Planning a three Week Trip

[boulderjohn]

A group of friends are beginning to plan a trip to the Bali area (and beyond, no limits just yet) for next October and are looking at all the possibilities. They are planning to do a lot of diving and a lot of cultural sight seeing. The group includes one pretty advanced diver, two pretty solid and experienced divers, and a snorkeler. If you were the travel agent in charge, what would be the key areas you would want to make sure they visited? They are looking at a 2-3 week stay--preferably 3 weeks. They can go from place to place.

 

[Mike Veitch]

I would suggest in and out from Bali as the starting and ending points. October is a good time to be here, the big crowds have disappeared by mid Sept and the sea conditions are typically very good at that time. I might suggest spending a couple of days in Bali at the beginning to acclimatize, maybe head up to the Menjangan area for 3 or 4 days for the best snorkeling areas as well as lots of land type activities around there and of course some beautiful coral reefs. Then head back to the south and fly over to Komodo, would they be interested in doing a liveaboard? If so, then Mermaid leaves from Bali to Komodo and then back again, no need for internal flights. If they would prefer not to go on a liveaboard then there are plenty of options in Labuan Bajo or else the Komodo Resort on Sebayor Island. After Komodo I would then suggest some time in the Tulamben/Seraya/Amed areas or else Nusa Lembongan/Penida for a good mix of diving for a few more days. Also, LOTS of cultural stuff to see in Bali. Then I might suggest a few days over in Yogyajakarta to see Borodopur Temple and the other temples in that area as well.
October is a really good month to dive in Indonesia, mostly flat seas everywhere and all the best places have good diving then: Raja, Komodo, Bali, Lembeh, Bunaken, Ambon, Alor, Banda Sea.. you name it! Great month to choose so I don't think they can choose poorly

 

[dirtfarmer]

It's hard not to find great diving in most of Indonesia.
Bali is a great starting point, with great diving off Lembongan. it's nice reefs with the chance of Mola-Mola and Manta's. Then you can head up to Tulamben for the Liberty and some great
Muck/Macro diving. Great topside/cultural on Bali too! After Bali I really like liveaboards to Komodo, and as Mike says many leave from Bali so it's convenient and Mermaid is an excellent operation. I dove with them twice to Komodo.
Komodo has really varied diving from current prone sites to really good Muck, and it's one of my favorite places.

There are so many places to choose from I know it can be hard to narrow it down. Have any of you done Muck diving and like it? It can really help in choosing locations to dive.

 

[charlier]

Hi, let me give this some thought. I will make a few suggestions based on my experience as an expat that lives in Singapore, but works and dives in Bali and other remote islands in eastern Indonesia. The challenge will be to please a freediver and a group of scuba divers. cmr

A group of friends are beginning to plan a trip to the Bali area (and beyond, no limits just yet) for next October and are looking at all the possibilities. They are planning to do a lot of diving and a lot of cultural sight seeing. The group includes one pretty advanced diver, two pretty solid and experienced divers, and a snorkeler. If you were the travel agent in charge, what would be the key areas you would want to make sure they visited? They are looking at a 2-3 week stay--preferably 3 weeks. They can go from place to place.

 

[boulderjohn]

Hi, let me give this some thought. I will make a few suggestions based on my experience as an expat that lives in Singapore, but works and dives in Bali and other remote islands in eastern Indonesia. The challenge will be to please a freediver and a group of scuba divers. cmr

Thanks, but just to be clear, there is no free diver in the group. When I said "snorkeler," I meant someone drifting on top of the water looking at the sights below. Now this snorkeler has been on scuba trips before. She has snorkeled on 2 liveaboard trips to the Great Barrier Reef, which has many fine snorkeling sites. She snorkeled the coral perimeter of the Blue Hole in Belize before snorkeling the remaining two dive sites off Half Moon Caye. A Bali-area liveaboard with enough sites to snorkel would not be out of the question.

 

[Hintermann]

3 weeks is a long enough time.

- Start with Padang Bai & the Nusa isles for the tail end of Mola Mola season.
- Then move to Tulamben for a few days.

A Bali-area liveaboard with enough sites to snorkel would not be out of the question.

- Then return to the south and join Mermaid I for a 9-day cruise of Komodo & surrounds.

 

[boulderjohn]

I want to clarify the issue regarding muck diving. The snorkeler will almost certainly not have any interest in it. I am the more experienced diver. I did nearly a week of muck diving in the Philippines last year, and I, quite frankly, don't need a whole lot more to achieve my life's potential in that regard. In my experience, the people who were really digging the muck had huge cameras with macro lenses, and they were content to take 30-40 shots of flamboyant cuttlefish before moving on to the next adventure. The other two divers have never been muck diving, so they may enjoy some of it. None of us, though, will be bringing big camera rigs with macro lenses.

Summary: a little muck diving will be nice, but a little goes a long way, IMO.

 

[dirtfarmer]

I want to clarify the issue regarding muck diving. The snorkeler will almost certainly not have any interest in it. I am the more experienced diver. I did nearly a week of much diving in the Philippines last year, and I, quite frankly, don't need a whole lot more to achieve my life's potential in that regard. In my experience, the people who were really digging the much had huge cameras with macro lenses, and they were content to take 30-40 shots of flamboyant cuttlefish before moving on to the next adventure. The other two divers have never been much diving, so they may enjoy some of it. None of us, though, will be bringing big camera rigs with macro lenses.

Summary: a little much diving will be nice, but a little goes a long way, IMO.

That's why I asked the Muck question!!
For your non-Muck loving divers you can still enjoy Bali. I would start with staying on Lembongan and diving it for about 5 days, then still head to Tulamben but dive there for only 3-4 days. Tulamben is pretty heavy on Muck, but does have nice reefs and even non Muck lovers should like the Liberty Wreck.There are some nice topside trips to temples in that area also. And of course for nice topside culture a couple of days in the Ubud area for temples and rice paddies, and spectacular views from your hotel.( And shopping for the women if any on the trip)
Then either still jump on a liveaboard to Komodo ( the Mermaid trips leaving from Bali do have a few Muck dives, mostly for the night dives, but there is some day muck dives they do off Sangegang or in Bima Bay) but even with the Muck dives Komodo is still epic, or you still have time to get to Sorong for a liveaboard to Raja Ampat. If your going the liveaboard route definitely book that and arrange the rest of the trip around it's schedule. And to get your choice book far in advance.
For other locations in Indonesia I'd stay away from Lembeh as it's heavy on the Muck, but Bunaken has nice walls, Bangka I've not done but has a good reputation for nice coral sites, I would give you more info on Ambon which has both Muck and Coral sites, but that will have to wait till I've finished my trip there this fall. Then of course there is Alor and the Banda sea, which I can't honestly comment on till I'm back from a hopefully epic crossing trip from Ambon to Raja Ampat, followed by another liveabord in Raja Ampat this fall. That time of year there are a few crossing trips running from Ambon or Maumerre to Raja Ampat which is a good way to experience the variety of Indonesia.

So many choices it's hard to pick, so you just might have to go back again one day.

 

[gekodivebali]

Not sure where you find local culture on Nusa Lembongan, as it is mostly developed for tourist by foreigners. There surely are a few temples and great sites though.

Staying on mainland Bali makes more sense, if local culture is part of what you are after. Staying in Padang Bai, you can do 2 dives in local sites, Biaha/Tepekong/Mimpang and Nusa Penida and be back by 1:30pm at the shop. Diving these sites, you're almost guaranteed sharks, turtles, mantas and pelagic and you can still hope for sunfish in October. Most sites are appropriate for snorkelers, except maybe Biaha/Tepekong/Mimpang (depending on swell).

There's plenty to do and see on land in the afternoon from Padang Bai/Candidasa. My favourites include:
-Putung
-Seraya/Ujung
-Sidemen
-Tirta Gangga
Other destinations often cited include:
-Tenganan
-Goa Lawah
-Candidasa's Whit Sand Beach

I think Hinterman's suggestion of starting with Padang Bai, fitting a trip to Komodo, then diving Tulamben makes most sense.

 

[Indah]

The best snorkeling in Indonesia is absolutely at the shallow reef tops of Weda Bay, Halmahera. The area we cover with our speedboats is as big as Bunaken National Park plus Bangka and Lembeh Strait. For both the very experienced diver and the beginner the reefs, slopes and walls are easy going but a big adventure at the same time. The former capital of the spice trade, Ternate, is worth visiting. If you really want to "meet the local people", let you guide by the children of our village. They would be proud to show them their new school. Halmahera is also a top destination for birders and any diver also loves to see the Bird of Paradise in our protected primary forest.