Lombok or Komodo

[Dim]

Hi all

I am planning a trip to Bali in late October/early November. It will probably be too late to see mola's, so I was looking for something to make the trip a little more interesting. Maybe a little side trip of about a week. Lombok and Komodo seem to be nice options.

While going to the posts on this and other sites it actually raised more questions then answers (), so maybe you guys can chip in?

- Is there a reasonable chance to see the hammerheads at the magnet in the end of october/early november? (otherwise there might be better places to stay)

- Anybody have any experience with the magnet/other diving in the South of Lombok? Most info you find only focusses on the Gili Islands

- Komodo is obviously the place with the better diving, but as this is just a sidetrip most LOB's are out of budget it seems. I found
Kanawa Island as a nice option for resort based diving near Komodo NP. I found a lot of reviews on tripadvisor but about all of them were posted by people who just did their OW course there. Anybody with a bit more diving experience can comment on Kanawa Island? The possibility of doing unguided diving on their housereef sounds good.

- Any other recommendations for Komodo on a budget are most welcome.

Thanks!

Best regards

Dimitri

 

[matts1w]

As with everything in Indonesia there is give and take/plusses and minuses...

The diving around the magnet (Belongas Bay) is very good. I really enjoy it and at times I think it is every bit as good a some popular sites in Komodo. Is there a good chance you will see hammerheads? No- but it is possible; it does happen. I have seen them- once. Many more times I saw zero hammerheads. Belongas Bay is beautiful, isolated, and the bungalows Dive Zone uses are really nice. The downsides are that ugly seas are very possible, and a few nights there ain't cheap. I love diving there as one gets to see a side of Lombok that is very unaffected by tourism, the diving is world class, and I feel that I am in a relatively unexplored area.

Another thing to consider is if the dive count is correct on your profile, no one is really going to want to drop you on the Magnet anyway.

The diving around Komodo and Rinca are, for me, the best in Indonesia. I think it is a truly special part of the world. There are cheaper options then the mainstream expensive boats. They all dive the same sites, so really it just depends on how "backpacker" one is willing to go. I did a trip with Wicked Diving once and enjoyed it a ton. You might look into them. They do three night trips and the boat is about two steps above backpacker basic. The food is tasty, and the crew is awesome. The cabins are small and just a place to store your clothes as everyone pretty much sleeps on deck. For the money it is a great value. You wont see hammerheads, but odds are very good you will see quite a few mantas.

Anyway, I don't know how often you get to this part of the world, but I would certainly make a trip to Komodo a priority over South Lombok.....but I do love Lombok.

 

[Dim]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your reply. Lombok sounds good. If the diving is good besides the hammerheads at magnet, then that would certainly be a good choice.
My number of dives is 100+ but we have been diving in Maldives, Nusa Penida and Komodo before, so I assume the currents and surge at the magnet will be doable. At divezone I read they require 100+ dives at least for diving in october and 50+ dives in november.

Wicked diving LOB looks good too, but their schedule stops in october. They do have a great 15-day expedition from Sulawesi to Raja Ampat on November 1st, but with 3150 usd that is a bit out of budget I'm afraid...

So for budget options in Komodo that Kanawa Island seems to be the only option. (departing out Labuan Bajo for daytrips doesn't really appeal).

The search continues....

thanks for your input!

Dimitri

 

[matts1w]

Ya know- if you are looking for a "side trip" and have already been to Komodo, then you really might want to check out Belongas Bay. A week there would be way too much, but a couple of nights is perfect. You could then transfer to Kuta, Lombok which is also a fun place. It has a great vibe, and you can motorbike to beaches that are every bit as beautiful as Thailand, except virtually empty. Kuta isnt really a dive destination, but does have great surf, good food, affordable, and exploring on motorbike is a great adventure.

Anyway....just an idea.

 

[boletus1973]

So for budget options in Komodo that Kanawa Island seems to be the only option. (departing out Labuan Bajo for daytrips doesn't really appeal).

The search continues....

thanks for your input!

Dimitri

Hi Dimitri

I stayed in kanawa one week last year before a week of LOB... i like the dive shop and ED(the owner)... the Island is beautifull... but the resort(different owner) is a shame for indonesia... on TRIPAd i leave a bad review.. only one star...
the house reef is nothing special... broken corals and bad viz... you can see something but for me the snorkeling inside is better then diving outside... inside i saw turtles.. some blacktip... bumperhead... many nemos....... outside is ok for me because i'm an uw photographer.... but the real awesome diving is in the park...
I travel on a budget, but... at the end of a week i can say that kanawa can be expensive like a budget LOB.... and for me, after 3times in komodo, the LOB is to much better!!
i have 250dives... about 100 in the komodo national park...
mind me... a budget LOB can cost 180-200usd a day with full board and 3 dives day.... when you pay the bungalow in kanawa.. the expensive and poor restaurant and the full days of diving with 3 dives, the difference isn't to much...
bye bye
fabio

 

[Dim]

@Matt: Exactly what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure just how nice Belongas bay is, besides the hammerheads (seems only 1 diveoperator and not so many reviews). But a combination of Belongas with Kuta, Sekotong or Gili's is definitely a good option.

@Fabio: Thanks for your input. Nice to hear about Kanawa from a more experienced diver. I read the bad reviews on tripadvisor. (maybe yours too ) Most complaints about the poor restaurant. The reviews on the divecenter are quite good and that's the most important.
About those lob's, can you name some of them? Most lob's I found were 300usd+ per night. If there is one possible for about 180-200usd... well, that might be tempting as well.

 

[boletus1973]

@Fabio: Thanks for your input. Nice to hear about Kanawa from a more experienced diver. I read the bad reviews on tripadvisor. (maybe yours too ) Most complaints about the poor restaurant. The reviews on the divecenter are quite good and that's the most important.
About those lob's, can you name some of them? Most lob's I found were 300usd+ per night. If there is one possible for about 180-200usd... well, that might be tempting as well.

HI dimitri...
yes, the kanawa dive center is good.. the boats are slow but when i stay there i'm happy... the restaurant isn't the only problem with kanawa resort... i write my review in italian... the only problem about stay land based in november is that from the resort you do only the North of the park(i dont know if they have new boats for the south)...

i can give you the name of the boats.. i stay one time on the cheapest arijaya and two time aboard the pratiwi... i PM you the website...
bye
fabio

 

[dirtfarmer]

Matt, I'm probably going to Kuta area this January, how is the diving there?
Worth getting wet?

 

[matts1w]

Matt, I'm probably going to Kuta area this January, how is the diving there?
Worth getting wet?

Assuming you mean Kuta, Lombok then yes...absolutely.