Inexperienced diver's options in Feb

[Finn82]

We are looking for good diving in Indonesia in February. Have only done OW-course and few dives in Honduras last year. We want to do land based diving but still see also big fishes. We are planning to start from Bunaken and maybe Lembeh with 2fish divers. Should be lots of smaller stuff there. Where after that? Time is quite limited, maybe three weeks altogether.

Have been reading a lot about Komodo and good possibility to see pelagics there. I think we might try our luck there despite strong currents and long boat trips to sites...Or anyone has other suggestions considering experience level, conditions, convenience, and marine life?

Btw, We live in Finland and coming there every year is not possible for us.
Thanks and wish you good and safe dives.

 

[PeCaRi]

Hi Finn

I think 3 weeks is fine for Bunaken and Lembeh. you might also consider Gangga / Bangka. Lembeh is my love, but please take care of your buoyancy. 2fish is great. Basic, very small but nice!

Komodo: first the time question because you need about 2 days for getting there from Manado and then again back to Bali and Singapore/Kuala Lumpur counts again for 1-2 days. If the inner Indonesian flights are not cancelled.

I do a two month trip to Indonesia in January (second trip). Indonesia is huge and has a great variety. So you won't be able to dive the best within 3 weeks.

Indonesia is not really the destination for big fish. It is rather known for the sheer variety.

Have fun

 

[AlanWald]

Also from what I have read Komodo area has some nasty currents. Underwater currents (especially down currents) are not something you just jump in to and hope to be lucky. It takes a lot of experience and skill to stay safe.


Bunaken and Lembeh areas are better suited to a beginner. And the previous poster is right about travelling within Indonesia, you have to allow lots of time and even then you can cancelled. Best is to fly to Manado on Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur or Silk Air (subsidiary of Singapore airlines and ticket is cheaper if connecting to/from a Singapore airline flight) out of Singapore

There is one dive site off Manado Tua the volcanic island next to Bunaken (you can easily see it when landing if there weather is clear) called Pangalingan. It has strong current so stick close to your dive guide, but you will likely see some medium size big fish. Also in Lembeh do as many night dives as possible.

A few years ago just weeks before I arrived they saw a baby Whale shark. Also you can sometimes see isolated groups of tuna near the surface and Napoleon Wrasse and big Bumphead Parrot fish. In the shallows you may see Dugongs coming to graze in the sea grass in the Bunaken area.

If you dive with Opo at Two Fish Lembeh , say that Alan from California says Hello and all is well. Opo is a great guide, very experienced and very outgoing and fun (many of the guides are shy) and will play guitar and sing for you. A fun thing to do at night at Lembeh is to go with Opo and some of the staff to visit people in the nearby village, a three minute boat ride away and have some drinks

 

[fishmother]

hey there we are diving with 2 fish feb 8th to 19 lembeh /bunaken combo with the emphasis on lembeh since we photograph we cant pass the chance on a photographers paradise !! we have found things before in other places only to be told without a live specimen we cant id it but we would not ever kill something just to get to name it !!! the finding of thing is enough for us. le tme know when you will be there maybe we can meet up !! have a great time either way
Tracy

 

[Ryu]

combo Bunaken & Lembeh strait?? you don't ganna need anything or anywhere else..... those are toooo much to enjoy and have fun.

 

[kathydee]

We are looking for good diving in Indonesia in February. Have only done OW-course and few dives in Honduras last year. We want to do land based diving but still see also big fishes. We are planning to start from Bunaken and maybe Lembeh with 2fish divers. Should be lots of smaller stuff there. Where after that? Time is quite limited, maybe three weeks altogether.

Hi there,

Ah you are heading towards some really beautiful diving ! So much nicer than Honduras! I've done several budget trips in SE Asia and been to Bunakan/Lembeh 2 times. Easiest/cheapest way I've found to hit several SE Asia dive sites is to use Kuala Lumpur as a base & stay at "tune Hotel at the Low Cost terminal & fly "Airasia.com" & Lion Air to shuttle around the region.

Bunakan is a relaxing scene, steep walls with lots of critters. Living Colors Living Colours Diving Manado/Bunaken - dive with us in North Sulawesi is a very nice shop run by Scandinavians. If budget is a concern, the bungalows next door Lorenzo II are much cheaper & owned by their Indonesia Partner. Living Colors is a fantastic dive shop & Lorenzo has a relaxing backpacker atmosphere, Living Colors Cabins have a nicer atmosphere.

You will really need good buoyancy to go to Lembeh as many of the critters are tiny and many are poisonous, so it is dangerous to lay or kneel on the sand. I am not sure it is the best place for a beginner - it wasn't for me when I had about 45 dives. I agree, because of current, Komodo probably isn't the best place either.

Sipadan, Malaysia Borneo has lots of big fish - and even though permitting is a hassle - if you can work it out in advanced, I think this might be the most impressive place for a beginner to go. It was for me when I had 26 dives .

Another option would be to go to Bali - I am pretty sure Lion Air or Air Asia has direct flights to Denpasar from Manado? I think Manta Point would be a great place for you to dive & see Manta but be careful of downcurrent if they try to take you to Crystal Bay for Mola Mola watching.

Also think you'd enjoy Tulemben - lots of big hump head parrot fish on the wreck first thing in the morning. A 2 meter black tip shark is often in the coral garden and swimming by the drift dive just off of the "drop off". Don't have my dive log here but I think the dive is called Alamanda (or something like that). Lots of critters, schooling jackfish. Except for the surf entry, which is often easy - Tulamben is great for beginners. You can catch a boat to Sereya Point for critter diving and see many exotic small critters.

If I were you, I'd probably fly into KL then over to Sipadan, dive for 5 days, head back through KL and then dive Bunakan for 6 days, finally I'd fly directly to Bali - maybe two days in Padangbai and 5 in Tulamben and spend my final day before the flight getting massages in Ubud & shopping .

Or if you want to relax I'd split my time between Bunakan and Bali.

I am not sure what your budget is, but I can recommend inexpensive ways to dive these destinations. Please feel free to PM me if you'd like more detail.

Have a fantastic trip!!

 

[Malene]

Hello,

For beginners, I think that the North East of Bali would be be better.
In Lembeh, you do need a very good buyancy to get close to the critters and in Bunaken there can be currents (very strong, and also upwards or downwards). They are also a bit unpredictable so it is not often possible to choose a site without current...

 

[Tapas bali]

I agree with Ryu, Malene, & Kathy.

For beginners, Bunaken & Lembeh would be the best place to go. Besides these two places has the world best wall & critters!!

If you have additional time visit Bali. Because Bali mostly known for the culture tourism, most divers overlook that Bali has what might consider as Best Wreck Diving in with its USAT Liberty Shipwreck, Tulamben.

To go to Bunaken & Lembeh, you might fly to & from Manado International airport. But if you want to visit Bali as well, to save money for domestic tickets, you can come either from Manado and leave from Denpasar, Bali International airport or the other way around. That way, you will only need to purchase one way domestic ticket.

There are two airlines doing daily trip between Manado & Bali: Garuda & Lion Air, both has e-tickets that can be send to you as an attachment to e-mail. If you have lot of luggage you might want to choose Garuda who offers 30kg for free for their economic class/passenger. Lion Air offers 25 kg but if you are overweight about one or two kg they would not charge you anyway.

Certainly no Komodo as it is only for experience diver.

Let me know by message how I can assist you as I might able to offer you free diving/accommodation in Bali if you combine it with your North Sulawesi (Bunaken & Lembeh) trip.

 

[Scuba Scotty]

A word on Bunaken,

Depending on how your traveling style you might consider working with a smaller operator than 2 fish or living colours. We were there in Nov & Dec and had a boat and divemaster to ourselves for 13 dives, which allowed us to go wherever, whenever. We also had a great homestay that cost us 100,000 rp pax - I won't list the details here to avoid the lonely planet effect but if you want the details PM me. 2 fish was busy, so you may want to book ahead with them if you decide to go that route. We just showed up, no reservations for hotel or diving. Checking every major diveshops on the island took about 2 hours. February availability should be just fine. In all I think we saved about $400 USD between 2 people in 9 days over 2 fish.

Also, if you want to save some dough, walk out of the airport take a left and go past the gate, on the other side you'll find blue minivans (mikrolet). All the taxi drivers will say there are no mikrolets, for obvious reasons, ignore them and get off of official airport grounds (60 meters or so). Take a Mikrolet to Paal 2 (2,000rp / person) then another to Pasar 45 (2,000rp / person) - this will take roughly 30 minutes. The public boat to Bunaken is in "the harbor" (within the "pasar 45" area). It leaves between 2:45 and 3:15pm (officially 3:00pm). It costs 25,000rp / person - everyone knows where it is, no worries finding it. If you don't make it to Manado early enough stay at Celebes hotel (100,000rp room/night - decent).

Diving at Bunaken is excellent and easy. Personally, for a beginner I think a couple of dives, maybe 4 if you love it, at Lembeh is all you need. I have no doubt you'd appreciate the weirdness that abounds there, but as a beginner I think the wow factor will be higher in Bunaken, and would generally advise you to spend as much time as you can there.

No matter where you stay on Bunaken, it's worth "detoxing" every 7 days or so from the provided food by going to Manado for the day. The food was exceptional at our homestay, but many of the guests at other places gave less than lukewarm food reviews.

Bali has been a treat so far topside, manta point was a macro dive for us and everyone we've talked to that had dived it while we were in Padangbai - something to think about (seasonal perhaps). Lot's of large divers to see though

Good luck, if you have any specific logistics questions let me know (we flew into Manado and have ended up in Bali)

-Scotty

 

[AlanWald]

Check with Twofish if you are booked with them, as their policy in the past has been free transfer from the airport to Bunaken Island if you bring Nigel and Tina a bottle of wine. They have a meet and greet person and a van at the airport. If you don't see anyone holding a sign saying Two Fish Divers (or whoever is picking you up) just ask any of the other drivers. They all know each other,. It is a very small airport. As soon as you exit customs you will see all the vans and drives and meet and greet people.

Do as many night dives as you can especially in Lembeh. At Bunaken you can do a dusk dive and see the mating Mandarin Fish just around the bend from Two Fish in front of the village. .

Don't forget to ask about how much the international departure tax is from whatever airport you leave Indonesia from as you will need to save that much money in local currency. In Manado you pay at a counter after checking in and just before going upstairs.