Best dives in Indonesia - need to focus on a specific area?
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outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
@Sbiriguda
Traveling with baggage in Indonesia is relatively easy. As @Damselfish mentioned, Garuda is generous and includes free baggage with the ticket and you also get up to 23kg of scuba gear for free. I combine everything into one and had 25 or 26kg while flying with Garuda one time. I told them I also had scuba gear in there and they didn't charge me anything for it since I was still within the total limits of what I was allowed. Indonesia doesn't really use a piece concept. They do a weight concept and ensure that each individual bag is not over 30kg.
If you are not flying on Garuda and with another carrier that does not provide baggage allowance with the ticket, you can easily purchase some at the time of booking or buy it after you buy the ticket. This usually yields the best price. If you wait until you check in, it is more expensive then. Buying excess baggage in Indonesia is a lot cheaper than you might think - it is usually cheaper than buying 2 checked bags on airlines that don't offer bags for free in the US.
I travel to Indonesia twice a year with dive gear and have done it both ways and have never had an issue. Don't worry.
Do time your connections so that they are feasible, or minimize/eliminate stops if you can. That will help with minimizing chances of lost/delayed baggage. If you are doing an offline connection and are traveling on 2 separate tickets such as when you arrive Jakarta or Bali and connect with a local carrier on a separate ticket where you have to grab bags and do a separate check in, give yourself more time than you think to account for delays so that you don't miss your next flight. Having travel insurance is highly recommended/suggested so that if you do miss it and the airline wants to charge you for a new ticket or to get on another flight, you are covered financially.
Traveling with baggage in Indonesia is relatively easy. As @Damselfish mentioned, Garuda is generous and includes free baggage with the ticket and you also get up to 23kg of scuba gear for free. I combine everything into one and had 25 or 26kg while flying with Garuda one time. I told them I also had scuba gear in there and they didn't charge me anything for it since I was still within the total limits of what I was allowed. Indonesia doesn't really use a piece concept. They do a weight concept and ensure that each individual bag is not over 30kg.
If you are not flying on Garuda and with another carrier that does not provide baggage allowance with the ticket, you can easily purchase some at the time of booking or buy it after you buy the ticket. This usually yields the best price. If you wait until you check in, it is more expensive then. Buying excess baggage in Indonesia is a lot cheaper than you might think - it is usually cheaper than buying 2 checked bags on airlines that don't offer bags for free in the US.
I travel to Indonesia twice a year with dive gear and have done it both ways and have never had an issue. Don't worry.
Do time your connections so that they are feasible, or minimize/eliminate stops if you can. That will help with minimizing chances of lost/delayed baggage. If you are doing an offline connection and are traveling on 2 separate tickets such as when you arrive Jakarta or Bali and connect with a local carrier on a separate ticket where you have to grab bags and do a separate check in, give yourself more time than you think to account for delays so that you don't miss your next flight. Having travel insurance is highly recommended/suggested so that if you do miss it and the airline wants to charge you for a new ticket or to get on another flight, you are covered financially. 
Dan
Contributor
I've been to Raja Ampat 7x (the 8th time will be in Jan 2020), Komodo 3x, Bali > 10x (lost count), Lembeh, Bunaken, Bangka, Alor, Ambon, Maratua Atoll and Wakatobi. They are all unique and worth of a visit. For a start, I would recomend a roundtrip 10d/9n Bali-Komodo-Bali like this one: Mermaid I around August. You just fly from home to Bali, not worry about domestic flight. Spend 2-3 days in Bali for land tour or diving safari, before boarding the liveaboard. I did this in August 2014 around full moon time and saw 9 Mola Mola in Nusa Penida in the morning before boarding Mermaid I that afternoon in Benoa. It's still one of the best trip I have experience in more than 12 years of diving in Indonesia.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Well actually that's surprisingly good and more generous than other companies in other travel destinations...
Mostly I like especially pelagics and corals, but I am open to macro, and of course mola mola and whale sharks (I guess almost anybody would...)
For the wrecks, I can dive right now only -40 meters (-131 feet) so not really deep enough for some wrecks
I still have to choose the timeframe, I would be not earlier than 2020 spring. When travelling far I prefer to have more days so I have to wait for my annual leave
Provided my partner doesn't dive and she only does snorkeling it would be good to find a place suitable for both
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
If you have a non diving partner and topside activities are important to you, it won’t be Lembeh as there’s nothing to do outside of muck diving. Bali might be a good balance for you. If in the winter before Spring, Raja Ampat would be good but I found the snorkeling opportunities a lot better in Komodo but it isn’t an ideal time for Komodo. You must really love your partner.
Best possible place for the combination snorkeling and diving and that time of year is Weda Bay.
Wingy
Contributor
Hmmm might try using some punctuation and correct syntax now I'm not freezing on night watch at 4.45am
Liveaboards - last June I did Maumere to Komodo, Lombok and Bali on Pindito - a boat I would highly recommend and Edis knowledge of the area is evident that Pindito has been out there for 27 years being the first LOB in Raja Ampat and beyond. I like Komodo but would not do it Landbased or in a budget liveaboard - some of the Liveaboards we sailed past looked like they had been put together with plywood and duct tape. There was a lovely bay we went into looking for a particular fish (playing coy here) which made me smile - after 27 years Pindito is still exploring.
Tambora is a great boat with Uwe and crew taking care of your every need. Both nice solid boats that sit well in the water (Pindito just a little sturdier in a biggish swell) both have great guides and crew who know what they're doing. Tambora has the best tenders I've ever seen with Uwe having put a lot of thought into giving divers the most comfy ride out to a dive site. I'd have to say Tambora food and drinks service just edges out Pinditos because while the food was slightly better - Pindito did not provide me with the two dietary requirements I have so I got a bit sick of water after 11 days. Other than that, no complaints.
Both boats have second to none facilities and safety records and offer some interesting itineraries so you're not "where all the other boats are".
Depends on your sticker shock when it comes to LOBs - I have friends who are regulars on Damaii and Dewi Nusatara and love them, just out of my price range and I don't need a 4 poster bed and a bathtub on a boat
Landbased you could also fly into Bali and fly direct to Kupang and ferry across to Kepa island where you have a mix of Pelagics and Macro - Alor is a little seasonal most of the dive shops are not open during dec - February (from memory) but if you are a current junkie the dive sites kick ass at certain times of the year. Your wife will be able to snorkel from your beachfront traditional style Vila at la P'tite Kepa or off the boat with you. Really cruisey hidden away from the masses gem
Diving in Alor
Liveaboards - last June I did Maumere to Komodo, Lombok and Bali on Pindito - a boat I would highly recommend and Edis knowledge of the area is evident that Pindito has been out there for 27 years being the first LOB in Raja Ampat and beyond. I like Komodo but would not do it Landbased or in a budget liveaboard - some of the Liveaboards we sailed past looked like they had been put together with plywood and duct tape. There was a lovely bay we went into looking for a particular fish (playing coy here) which made me smile - after 27 years Pindito is still exploring.
Tambora is a great boat with Uwe and crew taking care of your every need. Both nice solid boats that sit well in the water (Pindito just a little sturdier in a biggish swell) both have great guides and crew who know what they're doing. Tambora has the best tenders I've ever seen with Uwe having put a lot of thought into giving divers the most comfy ride out to a dive site. I'd have to say Tambora food and drinks service just edges out Pinditos because while the food was slightly better - Pindito did not provide me with the two dietary requirements I have so I got a bit sick of water after 11 days. Other than that, no complaints.
Both boats have second to none facilities and safety records and offer some interesting itineraries so you're not "where all the other boats are".
Depends on your sticker shock when it comes to LOBs - I have friends who are regulars on Damaii and Dewi Nusatara and love them, just out of my price range and I don't need a 4 poster bed and a bathtub on a boat
Landbased you could also fly into Bali and fly direct to Kupang and ferry across to Kepa island where you have a mix of Pelagics and Macro - Alor is a little seasonal most of the dive shops are not open during dec - February (from memory) but if you are a current junkie the dive sites kick ass at certain times of the year. Your wife will be able to snorkel from your beachfront traditional style Vila at la P'tite Kepa or off the boat with you. Really cruisey hidden away from the masses gem
Diving in Alor
jeremyl
Contributor
Hijacking a little - if I may.... I'm also looking for an Indo place. I was planning on early May, but just came across Indo Aggressor deal for April for the Forgotten Islands. Curious about this... is it a good time (and place) to go. We've been to Raja 2X (both on the Mermaid) as well as Komodo (also mermaid). Ive been to Lembeh and Bunaken 2X (land based). And dove around Bali... loved it all. Raja is my fav but looking for something new. I love the macro and the coral gardens and the big stuff.. so yeah all of it.. but not too much of a macro focus this trip since I may be w/o camera and my partner can't see **** anyway (she stopped even trying on the pygmies.
If this is indeed a good time/place/boat we might just jump on it. Its early for me so my wife will be not thrilled, but I can make it work. Would likely stay around Timor a week or so after to get in some extra land based diving.
If this is indeed a good time/place/boat we might just jump on it. Its early for me so my wife will be not thrilled, but I can make it work. Would likely stay around Timor a week or so after to get in some extra land based diving.
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