Only snorkeling - best place?

[UnexpectedDreamer]

I was hoping to do my PADI in Indonesia this summer but a medical condition is probably stopping me, so I'll just be snorkelling insted.


Does anyone have any advice on where to go? I'm travelling solo, so being isolated with romantic honeymooners isn't my thing.

I would love to see turtles and reef sharks. Turtles is number 1! Waited my whole life to dive (now snorkle, but still) with them :turtle:

I'm also a bit of a picture nerd, however not experienced in taking pics under water, but if you have ideas of where you get better pics I can pretend I'm awesome.

Thanks!

 

[Wisnu]

Bunaken!
you're cursed if you don't see turtles in Bunaken.
very good viz. 25 m is normal, in good day can be more than 30m
The edge of the wall (3-5 m) is very nice for snorkeling - and good chance to see reef sharks at the deep

 

[UnexpectedDreamer]

Thanks for the tip! I was looking at Bunaken for diving. Do you know if there's anyone who has snorkeling trips, or where I could join a dive boat to go snorkeling? And maybe tips on budget places to stya?

 

[matts1w]

Traveling solo + No diving + Backpacker + No isolation + Want to See turtles = Gili Islands off Lombok. Gili Trawangan for a big party. Gili Air for much more laid back but still something going on. Gili Meno for very quiet.

 

[UnexpectedDreamer]

Thanks, matts1w! I was looking at Gilis as well, it will be cheaper to get there than to Bunaken or Bangka. I'm having trouble finding any accommodation in my price rance that can be pre-booked though.

Would it be worth spending the extra money for Bangka or Bunaken?

 

[Wingy]

Id second Matts1w - Gili has all range of accomodation prices - check sites like agoda. Very popular with snorkellers and backpackers.

 

[Luko]

Not in Indonesia, not the cheapest too...
... but snorkeling with reef sharks and turtles sounds obviously like Sipadan to me!!!

To be honest, I do not see any spot anywhere in the world better for snorkeling than Sipadan, you just stay above the wall and watch the ocean pass 600m below, count the turtles and the whitetips in dozens on EACH dive, especially when snorkeling.
I spent some of the 4th Sipadan day trip dives snorkeling with my daughter instead of diving, that's incredible... almost better than diving.

 

[UnexpectedDreamer]

Thanks Wingy, Gili's are definitely an option! I'll keep looking for accommodation, or just turn up and see what I can find. =)

Luko: Do you know anyone who does snorkelling trips to Sipadan? What's it like with permits etc for this? I have to travel via Kuala Lumpur, so I could head to Sabah instead of Indonesia.

 

[Luko]

Luko: Do you know anyone who does snorkelling trips to Sipadan? What's it like with permits etc for this? I have to travel via Kuala Lumpur, so I could head to Sabah instead of Indonesia.

Any resort will happily put you on their boat providing they have the permits to go to Sipadan. Sipadan is very easy to snorkel from the boat or from the shore.
I met an italian guy in Borneo Divers who spent a week just snorkeling, not diving, he was very happy.
Now the issue is to get the permits to Sipadan, no problem when it's not peak season : twice for a week stay I had to ask then to skip Sipadan because I wanted to dive Mabul, otherwise I would have been 5 time sin a row, but in august I "only" went 3 times within a weektime.

You can go to Tawau (airport to Sipadan) direct from KL or from Singapore (AirAsia.com flights), then the resort will pick you up for 1,5hr drive and 40mn speedboat ride if you're located on Mabul.

 

[Wingy]

Just another thought..have you considered Palau Weh? the travelblog site I moderate gets a lot of blogs from backpackers who snorkel Weh and get some good bargain accomodation. This site is used by our bloggers a fair bit for the Gilis Cheap Gili Trawangan Hostels - Search all Hostels in Gili Trawangan at Hostels.com.

If you have to travel via KL - have you thought about the Perhentians for snorkelling - lots of details in this blog https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Terengganu/Perhentian-Besar/blog-838355.html