Ambon in Jul-Aug (rainy season)? Other suggestions for Indo this summer...+

[Bali Diver]

Are you stalking me? (kidding ..)

That was exactly the plan I had, then I realized it was too short to add up Ahe+Ambon, so I figured out Banda but then I got news from Abba (Mutiara's owner in Bandanaira, not the swedish disco band) advising that the Ambon-Banda flights had stopped in January with no schedule guaranteed in february. So I decided to go to Ambon, Saparua then hop to Lembeh. Not too bad for a plan B... And the best thing is that I am leaving in two weeks.

Gonna have a Rhinopias ball !

Yes thats a good plan,shame missing opportunity to go to Ahe and the whalesharks,yes had planned Banda/Ambon,Ambon is well liked.But Banda is a wonderful place.march is good time for both.

Have a good trip and yes enjoy the Rhinopias Ball.I leave 1st March

Are you stalking me? maybe i planned this before you

 

[Bali Diver]

Thanks World...of the 7 4 were paddleflap (3 pink, 1 red), other three were lacy (2 purple, 1 yellow). The purple pair in the photo were also there last year when i was in Ambon, although they were never together.

Thats great and seeng these species.Also always great when you go back and see the same species hanging out,the pink paddleflaps so nice.Did you see the Ambon frogfish,don't think this time of year is good time.

 

[Luko]

maybe i planned this before you :d

You mean before feb2011? As soon as I left Ambon last year, I told them I would come back for the next year.
We won't meet in Ambon though, on March 1st I will already be in Lembeh.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Hi Natasha, you shoudl definitely try to dive Maluku if you can

However inagreement with the general consensus, I would not recommend Ambonin July or August and as others have suggested, N.Sulawesi – Lembeh + Bunakenshould be excellent at that time. Ahe Resort might be good if they have space butyou get only very limited access to the whale sharks. However judging from yourposting, I am guessing that you are a live-aboard lady rather than land base,so you might consider Liveaboard options. They run the full spectrum of budgets from the mostexpensive to the better value options, but all are excellent. If you decide on Lembehthen I would definitely stick to land based but you may like to do a combination.

Hope it helps.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Hi again Natasha - in follow up to my post of yesterday, the liveaboard options I might recommend to you for July/August are going to be either to Cenderawasih Bay from Manokwari, Nabire or Biak, or Alor from Maumere, or N.Sulawesi from Manado. They should all be excellent at that time. I'm not permitted to give you any names or schedules on this post but you can contact us or a variety of folks if you want to research dates and rates. FYI - I was just speaking with the owner of the Ambon dive center I usually use and although they remain open in July/August, they offer a 50% discount off accommodation because of the potential adverse weather conditions. He felt that June was probably the worst month. Have fun.

 

[Bali Diver]

Not another sales person

Luko yep ! remember looking at your Ambon photos sometime ago,very nice.

 

[ocdiver1]

no have always missed the ambon frogfish

 

[Bali Diver]

no have always missed the ambon frogfish

Thats really unluckly.But the seeing 7 Rhinopias is really lucky have you usually gone this time of year as i thought it was not the right time january to see them,

 

[ocdiver1]

Have been three times and always seen rhinopias, but two the other prior trips (were in March and October), never anything like the 7 though! I was in Lembeh on this prior trip as well and was told no rhinopia has been seen there in the past 18 months.

 

[cephalopod2]

So much good advice - thank you everyone who has written so far.

Luko - thanks so much for chiming in (I have read many of your posts, and enjoyed your terrific photos). I was worried about viz as well. I am leaning towards Dec 2013 over Summer 2013 as I agree, if I am going to make a special trip to Ambon I definitely want to 'do it right'. Yes, I absolutely considered Alor but the 1 liveaboard I found diving that itinerary this summer I did not have an outstanding experience on last summer, so I am passing on that. I almost made an Alor trip last summer but it didn't quite work out with dates. It's on the list but not as high as Ambon I know nothing about Alor or Bandanaira land-based diving - but would be interested to hear about them.

instructorinasia + ocdiver1 - thanks for the thoughts on Lembeh. Interesting to hear about the Rhinopias, oc. When I was in Lembeh in Aug 08 I was told it was not the right season for flamboyant cuttlefish (which I have still never seen) and a number of other critters. That was my first visit, and the comments of only 2 DMs at the small resort I dove at, so I didn't really know what to make of it all. I tried to search for the seasons of Lembeh critters - would be great if there was a site with broad ranges of animals like someone did for the Red Sea.

ocdiver1 - in their new location, Maluku now stays open all summer (high season for European tourists). As Dom mentioned they have a discount on room rates (but not on diving) in the summer.

All - I also had a great chat with Andy at Maluku about summer conditions - seems like a great guy, very professional and he summarized both the pros and cons of his experience last summer in particular. Mother Nature being what it is, it's hard to predict.

Raja/Ahe/Cenderawasih are not in the cards for me this summer. Dom I do have the specs on all the itins you mention already (have dove a slew of diverse ops over the years).

Re the Maluku frogfish, if anyone has any advice on seeing one, would be great to hear. I did not realize how rare they were, since I have seen photos from people who were only in Ambon a couple days. My thinking is that a longer stay would increase the odds of someone finding one.

N