50 days September-October...itinerary suggestions?

[Topper1972]

I have 50 days in Indonesia this September-October...where should I dive?

I definitely want to include Lembongan/Nusa Penida as I want to visit a friend there...and it is the mola-mola season.
Also I think that I would like to include a Komodo liveaboard.

With a total of 50 days in Indonesia I think that maybe I can dive 3-5 different places?

Apart from Lembongan/Nusa Penida and Komodo what places/islands should I consider?
Is Bali too overrun and should I perhaps consider Bunanken-Bangka-Lembeh instead...or perhaps Alor?

 

[Dan]

Don’t miss Tulamben.

I’d go for Alor or go for the ultimate: Ring of Fire. Check out my September 2019 plan: Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019

 

[billt4sf]

Do you want to dive only, or do you want to enjoy some topside activities (in which case, Bali is the place, depending on what you want).

As far as diving, Bali diving is surprisingly good and I would recommend both Tulamben and Nusa Penida (we use Geko Divers in Padang Bai and take boat trips to NP).

Raja Ampat is *THE* place to dive in Indo! Great combo of large and small stuff and hordes of fish. One might say, stay there the whole time. (OK, you probably don't want to do that.) I and others have been there 5+ times. We usually do a LOB and a resort, it IS a PITA to get to. Sept might be a bit early for RA because of summer winds but others are more knowledgeable about this than I am.

I have not been to Komodo yet but certainly it would vie with RA for #1 or #2. So those two for sure.

I would definitely check out Dan's trip as he suggested above but I think you are talking about Sept / Oct 2018?

After RA & Komodo, everything else is second place I think - though others have been to many more places than I have been to. The people that love muck and have big cameras (and some others) love Lembeh but it is a unique type of diving so consider carefully if you want this or not.

If you give us some idea what kind of budget you have, your age, and what type of diving you like, your experience level with currents, your interest with UW photography your tolerance for less than luxury accommodations we could make more detailed suggestions.

Suggest you do some Googling and learn about the Indonesian Throughflow.

It should be a GREAT trip !!! Lucky you!

- Bill

 

[Topper1972]

I am a 45 year old male ex-dive instructor (worked 2 years as a dive instructor in Egypt 2012-2014).
I have done a little over 1400 dives....most in the Red Sea (liveaboards and daily boats), but I have also dived South Africa, Mozambique, the Philippines, the Maldives and a few other places.
Back in September 2010 I did a Komodo liveaboard (Jaya) and I also dove Lembongan and Gili Trawangan.
I thought Komodo was fantastic...but Gili Trawangan was not very interesting....I liked the mola-mola at Lembongan.
I like UW photography and I have a Sony RX100. My main interest the last few years has been sharks, but I also enjoy big rays and big schools of fish.
I am open towards trying out some muck diving in Indonesia during my trip to Indonesia this September-October...but I think that I would get bored if I only did muck diving.
Budget for my 50 days in Indonesia this September-October...I would like to keep the whole trip under 10,000 Euros (12,000 USD).
In the Red Sea I prefer liveaboards...but I think most comparable liveaboards in Indonesia are a lot more expensive.

 

[chillyinCanada]

About 2.5-4 times as expensive for comparable boats, has been my view.

Definitely, go to Raja Ampat with emphasis on Misool, if you can bring it in under budget.

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

Komodo, Raja Ampat and Bali are usually the top 3 destinations visited by divers in Indonesia. If you're into muck diving, you might also want to consider adding Lembeh to your list. I would also recommend Alor both for reefs and muck. We will be visiting Komodo and Alor in September and October this year. Email us if you would like more information. And have a wonderful time in Indonesia!