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As the female half of pelan-pelan I have also rarely had anything but kindness and efficiency from Indonesian dive guides/boat crews. Lembeh muck-diving is a one-off experience. You won't know how you feel about it til you try it. Not all the sites have garbage, and that can depend on the...

Just got back from Sulawesi - and this is exactly what I heard. Surprise at how good Padang Bai was. It is now back on my list. Thanks for the information. Upwellings, hitting cold water, warm "pools", yes we had those at Bunaken. The shimmer of the thermocline, the question "Is it a good...

Nice photo. Six hours is not so bad if there are showers, coffee, a quiet area like they have at Singapore Changi. For what it's worth, don't assume Melbourne airport is civilised. Filthy place, food all over the floor, loos all blocked, no hot water, majority of shops closed in the middle of...

Interesting take on luggage. Disguising a BC as a rucksack looks practical and may not need the sophistication of the wing back pack which was a blooming good idea. Hope he patents it and sells it to Mares But for flying with lines like LionAir, Sriwijaya Air, Merpati etc around Indonesia, let...

Thanks for all these comments - which provide experience and plenty of common sense. Whilst describing my feelings as claustrophobic is a bit strong, and in no way like the claustrophobia that some suffer, it helped to express the somewhat pressing urge (not panic) to remove neoprene. The...

Not sure if this is the right forum. I was just looking at items relating to Wakatobi. I saw the (old) video of the diver panicking and watching her reaction on the surface I thought I would make a comment and ask if anyone else has experienced the same. As I did more dives I discovered that...

Brilliant thread. I was reading another thread about travelling in Indonesia. It's not just what you take, but what you put in your carry-on and what you risk in checked luggage. I now live by "Remember you're an elephant". Arriving in Malaysia, luggage gone AWOL, and swimwear is in the...

Dan T your post should be compulsory reading. Yes, this is serious advice. And I've repeatedly heard about So Wrong. And again, the advantages of booking with one carrier. Transfer times - decide what is worse, sitting in an airport reading a book and getting bored, or missing a...

Garuda used to have the reputation as being the airline with outside toilets but they are very much climbing up the reports on "good airlines". They have good legroom in economy. The relevance to this thread is that perhaps it would be possible for a compromise on taking leave from work -...

Dan T - I had wondered about this. The flight westwards from NY to Indonesia seemed murderous. I wondered if it might be easier to go east. From the UK we use Singapore Airline and it's affilliates. It seems expensive at first but the further you travel, the better value for money it...

I'm late to this thread. Only recently booked to spend a few days in Port Douglas. Thanks for the information, I'm afraid it has only confirmed what I had researched elsewhere. Port Douglas - is there any diving/snorkelling worth doing for a day? Weed beds, sand flats, critters, reef...

I still haven't made it to Sri Lanka. Family commitments. However it is still very close to the top of the list. Found the comments very helpful - just the sort of stuff you need to know. Looking forward to reading the dive reports. Sri Lanka is an ideal destination from Europe.

Thanks to all for this information. I have been through all the links. It sounds great to me but I fear that some members of the group may not cope with no a/c, the possibility of cool showers (not the sort that fall out of the sky) etc. I'm still looking at the area, perhaps Mahahual might...

Trying to organise a trip for ourselves and friends. Strong currents and vast quantities of sharks are a No. Cattleboats and drinking and diving are a No. Touching creatures is a No. Boat diving - yes, four boat dives a day or whole day on boat is really good. And we don't mind trying out...

Really good advice. Travelling round Indonesia we have had to cope with minimal luggage weights. I take the "mountaineer's approach". They cut the end off their toothbrush to save weight. Well maybe not, but every buckle and fastener is worth a look as someone said before. Do you really...

Returning to this thread. The answer is so simple and very, very cheap. I used one of those plastic sheet magnifiers, some are credit-card sized, better are the ones like oversized bookmarks. Magnification worked really well and best held a foot or more distance from the target, held at arms...

Spot on. I always use a tropical full suit. Then relax and enjoy your dives. Dawn dives can be a bit cooler. If you want to see anything in particular, tell your guides at the start of your stay. Also, tell them how long you like to stay in the water and any depth preference. My...

Thanks Luko. That's really useful - and also in other parts of the world.

Interested in comment about Bintang being dangerous. This is ringing bells with problems with trips about 8 - 10 years ago when the only link seemed to be Bintang. But not drunk out of the bottle (hands/fingers on neck of bottle). Thought we were imagining it. Any comments? Also, ear...

Thank you Gracero for the videos. They brought back memories of our trip to Weda - about 5 years ago. I recall the large puffer fish. I thought they were the largest I would ever see, until last year in Lembeh. The land-experience at Weda is a wonderful add-on. The hornbills flying past the...