RA Resorts compared -- RA Dive Lodge?

[billt4sf]

Hi there RA Divers:

I did a brief and basic workup of the RA dive resorts that I know of. Please let me know if you of others especially with Aircon!

Here's what I got (I used Mermaid LOB as another price point). The prices are PER DIVING DAY for TWO people. I listed the area in which the resort lies as well.

Transfers and nitrox may or may not be included. In some cases the stay was for seven days, some for eight, and some 10 - so we are not comparing apples to apples -- but it gives you some idea.

With AIRCON:
Mermaid - $1002- LOB
Raja Ampat Dive Lodge - $570- Kri
Sorido Bay - $869 - Kri
Misool Lodge - $1027 - Misool

Without AIRCON:
Raja Ampat Biodiversity Lodge - $602 - Gam Is. (Dampier strait area)
Kri Eco Resort - $524 - Kri
Papua Explorers - $794 - Gam Island

With the exception of RA Dive Lodge, those with aircon are WAAAAAAAAY more expensive on a per-day basis. Has anyone been to RA Dive Lodge, and is it the same level as the others Aircon places?

Also notable is that the only lodge in the Misool area is...Misool Eco Resort. Going there next week, so we'll see. Sure is pricey!

The third and by all rights the most important axis of comparison should be the quality of the diving -- including the boats and dive guides. I have no way to compare them myself, so looking for comments if you have direct experience.

Hope this is useful.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[AlMitch]

Nice work Bill!
There are a few other resorts without AC, Raja Ampat Dive Resort, Papua Paradise and of course the amazing looking but expensive Raja4Divers.

 

[Luko]

Went to RADL 3 years ago, I cannot compare with others (except Kri Eco viewed from the outside) but I don't think I have the need to anyway.
Bungalows are fine, it made me think about Borneo divers' Mabul resort somehow.
The dive operaion was great since there are only few divers, I had two guides and a boat just for myself. Dive guides Gustin and Fadly (he's now working in Ambon for DIA) were coming from Manado, there was another vary friendly dive guide from Flores. I had probably the most comfortable underwater guiding ever : two guides for me competing for finding me critters or holding my light for "model" pictures (the diver you always see in UWpix in the background holding a torchlight into the blue)..

The settings are quite beautiful, at sunset you'll see sulphur crested lorikeets playing in high trees, while resting on the pier. It giives a remote jungle feel.
The only complaint I would have would be against the food, which is quite bland and repetitive. You may need to bring your own treats in order to satisfy your tasting buds.

All in all I would come back anytime, I don't mind aircon, since a thoughtful construction can bring seabreeze, which is more important for me than aircon, therefore if I had the money and the time for I would go to Papua Explorers for the beauty of the resort and the ambiance, second RADL since I don't think you can get a better QPR than RADL.

I saw Kri Eco resort from the boat, which looked really really basic nowhere like RADL, I always thought that their price for shared bathroom bungalows is a scam.it's crazy how naming "Eco" something a resort is a pretext for raising prices... Misool eco something resort is simply out of my reach too.

 

[billt4sf]

Went to RADL 3 years ago, I cannot compare with others (except Kri Eco viewed from the outside) but I don't think I have the need to anyway.
Bungalows are fine, it made me think about Borneo divers' Mabul resort somehow.
The dive operaion was great since there are only few divers, I had two guides and a boat just for myself. Dive guides Gustin and Fadly (he's now working in Ambon for DIA) were coming from Manado, there was another vary friendly dive guide from Flores. I had probably the most comfortable underwater guiding ever : two guides for me competing for finding me critters or holding my light for "model" pictures (the diver you always see in UWpix in the background holding a torchlight into the blue)..

The settings are quite beautiful, at sunset you'll see sulphur crested lorikeets playing in high trees, while resting on the pier. It giives a remote jungle feel.
The only complaint I would have would be against the food, which is quite bland and repetitive. You may need to bring your own treats in order to satisfy your tasting buds.

All in all I would come back anytime, I don't mind aircon, since a thoughtful construction can bring seabreeze, which is more important for me than aircon, therefore if I had the money and the time for I would go to Papua Explorers for the beauty of the resort and the ambiance, second RADL since I don't think you can get a better QPR than RADL.

I saw Kri Eco resort from the boat, which looked really really basic nowhere like RADL, I always thought that their price for shared bathroom bungalows is a scam.it's crazy how naming "Eco" something a resort is a pretext for raising prices... Misool eco something resort is simply out of my reach too.

Great review Luko, thank you so much. How about the currents there? (I guess it's always the same answer: go with a good op, you'll probably be OK.) There's less current in Misool area I think but their price is really, really, really high. Like WOW.

- Bill

 

[Dan]

Went to RADL 3 years ago, I cannot compare with others (except Kri Eco viewed from the outside) but I don't think I have the need to anyway.
Bungalows are fine, it made me think about Borneo divers' Mabul resort somehow.
The dive operaion was great since there are only few divers, I had two guides and a boat just for myself. Dive guides Gustin and Fadly (he's now working in Ambon for DIA) were coming from Manado, there was another vary friendly dive guide from Flores. I had probably the most comfortable underwater guiding ever : two guides for me competing for finding me critters or holding my light for "model" pictures (the diver you always see in UWpix in the background holding a torchlight into the blue)..

The settings are quite beautiful, at sunset you'll see sulphur crested lorikeets playing in high trees, while resting on the pier. It giives a remote jungle feel.
The only complaint I would have would be against the food, which is quite bland and repetitive. You may need to bring your own treats in order to satisfy your tasting buds.

All in all I would come back anytime, I don't mind aircon, since a thoughtful construction can bring seabreeze, which is more important for me than aircon, therefore if I had the money and the time for I would go to Papua Explorers for the beauty of the resort and the ambiance, second RADL since I don't think you can get a better QPR than RADL.

I saw Kri Eco resort from the boat, which looked really really basic nowhere like RADL, I always thought that their price for shared bathroom bungalows is a scam.it's crazy how naming "Eco" something a resort is a pretext for raising prices... Misool eco something resort is simply out of my reach too.

I've been to RADL in 2010, MER in 2013, R4D in 2016. Their food are about the same, good enough for me, not bland. What resorts in Indonesia that meet your standard of good food? I sure like to check it out.

I was in Alor Eco Resort in 2012, hoping to get good food, but turned out to be bland due to the cook quit & went back to Bali. May be similar situation in RADL.

As far as guides, R4D is better than the guides in RADL or MER. I guess it all depends on the guide experience.

 

[billt4sf]

How about Waiwo Dive resort? Anyone? They have AC, their prices start at 650K IDR pp per night, not sure if that includes diving, the rooms are aircon and it is apparently located on Waigeo island NE of Kri.

Dive Center | Waiwo Dive Resort

- Bill

 

[billt4sf]

How about Waiwo Dive resort? Anyone? They have AC, their prices start at 650K IDR pp per night, not sure if that includes diving, the rooms are aircon and it is apparently located on Waigeo island NE of Kri.

Dive Center | Waiwo Dive Resort

- Bill

 

[billt4sf]

How about Waiwo Dive resort? Anyone? They have AC, according to their website their prices start at 650K IDR pp per night, (that could not possibly include diving), the rooms are aircon and it is apparently located on Waigeo island NE of Kri.

Dive Center | Waiwo Dive Resort

- Bill

 

[Luko]

I've been to RADL in 2010, MER in 2013, R4D in 2016. Their food are about the same, good enough for me, not bland. What resorts in Indonesia that meet your standard of good food? I sure like to check it out.
...
As far as guides, R4D is better than the guides in RADL or MER. I guess it all depends on the guide experience.

As for good food, you probably haven't stayed in any resort managed by Tommy (ex Froggies until 2008, ex Bangka Murex in 2014), like many of the chinese indonesian he's more interested in food than other indonesian managers, hence he always try to vary the menus and types of cooking.
Murex mainland was also great when dr.Batuna was still on this earth, since it was his dining room (best klapper taart ever) , food has not been up since.
Gangga island Resort menus were splendid by the time of italian owner, Gaspare. Probably the classiest I've seen in any indonesian resort. In that respect iin the same price range, I find Lembeh resort restaurant quite overrated and not tasty enough).
In Pulau Weh, Freddie's Santai resort (close to Nemo resort where we were staying), is like a food adventure, this is a crazy place where Freddie the south African owner and cook is doing a cooking show everynight; The people even applaude when he's finished presenting each dish, so funny..
Alor Eco divers menus are quite healthy and varied enough. Their soups are delicious.

RADL belong to the worst I would rate along with Bastianos Bunaken, Angel isle resort Komodo, Aston Natsepa Ambon.
To give you an example with RADL, the only other guests, a US family living in Hongkong were sytematically asking for peanut butter, chocolate spread and bread at the end of the dinner because they couldn't eat half of what was served, either tasteless and simply not edible.

I have hard times imagining that the guides in other R4 resorts were so much better than Fadly or Gustin from RADL, brought up to guiding in North Sulawesi, much experienced in macro. I guess the managers from DIA had the same impression when they hired Fadly in Ambon. So they were for me, while I am quite demanding in guiding (and have a different opinion on the guides level of a well known resort in Lembeh for instance)

How about the currents there? (I guess it's always the same answer: go with a good op, you'll probably be OK.)

I've had quite some current on some pinnacles (Sardines, Blue Magic), Current is continuous on Dampier, this is why it attarcts so much fish, and it is sometimes quite difficult to shelter. A reef hook is definitely needed for R4.

 

[highdesert]

I've been to RADL in 2010, MER in 2013, R4D in 2016. Their food are about the same, good enough for me, not bland. What resorts in Indonesia that meet your standard of good food? I sure like to check it out.

Wakatobi Dive Resort
https://www.wakatobi.com/homepage.html

Yos Dive Lembeh
YOS Dive Lembeh – Eco Beach Resort

Papua Explorers
http://www.papuaexplorers.com/

All excellent food, IMHO ... YMMV