Bali Komodo Dive Trip questions!!!

[Cali_diver]

We are planning a trip for our 20th anniversary in June we have gone from Wakatobi to Fiji and now we have finally decided on the Paradise Dancer / Komodo LOB!! We are so excited about Komodo but we would also like to possibly dive while in Bali! Where should we go? Nusa Lembongan? We have never been to Indonesia so any info would help. We would like to spend a 4-5 days on either end in Bali so we would like to dive a little and take in a little culture. Thanks for the help!!!

 

[Tippytoes12]

Hi there

We have fallen in love with diving in Indonesia, and I'm sure you will also love it. We also did a LOB to Komodo in October of last year for our birthdays which greatly exceeded our wildest dreams. Seeing the dragons is truly the stuff dreams are made of ! We went to Bunaken in Northern Sulawesi before the trip , but had about 6 nights. After the trip we went to Gili Air, which was also wonderful, particularly for turtles.

We also dived Lembongan twice and love it. The coral and fish life is fantastic , the water really clear and you have a very high chance of seeing mantas if the boat can get out to Manta Point. It is also early mola mola season , we saw them last June and they were amazing. I would recommend that you consider going to Lembongan first to get some diving in , as the currents on some ( but not all ) Komodo sites are pretty strong.

For your few days afterwards you could just do culture alone and go to Ubud , or do culture and a bit of diving and stay somewhere like Candidasa. However Bali is extremely busy with lots of traffic, so perhaps you may wish to consider the Gili Islands or Lombok. We got off our livaaboard and straight onto the boat to the Gilis and were really pleased that we did.

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[honeybanny]

It is a great idea to spend some more days in Bali. The island is amazing and offers soo much. Depending on what you are looking for. If you like to do some more dives (daytrips etc) you should go to Tulamben. If you like to discover more the culture and people of Bali Udon is the right place or south of Bali if you like to just relax at a nice Beach Resort. For sure you will have a great trip, Bali and especially Komodo is just amazing.

 

[Cali_diver]

I think we would like to stay on Nusa Lembongan. We like to dive but we also like to surf. Does anyone have any suggestions about where to stay in Nusa Lembongan? We are on our anniversary vacation as well so it would be nice for it to be a little romantic!!

 

[Valwood1]

I think we would like to stay on Nusa Lembongan. We like to dive but we also like to surf. Does anyone have any suggestions about where to stay in Nusa Lembongan? We are on our anniversary vacation as well so it would be nice for it to be a little romantic!!

I think that you'll enjoy Lembongan. I used World Diving and was very pleased, though you're usually doing only two dives per day. The affiliated "resort" has new rooms around a pool a bit away from the beach (maybe, 100 feet or so) -- they had a/c (though the electricity sometimes goes off there) and were very nice, and infinitely nicer than the older rooms on the beach. Not sure that there's much, if any, nightlife there. I have a trip report from 2010 --
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/350054-lembongan-trip-report.html -- that might be helpful.

 

[Tippytoes12]

We also stayed in the garden rooms at Pondok Baruna , around the corner from the dive centre. The rooms are great value , very simple and probably now showing their age. The pool area is really nice to hang out in the afternoon , after lunch and before your siesta. Apparently they are building a new hotel which will also have a very nice restuarant.

 

[Cali_diver]

Ok we are looking at Tulamben as well. We want to be able to see a little of Bali. So now we are thinking of staying in Tulamben for four nights with 2-3 days of diving then moving down to someplace closer to the airport for the night before our domestic flight to our LOB. How far away is UBud from the airport? Is that too far to make a morning flight to Labuanbajo?

Any recommendations for Tulamben dive ops. Mimpi looks nice resort but has anyone used their dive op?

 

[Nautica2706]

Hi CDG,

Tulamben is about 2.5-3hrs from 'downtown' Bali-Airport area. Staying in Tulamben for 4 nights will get you diving the Tulamben sites (liberty wreck, drop off, coral garden), Amed, and Seraya (muck) as they are only about 1hr away from Tulamben. Staying in Tulamben is a good plan because you will get the early morning dives in peace, just before the dive groups from Kuta/Sanur starts to arrive. I dived the wreck twice and going to come back on April and going to try Seraya as well.

Mimpi is a good resort, I have no clue about the dive op tho. Last time I went to Tulamben, I used Bali Stingray, they are based in Sanur. This time we going to try a newish resort "Ocean View Dive Resort Tulamben", about 50m up from the wreck entry point. also have no clue about the dive op, they say they are working with Deep Blue Tulamben.

Ubud is def far from the airport, about 3hrs If I remember correctly, def not good if you have a morning flight to catch.

Just to add to your confusion , maybe you would like to dive the purposely built underwater temple? It is in pemuteran. If you do go there and go to Tulamben, you would be driving around Bali Island. Pemuteran is 4hrs drive up from the airport, and from there to Tulamben it is about 3-4hrs to the right, then from Tulamben back to the city/kuta. If you see Bali's map hopefully you understand. We did that safari once (Secret Bay-Pemuteran to the Wreck-Tulamben).

 

[highdesert]

Hi Cali -

We've left Ubud early morning, like 4:30, and made the early flight to LB. Fairly easy and stress-free. That time of day, it's "maybe" an hour and fifteen minute trip (I can vouch for a taxi driver making it in 40 minutes at 2:00 AM!). It's something all of the Ubud hotels are used to, and it's not a big deal. I would certainly not miss Ubud just to make that flight. See if the Tegal Sari has a room. Though the middle of town is crazy and touristy, much of what's left of the classic old Bali is centered there and worth seeing. If you want to spend one last night close to the airport, there's the Green Garden Beach Resort (actually a block off the beach), on a quiet little back street in Tuban, and a five-minute ride to the airport. It's only 15 rooms and fills up early. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Cali_diver]

Ok Thank you! that helps a ton. I think we will go to Tulamben for 4 nights. Then we will head to Kuta, the green garden beach resort looks nice. That is my birthday so we can have fun and then sleep a little longer in the morning with a closer drive to airport!! When we come back then we will head to Ubud for a night!! I think I am finally getting a grasp of what our itinerary might look like. Now if I can just make up my mind about where to stay in Tulamben. Villa Markisa looks pretty nice too.

I still want to venture over to Nusa Lembongan but I guess I will save that for the next trip!