Raja Ampat in September

[cetacean]

@P-Dog

Where are you trying to fly through and what destination are you looking at?

You can easily fly HNL-Tokyo-Jakarta or HNL-Manila-Jakarta or even HNL-Seoul-Jakarta. There is a direct flight every night from Jakarta to Sorong (arrival point for RA).

This is the most direct routing. Flying back the west coast doesn't change any of this routing, it just adds more hours of flying.

Is the challenge getting to Nabire? (is that where are boarding your LOB)?

 

[P-Dog]

@P-Dog

Where are you trying to fly through and what destination are you looking at?

You can easily fly HNL-Tokyo-Jakarta or HNL-Manila-Jakarta or even HNL-Seoul-Jakarta. There is a direct flight every night from Jakarta to Sorong (arrival point for RA).

This is the most direct routing. Flying back the west coast doesn't change any of this routing, it just adds more hours of flying.

Is the challenge getting to Nabire? (is that where are boarding your LOB)?

I booked my flights yesterday. I'm going Honolulu - Narita - Jakarta.

The challenge was Nabire . That's where I'm boarding my LOB. I got it worked out with a flight to Timiki on Lion Air and a flight from Timiki to Nabire on Wings.

I'll fly back from Sorong to Jakarta after spending two weeks in homestays on Arborek and Kri.

Thank you for the routing suggestions. It was slightly cheaper to go through Kuala Lumpor, but for a $200 difference I chose the two flight option versus going with Malysia's three flight option of HNL-Haneda-Kualu Lumpor-Jakarta. LOL

 

[Carlos Diver]

Good to hear. I would agree its easier just to fly directly into CGK. Also, Narita is a great place for a connection. Sorong.... not so much. You will have a great time either way!

 

[stepfen]

This may have been something they told you, but definitely not true.

Sorry for the late reply but I was away for a while.
They might have allowed you to do unguided dives somewhere in Indonesia (it happens), but doing so doesn't mean it is legal.
It has been discussed here numerous times. @Indah (who FYI is a resort owner/diving operator in Indonesia) has provided several times the law (and the translation).
Diving without being supervised by a local guide IS against the law throughout Indonesia and that is a fact.

 

[stepfen]

How difficult was it to arrange diving through the homestays? That is my main question. I am totally okay with simple accommodations and food. I just prefer western style toilets.

Arranging diving with homestays that offer diving is usually as simple as expressing your desire to dive the night before or so. Arranging with different operators can be tricky (especially if boat rides are involved). Things over there are quite complicated the way they are. Why to make them even more so?

There are plenty of good homestays that also offer diving. There is a filter for this in stayrajaampat.com search page. Why bother staying in non-diving homestays?

 

[cetacean]

Sorry for the late reply but I was away for a while.
They might have allowed you to do unguided dives somewhere in Indonesia (it happens), but doing so doesn't mean it is legal.
It has been discussed here numerous times. @Indah (who FYI is a resort owner/diving operator in Indonesia) has provided several times the law (and the translation).
Diving without being supervised by a local guide IS against the law throughout Indonesia and that is a fact.

This is clearly not the case. There are a number of resorts that allow for unguided dives on their house reefs (not just allowed, but encouraged). In addition, most Indonesian LOBs have Indonesian dive guides, however the cruise directors are usually not Indonesian, and many do lead dives w/out a local guide.

Having said this, what @Indah actually wrote was:
"At Divers Lodge Lembeh we supervise our guests from the shore for self-guided dives at our house reef"

Note the "self-guided" and supervision from the shore. Definitely not a guided dive.

 

[stepfen]

This is clearly not the case.

If you say so...

There are a number of resorts that allow for unguided dives on their house reefs (not just allowed, but encouraged). In addition, most Indonesian LOBs have Indonesian dive guides, however the cruise directors are usually not Indonesian, and many do lead dives w/out a local guide.

The fact that many do it, doesn't make it legal. A lot of murders happen daily. Does that make them legal?

Having said this, what @Indah actually wrote was:
"At Divers Lodge Lembeh we supervise our guests from the shore for self-guided dives at our house reef"

From what I remember, the wording in the law is a bit vague indeed, as it is not 100% clear that the "guide" or "supervisor" should be diving tοο. I'm not a lawyer to interpret Indonesian law. After all, everything is fine until sh*t hits the fan.

Back to the original question. One cannot expect that he/she will be allowed to do unguided dives everywhere in Indonesia. The law prohibits it and in practice a lot of places won't do it. A lot of other places do allow it (hopping for the best?), and some (see Indah at Divers Lodge Lembeh - I think I remember he wasn't allowing it in his other resorts) take the responsibility and provide shore "supervision".

That's all I have to say for this.

 

[cetacean]

If you say so...


The fact that many do it, doesn't make it legal. A lot of murders happen daily. Does that make them legal?


From what I remember, the wording in the law is a bit vague indeed, as it is not 100% clear that the "guide" or "supervisor" should be diving tοο. I'm not a lawyer to interpret Indonesian law. After all, everything is fine until sh*t hits the fan.

Back to the original question. One cannot expect that he/she will be allowed to do unguided dives everywhere in Indonesia. The law prohibits it and in practice a lot of places won't do it. A lot of other places do allow it (hopping for the best?), and some (see Indah at Divers Lodge Lembeh - I think I remember he wasn't allowing it in his other resorts) take the responsibility and provide shore "supervision".

That's all I have to say for this.

I was simply stating that your original statement was incorrect. The law does not state that you must have a local dive guide. There are situations where "supervision" from the shore is acceptable (and practiced).

There also is an exception for situations where (trained and certified) foreign instructors can lead dives (otherwise there would be fewer ow and aow certifications issued in Indonesia - my daughter as an example).

Your initial statement was made as an absolute, which is not the case. The fact that many resorts will not (and do not) allow for self guided dives is true, but is not the same as what you originally stated.

 

[stepfen]

I was simply stating that your original statement was incorrect. The law does not state that you must have a local dive guide. There are situations where "supervision" from the shore is acceptable (and practiced).

There also is an exception for situations where (trained and certified) foreign instructors can lead dives (otherwise there would be fewer ow and aow certifications issued in Indonesia - my daughter as an example).

Your initial statement was made as an absolute, which is not the case. The fact that many resorts will not (and do not) allow for self guided dives is true, but is not the same as what you originally stated.

My original statement is this:

About house reef, diving without a local guide is officially prohibited in Indonesia. Now, IF you are nice to your hosts, IF you show them that you can handle it, IF conditions (currents etc) allow it and IF they want it, they MIGHT allow you to dive the house reef.

which I think is not very absolute.

BTW by local I don't mean (necessarily) Indonesian, but working/employed locally - sorry English is not my first language. But that's again irrelevant to the OPs question (homestays allowing unguided house reef diving or not).

So back to the topic. let's just say that in practice some operators/homestays allow unguided house reefs, some don't.

 

[cetacean]

My original statement is this:

which I think is not very absolute.

BTW by local I don't mean (necessarily) Indonesian, but working/employed locally - sorry English is not my first language. But that's again irrelevant to the OPs question (homestays allowing unguided house reef diving or not).

So back to the topic. let's just say that in practice some operators/homestays allow unguided house reefs, some don't.

Your statement about "diving without a local guide is officially prohibited" was a definitive (incorrect) statement.

To your last point - some allow unguided house reef dives and others don't is fair and accurate. The point being that some resorts are set up for this and offer it to virtually all their guests (like Wakatobi, Kri Eco, Sorido Bay, Kalimaya, Raja4 Divers, etc.)