Best value diving in Indonesia

[Asanoth]

Hello,
we are going to Indonesia as a part of our long term backpacking trip in two weeks or so. We probably fly to Medan, Sumatra, spend 3-4 weeks on the island and then fly to Nusa Tengara, visiting Flores, Komodo and Lombok, finishing mid July, 90% flying out of Bali or Jakarta. Theoretically we could add another month for Sulawesi/Papua, but I do not think we will - plus Raja Ampat is really not the best in summer, I believe.
As we are on budget, we cannot really spend too many days diving, but we still want to enjoy amazing things Indonesian sea has to offer. What I really look for is a price per great dive, when we try to stick below 40 € or less if possible. We much prefer 3 or even 4 dives a day over two.
I would like to go to Nusa Penida for sunfish, and I read you can see hammerheads close to Lombok. We would also like to see mantas. Muck we like, but we have already had our fair share. Komodo will probably be great, but maybe the surrounding sites outside of the national park are equally great?

I would consider liveaboard provided it is not too expensive, nothing luxurious of course, we can live on basic terms, but of course the diving needs to be safe and the gear in a good condition.

So far we dove on the Phillipines (Anilao, Balicasag, Cebu, Moalboal) and Thailand (Ko Haa and Ko Bida), doing our AOWD there.

Could you please recommend, what sites should I look at, given our itinerary and budget consciousness?

Thank you.

 

[Indah]

Indonesia boasts a wealth of attractions and warmly welcomes every visitor. However, we encourage you to consider the following when planning your trip:
What do you believe is a reasonable salary for a guide, and what should be the cost of their diving equipment? Additionally, how much should you compensate the professional responsible for filling the tanks? Let's not forget the expenses associated with running a compressor, such as energy, space, filters, oil, maintenance, and overhauls. What about the transportation of the tanks, their maintenance, taxes, and permit costs for the operation?
Indeed, many individuals are willing to work for less than a fair wage, as they may be overwhelmed by debt after years without income from their dive operations. We encourage you to do your own calculations and determine a fair price to pay. A rate of 30 Euros per dive, excluding boat and rental equipment may barely cover expenses for small-scale operators, especially when the guide may only be taking one or two guests diving at a time.
Indonesia use to have the reputation for being a very cheap travel destination. In the 2023 reality all costs of living and fuel prices increased drastically the last years. Please come and enjoy the beauty of the country and the hospitality of its people, but I hope you are willing to pay fair prices for the services.

 

[matts1w]

I am far too old to do the backpacker diver thing anymore, but here are some ideas that might help:

1. Since you are starting in North Sumatra, there is budget-friendly quality diving out of Pulah Weh.

2. The hammerheads seen in Lombok are just outside of Belongas Bay (south) and are VERY hit-or-miss. They show up in October. The diving there ain't cheap.

3. There are many backpacker/super-budget liveaboards in Labuan Bajo/Komodo. You should not have much problem finding them. Some people with flexible schedules show up and negotiate their way on boats last minute and get super bargain prices. That being said, June and July are peak tourist season, and openings may be few and far between.

4. Bali mola mola season starts in late July. Push Nusa Penida to the end of your trip as much as possible. Also, there ain't much cheap about diving Nusa Penida and Lembongan anymore. Everyone wants to see the mantas and mola2, and at that time of year, everyone will be busy.

5. Best value diving is shore diving out of Tulamben and Amed.

I hope that helps some.

 

[Centrals]

Pulau Weh and Scubajunkie Komodo.

 

[jeremyl]

Alor diving is ~$50 USD/tank and you can stay pretty cheap, tho not at most of the dive resorts - but the resorts will pick you up. I am going in June for my first trip and from what I hear it should be amazing diving. I'm going to Komodo after that and then more diving somewhere. June seems to be peak season for Alor as well, so you may want to get on the books somewhere if you want to dive there, but I would say it would be hard to pass up if you are going to be in that area anyway.

 

[Asanoth]

Thank you for your valuable remarks. I was also looking at Pulau Weh: do you think it is on par with other sites around Eastern Nusa Tengarra?
Aside from diving, do you deem Aceh (not Weh) safe to visit?

Tulamben and Amed are on Bali and I am rather hesitant to spend more than necessary time on the Island. But if it is great there and inexpensive, it might make sense to spend a few days before flying there?

Scubajunkie Komodo I would not call cheap... So far the most expensive diving we had was on Ko Lanta at about 50 usd per dive. I expected Indonesia to be more close to the Phillipines, where we paid maximum 45 usd in Anilao per dive including acommodation and food and as little as 25 usd per dive on Mactan.

Alor is rather off way for us, wanting to visit Flores and Lombok and limiting flights to minimum (probably only inbound, Sumatra - Nusa Tengarra and outbound) I doubt we would be able to push it in, provided we need to get to DPS or CGK at the end...

 

[Tippytoes12]

I would echo the points made above, 40: euros per dive would probably not break even for the shop. Fuel and food is no longer cheap on Indonesia.

I am curious as to why you want to avoid Bali , it has superb diving at great prices on the East coast.

You may find shops that will offer four dives a day, but most will offer three and mostly on a day trip. Personally I would spend quite a lot of time there for the excellent diving and the fabulous Balinese culture.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[JonnieB]

I would echo the points made above, 40: euros per dive would probably not break even for the shop. Fuel and food is no longer cheap on Indonesia.

I am curious as to why you want to avoid Bali , it has superb diving at great prices on the East coast.

You may find shops that will offer four dives a day, but most will offer three and mostly on a day trip. Personally I would spend quite a lot of time there for the excellent diving and the fabulous Balinese culture.

Enjoy your trip.

His/her idea of Bali is probably the Kuta surfing scene, which couldn't be further from the laid back local Balinese culture along the north coast (Amed, Tulamben, Lovina). I second or third the recco for Tulamben and tanks can be had for $30 with guide/porter included. The diving is superb but not much big stuff like sharks/rays but pristine healthy reefs and incredible fish variety.

I'm here now and having a great time.

 

[JonnieB]

Indonesia boasts a wealth of attractions and warmly welcomes every visitor. However, we encourage you to consider the following when planning your trip:
What do you believe is a reasonable salary for a guide, and what should be the cost of their diving equipment? Additionally, how much should you compensate the professional responsible for filling the tanks? Let's not forget the expenses associated with running a compressor, such as energy, space, filters, oil, maintenance, and overhauls. What about the transportation of the tanks, their maintenance, taxes, and permit costs for the operation?
Indeed, many individuals are willing to work for less than a fair wage, as they may be overwhelmed by debt after years without income from their dive operations. We encourage you to do your own calculations and determine a fair price to pay. A rate of 30 Euros per dive, excluding boat and rental equipment may barely cover expenses for small-scale operators, especially when the guide may only be taking one or two guests diving at a time.
Indonesia use to have the reputation for being a very cheap travel destination. In the 2023 reality all costs of living and fuel prices increased drastically the last years. Please come and enjoy the beauty of the country and the hospitality of its people, but I hope you are willing to pay fair prices for the services.

You sound like someone in the scuba industry in Indonesia/Bali. If so, maybe share your thoughts on what is a "fair" price to be pay for diving. Let's say from shore in Bali and a short boat excursion.

Keeping in mind there is nothing particularly challenging about most dives in the Tulamben/Amed area, as they are all easy parallel shore dives and the boat trips to sites off the cliffs are 10-15 minutes max. Also, many of us have all our own equipment so this should be factored into the cost.

 

[Dan]

I have been diving in Bali almost every year in the last 15 years. Forget about seeing Mola Mola in July. I tried it last year with no luck, even in August 2022. September would be better. My last Mola Mola sighting was in September 2019 at 40m deep, as shown in the video, below.

However, you’ll have a better chance seeing Mantas in Manta Point, Nusa Penida anytime of the year.

I saw Mantas several times in Komodo in July last year, in Golden Passage, Shotgun, and even in Pink Beach (which is strange as that place is more known for muck diving at night). I tried to go to Manta Alley at the south of Komodo Island but the bad weather (high waves) prevented us to go there. We even skipped Horseshoe Bay due to green water, just made 1 dive in Crinoid Canyon and skipped the rest of the diving days there & cruised to the the north.