5-7 days - Woman traveling alone - Where to go???

[Wisnu]

This looks like it may be a winner!!! Looking at reviews and photos, it is really speaking to me. (You kind of had me with 'big pods of dolphin')

Can you tell me how you get there? I'll be coming from Singapore. Looks like an easy flight from Changi to Kuala Lumpur to Banda Aceh. Then take the ferry over to the island. Is that correct? Anything to consider with the jaunt?

Thank you @pelan-pelan!

Seem you mixed-up with another lumba-lumba in Sabang island, Aceh.

The lumba-lumba mentioned by pelan-pelan is in Manado, Sulawesi. There's direct around 3 hours flight from Singapore to Manado; then less than 1 hour drive from Manado airport to Lumba-lumba.

 

[hedonist222]

I went from Singapore to Manado in December.
About a 4 hour flight then 30 minutes at the airport then an hour drive to the resort.
That's about 6 hours, another 6 going back. That's half a day of traveling. Something to keep in mind. But I dived 30 minutes after getting to the resort at 2 pm.
Because, why not lol.

Bangka and Lembeh are really nice.

If I had 5 to 7 days, I'd try something closer to Singapore.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I went from Singapore to Manado in December.
About a 4 hour flight then 30 minutes at the airport then an hour drive to the resort.
That's about 6 hours, another 6 going back. That's half a day of traveling. Something to keep in mind. But I dived 30 minutes after getting to the resort at 2 pm.
Because, why not lol.

Bangka and Lembeh are really nice.

If I had 5 to 7 days, I'd try something closer to Singapore.

Like where?

 

[hedonist222]

Like where?

I'm not very familiar with dive trips from Singapore but I suppose Bali/Tulumben or Tioman in Maywood Malaysia.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Its not that easy to get to Tioman either, even though it's closer.

 

[Dan]

Looks like an easy flight from Changi to Kuala Lumpur to Banda Aceh. Then take the ferry over to the island.

Woman traveling alone to Banda Aceh? Not a good idea.

 

[pelan-pelan]

I was talking about Lumbalumba in Manado. The flight from Singapore is 3 hrs 45 mins using SilkAir which is now becoming Scoot, transfer time in Manado is less than an hour. They pick you up any time of day or night. You should find that flights have a decent luggage allowance for diving gear. Flying in to Manado from Jakarta is about 3 hrs 30 mins depending on the airline. Jakarta Airport is now a modern, clean, easy to navigate experience with copious coffee shops.

At Lumbalumba you will have access to the big walls of Bunaken and the yellow sand sites like Pohpoh. And always chance of dolphins, or even whales. If you want to try two centres, do Lumbalumba and then transfer over to one of the operations on Lembeh for some black sand muck diving. It ought to be possible to ask to go on a day trip to Tangkoko National Park (for tarsiers and couscous and hornbills etc) and then go onwards from there to arrive in Lembeh in the evening at your chosen dive resort.

Single woman walking around in Manado? No problem. I do it. I don't give it a second thought. If you walk along with diamonds and wads of money hanging out of your handbag - well, you might even be safer in Manado than you would be in London, but basically, not a good idea.

 

[KristenK]

Seem you mixed-up with another lumba-lumba in Sabang island, Aceh.

The lumba-lumba mentioned by pelan-pelan is in Manado, Sulawesi. There's direct around 3 hours flight from Singapore to Manado; then less than 1 hour drive from Manado airport to Lumba-lumba.

I got it all figured out. Have a reservation at LumbaLumba Diving. Roel is wonderful! So excited!! BUT...Coronavirus is making business travel difficult (that's what is taking me to Singapore.) If we have travel restrictions I will have to go to Australia instead. So then back to the drawing board.

 

[pelan-pelan]

I hope you make it. Ask Maxi to show you his crab - he discovered a new species and it is all verified and officially named after him.

 

[MomZo]

I got it all figured out. Have a reservation at LumbaLumba Diving. Roel is wonderful! So excited!! BUT...Coronavirus is making business travel difficult (that's what is taking me to Singapore.) If we have travel restrictions I will have to go to Australia instead. So then back to the drawing board.

You can also have a layover at Kuala Lumpur instead of Singapor, then another flight to Banda Aceh.