Complement to Raja Ampat (Feb 2021)

[charlier]

According to your requirements, Wakatobi would definitely fit.
Access from RA to Makassar with a direct with batik air, and if eveything goes as planned, the direct link from Makassar to Wakatobi will be opened by 2021.
There are some decent resort with proper wifi on Wangi-Wangi ( Main island ) and diving is top notch ( not as much big fish as in RA though) and prices average.
I am opening a DC in the next few weeks there, please feel free to contact me if you want more infos.

From my limited experience, Wakatobi is not the best region for bigger fish and the dive sites are a bit over/rated. Try to visit Misool.

 

[AlMitch]

If Wakatobi is OK in terms of $$'s then Misool Eco Resort will be in the same range and I would honestly suggest Misool.
Have not stayed there but when I did a LOB many moons ago the Misool region definitely was my favourite in RA.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Agreed, can't get me enough Misool but also can't bring myself to miss out on rest of Raja by staying only at Misool instead of on an LOB. With an accommodating budget, I'd do both the lob and a stay at Misool.

 

[Dan]

If Wakatobi is OK in terms of $$'s then Misool Eco Resort will be in the same range and I would honestly suggest Misool.
Have not stayed there but when I did a LOB many moons ago the Misool region definitely was my favourite in RA.

I stayed in both WaKaToBi Resort (2009) & Misool Eco Resort (2013). Both resorts costed me an arm & a leg then (~$10K for a couple divers). WiFi’s were sucky then. I hope they are better now.

As far as diving, I’d go to Misool hands down, especially since you will be in Raja Ampat already. No big fish in WaKaToBi Resort then. I was disappointed. Coral wise, Misool is known for the soft coral. Also, you can see Oceanic Mantas in Misool (Magic Mountain), along with some sharks (blacktip, wobeggong, walking shark, etc.).

My recommendation for the second week will be Bali.

 

[skearse]

From my limited experience, Wakatobi is not the best region for bigger fish and the dive sites are a bit over/rated. Try to visit Misool.

If Wakatobi is OK in terms of $$'s then Misool Eco Resort will be in the same range and I would honestly suggest Misool.
Have not stayed there but when I did a LOB many moons ago the Misool region definitely was my favourite in RA.

Agreed, can't get me enough Misool but also can't bring myself to miss out on rest of Raja by staying only at Misool instead of on an LOB. With an accommodating budget, I'd do both the lob and a stay at Misool.

I stayed in both WaKaToBi Resort (2009) & Misool Eco Resort (2013). Both resorts costed me an arm & a leg then (~$10K for a couple divers). WiFi’s were sucky then. I hope they are better now.

As far as diving, I’d go to Misool hands down, especially since you will be in Raja Ampat already. No big fish in WaKaToBi Resort then. I was disappointed. Coral wise, Misool is known for the soft coral. Also, you can see Oceanic Mantas in Misool (Magic Mountain), along with some sharks (blacktip, wobeggong, walking shark, etc.).

My recommendation for the second week will be Bali.

So, sounds like Misool>Wakatobi; and it sounds like it may be easier to transfer to since we'll already be in RA. As for the $$...yeah, that's a consideration, but we're kind of treating this as a YOLO trip, and as I saw quoted in another thread by @Luko "You don't travel from the US just to spend a week in Indo."

@Dan_T Why would you choose Bali over the others? Any concerns with Bali in February (weather-wise; PADI travel site seems to indicate Feb would be one of the wetter months)?

 

[Luko]

Papua Explorers limits diving to central Raja Ampat, Misool is far away 6h boat ride south of Raja Ampat, also supposed to be the best part/most colorful of the area.

I was also about to suggest Triton bay since it's also located in West Papua (are whale sharks big enough for you? TB is also supposed to have even more biomass than R4)... Though probably your wifi requirement won't fit in : maybe you can ask directly Triton bay divers resort whether they're improving their wifi signal.

Bali is a kind of backup plan for everything in Indonesia, even when it rains you never get disappointed and there will be all the critters comfort you need. That said it may not be the easiest airport to fly from R4 (I tried to combine both R4 and Bali in august and there was too much transfer time involved, so I dropped R4).

 

[Dan]

@Dan_T Why would you choose Bali over the others? Any concerns with Bali in February (weather-wise; PADI travel site seems to indicate Feb would be one of the wetter months)?

1. Your buddy would have better chance of having good WiFi in some hotels there.
2. Diving wise, you can see some big fish like manta in Nusa Penida, bumphead parrotfish & brown marble groupers in Tulamben, sharks in Padang Bai, if you get a good DM who knows where & when to find them. Bali diving is more like diving safari, hoping from place to place. You can leave your WiFi bounded buddy in the hotel while you go diving.
3. After a week of hard core diving activities, perhaps some of you would like to do something different. Bali has rich, unique arts & oriental culture ambience to keep you amazed. Plenty of land tour & attractions.
4. Flight from Sorong to Bali is not that bad. I usually (4 out of 7 times trip to Raja Ampat from Houston) use Bali as a domestic hub because some of my buddies want to do some excursions in Bali before going home. You can fly from Sorong to Bali via Makassar or Manado. For example: Sriwijaya Air offer a 5 hour flight
12:50 So-wrong - 16:50 Denpasar

 

[Luko]

4. Flight from Sorong to Bali is not that bad. I usually (4 out of 7 times trip to Raja Ampat from Houston)

Departure not earlier than 2PM if you're staying in a resort, fly Sorong- Makasar then some hours spent in Makasar airport for a night flight to DPS, means staying nearby Kuta if you don't want to ride 3hrs and arrive at 1AM in Tulamben.
Means also not diving on the next morning.... total 2 days wasted... not what I call "not bad" in terms of domestic transfer in Indo.

 

[Dan]

Departure not earlier than 2PM if you're staying in a resort, fly Sorong- Makasar then some hours spent in Makasar airport for a night flight to DPS, means staying nearby Kuta if you don't want to ride 3hrs and arrive at 1AM in Tulamben.
Means also not diving on the next morning.... total 2 days wasted... not what I call "not bad" in terms of domestic transfer in Indo.

This 5-hour flight is what I refer to as “not bad”

You can stay in Sanur afterwards & still have a nice sunset dining in Jimbaran beach and the next morning go diving in Nusa Penida. Then the next day after that go to Tulamben.

 

[Luko]

Resorts do not recommend booking flights leaving that early, it can take 2,5 hrs boatride from the resort to Sorong, with shuttles that usually leave around 8-9AM, then half hour to disembark and get to the airport.. I wouldn't take a 12:50 flight.

That's what RADL advised me last week, FWIW.