Question Diving in Komodo Island (Indonesia)

[thegios]

Anyone who can sugegst a diving center and accomodation in Badjo?
it's the two of us (my wife and I) arriving on 15th September in the afternoon and flying back on 20th in the afternoo, so no diving on both these days: we are planning to dive on 16th, 17th and 18th and to only visit dragons on 19th.

Either a diving with accomodations or a diving + separate accomodations (I understand the latter is less expensive considering we are not looking for anything fancy as long as tehre is a clean room with bed and private bathroom).

 

[Searcaigh]

Contact Blue Marlin Diving in LBJ

I assume you are flying between DPS (Bali) and LBJ ?

Be prepared for flight cancellation at the last minute with some Indonesian airlines.

 

[thegios]

Contact Blue Marlin Diving in LBJ

I assume you are flying between DPS (Bali) and LBJ ?

Be prepared for flight cancellation at the last minute with some Indonesian airlines.

Yes on 15 Sep we have the following options

[td]BALI[/td][td]13 > 14[/td] [td]BALI > KOMODO[/td][td]15[/td] [td]Garuda[/td][td]€ 110[/td] [td]16:50 > 18:00[/td] [td]AirAsia[/td][td]€ 125[/td] [td]15:45 > 17:00[/td] [td]AirAsia[/td][td]€ 125[/td] [td]16:45 > 17:55[/td]

while on 20 Sep

[td]

KOMODO > JAKARTA​

[/td]
[td]20[/td] [td]Batik[/td][td]€ 172[/td] [td]18:25 > 19:50[/td]

since we have a flight from Jakarta to Rome on 21 Sep at 00:45, so we are planning to stay in the airport

 

[thegios]

Yes on 15 Sep we have the following options

[td]BALI[/td][td]13 > 14[/td] [td]BALI > KOMODO[/td][td]15[/td] [td]Garuda[/td][td]€ 110[/td] [td]16:50 > 18:00[/td] [td]AirAsia[/td][td]€ 125[/td] [td]15:45 > 17:00[/td] [td]AirAsia[/td][td]€ 125[/td] [td]16:45 > 17:55[/td]

while on 20 Sep


[td]

KOMODO > JAKARTA​

[/td]
[td]20[/td] [td]Batik[/td][td]€ 172[/td] [td]18:25 > 19:50[/td]


since we have a flight from Jakarta to Rome on 21 Sep at 00:45, so we are planning to stay in the airport

BTW, yes we have already contacted Blue Marlin and it's the only option with accomodation we are considering, since the others are all more expensive.

 

[Searcaigh]

Blue Marlin have a fast boat that leaves just after 7am so you get to most dive sites before nay of the other land based ops.

You can usually get breakfast there at 06:30.

I hope you have a great trip

 

[hedonist222]

The Blue Marlin setup is accommodation + dive but its not like a typical beach resort dive center where you're immersed in the dive scene.
Its a hotel building on the main street just like any other nearby hotel but without dive facilities.
Its a 5 to 8 minute walk to the pier where all dive center boats leave from. So you could use Blue Marlin and stay elsewhere.

I booked with Sea Creatures and stayed at Meru Orah. Sea Creatures is the closest dive center to the port - about a 3 minute walk. They also have a fast boat like Blue Marlin and have a mix of locals and American staff.
Meru Orah was a 90 second walk from the dive center. Meeting point at the dive shop every morning. You can obviously stay at any other place.

Other than living with other divers, what benefit are you getting by staying with Blue Marlin if you could stay where you like and simply meet them at the port or shop each morning.

 

[thegios]

The Blue Marlin setup is accommodation + dive but its not like a typical beach resort dive center where you're immersed in the dive scene.
Its a hotel building on the main street just like any other nearby hotel but without dive facilities.
Its a 5 to 8 minute walk to the pier where all dive center boats leave from. So you could use Blue Marlin and stay elsewhere.

I booked with Sea Creatures and stayed at Meru Orah. Sea Creatures is the closest dive center to the port - about a 3 minute walk. They also have a fast boat like Blue Marlin and have a mix of locals and American staff.
Meru Orah was a 90 second walk from the dive center. Meeting point at the dive shop every morning. You can obviously stay at any other place.

Other than living with other divers, what benefit are you getting by staying with Blue Marlin if you could stay where you like and simply meet them at the port or shop each morning.

Thx for the info. I don't have to, reason why I'm looking for recommendations

 

[hedonist222]

I liked Sea Creatures a lot.
I dived 7 days with them and of the 7, 4 or 5 days were with a loaner fast boat while theirs (fast boat) was getting repaired.
On one day the loaner was not up to par and a few of us mentioned this.

Otherwise great experience. Great guides. Unfortunately dive sites are ultimately guided by diver majority on boat and that meant a few times that we skipped a planned site. It was obvious that this was because the majority would not be able to. Obviously this is not a Sea Creatures issue. Its more of a Komodo issue. Just for you to be aware of.

Skip night dives if it is the dive island just 4 minutes out of the harbor. There is nothing worth seeing. We saw a lot of things but nothing outstanding. Well, the juvenile bamboo shark was great but getting back by 8:30 pm that day is not worth the night dive IMO.