Should I split 6 nights in Bali?

[Luko]

We are currently on Bali after a week around Komodo and already did two days in Tulamben (stayed at Toyabali which is incredible - I already long to go back - and dove with Liberty which was great as well)
...
after a week around Komodo, the easy diving in Tulamben was quite enjoyable and I’m not ready to jump back into the current just yet!

Will follow your next posts and feedbacks esp. on whether your Komodo/DDK experience was as fine as mine and also what made Toyabali so enjoyable. (PM me if you consider that some comments shouldn't be public ).

 

[billt4sf]

Puri Rai is closer to the ferry than Absolute. Perhaps the rooms are better insulated or the angle of the resort buffers some of the horn noise. No doubt you are also a much heavier sleeper than am I because almost everyone in the world is.

Except me.

 

[Luko]

Except me.

Drink white wine instead of ice cream!

 

[billt4sf]

Drink white wine instead of ice cream!

Never!

 

[GirlonFire]

They’re going to have breakfast for us at 7 tomorrow with an order the night before, which is very kind. I’ll try to figure out if there’s a dry function. I was being a tired brat yesterday and Sea Breeze is a very nice resort, I just really fell in love with Toyabali.

We didn’t get to dive with Geko today due to my own equipment malfunction and my husband not feeling well so I will post after tomorrow and Wednesday about the diving compared to Tulamben! We are scheduled for Tepekong and Manta Point, ocean permitting. OK Divers is right next to Geko and I can see how staying in that area would be quite loud.

How did the diving from PB compare to Tulamben? I am still undecided whether to stay in one location (I will be dealing with jet lag) or try 2.

 

[howswedeofme]

For PB, we did not have great dives at Gili Mimpang/Tepekong besides seeing one white tip but Manta Point did have mantas (and 100 other divers!). I really liked the Penida drift dive we did. Beautiful coral and plentiful fish and a much nicer dive site than the Gilis. I liked Tulamben more overall, though, because I enjoy searching for the small critters quite a bit and the lack of current was a nice break during a trip with a lot of current most of the time. The diving is very different at the two places so it’s hard to say depending on your personal preference. When we come back again, we will likely only stay in Tulamben for some muck diving and go over to Amed for some reef and maybe do a day trip down to PB for a two or three tanker to have a day to try to see some big stuff. The diving in Tulamben is also much, much cheaper since it’s mostly shore dives (but very easy shore entry).

 

[GirlonFire]

For PB, we did not have great dives at Gili Mimpang/Tepekong besides seeing one white tip but Manta Point did have mantas (and 100 other divers!)..

Was it just the crowded conditions you did not like or was there not much else to see?

 

[howswedeofme]

The crowded diver conditions were only at Manta Point and it wasn’t too terrible as far as having space to dive because we were comfortable getting away from our guide a bit (except seeing a couple new divers kick sleeping rays and cuttlefish which was sad). We just didn’t see much except healthy reef on the Penida drift and the mantas weren’t easy to see because of relatively low vis and people swimming at them so they took off pretty quickly. For the two Gili dives we saw the one white tip and a turtle and the reef was just ok. Diving conditions change day to day, though, and we may have had an off day. There’s apparently usually sleeping baby sharks at Gili Tepekong but they were up and about when we were there so we didn’t see them.

 

[Tippytoes12]

Yes , there were a lot of Richard Head Fish there we were there last, trying to take selfies of themselves with the mantas right on top of the cleaning station. Time before last a Richard Head Fish obviously thought that landing on top of my head was a cool thing to do. There is a deeper area at Manta Point that we have been taken to several times at the end of the dive and it always had big mantas, thankfully not being chased.

 

[GirlonFire]

This is schedule for my 4 days in Padang Bai.

Is it too aggressive as I will have just arrived in Bali the afternoon before from the US?
Any other sites to add or substitute?
This will be mid August. I believe the full moon is the 15th, my last day diving in PB.

Padangbai, 2 dives,

Manta Point & Crystal

Nusa Penida SD Toyapakeh

Mimpang & Tepekong