Bali + Komodo or Philippines for a novice diver

[sutt13]

Hi,

I have about 3 1/2 weeks to take as holiday from work between now and end of August, and am trying to decide on a destination for a combination of good diving and land-based activities on a budget.

Bit of background:

I am female, in my twenties, and will be travelling solo. Land-wise I like quieter places, culture, hiking / nature, nice beaches. Dive-wise, I like a bit of everything so far, although more into reefs than muck/wrecks. I am AOW certified with around 30 dives, all within SEA over the last year (Thailand, Malaysia, Bali). Several deep dives, drift, and wreck. No night dives, but willing to test it out.

Searching online I have managed to find some cheap flights London > Manila in Mar/early Apr and London > Bali in May/early June. Now I'm just struggling to decide which to go for!

For the Philippines I was thinking of hopping round the Visayas (i.e. Malapascua / Sogod / Bohol / Dumaguete) for the diving portion + Batad and Siquijor for hiking and beach chilling.

For Indonesia I was thinking of heading back to Lembongan for several days diving before flying to Maumere, spend a week or so crossing Flores and then finish with more diving in Komodo.

I spent two months travelling Indonesia (Java, Bali, Lombok) last summer and am itching to get back and explore more of the islands; however, reading about Komodo I am concerned I might not get the most of out of visiting with my current level of dive experience.

So, which would you recommend? Thanks in advance!

 

[Luko]

Weather wise I would recommend Indonesia, although it's also tourist peak season.
Despite what most of people say, Komodo is not the big bad area, you'll see there are lots (too many) beginner divers diving Komodo NP, it just takes a good dive guide to dive the spots safely.
I dived on a short budget Komodo liveaboard at the same season i august, half of the divers had less than 20 dives, they were given special care and accustomed to drift and depth, while the other experienced divers had different dive plans. Everything went for the best diving Crystal and Castle rock on the final day, where all divers could dive the same plan, thanks to the cruise director and guides.
I think your plan f diving frst Lembongan is a good idea since it will accustom you to drift diving and prepare for Komodo.

 

[sutt13]

Hi Luko,

Thanks for your reply.

I thought March was a good time weather-wise for the Philippines - am I wrong?

Which LOB + itinerary did you use in Komodo? I will check them out and see if they fit my budget. If not, how does land-based diving in Komodo compare to LOB?

P.S. Great photos btw. I would love to get in UW photography once I have (much) more experience under my belt

 

[Trailboss123]

Hi Luko,

Thanks for your reply.

I thought March was a good time weather-wise for the Philippines - am I wrong?

Which LOB + itinerary did you use in Komodo? I will check them out and see if they fit my budget. If not, how does land-based diving in Komodo compare to LOB?

P.S. Great photos btw. I would love to get in UW photography once I have (much) more experience under my belt

March through May is a great time for the Philippines- probably the best window. I will be there for the first 2 weeks of April myself. I will be sticking to Puerto Galera on this trip for a good mix of all around diving.

 

[Luko]

Hi Luko,

Thanks for your reply.

I thought March was a good time weather-wise for the Philippines - am I wrong?

Which LOB + itinerary did you use in Komodo? I will check them out and see if they fit my budget. If not, how does land-based diving in Komodo compare to LOB?

P.S. Great photos btw. I would love to get in UW photography once I have (much) more experience under my belt

Yes sorry, I read your post too quickly and understood your holidays would be later around august, hence my immediate reply. As said above Phils are fine weatherwise until end of May/June.
That said, i still consider the Komodo diving superior to about anywhere else except Raja Ampat or some other eastern islands in Indonesia. Phils are great for ease of traveling but in many respects I would still stick to Indonesia for cultural and nature trips.

You can read about my report on the Indonesia board. (i also wrote a report regarding the southern Visayas in April that you will find on the Philippines board)