Options for Komodo

[outofofficebrb]

Hi!

I've been to Komodo before on a liveaboard (2016) and that is where my fervent love for Indonesia started. (Since then, I've been to Raja Ampat and Lembeh as well.) I always knew I wanted to go back and a perfect opportunity just presented itself. Thanks to @Dan_T, a total enabler who will make you so distracted at work mid-week, I just booked a Ring of Fire Biodiversity trip from Ambon-Banda-Alor-Maumere for Oct 4-15 on Mermaid. Flights between Labuan Bajo and Ambon are a nightmare but they're relatively easy between Maumere and Labuan Bajo or I can do overland travel... This is a perfect opportunity to return to Komodo after the liveaboard so I'm going to do it!

I've looked at liveaboard options on padi.travel.com (formerly Diviac) and there aren't any that quite meet my needs date-wise. I know there are lots of good options from local dive shops that have their own liveaboards and that is how I did my first liveaboard on the Mastro Aldo through Komodo Dive Center. I'm hoping some of these dates might work out better, especially because some have hop-on-hop-off scheduling for a set number of days at a time that will offer me more flexibility on dates. Do you have any smaller, local liveaboards with dive shops that you can suggest that you've either heard of or have personal experience with?

The other option is to do something land-based which I am open to. There are 2 options with that: a resort or diving with a dive shop on their day boats. I prefer the liveaboard before the resort and a resort before the day boat option. With some initial Googling, Komodo Dive Resort pops up. Are there any other options that you suggest or that you have heard of?

Thank you so much!

 

[Luko]

I dived with Dragon Dive Komodo in august located nearby the fishmarket in LBJ :
- they offer both hostel and hotel type accoms I booked one of the double aircon rooms. Very nice surroundings for a downtown hotel : a pool, live music around a wooden deck and a pizza oven.
- they have their own speedboats, leave early in the morning and get to Batu Bolong in 30 minutes to beat the crowds, so that you finish your 3 dives day early afternoon back to LBJ around 3PM. I think they also provide short liveaboards.

 

[charlier]

A few Komodo suggestions: Uber Scuba, out of LBJ (started by a instructors from Gili T). The LoB has a great vibe and nice size boat. Wallacea Dive Cruises, owned by Jérôme Doucet and runs a wonderful operation. Excellent guides and very nice vibe. Lastly, perhaps more my style, Current Junkies. Don't be put off with their name. Nick Longfellow has guided in the region for over 10 years. The boat is small, but they can easily adjust dive locations depending on the currents and crowds. They mostly serve experienced divers and only take 4 guests.

 

[Dan]

Hi!

I've been to Komodo before on a liveaboard (2016) and that is where my fervent love for Indonesia started. (Since then, I've been to Raja Ampat and Lembeh as well.) I always knew I wanted to go back and a perfect opportunity just presented itself. Thanks to @Dan_T, a total enabler who will make you so distracted at work mid-week, I just booked a Ring of Fire Biodiversity trip from Ambon-Banda-Alor-Maumere for Oct 4-15 on Mermaid. Flights between Labuan Bajo and Ambon are a nightmare but they're relatively easy between Maumere and Labuan Bajo or I can do overland travel... This is a perfect opportunity to return to Komodo after the liveaboard so I'm going to do it!

I've looked at liveaboard options on padi.travel.com (formerly Diviac) and there aren't any that quite meet my needs date-wise. I know there are lots of good options from local dive shops that have their own liveaboards and that is how I did my first liveaboard on the Mastro Aldo through Komodo Dive Center. I'm hoping some of these dates might work out better, especially because some have hop-on-hop-off scheduling for a set number of days at a time that will offer me more flexibility on dates. Do you have any smaller, local liveaboards with dive shops that you can suggest that you've either heard of or have personal experience with?

The other option is to do something land-based which I am open to. There are 2 options with that: a resort or diving with a dive shop on their day boats. I prefer the liveaboard before the resort and a resort before the day boat option. With some initial Googling, Komodo Dive Resort pops up. Are there any other options that you suggest or that you have heard of?

Thank you so much!

Now you got the diving Indonesia bug.

You could also do more diving in Alor, as Komodo could be more like a zoo.

 

[outofofficebrb]

You are all a great source of information and super helpful as always. I love it! Thank you!

A few Komodo suggestions: Uber Scuba, out of LBJ (started by a instructors from Gili T). The LoB has a great vibe and nice size boat. Wallace Dive Cruises, owned by Jérôme Doucet and runs a wonderful operation. Excellent guides and very nice vibe. Lastly, perhaps more my style, Current Junkies. Don't be put off with their name. Nick Longfellow has guided in the region for over 10 years. The boat is small, but they can easily adjust dive locations depending on the currents and crowds. They mostly serve experienced divers and only take 4 guests.

I checked out Current Junkies and I love the concept, especially the smaller, intimate group and setting. Unfortunately, they only depart on Mondays and that won't work for my schedule. The name of their boat (Busy Girl) and their dinghy (Busy Boy) is so cute! Uber Scuba looks good. I will have to compare that to the Mastro Aldo and see what their 2019 departures are. The sacrifice with Uber Scuba is no AC. Do you know if they have 24 hour power or what the schedule is? Thank you!

I dived with Dragon Dive Komodo in august located nearby the fishmarket in LBJ :
- they offer both hostel and hotel type accoms I booked one of the double aircon rooms. Very nice surroundings for a downtown hotel : a pool, live music around a wooden deck and a pizza oven.
- they have their own speedboats, leave early in the morning and get to Batu Bolong in 30 minutes to beat the crowds, so that you finish your 3 dives day early afternoon back to LBJ around 3PM. I think they also provide short liveaboards.

Thank you for the info. I will definitely keep them in mind for accommodations and day boat dives. It looks like they also have a liveaboard option but I am not impressed by the rates, schedule, or the accommodations/actual boat so I think you are right here in that the accommodations and speed boat options are good. Thank you!

 

[outofofficebrb]

Now you got the diving Indonesia bug.

You could also do more diving in Alor, as Komodo could be more like a zoo.

Oh, look...The perpetrator dares to come and post! Hi! That's an option...Though I'm a little hesitant to commit to Alor without knowing if I'll like it and enough to do more of it after the liveaboard whereas I know I LOVE Komodo and wanted to go back. Sell me on it! Another thing is I can do a few dives in Ambon before getting on the boat. It'll be muck. What do you think? Worth it? I should get there a little earlier anyway to ensure I don't miss the boat.

 

[dirtfarmer]

It's definitely worth spending some time in Ambon before you catch your Banda Sea trip. Exactly what I did when I did one.

 

[outofofficebrb]

It's definitely worth spending some time in Ambon before you catch your Banda Sea trip. Exactly what I did when I did one.

Thanks! I've heard Dive Into Ambon is great. Any other suggestions?

 

[Dan]

I went with MV Tarata twice in Komodo. A good budget liveaboard of Grand Komodo fleet. I think they have a trip there from Oct. 18-25, 2019.

Schedules & Rates

 

[outofofficebrb]

I went with MV Tarata twice in Komodo. A good budget liveaboard of Grand Komodo fleet. I think they have a trip there from Oct. 18-25, 2019.

Schedules & Rates

Thanks! That might be the most viable option if everything else is a bust...Now to massage my employers about the idea of being gone for 3 weeks straight.