Question What are Komodo/Raja Ampat diving conditions like in late March / early April?

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My prediction (read : speculation) for traveling to/in Indonesia on March / April 2022. Unless there's new and more ferocious Covid 19 variant, then it will be much easier to travel in Indonesia than now. In fact the quarantine period has just been reduced to 7 - 10 days.
There's two big event in 2022, ie. Mandalika MotoGP in Lombok (March 2022) and G20 summit. Although the G20 summit is in October but there's lot of activities starting from February.
 
From what I have been told from clients who stayed at quarantine hotels, it appears that one is not confined to your room and are free to roam the premises, use the facilities, eat in the restaurant, drink at the bar, and mix with other residents. Masks are worn by staff and residents other than when eating and drinking. Not sure if guests are required to wear them by the pool or on the beach, if it is a seaside hotel. They are required to have a negative PCR test before their flight and on landing at airport and are escorted to the boat in a private bus which has been fully cleaned and decontaminated. I just got this back from the boat.

Hi Dom,
Just back to bali after indeed what was a fantastic cruise and experience with lovely people.
Well to answer your questions:
All the guests had received at least 2 jabs before coming
All the guests made a PCR test before leaving their country
All the guests made a PCR test just after landing in Manado
The crew is fully vaccinated and fully PCR tested between each cruise
During the cruise the boat has a quarantine flag: nobody is allowed to jump into the boat while no-one on board is allowed to interact with the locals. No visit on land.
The penultimate day of the cruise a team is coming on board to test everyone (new PCR and antigen tests that not only marks the end of the quarantine but the results will be used by the guests to fly back to their country).
When you put everything together, you understand that the chances to get sick during the cruise are very low but if someone is tested positive: then yes the procedure is to confine him/her in a cabin until he/she is led to a quarantine facility once back to the land or obviously to an hospital if needed.

I agree it may not be the perfect solution and those who choose to join a boat may have greater risk from the close proximity of other divers. However we have recently had clients on liveaboards in the Maldives, Galapagos, Malpelo, Socorro, Cocos, Bahamas, Fiji, Palau, Oman, Red Sea, French Polynesia, Turks & Caicos, Belize, and so far we have had just once case of someone who had mild symptoms just before they disembarked and tested positive and were asked to quarantine in a hotel room for 7 days. They never got very sick and were served meals in their room and visited by a doctor who declared them fit to travel after seven days.

I think that as long as such protocols are followed, that it is no less safe than being in one's home country or going out to work, where one may have an equal chance of catching something. I am one who is very cautious and I wear mask, wash hands and social distance in airports and on transport.

I feel very sad for the devastation this virus has caused so many people but I am also of the belief that all travel has risks - now maybe more so than ever before - but for the world to continue, we should get vaccinated and a 3rd jab and we should support those in most need.

I am happy to send more details of these programs to anyone who asks. We are an agent but they do not have to book it thru us. We can provide the information and people can make their onw decisions.

Hope you guys are able to get thru this sooner than later - we do understand your pain.
 
From what I have been told from clients who stayed at quarantine hotels, it appears that one is not confined to your room and are free to roam the premises, use the facilities, eat in the restaurant, drink at the bar, and mix with other residents. Masks are worn by staff and residents other than when eating and drinking. Not sure if guests are required to wear them by the pool or on the beach, if it is a seaside hotel. They are required to have a negative PCR test before their flight and on landing at airport and are escorted to the boat in a private bus which has been fully cleaned and decontaminated. I just got this back from the boat.

Hi Dom,
Just back to bali after indeed what was a fantastic cruise and experience with lovely people.
Well to answer your questions:
All the guests had received at least 2 jabs before coming
All the guests made a PCR test before leaving their country
All the guests made a PCR test just after landing in Manado
The crew is fully vaccinated and fully PCR tested between each cruise
During the cruise the boat has a quarantine flag: nobody is allowed to jump into the boat while no-one on board is allowed to interact with the locals. No visit on land.
The penultimate day of the cruise a team is coming on board to test everyone (new PCR and antigen tests that not only marks the end of the quarantine but the results will be used by the guests to fly back to their country).
When you put everything together, you understand that the chances to get sick during the cruise are very low but if someone is tested positive: then yes the procedure is to confine him/her in a cabin until he/she is led to a quarantine facility once back to the land or obviously to an hospital if needed.

I agree it may not be the perfect solution and those who choose to join a boat may have greater risk from the close proximity of other divers. However we have recently had clients on liveaboards in the Maldives, Galapagos, Malpelo, Socorro, Cocos, Bahamas, Fiji, Palau, Oman, Red Sea, French Polynesia, Turks & Caicos, Belize, and so far we have had just once case of someone who had mild symptoms just before they disembarked and tested positive and were asked to quarantine in a hotel room for 7 days. They never got very sick and were served meals in their room and visited by a doctor who declared them fit to travel after seven days.

I think that as long as such protocols are followed, that it is no less safe than being in one's home country or going out to work, where one may have an equal chance of catching something. I am one who is very cautious and I wear mask, wash hands and social distance in airports and on transport.

I feel very sad for the devastation this virus has caused so many people but I am also of the belief that all travel has risks - now maybe more so than ever before - but for the world to continue, we should get vaccinated and a 3rd jab and we should support those in most need.

I am happy to send more details of these programs to anyone who asks. We are an agent but they do not have to book it thru us. We can provide the information and people can make their onw decisions.

Hope you guys are able to get thru this sooner than later - we do understand your pain.
@Dom@DiveAdvice
I'd just say it's about time they do this. I've been on such 10 liveaboard trips during covid. Some of them were booked through you.

Dec 2020 - Cocos
Jan 2021 - Socorro
Mar 2021 - Maldives (2 back-to-back)
May 2021 - Socorro
Jul 2021 - Malpelo
Aug 2021 - Guadalupe
Oct 2021 - Tiger Beach
Dec 2021 - Palau (2 back-to-back)

I posted my trip reports in Scubaboard (except the last one, Palau, as I'm still editing my videos).

So, folks, this is a good news! Go book 'em while there are spots available, as those trip rescheduling are piling up to 2 years ahead. For example my Feb 2022 trip to Raja Ampat has been rescheduled to Feb 2024.
 
From what I have been told from clients who stayed at quarantine hotels, it appears that one is not confined to your room and are free to roam the premises, use the facilities, eat in the restaurant, drink at the bar, and mix with other residents. Masks are worn by staff and residents other than when eating and drinking. Not sure if guests are required to wear them by the pool or on the beach, if it is a seaside hotel. They are required to have a negative PCR test before their flight and on landing at airport and are escorted to the boat in a private bus which has been fully cleaned and decontaminated. I just got this back from the boat.

Hi Dom,
Just back to bali after indeed what was a fantastic cruise and experience with lovely people.
Well to answer your questions:
All the guests had received at least 2 jabs before coming
All the guests made a PCR test before leaving their country
All the guests made a PCR test just after landing in Manado
The crew is fully vaccinated and fully PCR tested between each cruise
During the cruise the boat has a quarantine flag: nobody is allowed to jump into the boat while no-one on board is allowed to interact with the locals. No visit on land.
The penultimate day of the cruise a team is coming on board to test everyone (new PCR and antigen tests that not only marks the end of the quarantine but the results will be used by the guests to fly back to their country).
When you put everything together, you understand that the chances to get sick during the cruise are very low but if someone is tested positive: then yes the procedure is to confine him/her in a cabin until he/she is led to a quarantine facility once back to the land or obviously to an hospital if needed.

I agree it may not be the perfect solution and those who choose to join a boat may have greater risk from the close proximity of other divers. However we have recently had clients on liveaboards in the Maldives, Galapagos, Malpelo, Socorro, Cocos, Bahamas, Fiji, Palau, Oman, Red Sea, French Polynesia, Turks & Caicos, Belize, and so far we have had just once case of someone who had mild symptoms just before they disembarked and tested positive and were asked to quarantine in a hotel room for 7 days. They never got very sick and were served meals in their room and visited by a doctor who declared them fit to travel after seven days.

I think that as long as such protocols are followed, that it is no less safe than being in one's home country or going out to work, where one may have an equal chance of catching something. I am one who is very cautious and I wear mask, wash hands and social distance in airports and on transport.

I feel very sad for the devastation this virus has caused so many people but I am also of the belief that all travel has risks - now maybe more so than ever before - but for the world to continue, we should get vaccinated and a 3rd jab and we should support those in most need.

I am happy to send more details of these programs to anyone who asks. We are an agent but they do not have to book it thru us. We can provide the information and people can make their onw decisions.

Hope you guys are able to get thru this sooner than later - we do understand your pain.
All anecdotes from before the Omicron outbreak mean not much for the actual situation. By the way, people who stayed in French for the last 14 days cannot enter Indonesia at all anymore.
 
From what I have been told from clients who stayed at quarantine hotels, it appears that one is not confined to your room and are free to roam the premises, use the facilities, eat in the restaurant, drink at the bar, and mix with other residents. Masks are worn by staff and residents other than when eating and drinking. Not sure if guests are required to wear them by the pool or on the beach, if it is a seaside hotel.
Not in Jakarta, at least to my experience in October 2021; and the people we know; we're confined in the room, they kept room key/card - not allowed to go outside; meal/drink on-line order are forbidden.
If any and known by public - particularly spread in the social media - the hotel will be removed from the list of approved quarantine hotel and fined significant amount of money. Had happened to at least two hotels in Jakarta.

I dont know the situation in Manado quarantine hotel. Certainly not the rule. Once the public knows and become an incident; deportation is waiting.
 
Wow you guys are well informed: that piece of information has been released at 1300 Jakarta Time today!
Yes that’s true, starting tomorrow 7th January people from 14 countries are black listed for an undefined period of time.
Among those is France thanks to its 330000 new daily cases and the UK. We'll see how long it lasts. Fingers crossed.
 
From what I have been told from clients who stayed at quarantine hotels, it appears that one is not confined to your room and are free to roam the premises, use the facilities, eat in the restaurant, drink at the bar, and mix with other residents. Masks are worn by staff and residents other than when eating and drinking. Not sure if guests are required to wear them by the pool or on the beach, if it is a seaside hotel. They are required to have a negative PCR test before their flight and on landing at airport and are escorted to the boat in a private bus which has been fully cleaned and decontaminated. I just got this back from the boat.

Hi Dom,
Just back to bali after indeed what was a fantastic cruise and experience with lovely people.
Well to answer your questions:
All the guests had received at least 2 jabs before coming
All the guests made a PCR test before leaving their country
All the guests made a PCR test just after landing in Manado
The crew is fully vaccinated and fully PCR tested between each cruise
During the cruise the boat has a quarantine flag: nobody is allowed to jump into the boat while no-one on board is allowed to interact with the locals. No visit on land.
The penultimate day of the cruise a team is coming on board to test everyone (new PCR and antigen tests that not only marks the end of the quarantine but the results will be used by the guests to fly back to their country).
When you put everything together, you understand that the chances to get sick during the cruise are very low but if someone is tested positive: then yes the procedure is to confine him/her in a cabin until he/she is led to a quarantine facility once back to the land or obviously to an hospital if needed.

I agree it may not be the perfect solution and those who choose to join a boat may have greater risk from the close proximity of other divers. However we have recently had clients on liveaboards in the Maldives, Galapagos, Malpelo, Socorro, Cocos, Bahamas, Fiji, Palau, Oman, Red Sea, French Polynesia, Turks & Caicos, Belize, and so far we have had just once case of someone who had mild symptoms just before they disembarked and tested positive and were asked to quarantine in a hotel room for 7 days. They never got very sick and were served meals in their room and visited by a doctor who declared them fit to travel after seven days.

I think that as long as such protocols are followed, that it is no less safe than being in one's home country or going out to work, where one may have an equal chance of catching something. I am one who is very cautious and I wear mask, wash hands and social distance in airports and on transport.

I feel very sad for the devastation this virus has caused so many people but I am also of the belief that all travel has risks - now maybe more so than ever before - but for the world to continue, we should get vaccinated and a 3rd jab and we should support those in most need.

I am happy to send more details of these programs to anyone who asks. We are an agent but they do not have to book it thru us. We can provide the information and people can make their onw decisions.

Hope you guys are able to get thru this sooner than later - we do understand your pain.

What is the name of the boat please?
 
No secret and no disrespect to you or the forum but the boat did not ask me to publish this info and from time to time I see a certain amount of bad mouthing and negative remarks generated by controversial issues. So my preference is to contribute positive remarks when I can, and if anyone wishes to get further details, then they are free to contact me direct, as have several people already contacted me by email and I have replied fully to them with all details. You can do the same and of course you are then at liberty to do what you want with the info.
 

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