Boarding RA LoB @ noon... When would you arrive in Sorong?

[unregistered19]

With a RA LoB boarding at 11am/noon, when would you guys arrive in Sorong?

I'm considering arriving that morning at 06:35, but I haven't really traveled domestic Indonesia, so I'm not too familiar with the intricacies of that. Flying Singapore - Jakarta - Sorong on Garuda.

 

[scubaNYC16]

Most people will probably say to arrive the day before if you can just in case there are any delays with luggage. After experiencing delays going to Komodo this past August, I’m planning to arrive the day before for Raja this Xmas.

 

[stepfen]

Is the LoB departing from Sorong or Waisai?

If it goes from Sorong (where the airport is) things are a bit better. Schedule is usually flexible and the boat can wait for you for few hours in case of a delay or something.

Waisai is a bit more difficult because there are only 2 ferries a day (departing Sorong 9:00 and 14:00). A couple of hours delay in your flight and you miss the morning ferry - then you have to wait for the afternoon one and arrive in Waisai not before 16:00.

Canceled flights are always possibile. It depends on how much risk you want to take and what other options you have.

Actually you can ask the operator what they suggest.

 

[Damselfish]

I would never arrive for an RA liveaboard the same day as I needed to board either ferry or LOB. Too many things that can go So-wrong along the way, and flight schedules in Indo can be more fluid than one might prefer. Another consideration is that from North America, getting some rest and adjusting to the time zone before you get on the LOB is a good thing, rather than zombie diving.

Last time we stayed overnight in Jakarta and just over a day in Sorong (Actually 2 hotel nights, as we were arriving early and I'm partial to having a guaranteed place to crash - they weren't doing early checkins at the time.) Granted, I'm conservative on this, and have flexibility on time.

 

[unregistered19]

In my case, I'll fly to Sorong from Singapore, having been in Phuket for a Similans LoB Girlfriend meeting me in Singapore coming from Barcelona...

LoB departing from Sorong. I just have no idea what to do for 28 hours in Sorong if we get there a day before LoB departure! Could be in Singapore enjoying some Hainan chicken rice instead

 

[diveUAE]

We arrived the day of for our LOB. Was flying AUH-CGK and separate ticket CGK-SOQ.
We had a 8 hour layover in Jakarta -booked FM7 hotel to catch up on some sleep.
Also this meant we picked up our luggage at CGK and had to check in again, but at least we knew the luggage had made it to CGK.
We had all “essentials” in our carryons: dive computer, regulator, torch, mask, swimwear, sarong and toothbrush, so figured, if the luggage did not make it, we could still go diving (this is how we always travel for a dive vacation)

 

[Dan]

Call me lucky. I’ve been doing this trip 8 times, that is arriving SOQ at 6:30AM on the day of boarding the boat. The early flights were always on time (knock on wood).

 

[Hoag]

Murphy and I go way back. If something can go wrong, and does, I would far rather have a good story when it is all done, than risk having a ruined vacation. My money would say get there a day early. If everything works out, relax, have a nap, recover from the jet lag and maybe do some sight seeing. If things do "go sideways", then you have lots of time to figure out and implement a "Plan B". If your plan is to arrive the same day that your LOB departs, and things go sideways then your options are dramatically limited.

Plan for the worst case scenario not for the best case scenario.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Even if I've already acclimated by being in singapore for a few weeks, getting to Sorong is a drag, so I don't mind arriving a day early. I rest up because the next 10 or 11 days will really be something!!

 

[outofofficebrb]

It doesn’t matter which liveaboard and where; I would never arrive the morning of because that leaves me very little cushion for the various reasons previously mentioned. The exception might be if it’s an hour long flight and there are almost flights every few hours on many carriers such as DPS to LBJ non-stop for Komodo. In that case, there are many backup plans, weather permitting. Baggage is not my only worry. Delayed and canceled flights are a real risk. While Garuda is usually reliable, I also had a terrible time with them last fall as they were canceling and changing flights left and right for many people I was in contact with going through various airports in October. It is never a problem until it is. I also don’t want to be that person that causes everyone else to wait for me or the liveaboard to change plans if it were something that I could have potentially mitigated. I feel that’s a courtesy to myself to ensure the vacation that I’ve lined up for myself is as successful as can be as well as a courtesy to others on board.