Yep..can't really go wrong.