Misool Eco Resort October 2017 trip report

[mostlyirish]

Thanks Bill. Yes, I agree that it is very expensive, but the better liveaboards that cruise Raja Ampat cost about the same. So the choice of which depends on your preferences. With respect to the food, I think it must have improved. It was good by my standards. There were always choices for all meals, including an a la carte menu. I cannot comment on the airlines; I just took the advice of my travel agent, who tends to be pretty conservative, but I understand your perspective completely. With respect to the photography, I will just keep working on it; it is important to have goals...

Thanks for a great report. Thanks also for the perspective on the resort and travel arrangements. Seriously considering a 12 day stay soon. I can't convince my wife that she would enjoy liveaboard diving so the Misool resort package seems like a great alternative.

 

[billt4sf]

Thanks for a great report. Thanks also for the perspective on the resort and travel arrangements. Seriously considering a 12 day stay soon. I can't convince my wife that she would enjoy liveaboard diving so the Misool resort package seems like a great alternative.

I am a big fan of Misool. However, do keep in mind that there is a 3 - 4 hour boat ride to the resort from Sorong (a.k.a So Wrong).

- Bill

 

[Erwin Poliakoff]

I am a big fan of Misool. However, do keep in mind that there is a 3 - 4 hour boat ride to the resort from Sorong (a.k.a So Wrong).

- Bill

Bill, you raise an excellent point. In fact, our boat ride was fine (less than 3 1/2 hours both ways, and very smooth), but I can imagine it is possible to experience a longer and rougher ride than we had, and this would be a definite negative. In years past, the boat they used was slower, and the ride had been as long as 5 hours, which is why we had not been to Misool previously. I think that they have made things as fast as possible, but I agree that the boat ride can be an issue for some.

 

[billt4sf]

It's an issue for me.

 

[BDSC]

I have just booked a liveaboard for Indonesia. It seems if you leave out of Sorong, you would fly to Jakarta from the US and then to Sorong. Any particular airline you folks recommend to get to Jakarta?

Thanks and a great report. I booked the Samambaia liveaboard and they dive in that area. They said they can arrange for us to go over and visit the resort when we are there in case we want to book it in the future.

 

[Erwin Poliakoff]

I have just booked a liveaboard for Indonesia. It seems if you leave out of Sorong, you would fly to Jakarta from the US and then to Sorong. Any particular airline you folks recommend to get to Jakarta?

Thanks and a great report. I booked the Samambaia liveaboard and they dive in that area. They said they can arrange for us to go over and visit the resort when we are there in case we want to book it in the future.

Liveaboards in the area are great, so I am sure that you will have a wonderful time. An advantage (for me) of booking the land-based operation is that I did not have to book as far in advance. With respect to your question about airlines, I am not really knowledgeable; most people I know have recommended Garuda. Their connections were not great for me, so I booked a Lion Air flight (now owned by Batik Air). They had a nonstop daytime flight from Jakarta to Sorong, which was the most convenient option for me. Have fun!

 

[BDSC]

Thanks Buddy!

 

[Cert1967]

I have just booked a liveaboard for Indonesia. It seems if you leave out of Sorong, you would fly to Jakarta from the US and then to Sorong. Any particular airline you folks recommend to get to Jakarta?

To Indo?

• GoogleFlights and/or MatrixITA is your friend. Search and you will find a choice of flying east-west, west-east, US airline, a foreign carrier, alliance member - 1000s of choices. Use miles or cash money? Got status, maybe an upgrade chance drives your choice? Chinese airlines - CE/CA/CS - often have rock bottom prices, both economy and biz.
• You might think about what happens if you miss a flight - how will you be re-routed. Jakarta or Bali have lots of options, depending on your carrier. Ask prior to booking and have a plan if a portion of your trip mis-connects.
• Pricing. My experience is that adding the SOQ leg (ie, Garuda to SOQ with Delta), to the USA to Indo flights, results in a much higher ticket price than buying the Indo to SOQ separately. If you buy the SOQ leg separately, this puts the last leg missed connection risk on you. Leaving from LAX - RT to Indo is often less than $500. Most inter Indo fights are ~$100, with Garuda inter Indo typically more expensive.
• Indo airline tickets. Not the easiest to buy from the USA, but with a little effort you can avoid the markup most often charged by your travel agent or liveaboard. You may be asked to show the credit card you used to purchase the ticket at check-in counter.
• Terminal - maybe a change from your international arrival terminal for you inter Indo flight segments? Research the time for voa/immigration/customs/change terminal/check-in/domestic. Schlepping your baggage may be an issue. Paying for excess baggage - inter Indo - may involve a trip to a different counter and quite a bit of time.
• Visa - my experience with the VOA line, maxed or none. Staying more than 30 days or want to bypass VOA? Pay a few dollars for the 60-day visa and go straight to the immigration line.

You've arrived and are at CGK, DPS, UPG - the likely international gateways - on to SOQ. Tired aren't you? Have you enjoyed your 30-40+ hour trip to this point? Somewhere else in the country? You'll connect in one of these hubs.

DPS

• No non-stops to SOQ, best connections are one-stop via UPG or MDC.
• Carriers - Sriwijaya, Garuda, NAM. Batik sends you via CGK.
• The connection time is painful - you arrive in UPG or MDC and wait through the night for the early AM departure that arrives in SOQ ~6-9AM. There are hotel options in UPG/MDC if you want a short rest and a shower. Avoid the two stop connections to SOQ.
• Suggested hotel close to the airport - Vira Bali. VB is across the street from the Lippo mall, priced right, has good food, a nice pool, and you can walk to the beach. There are many options closer to the airport. Don't eat the 'chicken' from the street vendors - they'll tell you its 'chicken', surprise it may be something else.
• IMO, unless you are taking the nonstop from Jakarta to Sorong, there is no difference connecting via UPG/MDC, rather than leaving from Jakarta.

UPG

• Non-stop flights three days a week from Singapore - Singapore/Silk/Garuda all the same plane (Silk). Miss the flight and you are looking at going to CGK or DPS. This option may require an overnight in SOQ to connect with your liveaboard or boat to a land-based resort or an all-night connection via MDC.
• Our Singapore dive buddies took this route - overnight in UPG - to SOQ the next morning. They didn't care for their hotel choices.

CGK

• Nonstop CGK-SOQ is about 4 hours. Check the Indo time zones.
• Batik (a subsidiary of the Lion Group), operates a nonstop daytime flight. Lv-09:50 / Ar-16:00. Quite pleasant, especially if you have spent the night in Jakarta. This flight arrives too late for most liveaboard/resort departures from SOQ. You will need to spend the night before in Sorong in most instances.
• NAM/Sriwijaya, never have figured out their operation. Brutal - fly ~30+ hours from the USA, arrive Jakarta at say 18:00 and it is all night to SOQ, another 12 hours! Low baggage weight allowances. Interesting folks.
• Suggested hotel, close to the airport - FM7. Don't go downtown - its way to far from the airport.

Sorong Hotels, Shopping, and Food

• Swiss-Belhotel, close to Saga, on the flats leading to the ocean, is our first choice. Overlooks a nice neighborhood to the north- kids, dogs, pigs, open sewers. Better rooms and food than the Belagri. Closer to Saga. Popular with expats involved in the mining and timber industries.
• Belagri, uneven food, and service. At its best, very good. It's on the hillside, overlooking Sorong and the harbor. MER includes a stay here on your departure day. Pretty views of the harbor from an open-air bar/restaurant.
• Saga Super Store. Forgot something? This is the place. You can take the local shared ride from the Swiss-Bel or taxi. SIM cards too. Bintag - no hard liquor.
• Hard liquor? Just ask and you will find something. But what's in the bottle?
• Wine? Quite expensive for low quality.
• Food - other options in town are quite good - but you may think otherwise.
• Safety - nice folks, no problem, but be smart.

The folks that fly straight to Indo and take the overnight connecting flight to SOQ - well my hat's off to them. You can spot them on arrival in SOQ, and on the boat to your final destination - they often look and smell just horrible. Our last trip, a solo diver from Miami, who traveled ~45 hours straight through, fell asleep in the RIB on the way to the first dive. Awakened, he passed on the dive, spending the hour-plus snoozing on the RIB. But, to each his own.

What if you miss your boat - you arrived in Sorong and missed your sailing. Two options - one quite pricey and the other a dip into the local culture.

The pricey option is to hire a boat to either your land-based resort or to chase down your liveaboard. Price? To Misool ~$2k, Kri/Batanta ~$800. The over the top is to hire a chopper - don't ask the price. We watched a chopper drop a group of at Misool - everyone was envious.

The cheap option is to take the local inter-island boat. You will cozy up with the locals and perhaps a few divers doing home-stays. The boat takes you to the general area of your destination. From that point, you have to arrange transportation to your land-based or liveaboard. Misool - the boat stop is about 15 miles from the resort, from which the resort will pick you up. To Kri, its an easy hop.

Jakarta or Bali before or after your trip? No question - Bali/DPS and more diving if you wish.

Why do this? Its Indo - the diving of course.

​

 

[BDSC]

Good grief, that’s a lot of good info. I really appreciate all the time and effort you took to write it.

At least I don’t have to worry about missing the boat. I booked the entire charter, but I still don’t want to be late. My thoughts are to overnight in Jakarta and then on to Sorong.

 

[mostlyirish]

I am a big fan of Misool. However, do keep in mind that there is a 3 - 4 hour boat ride to the resort from Sorong (a.k.a So Wrong).

- Bill

Bill,
I appreciate the info. I think my wife will be OK for this boat ride. Her concern is being on a boat for the extended period required by the liveaboard option.