How to plan for Komodo or Raja

[Indah]

The reality is I probably have to choose based on availability. If there is a $6000 liveaboard and a $1000 liveaboard, and only 1 open spot between them, my choice is either to take it or stay home. If it's the $6000 liveaboard, I can probably decided just by looking at my bank balance. But if it is dirt cheap, am I in luck? Am I on a one way trip to the bottom of the Pacific or spending quality time bonding with a volleyball named Wilson?

A 1000 dollar liveaboard? For more than 4 nights? Or is it excluding the dives? Too good to be true?
I wonder what the real situation will be when the times comes that foreigners can enter Indonesia without quarantine. Which boats will really be sailing again, what resorts will be operational and in how far can they will have the same old reliable well trained staff by then? At least 2 years will have been passed. Probably a bit longer because Omicron just is starting in Indonesia. Further, I agree with all points Dan mentioned to consider.

 

[Dan]

A 1000 dollar liveaboard? For more than 4 nights? Or is it excluding the dives? Too good to be true?

Ten years ago, may be. I was on Tarata twice in Komodo (back in 2008 and 2012) and on Temukira once in RA (back in 2009) for a week trip for < $1000.

 

[Dan]

I wonder what the real situation will be when the times comes that foreigners can enter Indonesia without quarantine. Which boats will really be sailing again, what resorts will be operational and in how far can they will have the same old reliable well trained staff by then? At least 2 years will have been passed. Probably a bit longer because Omicron just is starting in Indonesia.

If Indonesia want to bring back the international diving tourism, they can follow what Palau & Bonaire do as far as Covid protocol, i.e.:
1. Negative PCR test 3 days / 48 hours before arrival.
2. Negative Antigen test on arrival.
3. Wear mask in public facilities or when self distancing is not possible.
4. Negative Antigen test on 5th day after arrival

Those countries seem to manage the Covid situation well with the above Covid protocols.

 

[Damselfish]

From what I've read on the Internet, Sorong used to be the main way into Raja Ampat, and the Waisai airport was supposed to replace that and make things easier to get to. But most liveaboards still seem to be out of Sorong, and I don't understand why or if I should have a preference.

I was on an RA liveaboard some years ago right around when the whole Waisai thing started, and heard plenty of rants from the crew about the stupidity of it. Once they got started they could not stop.

My understanding is the reason was to bring more money and development to Waisai. It had nothing to do with anything being easier or diving being closer, actually the opposite. The problem was it made it more difficult for tourists to get to their LOB (the expectation seemed to be most people would still fly to Sorong then have another flight or maybe some kind of ferry to Waisai, probably neither of which really existed yet.) And Waisai didn't have the infrastructure or hotels to support any of this. Also they said it didn't have the capacity to supply the LOBs. Like food for all those boats to load up for each trip. It seemed the boats might have to return to Sorong for supplies at the end of a charter, then return to Waisai to pick up their guests. While meanwhile their guests arrived in Sorong and then had to continue on to Waisai to catch their LOB.

So rather than taking a "build it and they will come" approach in some organized fashion, it was "let's just force everyone to leave from there and make it eventually happen." What's actually happened in reality at this point I don't know.

 

[bvbellomo]

The problem you are going to run into is that most if not all the resorts Dan mentioned will be booked solid once Indo opens up. I tried to book a few days in Lembeh before my next scheduled trip in Dec 2022 and the resort I wanted was fully booked. Ended up changing to Alor, but that was also difficult to find space for. A last minute spot might be available, but IMHO you are taking a big risk - unless you are willing to take literally anything that is available. Might work out, but given the number of deferred trips i doubt it.

I've never heard of a land-based resort being booked solid. Maybe they have a rule, only 6 people to a boat, but after 2 years without guests I bet they decide I am really not so fat and they can fit 7. Land based is just "Plan B" in case my liveaboard is cancelled after I get on my airplane, so I'd literally take anything that lets me dive instead of 2 weeks of hiking the island of Flores.

If Land based (either Raja or Komodo) is comparable to liveaboard diving, I might opt for land based as my primary option. The boat might not leave, but the land is not going to leave either.

What Palau and Bonaire are doing is smart, but I am not sure I want to deal with it. In October, I might change my mind and be willing to do anything to dive, but right now I've had enough COVID headaches to put this off another year and dive somewhere easier. Anyone can speculate, no one knows, but I think Omicron is going to hit everyone, including hitting Indonesia especially hard. Lots of people will die or get really sick. In 6 months, once everyone has been vaccinated or had Covid (and most people both) hospitalization and deaths will be near zero and everything will go back to the way it was. I don't mean to be a heartless person who only cares about his diving, but the reality is there is absolutely nothing I can do about Covid.

 

[Dan]

If Land based (either Raja or Komodo) is comparable to liveaboard diving, I might opt for land based as my primary option. The boat might not leave, but the land is not going to leave either.

I disagree about land based resort is comparable to liveaboard. As far as my experience diving in RA & Komodo, liveaboard is still better than resorts. You would be able to visit dive sites that are too far for the resort divers to reach. Also, those far flung dive sites would be less crowded, away from sand blower & coral breaker fins of beginner divers coming from the resorts. With the exception of the muck divers of Lembeh, average liveaboard divers tend to be more experienced (some liveaboards require you to have a minimum 50 dives before letting you to go on their boats) than the average resort divers, hence, they have better buoyancy control than resort divers.

Southern Komodo has lots of world class dive sites like Torpedo Point, Cannibal Rock, Manta Alley, etc. in clear blue Indian Ocean water that are too far south for resort boats to travel, hence they would also be less crowded.

The same true with Raja Ampat. The resorts in Dampier strait won’t take their guests to Magic Mountain in Misool and vice versa, Misool Eco Resort won’t take their guests to do muck diving in Algae Patch, Batanta. While if you are on a liveaboard, with 5 dives / day for 10-11 day trip, you’ll see all of them.

 

[chillyinCanada]

As a land plan, you could do Passport to Paradise out of Monado. That gets you Bunaken, Bangka, & Lembeh. It's not liveaboard diving but it's my favourite trip in place of Liveaboard in Raja Ampat.

Whatever you do, don't go all the way to Indonesia for a 7 day liveaboard in Raja. You've really got to do ten days.

I suppose you could do some land based and then a 7 day, but I know for a fact that's not enough for me and before covid I spent quite a number of winters diving Indonesia.
That said, I still haven't made it to Komodo for some reason. I think that reason might be my love for lob in Raja and landbased diving Bangka. Sigh

 

[Centrals]

1. A good land based resort can be difficult to book. Location and Location.
2 Quarantine(10 days) is required in Indonesia at the moment. Would it be cancelled/decreased/increased in the future?
3. Land based option in both Komodo and R4 is available. It is a lot more flexible and less stressful particularly to those with time. US$1000.00 won't be enough to pay for any LoB to either destinations but suffice for few days on land based operators.
4. Islands hopping based in Homestay in R4 will actually offer more choices in diving than LoB if you can stretch your stay.

Old post:

4 days in Raja Ampat, which homestay?

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[Luko]

I tried to book a few days in Lembeh before my next scheduled trip in Dec 2022 and the resort I wanted was fully booked. Ended up changing to Alor, but that was also difficult to find space for.

Rich people problem! You're not shortchanged IMO...

 

[bvbellomo]

I disagree about land based resort is comparable to liveaboard. As far as my experience diving in RA & Komodo, liveaboard is still better than resorts. You would be able to visit dive sites that are too far for the resort divers to reach. Also, those far flung dive sites would be less crowded, away from sand blower & coral breaker fins of beginner divers coming from the resorts. With the exception of the muck divers of Lembeh, average liveaboard divers tend to be more experienced (some liveaboards require you to have a minimum 50 dives before letting you to go on their boats) than the average resort divers, hence, they have better buoyancy control than resort divers.

Southern Komodo has lots of world class dive sites like Torpedo Point, Cannibal Rock, Manta Alley, etc. in clear blue Indian Ocean water that are too far south for resort boats to travel, hence they would also be less crowded.

The same true with Raja Ampat. The resorts in Dampier strait won’t take their guests to Magic Mountain in Misool and vice versa, Misool Eco Resort won’t take their guests to do muck diving in Algae Patch, Batanta. While if you are on a liveaboard, with 5 dives / day for 10-11 day trip, you’ll see all of them.

Nothing to disagree with. Liveaboard is riskier, if it is better, it is worth it. I certainly don't know.

I am not sure how many < 50 dive divers make it all the way to Raja, I am over 80 and thinking about how many more I need to do before I go to fine tune weights, get used to a new mask, deal with camera issues, etc. I did Egypt at 50, but felt I was really pushing it and could have used more experience, but then I am not sure how much it would have helped not knowing what I needed. I've met very few terrible divers, and a few that were good overall with a few questionable habits (ignoring buddies, touching marine life, etc) - they all had more dives than me.

For me, my biggest issue is my SAC. I've posted this on other posts, but am not really sure what I can do to improve. More dives probably won't help.