Flying to Sorong - options?

[madfish]

Hi - I am looking at exactly the same at the moment - The operator strongly recommends flying via Jakarta, and gave me the following schedule for Saturday/ Sunday flights:

Saturday: Jakarta – Sorong via Ujung Pandang, Batavia Air, ETD 22.30pm ETA 07.00am (Arrive Sorong on Sunday morning)
Sunday: Jakarta – Sorong via Ujung Pandang, Merpati Air, ETD 05.00am ETA 12.35pm
Sunday: Jakarta – Sorong via Ujung Pandang, Express Air ETD 05.00am ETA 14.30pm
Sunday: Sorong – Jakarta via Ujung Pandang Batavia Air, ED 10.20am ETA 13.20pm
Sunday: Sorong – Jakarta via Ujung Pandang Merpati Air, ED 13.20pm ETA 16.20pm
Sunday: Sorong - Jakarta via Ujung Pandang, Express Air ETD 11.00am : ETA 14.55pm

hope this helps

Frogfish's timing are exactly the same as mine when i last spoke with papua last week. Frogfish, are you looking to dive with Papua diving?

I also checked with another Indo-based LOB and were given the following:

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Based on Jakarta (DAILY)

JAKARTA - UJUNG PANDANG MZ 762 05:00 - 08:15

UJUNG PANDANG - SORONG MZ 806 09:35 - 12:45

SORONG - UJUNG PANDANG MZ 807 13:50 - 14:25

UJUNG PANDANG - JAKARTA MZ 791 15:10 - 16:25

Jakarta - Sorong - Jakarta is Rp 5,138,000 or around US$ 571 per person



Based on Manado (every Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

MANADO - SORONG JT 1178 14:25 - 17:15
SORONG - MANADO JT 1177 09:25 - 10:15

Manado - Sorong - Manado is Rp 2,360,000 or around US$ 263 per person. Flying Lion Airlines.

 

[frogfish]

Madfish - Yes, I am looking at Papua diving last week of May...

 

[dh]

We stayed at Misool this past February and had a great time.

Definitely the best diving we have done.

We took the Express Air flight from Jakarta @ 5:00 am and were on the Misool launch by early afternoon.

No problems.

Check out Manado Safari Tours North Sulawesi: Discount Hotel & Scuba Diving Packages Bunaken & Lembeh

They booked our flights to and from Sorong.

Happy to answer any questions.

 

[madfish]

Madfish - Yes, I am looking at Papua diving last week of May...

Hi, let me know how it goes? I am planning my trip for end Oct.

 

[jcclink]

Unless you really need to visit Jakarta, why not fly into Bali then connect to Makassar & Sorong. Over the years I've had the best luck with Garuda & Lion/Wings. Limited experience with Merpati & Batavia - old equipment, late/cancelled flights.

 

[Shasta_man]

FYI

- I flew through Jakarta on Express Air as you can make the whole trip from Jakarta to Sorong in one day. Of course, you then deal with lining up the international flight. I overnighted in the airport hotel on the way in and out due to the possibility of delays in Sorong. THe flying time is ~4 hours each way. I didn't find the plane to be smaller than others but I could be wrong. In flight meals were interesting: spam sandwich, Indo KFC. Otherwise smooth though it isn't clear that you need to get a transit pass at the stop in Makassar to get on the next leg.

- you can do the Paradise Dancer in RA - the boat is huge with a low center of gravity so 95% of the time, you can't tell you are on a boat. No kidding. Probably around the cost of the land based diving if you both dive

 

[Julieofthesea]

The Misool Eco resort has a recommendations on how to get there on their website. This place is REALLY remote, so getting there can be tricky.

There are great US based, travel agencies that specialize in exotic dive travel. They can help you with your travel arrangements at no extra fee.

This is what the website says....

We recommend our guests arrive in Sorong on Express Air flight XN800 from Jakarta, departing 05:00 and arriving 11:50am. Due to our remote location, our speedboat is only able to wait for one flight. If you are booked on a flight other than XN800 and it is delayed or cancelled, we will have to make alternate arrangements to get you to the island, and additional charges may apply. If you wish to arrive on a different flight, we recommend you arrive one day early in Sorong.

One night in Sorong after your stay at Misool Eco Resort will be necessary (unless you are combining your trip with a live-aboard trip). Your hotel night in Sorong after your trip is included in the package price. We'll arrange your room as well as all meals, baggage services, and transfers to Sorong's airport.

 

[Zippsy]

I just looked at a sample flight in May on Lion Air. Round trip tix from Jakarta - Ambon - Sorong were US$360. And muck diving in Ambon is outstanding too if you want another option.

 

[JasonG]

I recently flew Manado - Sorong - Manado to join the Paradise Dancer. Roundtrip ticket, including a US$50 handling charge imposed by Peter Hughes, was US$318. Manado - Sorong flight was on Express Air and the return on Lion Air.

A few things to consider...(1) I wanted to minimize the number of domestic flights and connections as I felt that this would reduce my risk of delays and/or missing baggage; (2) look into the overweight baggage charges as these can add significantly to the cost of your flights if you are carrying a bunch of camera gear; (3) on my way out I was able to fly Sorong - Manado on Lion Air, then Manado - Singapore on Silk Air, and finally Singapore - Hong Kong, where I live, on Cathay Pacific, all in one (long) day. The point of mentioning this is that it would be possible to pick up a connection to the US in Singapore on the same day that you depart from Sorong.

Good luck,

Jason

 

[jeremyl]

Thanks JasonG. Good to get an example - and I was worried about getting back to SIN in one day since the layover in Manado seems pretty short (~1.3hr) on the way to Sorong.

Until nwflyboy mentioned it, I didnt think about Thailand. I am using United miles as well, so I could probably swing some multi-city deal and check out Thailand diving instead of (most likely) Komodo. Could be a little easier on the travel time.