Komodo Island, Labuan Bajo

[NakedDiver]

Hi,
I'm planning to book together with my friends to dive Komodo Island along the Labuan Bajo site. Can you tell us conditions and best about the site. We will stay for at least 5 days on which majority are avid underwated Photographers with Technical Diving Certification.
We looked around the internet and found to stay at Divine Diving Resort on which few threads on the board says they have bad experiencce. Can you help us? We plan to visit by 3rd week of April 2011.

Thanks

 

[Valwood1]

I stayed in Labuanbajo in 2008 and wrote a trip report that's somewhere on scubaboard in the Indo section, and has a few comments on places to stay in the town. If you stay there (as opposed to being on a liveaboard), your diving will be restricted to the central and northern Komodo dive sites since the boat ride to the southern sites is impossibly long; there are plenty of photo opportunities in the central and northern sites, but the best macro is supposed to be in the south. There are a number of dive shops based in Labuanbajo to offer day trips; I imagine that the shops could offer recommendations on accommodations. I believe that there is a nice new hotel there, and know that the eco resort, while nice, is a long way from town (one hour walk), if that matters. As regards diving, my experience, and I believe that is the usual one, is that land-based excursions generally are limited to two dives per day.