Raja Ampat (Misool Eco Resort) in June? vs. Bali?

[frontiernurse]

Has anyone dived around MER in June? June is considered off season so it is cheaper, but it is still pretty expensive and hard to get to so, wondering about conditions. Is it worth more $$ to go in a different season?

We may be going on a Liveaboard in Komodo in early July so we are thinking about "nearby" areas to explore before or after the Komodo trip which leaves from Bali. Thanks!

 

[Cali_diver]

If you like muck and critter diving I would consider Tulamben in northern Bali. This is fantastic diving and you won't need another domestic flight other than your flight to Labuan Bajo or Bima for your Komodo trip.

 

[Tippytoes12]

Keep Raja Ampat for another time.....Bali fits in perfectly with a liveaboard to Komodo. It's so good and is fantastic value. Tulamben is a great choice and Padang Bai. The culture is awesome....the island is very busy in the South around Kuta and Sanur , but outside of these areas it the real tranquil beautiful Bali.

 

[Luko]

the island is very busy in the South around Kuta and Sanur , but outside of these areas it the real tranquil beautiful Bali.

Ho humm.... Ubud is much more busier than Sanur (nicknamed "snore" by the locals). Depending on the period most of the known cultural sites can be VERY busy (Tanah Lot, Pura Besakih, Gunung Kawi, Jati Lewih rice terraces, etc.)

We may be going on a Liveaboard in Komodo in early July so we are thinking about "nearby" areas to explore before or after the Komodo trip which leaves from Bali. Thanks!

Otherwise you may give a try on Alor.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I can't recommend MER highly enough. I was there in Feb. It isn't just muck diving as @Cali_diver suggests - sure you'll get more than Komodo (which we visited in August) there is a lot of big action such as Oceanic Manta's (rather than the reef in Komodo, large schools of hunting fish and sharks. Having been to both I'd go back to MER at the drop of a hat. Th travel isn't that bad. I loved Komodo but MER was in another class

As soon as I can get a fair price to sell the kids into slavery I'll be going beck

 

[Cali_diver]

I can't recommend MER highly enough. I was there in Feb. It isn't just muck diving as @Cali_diver suggests - sure you'll get more than Komodo (which we visited in August) there is a lot of big action such as Oceanic Manta's (rather than the reef in Komodo, large schools of hunting fish and sharks.

The muck I was referring to is in Tulamben, Bali ...not Misool. We also had over 25 oceanic mantas in Komodo on one site and saw them on quite a few other sites, so you will likely see them there as well.

 

[Dan]

Has anyone dived around MER in June? June is considered off season so it is cheaper, but it is still pretty expensive and hard to get to so, wondering about conditions. Is it worth more $$ to go in a different season?

We may be going on a Liveaboard in Komodo in early July so we are thinking about "nearby" areas to explore before or after the Komodo trip which leaves from Bali. Thanks!

I was in MER in April, not in June, so I can't say much about it.

One thing clear, like Tippytoes12 says, since logistical Komodo & Misool are pretty far apart, just go to Misool in separate trip. Besides taking a day flight, including lay over in Makassar or in Jakarta if you are coming from Bali, you have to take another 4.5 hour boat ride from Sorong (pronounce like "so wrong"). On the way back from MER you will also stay a night in Sorong.

I did take a roundtrip from Bali to Komodo & back with Mermaid I in August 2014 (highly recommended). I would do it again in the future (yes that good). Before the trip, I spent a few days in Bali to do some land tours & divings in Bali. So logistically Bali & Komodo diving trips are perfect combination. Besides, in August (actually from June to September) is a oceanic Mola-Mola season in Bali (see my avatar). So, before going to Komodo, I had a chance to see Mola-Mola (9 of them in fact) in Crystal Bay, before heading to Komodo. I did the typical diving safari in Bali, going to Secret Bay, Menjangan, Tulamben, Amed and Nusa Penida, before embarking Mermaid I in Benoa, Bali. That was one of the best diving trip I ever made, better than a week in MER. Your late June to early July Bali-Komodo trip may be just as good as my August Bali-Komodo trip.

 

[frontiernurse]

Thanks so much for all these great replies! Part of me wants to approach this trip as if I will never go back so I MUST see everything within 1000 square miles on this trip! Not realistic though. I should do Bali! Right? Any specific recommendations about Bali are welcome! (Dive resorts along the diving safari route, e.g.? Or land based do-not-misses?) Thanks again!

 

[Diving Dubai]

Again depends again on what you're expectations are.

Tulamben, for me is over hyped. It's also a 3.5 minimum car drive from Bali airport ( apparently a quarry near Bail airport has closed and thus all the trucks have to cross the island slowing the traffic)

Nusa Lembongan is a 30 min boat ride from bail, and the beach they depart from is 15 min car journey from the airport. We went with Blue corner diving, who were really helpful pre trip, organised our boat transfers etc and were a pleasure to dive with. All the op's on that side go to the same dive locations.

But that is just my opinion, others may differ

 

[Luko]

Again depends again on what you're expectations are.

Tulamben, for me is over hyped. It's also a 3.5 minimum car drive from Bali airport ( apparently a quarry near Bail airport has closed and thus all the trucks have to cross the island slowing the traffic)

Actually, you can't say it's overhyped when speaking about nudibranches and macro critters for instance or you didn't have the good guide... while on the other hand Nusa Penida is mostly good for mantas (the small reef Manta Alfredi not the large ones like in R4) you will see as many Molamola in Padang Bai.
Tulamben is on average 2,5hr car ride from Kuta/Airport, when you get 1hr more penalty, it's mostly because of a ceremony blocking the road even though truck traffic has picked up, there are fast and large roads from Sanur to Padang Bai.