First time to Indonesia- help?

[scuBecca]

Hi guys!

I've got some time off working coming up in Nov. (9 days total, including travel days) and want to dive somewhere fun, and I've got my sights set on Indonesia. Nudibranchs are my jam and I want to find and photograph as many as I can! I'd also love to see a Mola Mola, though I think I might be a bit late for that (I have off from Nov. 9th-17th).

Since this is my first trip to Indonesia and I'm traveling solo, I'm thinking of diving somewhere out of Bali, simply for the ease of travel/transportation. There are a ton of places I'd like to dive, but for the length of this trip, I think focusing on one, maaaaaybe two, areas would be the best use of time.

I've read through several of the threads here already, and have a growing list of macro-rich areas, as well as recommended operators, and am starting to get a bit overwhelmed at all the options- a week is just not enough time! So I'm open to any input, advice or recommendations you guys have!

Also, I'd love to see a komodo dragon while I'm in the area. Any advice on the best way to plan a short land-based excursion? (also, how long should I allot for dragon hunting?)

Thanks!
Becca

 

[Darnold9999]

If you want to see a Komodo dragon then you have to go to Komodo. I would do that as a single trip to Komodo rather than try to combine it with Bali. Otherwise you are going to spend way too much time travelling. Possibly a day or two in Bali before heading to Komodo but essentially a trip to Komodo with Bali as the international destination (as opposed to Jakarta).

I like Underwater Tribe when diving Bali, or organizing an Indonesia trip. They make everything so easy and handle anything that goes wrong. Their Bali guides are excellent for critter spotting.

Travel to and from Indonesia is time consuming. It takes me somewhere between 20 and 30 hours each way depending on stops from the west coast. That eats up a lot of your holiday so would minimize internal Indonesia travel as much as possible because every flight costs you an additional day of not diving.

 

[Dan]

With such short visit. Stick to Bali. Dive in Tulamben area for muck diving.

To see the Komido, just go to the zoo in Bali. Where To Find Komodo Dragons In Bali (Updated June'19) - Ithaka

Since this will be your first time in Bali, there are many fun things to do in Bali besides diving, such as elephant ride & water rafting in Ayung river, visiting the Besakih temple, Monkey Forest, Tampak Siring spring, Goa Gajah temple, Goa Lawah temple, etc.

 

[BluewaterPhoto]

I would either stick to Bali or book a 6 night liveaboard in Komodo.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Also, I'd love to see a komodo dragon while I'm in the area. Any advice on the best way to plan a short land-based excursion? (also, how long should I allot for dragon hunting?)

Unless you want to do more than just see a few and snap some photos, the most efficient way to work that into a dive trip is to book a Komodo liveaboard that stops for an afternoon at Rinca, where they take you ashore for a couple of hours to see the dragons. I took a 5-day liveaboard that did just that. Add in the travel days to and from the US, plus maybe a day in Bali before the liveaboard, and you've used up your 9 days.

 

[Dan]

Unless you want to do more than just see a few and snap some photos, the most efficient way to work that into a dive trip is to book a Komodo liveaboard that stops for an afternoon at Rinca, where they take you ashore for a couple of hours to see the dragons. I took a 5-day liveaboard that did just that. Add in the travel days to and from the US, plus maybe a day in Bali before the liveaboard, and you've used up your 9 days.

Good luck finding a Komodo liveaboard from 11 to 16 November and if there is such 5N/6D boat, availability is another limiting factor plus getting reasonable airfare 6 weeks away from departure date.

You need to adjust your vacation dates to the liveaboard schedule, not the other way around. Also, to get a good spot & reasonable airfare, we book it a year ahead. For my Ring of Fire trip with Blue Manta (9-19 September), I booked them in January 2018 (20 months ahead)

 

[chillyinCanada]

Please don't ride elephants. Be a good citizen of the world and educate yourself about elephant rides before you go.

 

[scuBecca]

Thanks guys! You've pretty much confirmed my hunch that I should really just stick to one area- I'll focus on Tulamben for this trip. And while I would love to see a wild komodo in its natural habitat, this trip is just too short to also include a visit to the park (I did find a Komodo liveaboard that lines up with my dates, but the flights I'd need to take to make it work have some seriously short layovers, and I don't want to risk it). I know this is kind of a last minute trip, and yes, a lot of it will be eaten up in travel time (really not looking forward to spending 30hrs in airports/airplanes!) At some point, I'd love to come back on a longer trip (which will be planned more than a month and a half out).

My internet searching tells me water temps in Tulamben in November have historically have been in the upper 20s C- does that sound accurate?

Also, thank you for the land-based activity suggestions- I'm looking forward to seeing and exploring a new country!

 

[Mike1967]

I'll focus on Tulamben for this trip.

Was there in June, you'll love it!

 

[chillyinCanada]

You should also be prepared for some colder temps but only on certain dives.

Hood, vest and/or a Sharkskin, etc. Last March the water was cold around 20-21c on a number of sites, perhaps because of an upwelling from a minor earthquake out to sea.

But it is my understanding that Crystal Bay is often quite cold and we experienced 18c. Brrrrrrr I was really glad that I had carried along all that extra protection wear. Next time, I'll have my 5mm wetsuit too!

Now, having said all that, temps could easily be mid20s