Recommendation please: Diving Indonesia in mid April

[Timwest219]

I'm heading to Bali in mid April for a friends wedding I will have enough time for 4 consecutive days of diving. Was looking at going to Komodo but not sure whether it's the right time of year to go? Also wondering whether I would be better off leaving Komodo to do another time when I have enough time to do a live aboard to include alor and raja ampat.

Any reccomendations on Komodo or other dive locations in Indonesia (happy to travel to get to a location, have allowed a day to get to location, 4 days of diving and a day to get back to Bali a day prior to wedding)

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks

 

[runsongas]

you can still have a decent time diving in komodo. it will be up to you to decide whether the extra flight and hassle is worth it. from labuan, you can get in 3 dives a day. the day boats from town leave early for the NP, so you will need to get in the night before.

scheduling is going to be tight though, probably need to cut day 4 short in order to desat for an evening flight back on day 5.

alor, komodo, and raja are pretty spread out. you can find 2 week trips that hit komodo and alor or alor and misool, but i haven't seen any itinerary that hits all 3.

 

[Diving Dubai]

If you have 4 days, then Nusa Lembongan is only a 20min boat ride from Bali, and good diving - if the conditions are right then you can get Mola Mola, and Manta's I enjoyed Lembobgan although 4 days was enough - but then I'd already been diving for 3 weeks

Tulamben on Bali could be worth a try, I personally wasn't blown away, but then I'm not a muck diver and had just finished 2 weeks in Komodo. Others rave about it. All depends on perspective.

Komodo as mentioned above is another flight, and hassle. Again personally I'd make that a separate trip. I also believe that the optimum times for RA and komodo are different, some operators certainly move their boats.

 

[Mattis Persson]

April should be a pretty good time for Nusa Tenggara/Komodo. It's the beginning of the dry season so probably a bit less crowded on the dive sites (anyone correct me if I'm wrong, never been in April). The further east you go the drier it gets too.

The time frame would be pushing it for Alor - Raja Ampat really pushing it. I would recommend against it. Most lobs do a week or two, and though there might be shorter ones/you could do resorts or homestays it's not the most convenient destination. Labuanbajo on the other hand is a 40 min flight from Bali and then a 15 min walk to nearest dive center from the airport.

If you have done Komodo before and want to see something new I'd throw in a wildcard: southern Lombok/Belongas bay. I think it is a good time for hammerheads at The Magnet in April, though I might be wrong. Even without hammerheads it's great diving and could be combined with Bali diving.

 

[Mattis Persson]

Btw if you haven't done more diving than what your scubaboard profile says you might want to skip The Magnet. It can have some fierce currents and surge.

 

[Scubamat]

There is pretty good diving out of Bali and you can take a boat over to the Gili's for more dive save losing a day flying somewhere else to dive. I've got a trip at the end of April and already have 6 days of diving planned in and around Bali. However Indonesia is a cheap flight for mr so I will have plenty of chances to go back and dive Komodo and Raja Ampat once I'm a more experienced diver so you might have different priorities on selecting dives in Indonesia.

 

[Bali Dream Divers]

I'm heading to Bali in mid April for a friends wedding I will have enough time for 4 consecutive days of diving. Was looking at going to Komodo but not sure whether it's the right time of year to go? Also wondering whether I would be better off leaving Komodo to do another time when I have enough time to do a live aboard to include alor and raja ampat.

Any reccomendations on Komodo or other dive locations in Indonesia (happy to travel to get to a location, have allowed a day to get to location, 4 days of diving and a day to get back to Bali a day prior to wedding)

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks

April will be getting busier with travellers to Bali because the monsoon season will be over with - and we can hardly wait!
Tulamben (north east Bali) is approx. 3 hours drive (car) from Denpasar/Kuta area; less if you drive a scooter. This village is home to the famous USS Liberty Shipwreck! One of the reasons why I came to Bali at all myself.
So, if depending where you're based in Bali, you could start the day as early as possible if you don't want to stay overnight in Tulamben or Amed to experience the best quality water visibility (and least amount of underwater diver traffic!) Bali Dream Divers' PADI Instructors and dive guides start their diving day as early as 5.30AM for sunrise dives - usually our guests will stay overnight in one of the bungalow villas.
If you've got your heart set on diving in Komodo/Raja Ampat/Nusa Lembongan - go for it; if you've only got a day or even HALF a day to spare to dive elsewhere, then of all of Bali to dive the unique Liberty Wreck is the one!

 

[prid1279]

FWIW I recommend Komodo. Had a great trip last may. Liveaboard gives the chance to see further out than day boats.
I went with Dive Komodo on the Tatawa and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Excellent crew and dive guides/instructors, boat in excellent condition, we were well fed and had fantastic diving at a reasonable price.

A reef hook is a useful bit of gear.

 

[Wisnu]

with only 4 days, stick to Bali. Depend on your interest, I'll recommend to base at Padang Bai or Tulamben.

 

[billt4sf]

If it were me and I were already on Bali and had four days I would contact Geko Dive in Padang Bai (probably stay at OK Divers) or go over to Amed / Tulamben. We have had great times with Adventure Divers in Amed / Jemeluk.

You could do both but with four days I would not.

- Bill