Pre-Raja liveaboard suggestions 3-4 days

[ChrisM]

Getting on the Dewi in Sorong, trip leaves on a Thursday. Coming from the USA west coast and taking two weeks, will likely be arriving Sunday and trying to figure the best way to fill the days until Thursday. Primary goal is really to acclimate and get over the jet lag before the boat, plus have some fun

Seems there are two options that make the most sense

-Fly via Bali to spend a few days and --if still flying -- take the Garuda flight to Sorong arriving early Thursday morning. Have never been to Bali, and if we went this route we might just make it land based and not dive, unless there is something we'd be dumb to miss.

-Fly via Jakarta, few hours at Anara, take the early morning to Sorong, and stay at a Sorong resort. Been told that many of the better ones only have set days for arrival / departure and many are a week only. Have heard mixed reviews of Papua Paradise and not familiar with other resorts nearby for a short term stay

There is also Lembeh via Singapore but this seems like a lot of extra travel.

Any recommendations or advice on the above? Any other options I am missing?

 

[FishCity]

We were going to go to a lob out of Sorong but didn't end up going. Our plan had been to go to Bali for a few days, see land stuff we missed other times, then fly to Sorong a day early. That left time if something happened. The Swiss Bellhotel was recommended then, there may be a better one now. We were just going to sit tight and wait to go to the boat.

 

[Cali_diver]

It might help to say what time of year this will be.
I would spend some time in Bali if you have a few days...especially if you haven't been. You might consider flying to Sorong the day before departure and get a room for 2 nights since the flight arrives very early in the morning and hotel wont let you check in early (Dewi doesn't allow you to board until later so you have to go to hotel to wait) The flight from Bali vs Jakarta is a little bit more brutal since it leaves later (between 1:30-2am vs the Jakarta at 12-12:30) and is an hour plus shorter so less time to get any sleep. When people fly in the day of departure they are wiped for that day and still feel tired the next and people alway get sick, so give yourself time to catch up on sleep/rest. I have done it both ways but I always feel better and get more out of my trip by recovering from the travel from Bali/Jarkata. It sucks to miss dives when you travel so far. If you only have a day or two in Bali or you need a hotel before international departure, the airport hotel (Novotel) is amazing. Its clean, food is good and its VIP back entrance to the international terminal is amazingly easy.

 

[Kendall Raine]

Hi Chris;

You'll love Dewi. Great boat and crew. Hanging out beforehand, Raja is going to be more peaceful/quiet with lovely places on the water with great diving an hour+ boat ride out of Sorong. The best place in Sorong is the Aston but not for more that 24 hours. It's a nice hotel across from SOQ but not a "resort." Land based diving from Batanta, Mansuar, Kri or Gam will be awesome too. I stayed at Papua Explorers on Gam in March and liked it. You're also not subject to airline disruption meeting up with Dewi since you're already there. You'll likely pay a supplement boat fee one or both ways from Sorong (depending on the place) but if you connect via Waisai the 9 am ferry to Sorong is pretty good (cheap) and will get you back to in time to catch Dewi. Garuda flys direct CGK-SOQ and is reliable.

For culture, Bali is the ticket. I would skip diving and get into the hills. You can hire a car/driver and tour around a bit. I can put you in touch if you with a good guy if DM me. The towns and beaches are unrecognizable (i.e. nuts) since I first went there in 1972 (or the 80s, or even early 2000s for that matter) but old Bali is still findable if you get into the hills away from towns and just stay there (e.g. Gianyar). Prices range from reasonable to stupid. @matts1w lives in Bali and can probably offer some ideas about quiet places. Dewi had a travel coordinator in Denpassar named Reni who was really good so she can probably suggest places if she's still with them. Unfortunately for your timing Garuda only flies direct DPS/SOQ at 1:40 am Thursday, Friday and Sunday (otherwise you connect via CGK) so that might not sync with your schedule. Maybe that will change. Lion et al is another option but that means flying Lion.

As you say Lembeh might be a lot of schlepping given your schedule. Dunno. Never been.

 

[ChrisM]

It might help to say what time of year this will be.
I would spend some time in Bali if you have a few days...especially if you haven't been. You might consider flying to Sorong the day before departure and get a room for 2 nights since the flight arrives very early in the morning and hotel wont let you check in early (Dewi doesn't allow you to board until later so you have to go to hotel to wait) The flight from Bali vs Jakarta is a little bit more brutal since it leaves later (between 1:30-2am vs the Jakarta at 12-12:30) and is an hour plus shorter so less time to get any sleep. When people fly in the day of departure they are wiped for that day and still feel tired the next and people alway get sick, so give yourself time to catch up on sleep/rest. I have done it both ways but I always feel better and get more out of my trip by recovering from the travel from Bali/Jarkata. It sucks to miss dives when you travel so far. If you only have a day or two in Bali or you need a hotel before international departure, the airport hotel (Novotel) is amazing. Its clean, food is good and its VIP back entrance to the international terminal is amazingly easy.

Thanks. Will be in February. I am concerned about flight schedules, etc., and leaning towards just getting to Sorong and doing Papua Paradise to avoid any issues. Who knows, we may love the place, hard to judge on reviews sometimes. Been told not to spend any additional time in Sorong proper.

 

[ChrisM]

Hi Chris;

You'll love Dewi. Great boat and crew. Hanging out beforehand, Raja is going to be more peaceful/quiet with lovely places on the water with great diving an hour+ boat ride out of Sorong. The best place in Sorong is the Aston but not for more that 24 hours. It's a nice hotel across from SOQ but not a "resort." Land based diving from Batanta, Mansuar, Kri or Gam will be awesome too. I stayed at Papua Explorers on Gam in March and liked it. You're also not subject to airline disruption meeting up with Dewi since you're already there. You'll likely pay a supplement boat fee one or both ways from Sorong (depending on the place) but if you connect via Waisai the 9 am ferry to Sorong is pretty good (cheap) and will get you back to in time to catch Dewi. Garuda flys direct CGK-SOQ and is reliable.

For culture, Bali is the ticket. I would skip diving and get into the hills. You can hire a car/driver and tour around a bit. I can put you in touch if you with a good guy if DM me. The towns and beaches are unrecognizable (i.e. nuts) since I first went there in 1972 (or the 80s, or even early 2000s for that matter) but old Bali is still findable if you get into the hills away from towns and just stay there (e.g. Gianyar). Prices range from reasonable to stupid. @matts1w lives in Bali and can probably offer some ideas about quiet places. Dewi had a travel coordinator in Denpassar named Reni who was really good so she can probably suggest places if she's still with them. Unfortunately for your timing Garuda only flies direct DPS/SOQ at 1:40 am Thursday, Friday and Sunday (otherwise you connect via CGK) so that might not sync with your schedule. Maybe that will change. Lion et al is another option but that means flying Lion.

As you say Lembeh might be a lot of schlepping given your schedule. Dunno. Never been.

Thanks Kendall. Would love to do Bali but I am thinking this may be a bit too rushed, and don't want to jeopardize getting on the Dewi

Hmmm, just looked up Papua Explorers... That might work if we can take an extra day and get to CGK on a Saturday, then the midnight flight to Sorong.... How many nights were you there? We could only do three nights Sun - Wed with an overnight in Sorong. But at least we are in the neighborhood.

 

[Cali_diver]

Thanks. Will be in February. I am concerned about flight schedules, etc., and leaning towards just getting to Sorong and doing Papua Paradise to avoid any issues. Who knows, we may love the place, hard to judge on reviews sometimes. Been told not to spend any additional time in Sorong proper.

I was at Papua Paradise in April of this year. The resort is beautiful and the food was delicious....BUT there is no AC and very very humid. Nothing dried and electronics struggled to charge in the wet environment. It was sooo hot at night since they close everything.. windows and mosquito nets etc. but thankfully there was a fan over the bed that kept us cool by blowing air over our sweaty bods!!! Also of note you are not allowed to swim off of your over the water villa which was a bit disappointing. Boat ride to resort wasn't bad either and resort reps were great.

The diving was great (love Batanta area) but the dive op was a liitle sub par. Our guide was just phoning it in and the boat drivers were terrible. They wouldn't take you to the best sites if there was any current (no current no fish) and they would actually go to local village while you were diving and visit with friends and family so pray you don't have a problem. When I mentioned this to the manager he actually told me that no one in Indonesia follows bubbles which straight up blew my mind since they very much do follow bubbles (at least the adequate/good ones do) since currents are very prevalent in Indonesia. I think they were under new management so not sure if this policy will stay. My group was very experienced and capable of finding our own critters so we were fine but with a less experienced group idk

 

[Kendall Raine]

Thanks Kendall. Would love to do Bali but I am thinking this may be a bit too rushed, and don't want to jeopardize getting on the Dewi

Hmmm, just looked up Papua Explorers... That might work if we can take an extra day and get to CGK on a Saturday, then the midnight flight to Sorong.... How many nights were you there? We could only do three nights Sun - Wed with an overnight in Sorong. But at least we are in the neighborhood.

Hi Chris;

Your plan makes sense. We spent nine nights at PapEx then nine on Coralia. PapEx picked us up at SOQ at 6:15 am and then to the Aston for breakfast before a noon boat to the resort. I recall the regular PapEx Sorong boat runs Sunday and Wednesday which was free but there may now be a charge for it. I left on a Friday so had them take me into Waisai and took the 9:00 am ferry which docked in Sorong around 11:00 am. Coralia picked me up in Sorong. Super easy. Garuda from CGK was fine. On time and luggage showed up.