choiahoy
Contributor
Let me start by thanking everyone on scubaboard for all the fantastic advice I received leading up to the trip. What a great community and unbelievable resource!
Here's a video and trip report from our September trip to Tulamben, Padangbai, and Komodo. Enjoy!
Indonesia is an amazing country. We loved our time there, and the diving was incredible. In all, our trip was for 25 days with 14 days of diving - 7 days in Tulamben, 3 in Padangbai, and 4 in Komodo. We departed from NYC and connected in Doha--first flight was 12 hours and the second was 10.
TULAMBEN
- Accommodations
We stayed and dove with Matahari for only a day, before moving to Liberty Dive Resort. I try not to get too negative with my reports, but if it would be helpful to anyone to hear about our experience at Matahari and why we switched, I can provide more details. With all that said, Liberty Dive Resort is simply amazing--the room, facilities, staff, and dive masters are all top notch. Nothing is easier than diving with Liberty—where and when you want. I have only the highest praise for them and now understand why they are so frequently recommended here on scubaboard. Small touches like watermelon and tea after dives, the care they put into decorating the property, the incredible efficiency in the transportation to the sites, the three lovely pools--these details make Liberty truly special.
We stayed in one of the luxury garden cottages (really affordable). It was huge, modern, clean, and had great AC; I particularly liked having a 'sitting area' for all my camera gear and lights. And if you shoot video or photos, Liberty is the place for you. They have a very large camera only rinse tanks and an air gun to dry your gear, which is so nice...and of course the private guides.
- Diving
We're Bonaire-heads and love shore diving, so Tulamben was right up our alley. When you arrive, Liberty pairs you with your own guide. Ours was Mega, and he was a fantastic spotter and a pleasure to be around. He truly went above and beyond, even carrying my wife's equipment into the water to help her gear up after she hurt her back. Mega is the best, and we can't wait to dive with him again.
There was so much to see. I never thought I could fall in love with sea slugs as much as I have. Our favorite sites were Melasti, Big Tree, and Drop Off, but enjoyed every single dive. We dove the Liberty Wreck twice during the day and once at night. We never had good visibility, but it was still a fun dive.
Water temperatures generally ranged from 76-79 F and we were comfortable in a shorty, though we ended up covering up after getting some scrapes on an exit. On that note, entries can be a bit trickier than on Bonaire, particularly if you're diving near the full moon, and in general, the mornings are calmer with the waves picking up in the afternoon.
- Food
The food at Liberty ranges from OK to very good. Our favorite place to eat in town was Warung Komang. Their Nasi Campur was the best we had on Bali.
- Misc
Be careful walking at night in Tulamben. The road is not well lit, and there are holes in the sidewalk every couple hundred feet. One night, I literally fell into the gutter and slashed up my arms. I didn't lose any dive days, but it certainly could have been much much worse.
PADANGBAI
- Accommodations
We stayed at OK Divers and it was great. The room was on the smaller side, but nice and clean. The spa was simply amazing. Ayu is a very talented masseuse. Read her sterling reviews on tripadvisor--they're spot on. Book a full body massage for 90 minutes; your muscles won't regret it. My wife also had a facial from Teeny and loved it.
- Diving
We did three days of diving in Padangbai, and OK Divers run a top notch operation. The best site in our opinion was the Jetty, which we did three times. We also did Gilli Tepekong and Mimpang which are easy drift dives with healthy coral and a good amount of fish. They're all boat dives, and the sites were about 10 - 15 minutes away. Water temperatures ranged from 74 - 79 F depending on the site and current.
While we did enjoy the diving in Padangbai, if were to do this trip over, we would either spend more time in Tulamben or perhaps go out to Secret Bay.
- Food
The restaurant at OK Divers was really super. Everything we had was delicious. Excellent cocktails too. A tasty lunch is included with the morning dive trips.
KOMODO
This was our first liveaboard, and not knowing how we'd like the experience, we booked a shorter four day / three night trip on the Mastro Aldo run by the Komodo Dive Center. It's on the higher end of the budget liveaboards we researched, but had the requirements we had deemed necessary--air conditioning and an en suite bathroom. Overall, we had a good experience with them, but moving forward, I don't think liveaboards are really our thing. Also tainting our experience (and to NO FAULT of Komodo Dive Center) was the one guest who kind of ruined things for everyone else. You know the sort of guy--the rude, forever complaining know-it-all sociopath with a very loud opinion on everything, particularly all things inappropriate. The crew and guests dealt with him well, but he grew extremely tiresome to all by the end of the trip.
- Accommodations
The room is small and basic, much like we had anticipated. We really only used it to sleep and spent most of our time on the top roof deck. It was manageable and fair for the price.
- Diving
The diving was excellent, and the divemasters were safe and detailed. Highlights were sharks and mantas and the exceptionally healthy reefs. In the end, we discovered that diving in strong currents is just not our thing. We're certainly glad we experienced the famed Komodo current, but I would be quite happy if I never have to use a reef hook or kick against the current again. Water temperatures ranged from 74 - 80 F depending on the site and current.
- Food
The food on the boat was simply outstanding. Everyone was thrilled at every meal. The chef is truly skilled and clearly takes pride in watching everyone enjoy his food.
UBUD / SEMINYAK
We also spend a few days at the end of our trip in Ubud and Seminyak, and we had a great time in both places. It's well worth your time to spend a little time above water exploring this amazing island. If you need a place to stay in Seminyak, take a look at Seminyak Icon Villas or Jineng Villas. A little pricey, but lovely villas with private pools and in a great location.
VIDEO
For those interested, the video was shot with a Sony RX100 IV in a Fantasea housing. For the macro shots, I used a sea dragon light (2100) and a set of diopters (Subsee +10 and/or Inon 165 +6) and (generally) a red filter on the wide angle shots. Slow motion clips were filmed at 120 fps. It was edited and graded on an Avid Symphony.
Overall, it was an unforgettable trip and a wonderful way to celebrate turning 40. Can’t wait to go back!
Here's a video and trip report from our September trip to Tulamben, Padangbai, and Komodo. Enjoy!
Indonesia is an amazing country. We loved our time there, and the diving was incredible. In all, our trip was for 25 days with 14 days of diving - 7 days in Tulamben, 3 in Padangbai, and 4 in Komodo. We departed from NYC and connected in Doha--first flight was 12 hours and the second was 10.
TULAMBEN
- Accommodations
We stayed and dove with Matahari for only a day, before moving to Liberty Dive Resort. I try not to get too negative with my reports, but if it would be helpful to anyone to hear about our experience at Matahari and why we switched, I can provide more details. With all that said, Liberty Dive Resort is simply amazing--the room, facilities, staff, and dive masters are all top notch. Nothing is easier than diving with Liberty—where and when you want. I have only the highest praise for them and now understand why they are so frequently recommended here on scubaboard. Small touches like watermelon and tea after dives, the care they put into decorating the property, the incredible efficiency in the transportation to the sites, the three lovely pools--these details make Liberty truly special.
We stayed in one of the luxury garden cottages (really affordable). It was huge, modern, clean, and had great AC; I particularly liked having a 'sitting area' for all my camera gear and lights. And if you shoot video or photos, Liberty is the place for you. They have a very large camera only rinse tanks and an air gun to dry your gear, which is so nice...and of course the private guides.
- Diving
We're Bonaire-heads and love shore diving, so Tulamben was right up our alley. When you arrive, Liberty pairs you with your own guide. Ours was Mega, and he was a fantastic spotter and a pleasure to be around. He truly went above and beyond, even carrying my wife's equipment into the water to help her gear up after she hurt her back. Mega is the best, and we can't wait to dive with him again.
There was so much to see. I never thought I could fall in love with sea slugs as much as I have. Our favorite sites were Melasti, Big Tree, and Drop Off, but enjoyed every single dive. We dove the Liberty Wreck twice during the day and once at night. We never had good visibility, but it was still a fun dive.
Water temperatures generally ranged from 76-79 F and we were comfortable in a shorty, though we ended up covering up after getting some scrapes on an exit. On that note, entries can be a bit trickier than on Bonaire, particularly if you're diving near the full moon, and in general, the mornings are calmer with the waves picking up in the afternoon.
- Food
The food at Liberty ranges from OK to very good. Our favorite place to eat in town was Warung Komang. Their Nasi Campur was the best we had on Bali.
- Misc
Be careful walking at night in Tulamben. The road is not well lit, and there are holes in the sidewalk every couple hundred feet. One night, I literally fell into the gutter and slashed up my arms. I didn't lose any dive days, but it certainly could have been much much worse.
PADANGBAI
- Accommodations
We stayed at OK Divers and it was great. The room was on the smaller side, but nice and clean. The spa was simply amazing. Ayu is a very talented masseuse. Read her sterling reviews on tripadvisor--they're spot on. Book a full body massage for 90 minutes; your muscles won't regret it. My wife also had a facial from Teeny and loved it.
- Diving
We did three days of diving in Padangbai, and OK Divers run a top notch operation. The best site in our opinion was the Jetty, which we did three times. We also did Gilli Tepekong and Mimpang which are easy drift dives with healthy coral and a good amount of fish. They're all boat dives, and the sites were about 10 - 15 minutes away. Water temperatures ranged from 74 - 79 F depending on the site and current.
While we did enjoy the diving in Padangbai, if were to do this trip over, we would either spend more time in Tulamben or perhaps go out to Secret Bay.
- Food
The restaurant at OK Divers was really super. Everything we had was delicious. Excellent cocktails too. A tasty lunch is included with the morning dive trips.
KOMODO
This was our first liveaboard, and not knowing how we'd like the experience, we booked a shorter four day / three night trip on the Mastro Aldo run by the Komodo Dive Center. It's on the higher end of the budget liveaboards we researched, but had the requirements we had deemed necessary--air conditioning and an en suite bathroom. Overall, we had a good experience with them, but moving forward, I don't think liveaboards are really our thing. Also tainting our experience (and to NO FAULT of Komodo Dive Center) was the one guest who kind of ruined things for everyone else. You know the sort of guy--the rude, forever complaining know-it-all sociopath with a very loud opinion on everything, particularly all things inappropriate. The crew and guests dealt with him well, but he grew extremely tiresome to all by the end of the trip.
- Accommodations
The room is small and basic, much like we had anticipated. We really only used it to sleep and spent most of our time on the top roof deck. It was manageable and fair for the price.
- Diving
The diving was excellent, and the divemasters were safe and detailed. Highlights were sharks and mantas and the exceptionally healthy reefs. In the end, we discovered that diving in strong currents is just not our thing. We're certainly glad we experienced the famed Komodo current, but I would be quite happy if I never have to use a reef hook or kick against the current again. Water temperatures ranged from 74 - 80 F depending on the site and current.
- Food
The food on the boat was simply outstanding. Everyone was thrilled at every meal. The chef is truly skilled and clearly takes pride in watching everyone enjoy his food.
UBUD / SEMINYAK
We also spend a few days at the end of our trip in Ubud and Seminyak, and we had a great time in both places. It's well worth your time to spend a little time above water exploring this amazing island. If you need a place to stay in Seminyak, take a look at Seminyak Icon Villas or Jineng Villas. A little pricey, but lovely villas with private pools and in a great location.
VIDEO
For those interested, the video was shot with a Sony RX100 IV in a Fantasea housing. For the macro shots, I used a sea dragon light (2100) and a set of diopters (Subsee +10 and/or Inon 165 +6) and (generally) a red filter on the wide angle shots. Slow motion clips were filmed at 120 fps. It was edited and graded on an Avid Symphony.
Overall, it was an unforgettable trip and a wonderful way to celebrate turning 40. Can’t wait to go back!
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