I noticed that most trip in August on Aqua One is booked up on the website but it might be worthwhile checking with them directly. I was on Aqua One this past weekend and mentioned to the owner of the boats that my friends and I certainly are interested in doing the Komodo trip in August and they did not mention anything about being completely booked during that month. We also want to do it in August and hopefully do a day or two in Bali as I was told that August is the best time to try to see the sunfish in Bali as well.
PNG, Komodo or Wakatobi?
- Thread starter reubencahn
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I noticed that most trip in August on Aqua One is booked up on the website but it might be worthwhile checking with them directly. I was on Aqua One this past weekend and mentioned to the owner of the boats that my friends and I certainly are interested in doing the Komodo trip in August and they did not mention anything about being completely booked during that month. We also want to do it in August and hopefully do a day or two in Bali as I was told that August is the best time to try to see the sunfish in Bali as well.
for Komodo you can also try the Evening Star www.divekomodo.com
Quite a nice boat with a very professional crew. Grand Komodo are all right as well but yes it is quite basic...
Enjoy some fantastic diving !
Quite a nice boat with a very professional crew. Grand Komodo are all right as well but yes it is quite basic...
Enjoy some fantastic diving !
OP
reubencahn
Contributor
Julie, have you been to Komodo or PNG? What did you like best about Wakatobi?
Reuben
annie
Contributor
Komodo's great diving but ASAIK there's no really nice resorts around there for a land based holiday. Labuan Bajo on Flores is not a bad place to stay for a couple of nights but wouldn't recommend it for a holiday. You can however choose to look at the Komodo dragons on Komodo island, or take a boat trip from Labuan Bajo to any one of the beautiful unhabited islands and spend the day on the beach, snorkelling, drinking fruit juice. Lovely, but pretty basic.
Allison Finch
Contributor
Definitly PNG!! I spend approx 1 month there a year. I use the liveaboard MV FeBrina captained by Alan Raabe. It goes to New Britian and New Ireland islands depending on the prevailing weather. They are the best and will guide you to incredible sites. This year the crew will be on the Star Dancer and so will I.
I agree with Allison, PNG is absolutely spectacular. The Wakatobi website is very nice but overhyped and what they don't tell you is that the variety of diving, air tank quality and number of DMs is VERY limited. All in our group got digestive tract problems (runs). PNG is a bit of a flight but well worth the extra effort.
I disagree with julieparkhurst about wakatobi
they have a nice website and extensive marketing but I found it to be all hype.
1) The SCUBA tank air was bad quality and they don't have Nitrox, which requires much cleaner delivery systems.
2) There were only 4 dive areas, not much variety. Only one had great walls but you only got to do that once per day as it was a long 1+ hour boat ride out (only 2 boat dives per day).
3) They only permit 1 entrance point and 1 exit point on the House reef and with raging currents that is a 10 min dive.
4) There were only 4 dive masters for 30 people and Lorenz Maeder gave 2 Dr.s private dives meaning 11 of us were assigned to go with one divemaster in a cattle dive.
5) Photogrpahers came last. With 11 divers the DM insisted that photogs wait in line and only after all non-photog divers had seen the subjects were we permitted to photograph them.
6) LOTS of trash on the house reef. We were dissappointed at the number of fish traps that the local fisherman have on the Barracuda reef despite the website claims they have contracts with the local fisherman against such activity.
7) The website claims AC is not needed but they are within 5 degrees of the equator and we absolutely boiled.
8) Rats and mosquitos in the rooms - despite claims otherwise on their website. They have "bungalows" which are loosely made huts.
For $250/day, next time I'd do a liveaboard like the KOMODO Dancer, Pelagian or Ocean Rover where you get a broader variety of diving, better air tank quality, Nitrox, more DMs, nice facilities for camera gear and better accomodations.
they have a nice website and extensive marketing but I found it to be all hype.
1) The SCUBA tank air was bad quality and they don't have Nitrox, which requires much cleaner delivery systems.
2) There were only 4 dive areas, not much variety. Only one had great walls but you only got to do that once per day as it was a long 1+ hour boat ride out (only 2 boat dives per day).
3) They only permit 1 entrance point and 1 exit point on the House reef and with raging currents that is a 10 min dive.
4) There were only 4 dive masters for 30 people and Lorenz Maeder gave 2 Dr.s private dives meaning 11 of us were assigned to go with one divemaster in a cattle dive.
5) Photogrpahers came last. With 11 divers the DM insisted that photogs wait in line and only after all non-photog divers had seen the subjects were we permitted to photograph them.
6) LOTS of trash on the house reef. We were dissappointed at the number of fish traps that the local fisherman have on the Barracuda reef despite the website claims they have contracts with the local fisherman against such activity.
7) The website claims AC is not needed but they are within 5 degrees of the equator and we absolutely boiled.
8) Rats and mosquitos in the rooms - despite claims otherwise on their website. They have "bungalows" which are loosely made huts.
For $250/day, next time I'd do a liveaboard like the KOMODO Dancer, Pelagian or Ocean Rover where you get a broader variety of diving, better air tank quality, Nitrox, more DMs, nice facilities for camera gear and better accomodations.
DontLieToMe
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I would add Bunaken to your list. Several resorts an hour from the airport. Direct SilkAir flights to Manado from Singapore. Komodo diving is good but can be cold and no good land-based resorts. PNG also good. Just a matter of how you find the logistics from where you are starting.
OP
reubencahn
Contributor
Thanks to everyone for all the help. Decided to head to PNG. Will do 10 days on the Golden Dawn from Wewak to the Niningo and Hermits Islands then back to Madang. Then possibly a couple of days at either Jais Aben or Loloata. Maybe next year I'll make it to Indonesia. I'm using up my USAir miles (before they go belly up) to fly United to Sydney and will be there for a few days. If anyone has suggestions for things to do in Sydney for a few days, I'd love to hear them. Again, thanks for all the advice.
Reuben
Reuben
cdiver2
Contributor
reubencahn:
are you going I'll be your bag man or whatever you want.
Have a great time, it will be hard not to.
David
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