Indonesia Destination Advice - part of a larger trip

[Scuba Scotty]

All,

My girlfriend and I are headed to SE Asia for a long trip soon. We're on a tight backpacker budget. We'll probably start in Pulau Weh - we want to do AOW & Rescue. If we're still loving it there, maybe DM too. We'd definitely like to take some time to check out the Orangs etc in Sumatra before moving on.

After that we'll get a new 60-day visa - enough time for 1 or 2 more Indo destinations. Probably only one destination if we take our DM course. Then it's on to the the mainland.

I'm torn between Manado/Bunaken/Lembeh and Bali/Lombok. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a good cheap route between the two (as in ~$50 US without excessive days of boat/bus/havoc). Kalimantan up the coast to Sipadan is another possibility. Thoughts??? Where would you go?

-Scotty

useful info:

For our style, we'd prefer a smaller shop to do our DM course. We're okay with busting our humps for a shop if we can get a small discount. Malaysia, Thailand, & the Philippines are in the running also.

Diving is our main passion but we love to trek, check out ruins, meet people, and lose a month reading books on the beach.

 

[chewie999]

I would choose Manado/Bunaken instead of Bali/Lombok due to the diving. However, I would think that you can find economic accommodations/diving in both places. Hopefully with the crisis, you can get a better deal throughout your travels.

Have fun.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check out flights with Air Asia. From Weh (well Banda Aceh), you can fly into KL, then onto Bali, Manado or to Tawau for Sipidan - and they're cheap. I'd probably choose Sipidan - no need to buy a visa for Malaysia, and great diving. I've never been to Bunaken/Manado tho'........

 

[Kaltim Diver]

I'm in Kalimantan and I'm not sure there are any good/safe routes from East Kalimantan into Malaysia Sipadan. Most air traffic routes in Indonesia tend to be via Surabaya or Jakarta. I'd suggest Manado for cheaper diving, Bali hasn't got much that doesn't involve a fair bit of travel and Lombok can be pretty expensive, last trip I did to Lombok cost USD 35-45 per fun dive.

KTD

 

[Kaltim Diver]

Lombok/Gilis are very cool for partying/relaxing also, should be able to find some work and to do your DM (a lot of hard work but cheap/free diving) but you're probably going to have to pay for AOW/Rescue.

 

[cgf]

north of [east] Kalimantan there is a port [I do not remember the name now] with ferries to Tawau some days of the week.

From Manado now you can take a direct flight to KL with AirAsia and from there to Tawau but if you really want to go to Kalimantan and you want to take flights, you might go to Singapore from Balikpapan from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu (Silkair) and then Tawau or, IF it'll be from September, direct airasia flight to Tawau from Singapore.