One Year in Bali

[Luko]

Similarly, arguably the Holy Grail of all fish - the Lacy Scorpionfish or Rhinopias Aphanes - has been reported on dives in Loloata and Milne Bay in PNG - both considered good muck diving locations, and also reported on muck dives in Padang-Bai in Bali.

Just nitpicking but I don't think there are any Aphanes/Laceys in Bali, only Frondosa/weedies. Laceys belong to the "Melanesian ark" territory, roughly the Coral Sea, ie. PNG, New-Caledonia, Vanuatu. I would be interested to see a photo of a real Lacey in Padang Bai.Other than that I completely concur with your post. I am also starting to experience a limit to my vision capacities (quite challenging for a macro photographer, sometimes I just shoot at what my guide points to me and I get the surprize looking on my computer), I think probably the easiest muck dives are performed during nightdives because that's when all the critter colors are more visible thanks to the torchlights. Also muck dive is rewarding with behavior scenes (jawfish keeping their eggs in their mouth, nudi eating nudi, lovely juvenile fish concealing, shrimps riding nudis, weird critters gulping other critters, etc.), it's not everything only for the critter identification.

Other factors to consider in the context of your diving conditions preferences: there is usually very little, if any, current on muck dives and the pace is really slow and relaxed; depths are seldom more than 70 feet, about 40-60 on average, and there is stuff to marvel at even in 5 feet of water; I have never seen downcurrents or washing machine conditions in muck dive sites, and if there were to be a downcurrent, at least there is a bottom.

Ho humm... some exceptions though, I've had incredibly currenty dives in Ambon bay where we needed to abort the dive in a continuous flow of garbage, baby diapers, etc, some really nasty downcurrent on Seraya and Melasti Bali where me and my guide had to crawl on the bottom with the help of our muck stick to get back from 30m to more bearable depths, strong drift also in Bangka where it was a challenge to shoot pygmy seahorses, challenging currents in Anilao, similar in Kalabahi bay Alor where nudibranch gills were horizontal while i couldn't even stop to shoot any, etc. Similarly I dived Cape Kri for the sweetlips schools which for me was around 40m (120 feet), there wasn't even a hint of current, while the night before I struggled against the current in a muck nightdive at the RADL jetty. Except for maybe for Lembeh where I haven't experienced much current I can't say muck dives sites are all protected from currents.

 

[billt4sf]

We're beginning to plan out *when* we'd go *where* in our year diving Greater Bali.

Does anyone want to see the plan or comment on it? Here's the link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CDsP0wpJiMpiNNkQ4Q5WZpntpSXwwVT5gaGsL_7ffes/edit?usp=sharing

I think I made it so anyone with the link can comment or even edit (should anyone get that excited about it, ha ha ha). Seriously, I am open to suggestions - especially about the timing of various sites. Once we get the diving plans kinda set, we'll start filling in dates with family or friends visiting. Towards the end of our year is gets pretty open, so we can go back to sites we really like, go to new ones, or stay put since likely our money will be running low.

We're not going to Sipadan (too much political risk), nor to Komodo (too much current risk). Maybe year 2.

The only things that are set in stone are the dates of our trip to Toronto, Atlanta, and SF to visit friends and family (anyone want to rent a nice villa in Bali for three weeks? CHEAP!! ha ha ha)

Thank you and enjoy.

- Bill & Emily

 

[billt4sf]

All Good Things Come to an End....


It was supposed to be a year, it ended up being the better part of three years.

We were supposed to go to many cool places, in the end we liked Raja Ampat so much we got a few hundred dives there.

We were supposed to live in the villa of our dreams, in the end it was too expensive for what it was (even after negotiating down the price) and we ended up liking a cheaper, smaller one better.

It was supposed to be paradise, in the end there is no paradise, we enjoyed our time in Bali but I’m glad we’re moving on. Because of the traffic and crowds, we didn’t go around Bali very much. When we did go, we often wished we had stayed home in our villa and just enjoyed a relaxing time there. #BADTOURISTS

We are now in beautiful (?) Fayetteville, Georgia (the state) visiting family and thence to other US destinations. The vision was always to live in various places; up now is 7 months in the US. Indo diving has not lost its hold on us, we will be back later this year.


What We Really Liked:

* Coming back to beautiful Bali after a dive holiday. Beautiful rice fields!
* The TREMENDOUS variety of marine life in Indo - and in RA in particular!
* Going to Singapore from Bali – such great contrast
* Bali, and Ubud in particular is so safe!
* Rice field walks every day, work out an amazing sweat, then jump in the pool!
* Making a few new friends along the way


What We Would Do Differently Next Time:
* Dive Komodo more (*we aren't done yet!)
* Live further from downtown Ubud - no need to go there very often!
* Spend our retirement money more wisely
* Try to make more friends



Once we went through the difficult part of moving out of our home, we really like the peripatetic lifestyle. We plan to keep it up for a while longer, we’re looking at South Africa (for safaris, land-based life is cool, too!) and then Europe.


We have found that about two months in a new place works great. After that, it’s time to go on a dive trip, take a safari, or check out a new country, and then either move on or move back if we liked that place.


Around the World, Slowly.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Welcome back (and to GA). I have enjoyed this thread and your related ones immensely and the vicarious diving and living abroad. We, too, hope to have a retirement like that someday.

 

[Luko]

What We Would Do Differently Next Time:
* Dive Komodo more (*we aren't done yet!)

* take a closer consideration into Luko's advice of diving Alor as well
* ackowledge that there are some places where one can live without aircon.
* learn to drink and appreciate white wine.

 

[Dan]

Finally got a chance to read your blog, Bill.

See you & Emily in Bali on September 8. Hopefully we’ll see the schooling hammerheads in Banda with @charlier as our DM in Blue Manta. We can always hope.

 

[billt4sf]

* take a closer consideration into Luko's advice of diving Alor as well
* ackowledge that there are some places where one can live without aircon.
* learn to drink and appreciate white wine.

Yes!
I am a wimp!
Never!

 

[Luko]

Yes!
I am a wimp!
Never!

You're a mess without Emily's help, you probably skipped a line so I will then put the correct answers with regards to the assertions :
* take a closer consideration into Luko's advice --- Never!
* ackowledge that there are some places where one can live without aircon --- Yes!
* learn to drink and appreciate white wine --- I am a wimp!

 

[Cali_diver]

* take a closer consideration into Luko's advice of diving Alor as well
* ackowledge that there are some places where one can live without aircon.
* learn to drink and appreciate white wine.

Now Luko... what have I told you about telling people to dive in Alor!!!!! Stop right now before it becomes too crowded!

 

[billt4sf]

I should take a moment to thank all of you for your wonderful advice over the past couple years. Wingy, Wet Pup, Chilli, Lorenzoid, Diving Dubai, CharlieR, Dirt Farmer, Mike Veitch, ... Too many to mention! Did I leave anybody important out?