My wife and I just returned from what we can only describe as the dive trip of a lifetime. If you're a serious diver looking for pristine reefs, personalized service, and a peaceful, no-frills yet beautiful place to relax between dives—this resort in Alor is everything you could hope for and more.
The owners, who are passionate divers themselves, built the resort from the ground up. Their attention to detail and love for the ocean shines through in every aspect of the experience. We even had the pleasure of diving with Isabella, one of the owners for a few days, and her knowledge of the local sites is nothing short of incredible. It made each dive that much more memorable. They even have a few secret spots we went to.
One of the things we really appreciated is that Alor uses a shared online dive site reservation system among all dive operators. This means dive sites are never overcrowded.
The bungalows are clean, comfortable, and clearly designed with divers in mind. Everything you need is right there, and it’s all immaculately maintained. The food was another highlight—fresh, local, and with a wide variety to enjoy every day. We never had the same meal twice and looked forward to every bite. Oh, and the view from the main lounge? Absolutely breathtaking. One afternoon, we were eating lunch and saw a blue whale breach right in front of us—truly unforgettable.
Now let’s talk about the diving: spectacular. Alor has officially given me my #1 and #2 best dives of my entire life. The reef health and marine life are outstanding—vibrant, diverse, and thriving. We planned our trip around the new moon, so we had some strong currents, which brought in big fish and exciting drift dives. It’s important to note that diving here requires confidence in those conditions. We regularly experienced up and down currents and even saw a few underwater whirlpools, which was surreal.
That said, we never felt unsafe. The dive masters were incredibly experienced, patient, and helpful. They gave us great tips on how to read and handle the currents, and we both learned so much from them. On one dive we did use the reef hooks and just watched the fish swim by in the current.
Visibility was excellent throughout the trip, and the water temps varied due to the currents, so our 5mm full suits were perfect. We can’t stress this enough—if you're planning to dive Alor, do your research on diving in currents, and be sure you’re at least Advanced Open Water certified. You will need to get below 60 feet to see the big stuff. The conditions are thrilling but require awareness and skill.
Getting there from Los Angeles took us about 37 hours with a few connections, but it was surprisingly smooth. The domestic flights in Indonesia were easy to manage through Lyon and Batik air. Once in Indonesia we flew in and out of Jakarta airport, it was modern, clean, and very traveler-friendly. On the outbound we had a 10 hour layover in Jakarta and stayed at the Hotel in the airport. I suggest the breakfast buffet, it was incredible.
In short, if you're looking for a quiet, exceptionally well-run resort with world-class diving and warm, knowledgeable hosts, look no further. Susan and I are already planning our return trip. This place is a true gem—we're so glad we found it.
Steve
The owners, who are passionate divers themselves, built the resort from the ground up. Their attention to detail and love for the ocean shines through in every aspect of the experience. We even had the pleasure of diving with Isabella, one of the owners for a few days, and her knowledge of the local sites is nothing short of incredible. It made each dive that much more memorable. They even have a few secret spots we went to.
One of the things we really appreciated is that Alor uses a shared online dive site reservation system among all dive operators. This means dive sites are never overcrowded.
The bungalows are clean, comfortable, and clearly designed with divers in mind. Everything you need is right there, and it’s all immaculately maintained. The food was another highlight—fresh, local, and with a wide variety to enjoy every day. We never had the same meal twice and looked forward to every bite. Oh, and the view from the main lounge? Absolutely breathtaking. One afternoon, we were eating lunch and saw a blue whale breach right in front of us—truly unforgettable.
Now let’s talk about the diving: spectacular. Alor has officially given me my #1 and #2 best dives of my entire life. The reef health and marine life are outstanding—vibrant, diverse, and thriving. We planned our trip around the new moon, so we had some strong currents, which brought in big fish and exciting drift dives. It’s important to note that diving here requires confidence in those conditions. We regularly experienced up and down currents and even saw a few underwater whirlpools, which was surreal.
That said, we never felt unsafe. The dive masters were incredibly experienced, patient, and helpful. They gave us great tips on how to read and handle the currents, and we both learned so much from them. On one dive we did use the reef hooks and just watched the fish swim by in the current.
Visibility was excellent throughout the trip, and the water temps varied due to the currents, so our 5mm full suits were perfect. We can’t stress this enough—if you're planning to dive Alor, do your research on diving in currents, and be sure you’re at least Advanced Open Water certified. You will need to get below 60 feet to see the big stuff. The conditions are thrilling but require awareness and skill.
Getting there from Los Angeles took us about 37 hours with a few connections, but it was surprisingly smooth. The domestic flights in Indonesia were easy to manage through Lyon and Batik air. Once in Indonesia we flew in and out of Jakarta airport, it was modern, clean, and very traveler-friendly. On the outbound we had a 10 hour layover in Jakarta and stayed at the Hotel in the airport. I suggest the breakfast buffet, it was incredible.
In short, if you're looking for a quiet, exceptionally well-run resort with world-class diving and warm, knowledgeable hosts, look no further. Susan and I are already planning our return trip. This place is a true gem—we're so glad we found it.
Steve
