Kalimantan - Maratua - Nabucco island resort

[ppina]

I have just arrived from a one week trip at Nabucco Island resort.

A wonderful place with everything well organized.

The dives begin at 6 a.m. and continue through out the day: 8h30, 11h30, 3.00 p.m., 6 p.m.

The weather was not very good: strong rain showers some days because of a near storm, which resulted in poor water visibility.

Coral reefs are in excellent condition.

There are several dive sites. The dive I enjoyed the most was the one with manta rays in Sangalaki Manta Point, the dives in Kalaban island and off course the Big fish country with hundreds of barracudas.

I have seen see turtles in every dive. I even saw 15 in a row.

Please find attached a short online film and some photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ppina/albums/72157694422953374

 

[Tippytoes12]

Wow , excellent shots and video thanks for posting.

How did you get there ? Is the airport in Maratha operational now ? If not how was the transfer ?

Thanks in advance.

Best fishes

 

[ppina]

Thanks
Yes Maratua Airport is operational.
One flight week on Saturday from Balikpapan
Nabucco Island resort charge me about 300 Euros

 

[AlMitch]

Thanks so much for the great video and pics.

It really does look like a small piece of paradise.
How was the accommodation and food? Is there AC? Were the beds comfy?
The bungalows right on the water look amazing.

 

[ppina]

Thanks so much for the great video and pics.

It really does look like a small piece of paradise.
How was the accommodation and food? Is there AC? Were the beds comfy?
The bungalows right on the water look amazing.

Accommodation nice and big , bed is very comfortable .
The food is excelente , local food. The price of the drinks are low not expensive.

 

[billt4sf]

WOW! Looks wonderful!

Is there anyone who has been to Nabucco and Raja Ampat that could compare the diving in the two places?

- Bill

 

[billt4sf]

Thanks so much for the great video and pics.

It really does look like a small piece of paradise.
How was the accommodation and food? Is there AC? Were the beds comfy?
The bungalows right on the water look amazing.

Ia there AC?

 

[Dan]

WOW! Looks wonderful!

Is there anyone who has been to Nabucco and Raja Ampat that could compare the diving in the two places?

- Bill

Yes, I’ve been to both Nabucco Island Resort (NIR) & Misool Eco Resort (MER). NIR costs half of MER, but just as good as MER in different ways. Maratua’s soft coral may not be as diversed as Misool, but it compensates by the massive schooling barracudas (in thousands) that are unique to northeast Kalimantan & Sipadan that I haven’t seen anywhere in Raja Ampat (RA). I’ve been in RA 6 times in the last 8 years. The schooling barracudas in RA may be about 10% that of in Maratua Atoll at best.

So, if you happen to be in NIR, don’t miss the dive site Big Fish Country or others call it Tha Channel for seeing the schooling barracudas. The site is only 5-10 minutes boat ride from NIR and it reminds me of Peleliu Cut or Blue Corner in Palau. Be prepared with your reef hook for a quick negative entry & get ready for exciting sites of massive school of barracudas along with sharks, Napoleon wrasses, jackfish. I love the site so much and did it 3 times while I was in NIR for a week. The dive is done during a high tide. So, after you run out of NDL, you just unhook yourself off the reef & drift on to the shallow.

The stingless jellyfish in Kakaban are prolific in comparison to that of in Misool or in Palau. The last trip I went to Misool (November 2017), the adult stingless jellyfish there got wipe out, leaving tiny baby ones, according to the ranger there. He didn’t recommend us to visit the place, so we skipped the tour.

If you are into seeing mantas like the manta cleaning station in Magic Mountain (Misool), you can do it in Maratua Atoll as well in Sangalaki Island, about 1 hour speedboat ride from NIR.

My next trip there will be with Raja Manta liveaboard, where one of the itinerary is to go diving with whalesharks under a bagan (fisherman platform), just like in Cendrawasih Bay. So, diving in Maratua Atoll is like diving in Raja Ampat, Cendrawasih Bay & Palau in one.

Check out this Nu Parnupong’s YouTube video of Raja Manta trip to Maratua Atoll:

 

[Lauriep]

I was in Maratua a year ago and loved it. I stayed on Maratua and dove with Nabucco Island. The setting is beautiful and the couple managing are great. As Dan said I could not get enough of the Big Fish Country dive site - I did 3 times and would be happy to do everyday. One of the most exciting dives I have done- with the barracuda school every time and once we had a few hammerheads. And then add daytrip for mantas and jellyfish ! Would love to go back.

I do think most of cottages have AC

Dan- did you decide to do live aboard vs Nabucco next time just for the whalesharks? I dove the bagans in Cendrawasih which was great so will be curious to see how it compares.

Laurie

 

[Dan]

...Dan- did you decide to do live aboard vs Nabucco next time just for the whalesharks? I dove the bagans in Cendrawasih which was great so will be curious to see how it compares.

Laurie

No. I have never been in Raja Manta liveaboard so I’d like to try it out.

I’ve been in Cendrawasih Bay (CB) too. Saw 3 huge whalesharks underneath Kwatisore bagan. Yes, I also like to compare the whaleshark diving in Maratua Atoll vs CB.