June... Komodo and then...

[jeremyl]

I am heading to Komodo for a week LOB. Looking forward to finally getting to take our trip we booked pre-pandemic! And getting back to Komodo - we dove here maybe 10yrs ago.
But since it's such a long trek I want to stick around for a while and do more diving. My dive partner will not likely stick around - I think she just wants to get massages in Ubud.
I'm up for a bit of touristing, but really would rather just dive. Alor is on the radar as I have not been and it has been on my tick list. I have been to Lembeh and Bunaken a couple times (and it was my most recent Indo trip in 2019). Not that I'm opposed to a return trip. But would like to discover something new.

Modest budget would be nice, but I can pay for what is needed. I just don't need anything luxury... just great diving and great guides and maybe not so many bugs would be nice.

I'm not opposed to spending a month in Indo. The LOB starts June 12 and I can go sooner.
I have zero interest in seeing Kuta... or really Ubud.... the tourism and taxi mafia have destroyed these areas for me. I had a pretty good time diving Lembongan years ago - I hope it's still as chill as it was then.

I wont have a camera this time, but some muck would be more than welcome. 300+ dives. Probably 1/2 of them in Indo.

Much Thanks!

 

[Luko]

I wont have a camera this time, but some muck would be more than welcome. 300+ dives. Probably 1/2 of them in Indo.

Budget and Muck : Tulamben in Bali is your answer!!! No brainer.
Check my Bali photo most of macros taken in Tulamben Flickr Search — “tulamben”
You could also couple Padang Bai which has some nice macro and Tulamben, both in Bali no need to take more flights.

 

[jeremyl]

Budget and Muck : Tulamben in Bali is your answer!!! No brainer.

But "new"... I have done some diving on Bali... about 2wks I guess including a week at Tulamben. I heard good things about the diving in the north but also heard not-that-great about it. But I also have time and would like to explore other areas. I know lots of those little islands have great diving.

 

[Luko]

I heard good things about the diving in the north but also heard not-that-great about it.

Ok, you didn't mention you went in your previous post, only Kuta, Ubud or Lembongan which are hugely differnt from Tulamben.
Bali is a wide area with different dive spots, just lke comparing Bunaken to Lembeh in N/Sulawesi.

For me Tulamben is on a par with Lembeh. I have more than 300 dives in there in 10 years, also prize winner of WorldShootOut photo contest with macro photos taken in Tulamben.
You want muck : there is nowhere better when you hire a good guide.
(btw there is no taxi mafia in Bali unlike some other countries, on the contrary there's an abundance of freelance car drivers who are most of time working in restaurants or cornershops. Unfortunately Lembongan is now an island surrounded with tourist platforms launching chinese tourists on inflatable banana boats)

I know lots of those little islands have great diving.

Ambon could be a contender but not diveable in June.
if you find another island around that has better muck than Tulamben, pls inform me. I'haven't seen any in my 15 years of diving Indonesia.

 

[Cali_diver]

@Luko I seldom disagree with you, but the Taxi mafia is alive and well in Bali!

@jeremyl if you want a mix of diving including muck that you haven't done before then you should check out Alor. I have only done it by liveaboard but there are a couple good resorts there.

 

[Luko]

@Luko I seldom disagree with you, but the Taxi mafia is alive and well in Bali!

Well if you just stay in Kuta or Seminyak (which I never do, honestly who does) but I insist there is absolutely no taxi neither in Tulamben nor in Padang Bai so how can you even talk about the taxi mafia?

 

[jeremyl]

I refer to the taxi mafia as the fact that getting an uber (or whichever it is) in Ubud you have to get picked up 10 blocks out of town (lugging all your luggage) b/c the taxi drivers will intimidate the uber drivers. That coupled with every taxi driver driving up and down the roads beeping at anyone who looks like a tourist. Its absolutely the worst I have experienced in all my travels. Ubud is somewhat worse than Kuta but both are disgraceful and I will not return to either.



Re:alor… it is on my radar and I will likely spend a week there. But i also have time to explore more places. I prefer to escape the tourism. I am not particularly after muck or anything specific. More just great diving, supporting a great shop and having a nice trip.

 

[Luko]

I refer to the taxi mafia as the fact that getting an uber (or whichever it is) in Ubud you have to get picked up 10 blocks out of town (lugging all your luggage) b/c the taxi drivers will intimidate the uber drivers. That coupled with every taxi driver driving up and down the roads beeping at anyone who looks like a tourist. Its absolutely the worst I have experienced in all my travels. Ubud is somewhat worse than Kuta but both are disgraceful and I will not return to either.

To everyone his definition of mafia. I've seen much worse than Ubud, if you can't stand Monkey forest road -like everybody- it only takes you a 5 minutes walk to get into a typical balinese street with no peddler but a rice field on your side.
On a personal level, I'm not a fan of that other international mafia called Uber I prefer to give my money to local freelance drivers (who are struggling against Uber).