Empress II or Mikumba

[Satto95]

I've been to Komodo 3 times. You don't need to spend too many days there. 3 full days are plenty enough, as long as you have a chance to dive in the south (Horseshoe Bay) to dive in the world class dive sites like: Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall, Crinoid Canyon, Torpedo Alley, away from the rift-raft of the north Komodo. You will also have a chance to dive in Hot Rock, Sangeang Island, where you see the volcanic gas coming out of the sand. You don't need to buy another domestic flight from DPS to LBJ, save that 2-day flight (inbound & outbound) and trade the time and money with sailing & diving along the way and may be some diving in Nusa Penida, Bali.

Looks amazing! I'm assuming Mermaid is one of the more popular LB in the area? (Like blue manta).
I guess I'll have the chance to dive in Bali and do the Liberty! Maybe some much diving in the North too....

 

[outofofficebrb]

I guess this is where @Dan_T and I differ. I had 4 full days in Komodo and that was not enough for me. I would recommend the full 7 days. Apart from wanting more, I loved it so much, it’s why I’m going back.

 

[Dan]

I guess this is where @Dan_T and I differ. I had 4 full days in Komodo and that was not enough for me. I would recommend the full 7 days. Apart from wanting more, I loved it so much, it’s why I’m going back.

Komodo bug is still biting you, eh

I'm going to explore other places this year (Cocos, Maldives & Socorro)

 

[Satto95]

I guess this is where @Dan_T and I differ. I had 4 full days in Komodo and that was not enough for me. I would recommend the full 7 days. Apart from wanting more, I loved it so much, it’s why I’m going back.

I think this route works the best for me honestly.

 

[dirtfarmer]

MM2 is a great trip, great crew, really good food. Their itinerary is really good. The out of park dives can be excellent. Sangeagang is so much more than volcano bubbles. That dive site is off the hook for Nudibranch diversity and density. One trip we also dove Bima Bay and there was a site they called "Better Than Lembeh" it was, it was like 3 awesome sites at Lembeh rolled into 1. My guide was a macro maniac, watching his light moveing around spotting at night really shows how great and fast he is, he knows if a small somthing is worth checking out 3 meters away. with some diving in Bali makes for a really good trip.

That said, 7 solid days in the park is hard to beat, really let's you dive the whole park if your LOB co-operates. Komodo is awesome sauce, have the right operation and 7 days in the park is spectacular.

Pick your poison, I don't think you can go wrong either choice.

But you do have a problem, after diving Indo for the first time you will do anything to go back. Be prepared to become a lifelong Indo junky.

 

[Dan]

MM2 is a great trip, great crew, really good food. Their itinerary is really good. The out of park dives can be excellent. Sangeagang is so much more than volcano bubbles. That dive site is off the hook for Nudibranch diversity and density. One trip we also dove Bima Bay and there was a site they called "Better Than Lembeh" it was, it was like 3 awesome sites at Lembeh rolled into 1. My guide was a macro maniac, watching his light moveing around spotting at night really shows how great and fast he is, he knows if a small somthing is worth checking out 3 meters away. with some diving in Bali makes for a really good trip.

That said, 7 solid days in the park is hard to beat, really let's you dive the whole park if your LOB co-operates. Komodo is awesome sauce, have the right operation and 7 days in the park is spectacular.

Pick your poison, I don't think you can go wrong either choice.

But you do have a problem, after diving Indo for the first time you will do anything to go back. Be prepared to become a lifelong Indo junky.

I took 11D/10N MM1, so 6 full days in Komodo then. Unfortunately for May 2019, MM1 is not on Komodo schedule then, just MM2 for 8D/7N.

 

[Satto95]

MM2 is a great trip, great crew, really good food. Their itinerary is really good. The out of park dives can be excellent. Sangeagang is so much more than volcano bubbles. That dive site is off the hook for Nudibranch diversity and density. One trip we also dove Bima Bay and there was a site they called "Better Than Lembeh" it was, it was like 3 awesome sites at Lembeh rolled into 1. My guide was a macro maniac, watching his light moveing around spotting at night really shows how great and fast he is, he knows if a small somthing is worth checking out 3 meters away. with some diving in Bali makes for a really good trip.

That said, 7 solid days in the park is hard to beat, really let's you dive the whole park if your LOB co-operates. Komodo is awesome sauce, have the right operation and 7 days in the park is spectacular.

Pick your poison, I don't think you can go wrong either choice.

But you do have a problem, after diving Indo for the first time you will do anything to go back. Be prepared to become a lifelong Indo junky.

Do they usually stop in Bima? That sounds amazing since I'm a huge macro fanatic.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Do they usually stop in Bima? That sounds amazing since I'm a huge macro fanatic.

First time yes, second time no, instead we did some dives off the coast in that area. Great black sand muck dives. I saw my first Roughsnout Ghost Pipefish (sadly my camera had flooded before), my guide and I had a frog fish spotting contest. I spotted 5 to his 4. I cheated I just swam ahead stopping at all the habitat hotspots, he still had to spot other stuff for my dive buddy.

 

[Satto95]

First time yes, second time no, instead we did some dives off the coast in that area. Great black sand muck dives. I saw my first Roughsnout Ghost Pipefish (sadly my camera had flooded before), my guide and I had a frog fish spotting contest. I spotted 5 to his 4. I cheated I just swam ahead stopping at all the habitat hotspots, he still had to spot other stuff for my dive buddy.

Sounds like a blast. Bali as a gateway makes it so much easier since I'm combining it with a trip to Japan.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Sounds like a blast. Bali as a gateway makes it so much easier since I'm combining it with a trip to Japan.

Although its not May, we are running a trip on the MM 1 from 1 - 10 June, still a space left if those dates work for you..