Any opinions on Alor?

[Luko]

My question is Alor or Ambon first??

AlMitch you can do both in a yeartime, that is only a question of travel period : go to Ambon in northern winter (october to april), stay in Alor in northern summer (april to october).
I'd rate Alor better for blue water and corals and Ambon a step ahead for macro/muck. Alor Divers is far less expensive than Maluku Divers, btw.

 

[jcclink]

How's the house reef at Alor Divers? I can't justify going for just 2 boat dives/day.

 

[AlMitch]

How's the house reef at Alor Divers? I can't justify going for just 2 boat dives/day.

I completely agree with JCC, but I would be greatly surprised if they restricted you to just two boat dives a day. Although I see they dont have prices for a third boat dive or a boat night dive.

Luko thanks for the timing info. But I wouldn't necessarily agree with you on the pricing, according to the web sites Alor Divers works out at approx USD 215 /night vs Maluku USD230/night (assuming todays exchange rates and two dives a day). So much of a muchness really. Unless you got a good deal or I've missed something. Needless to say both are not cheap, in Bangka you are paying USD140 per day!!

 

[Luko]

I completely agree with JCC, but I would be greatly surprised if they restricted you to just two boat dives a day. Although I see they dont have prices for a third boat dive or a boat night dive.

Luko thanks for the timing info. But I wouldn't necessarily agree with you on the pricing, according to the web sites Alor Divers works out at approx USD 215 /night vs Maluku USD230/night (assuming todays exchange rates and two dives a day). So much of a muchness really. Unless you got a good deal or I've missed something. Needless to say both are not cheap, in Bangka you are paying USD140 per day!!

Yes, Maybe I've been over-enthusiastic about the price comparison when I wrote my reply, my mistake. I have to admit I didn't check back Maluku Divers rates since last time I enquired while the Euro was paying less $ than today. Generally I am left with the impression that MD is a bit too pricey compared to other solutions I am using while I am diving Ambon.

That said if I were to compare with my own dive habits, I would pick Alor Divers 210$ rack rate per day (or a loyal/repeat customer discounted rate ) proposing 2 boat dives and unlimited shore dive, against Maluku's 270$ per day/3 dives a day. I am not sure Alor Divers would organize additional 3rd boat dives (I mean further than the one they already provide on their own housereef, because they drop and pickup divers drift diving on the housereef with their boats).
Additionally, Alor Divers brings you out 30 minutes speedboat ride from Pantar resort while Maluku will charge extras for diving outside Ambon bay (ie. further than 10 minutes boatride) or for nightdiving, while everything is included at Alor Divers.

All in all, at the end of the 5 dive days it's a free diving day difference, ie. a -20% cost (or a bigger difference for repeat customers). I am not saying that it compares in cheapness to Murex Bangka's 140$ a day or even Balinese dive resort : my feeling is that Alor Divers provides a better quality for my money ratio (adding the extra pleasure of a good beach and nice private wooden bungalows) than I would get at Maluku Divers, no beach and far away from Kota Ambon where at least you can have great Moluccan food.

 

[AlMitch]

Yip Luko, I see your point and from other reports and the websites I'd tend to agree with you that at MD you certainly do not exactly get "bang for your buck". There are other much cheaper options for Ambon, Blue Rose and Blue Motion but not sure that is the way I'd like to go. At the dive show here in Singapore I met a new company, called Dive into Ambon, that is opening a dive shop at one of the big hotels just outide the main city, The Aston, and their rates are around $200/day with 3 dives per day. They will have boats in the harbour and on the south coast so you can take advantage of both sides, although it will be a bit more travel time to get to the Laha dive sites.

Oh wait this thread was about Alor!! Oops my bad.
Surprised that Alor Divers really do only offer 2 boat dives. But as you say if the house reef is ok then at least you are getting wet.

 

[jcclink]

I dive Lembeh & Ambon each year. Will I see any different critters at Alor that I won't see at these locations? Starting to wonder if Alor is worth the extra hassle of getting there. Since I'm mostly interested in muck, am I looking at same critters just in a different setting?

Maluku Divers used to have a resort on the south coast of the peninsula (south side of the bay). Often they could not safely board boats due to sea condition at the resort. We had to load up the vans & transfer bayside (across the peninsula) to catch the dive boats. New resort is located near Laha Village, in the middle of muck country.

 

[ocdiver1]

Yes, Maybe I've been over-enthusiastic about the price comparison when I wrote my reply, my mistake. I have to admit I didn't check back Maluku Divers rates since last time I enquired while the Euro was paying less $ than today. Generally I am left with the impression that MD is a bit too pricey compared to other solutions I am using while I am diving Ambon.

That said if I were to compare with my own dive habits, I would pick Alor Divers 210$ rack rate per day (or a loyal/repeat customer discounted rate ) proposing 2 boat dives and unlimited shore dive, against Maluku's 270$ per day/3 dives a day. I am not sure Alor Divers would organize additional 3rd boat dives (I mean further than the one they already provide on their own housereef, because they drop and pickup divers drift diving on the housereef with their boats).
Additionally, Alor Divers brings you out 30 minutes speedboat ride from Pantar resort while Maluku will charge extras for diving outside Ambon bay (ie. further than 10 minutes boatride) or for nightdiving, while everything is included at Alor Divers.

All in all, at the end of the 5 dive days it's a free diving day difference, ie. a -20% cost (or a bigger difference for repeat customers). I am not saying that it compares in cheapness to Murex Bangka's 140$ a day or even Balinese dive resort : my feeling is that Alor Divers provides a better quality for my money ratio (adding the extra pleasure of a good beach and nice private wooden bungalows) than I would get at Maluku Divers, no beach and far away from Kota Ambon where at least you can have great Moluccan food.

Surprised at some of the comments here from having stayed at both Alor Divers and Maluku Divers. If the actual difference is even as much as $60, I'd still take MD when compared side by side. One extra boat dive vs average house reef (with many of the boat dives lasting up to 90 minutes at MD), accommodation nicer at Alor Divers? It's actually quite the opposite. Alor has nice enough wooden, open air bungalows, Maluku Divers has huge, spacious air con rooms with large bathrooms and free wifi...much, much nicer. Food at MD is superior (although not bad at AD), and you're sitting right on top of some of the best muck diving in the world, being led by some of the best guides you'll ever dive with (Semuel, Stoner, etc.). Finally, no free 30 minute boat ride needed as you're only 15 minutes from the airport! Nothing against AD, which I absolutely enjoyed, but I rate MD as one of the best overall resorts/operator in Indonsia, and even though I travel on a budget, I don't have a problem splurging for what you get at MD...seeing it definitely as "bang for your buck."

 

[gilbubblefish]

I dive Lembeh & Ambon each year. Will I see any different critters at Alor that I won't see at these locations? Starting to wonder if Alor is worth the extra hassle of getting there. Since I'm mostly interested in muck, am I looking at same critters just in a different setting?

Maluku Divers used to have a resort on the south coast of the peninsula (south side of the bay). Often they could not safely board boats due to sea condition at the resort. We had to load up the vans & transfer bayside (across the peninsula) to catch the dive boats. New resort is located near Laha Village, in the middle of muck country.

if you want to focus only on muck diving, then keep diving Lembeh and Ambon. Alor has some good sites but not as many as Lembeh, i don't excatly Ambon but it seems there is a lot of sites as well.

only some cruise could propose more variete of dive sites with the beang bay in south pantar and some dives arround lenbata...if you like to know more about the muck dives in the area, i suggest you contact Graham from Dive 4 images, he is the specialist..

Alor itself is more if you like a mix of evrything...

 

[AlMitch]

Thanks Oc. This is why I love SB so much, great first hand experiences and opinions, backed up with good explanations. Glad to hear you enjoyed MD so much but it still is not cheap and would definitely be a "splurge" as you say.

 

[Luko]

I don't have a problem splurging for what you get at MD...seeing it definitely as "bang for your buck."

Have you ever dived with Blue Rose in Ambon? Robert is an excellent muck diveguide who knows about everything of all Ambon muck dive sites (he used to work for MD beforehand), BRD provides south coast dive with no extra charge (unlike MD), they do organize Nusa Laut/Molana trips (something MD doesn't provide).

accommodation nicer at Alor Divers? It's actually quite the opposite. Alor has nice enough wooden, open air bungalows, Maluku Divers has huge, spacious air con rooms with large bathrooms and free wifi...much, much nicer.

That's where my mileage varies : I tend to appreciate more a wooden private bungalow and a hammock on a good white sand beach than a room with aircon and no beach, probably because I am traveling with a non diving wife who'd be bored to death at MD while she loves AD.

Finally, no free 30 minute boat ride needed as you're only 15 minutes from the airport!

Misunderstanding. What I'm saying is that many dives south of Pura or in Kalabahi bay will need a 30 minutes speedboat ride from northern Pantar, where AD is located. And it won't be extra charge while MD will charge any diving outside Ambon bay MD. There is a different pricing policy between AD and MD, AD is all included while MD charges extra for night dives or boatrides.

---------- Post added September 19th, 2013 at 06:34 PM ----------

I met a new company, called Dive into Ambon, that is opening a dive shop at one of the big hotels just outide the main city, The Aston, and their rates are around $200/day with 3 dives per day.

I know the Aston, that's where I am staying when going to Ambon. It's still 40 minutes car ride from the city and 1 hour ride from Laha muck sites. On the other hand they will be located very closely to the south coast sites like Hukurila caves. Their location makes it ideal to cater diving for Lease island group (Nusa Laut, Saparua, Molana), though it will be quite uneasy for Ambon Bay.

I had heard of a new dive centre opening end of 2013, I was wondering who'd manage the centre. It seems the managers are the previous managers of KBR in Lembeh, who btw are serious photographers. That's the good news.

The less good news is that the 200$ package they propose are all inclusive at the Aston, which is just a nightmare when it comes to food and service. The Hotel is supposed to be a 4* the best in Ambon but to be honest each time I am going there I am prepared to voice and shout 2 or 3 times before I can get anything I want.
In the end, I always rent a driver in order to drive me to BRD in the morning or go out for dinner downtown. It's a pity that a 4* hotel is not able to cater acceptable food while Molucca is probably the best area in Indonesia for dining. Ask once for grilled fish with colo colo, smoked tuna, eggplant in Kenari almond sauce, take a special coffee at Joas with fried breadfruit and you'll understand what I mean.