Search results

If interested in Gangga/Bangka, here is a website http://www.ganggaisland.com/. Modern and efficient with a touch of home. Here is a trip report http://www.finsonline.com/articles.php?issue=20&article=68. Great reef with no crowd. Has a good mixture of lembeh and bunaken. Santika is quite...

Lumba Lumba in Pulau Weh has a website http://www.lumbalumba.de/. These operators can help you with the logistics of getting there. The declared emergency status for Aceh province suppose to have ended, which means foreigners would be allowed back in again. For latest updates best check...

Was the photo taken with a digital camera?

Layang Layang has an incredible reef, undamaged and prestine. Super clear waters. Big hammerheads... small critters in the lagoon. The resort itself is quite comfortable and even has a swimming pool in the middle of the south china sea. This all sounds great, but diving is limited to 50 min...

Malaysia is split into Peninsular Malaysia on the west, and East Malaysia in the east. Right in the middle is the big South China Sea. Generally the wet monsoon starts around September and the dive season starts to wind down for East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. With the current...

Found this with google, not sure if reliable or current: Kuwait Mantas Dive Club Robert Harris-Jones CO Gulf English School, PO Box 33106, 25562 Al-Rumaitheya, Kuwait Phone: 965 7943783 info@kuwaitmantas.com Kuwait Diver reda@kuwaitdiver.com Kuwait, Kuwait, 00965, Kuwait Phone...

Sounds like he wants to do a bike tour around Malaysia and get some diving done. Does this means back pack style living conditions are acceptable and consider 'romantic'? "Honeymoon Romantic" to me means full butler service, even while diving. Bali is great for biking (according to...

KOC = Kuwait Oil Company. Some of the major companies have their own "out side work activities" to keep their foreign staff happy. I am not saying KOC has a dive club, but it just might have one. When I was in Balikpapan recently, all three major oil companies Total, UNOCAL and Pertamina...

Perhaps you can ask around in regards to dive clubs instead of dive centers. I wonder if KOC has a dive club?

The problem with the mentioned muck (garbage dump) diving is that you have to go through the garbage to find the jewel. Quite a different type of diving compared to reef diving. Muck diving in Lembeh becomes something like a treasure hunt. If you like the critters without the muck, then...

Having been in Indonesia during elections, it can get violent. This is mainly in the major cities like Jakarta. When out in Bunaken, Tulamben, Menjangan, Lembongan, Trawangan... these are tiny villages without even a stop sign. Chickens run around, goats bleep... a small sleepy village...

My most recent trip to Sangalaki and Derawan about 2 weeks back, even the more populated Derawan village was running out of fruits, fuel, flour... etc because the local shipment was a few days late. As to the food left-overs, I do not think that happened on any of my trips there. Then again...

The food can be good, but you have to eat local. Must remember the cook is Indonesian, so he needs to interpret what he thinks is a bolognaise. Once it comes to local stuff, I do enjoy the meals and the quality instantly improves. Yes, freshness is indeed an issue. Since it is a marine...

Was recommended to go south, past Kao Shiung down to Kenting. This area borders the Phillipines sea so is quite rich. http://www.orientaltravel.com/province/city/Kenting.htm Enjoy your trip Snoopy.

If you want to try some place different in Indonesia then how about: Manado Pulau Weh Pulau Selayar Togian Islands

Quality of living to some degree depends on $$$. Do you plan to work and dive, or just dive dive dive? For work and dive, many foreigners seem to enjoy Phuket and Koh Tao area. If you have the $$$ and do not plan to work, then Bali is great. They have losmen lodging all the way to the...

Good thing about Bali it is not all about diving. It has excellent diving and excellent top side site seeing. Manado probably has great land tours too, but not as well developed compared to Bali. If you really really want to see Mantas, then you have to go to Sangalaki in East Kalimantan...

Bali is a great place to dive. Manado is a great place too with an IDC center.

You can get the visa upon arrival at Balikpapan. It cost USD$30. As you enter the terminal, the payment counter for this visa is on the left hand side, not exactly obvious. You can pay in Rupiah but the conversion is terrible.

If you are coming in from Tarakan side, you may need a letter of sponsorship. It states you will be going to "where" for your holiday, provided by the operators. You will still need the visa, and the sponsorship letter. You cannot type this yourself as you need company stamp or letter head...