A Few Costs Compared

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billt4sf

Contributor
Messages
2,561
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Location
Fayetteville GA, Wash DC, NY, Toronto, SF
# of dives
500 - 999
Here is what we paid for a few dive vacations in Indo in recent years. I took the total cost, including transfers, alcohol, nitrox, large tanks, pony tank fills, etc. and divided it by the number of diving days (disregarding the first and last day) to get a cost per day for TWO divers sharing. This does not include air fares.

Some trips are longer than others, and costs have gone up a but since we took the Misool and Mermaid trips. All are aircon facilities.


Mermaid Raja Ampat 8 diving days: $963 (we got a big discount because we were Indo residents)

Misool 8 diving days: $1,137

Komodo Resort 8 diving days: $765

Sorido Bay 8 diving days: $1,056

Blue Manta Banda Sea (8 dive days): $1,217 (after discount from Dan T)

Bali (Geko diving, staying at Sea Breeze) 4 dive days: $403


I hope this is useful to somebody, somewhere, because we sure spent a ton of money on diving!!

- Bill & Emily

-----

So, which is "best"? SUBJECTIVELY, now..

If money were no object, we would choose Mermaid again and again, as we have had the most fun there: the staff is superb, the food is good, and they take us to high-current sites. This might be replaced in our minds by Blue Manta, I'll let you know in a few weeks' time.

Dollar-for-dollar, obviously Geko is the cheapest, although the facilities are not four star (sorry, Cedric), but it is a great group and very good dive sites, safely done (mantas, maybe mola-mola). Also, Bali cultural activities are available an hour or two away. And I love the guide Made -- others I cannot comment on.

Second-best value is Komodo Resort. We enjoyed our time here, and we would come again -- although we enjoyed the Bali-Komodo-Bali trip on Mermaid more (I said it was subjective!) One downside: no Nitrox for the 15L tanks in Komodo Resort.

Best food: Komodo Resort hands-down!

Least attractive for the price: Sorido Bay as they do not dive on Saturdays. Finest lodgings of the bunch, though. Wifi in the nice, large, airconned rooms.

Nicest location: Misool by far. Also great location for snorkeling as they have a large lagoon. Nice dive sites but very placid dives, apart from Magic Mountain. Also: They support the environment like no other on this list. Reserve far in advance!

Overall we liked the diving better in Raja Ampat and Banda Sea than in Komodo - and fewer other divers. Again, subjective.

Enjoy, and be safe on the boat and under water!

- Bill & Emily :happywave:
 
Really insightful Emily and Bill, thank you.

The memories from and experiences of diving in these wonderful places are priceless. We are all so lucky to have discovered this wonderful hobby.

Enjoy the rest of your trip !
 
You should revisit your list and pricing after you dived Alor.:eyebrow:
(...but pls don't publish as we could get too many divers going )
 
I like how Bill started his items in the calculations with "alcohol".
 
I do not understand it...Sorry. This are you costs per day for two persons, including how many dives? I try to compare. At our Divers Lodge Lembeh for example the costs for 2 persons sharing a bungalow with air conditioning, with 3 dives per person per day with Nitrox, and having a private boat and private guide and including the transfer from and back to Manado airport the price including taxes would be USD 505, - (for 2 persons. USD 252,50 per person). Beer is USD 2.50 per can.
 
Indian, do your boats ever go over to dive Sahaung at Bangka?

How many guests do you have at Lembeh on average? In the photo you appear to have a great number of boats!
 
It's good to give package cost estimates, even if such are inevitably limited in practical application to others due to details and choices (e.g.: alcohol not an issue for some), as it offers a ball park estimate of trip cost, or a part of it.

For me, U.S.-based, airfare and associated trip costs would jack the prices way up. I'm not keen on culture or visiting historical landmarks (unless conveniently close) and I'm too cheap to pay what I read of African safaris (for example) costing, so for me such long distance exotic trips would be 'all about the diving' - meaning do a live-aboard and hopefully pack in a bunch.

But someone else might have a very different priority set and trip 'workflow.' Despite all that, it's great to see some numbers to start with. Especially in a compare and contrast format.

to get a cost per day for TWO divers sharing.

Misool 8 diving days: $1,137

So, for the 2 of you the 8 day stay in Misool was 8x1,137 = $9,096? Throw in airfare and that'd be pricy.

Richard.
 
It's good to give package cost estimates, even if such are inevitably limited in practical application to others due to details and choices (e.g.: alcohol not an issue for some), as it offers a ball park estimate of trip cost, or a part of it.

For me, U.S.-based, airfare and associated trip costs would jack the prices way up. I'm not keen on culture or visiting historical landmarks (unless conveniently close) and I'm too cheap to pay what I read of African safaris (for example) costing, so for me such long distance exotic trips would be 'all about the diving' - meaning do a live-aboard and hopefully pack in a bunch.

But someone else might have a very different priority set and trip 'workflow.' Despite all that, it's great to see some numbers to start with. Especially in a compare and contrast format.





So, for the 2 of you the 8 day stay in Misool was 8x1,137 = $9,096? Throw in airfare and that'd be pricy.

Richard.

Oh that can't be right. Must have mixed values
 
I wish, but check out their rates page, prices per person but based on double occupancy. Peak season rates this year $2,825, and if I understand correctly, that doesn't include the diving/snorkeling. 7 Night unlimited diving package added $1,045. There's a discount for outside peak season.

Throw in some extra costs, and I could see them clearing 9 grand for 2 people.

Richard.
 

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