The best dives in Indo

[Madacub]

I know you've already started your trip but, in my opinion, if you're spending 2 months in Indo, make it a point to go to Raja Ampat. It's the best and it does live up to the hype. If you have budget issues, I would cheap it out in Bali and Sulawesi and use the savings to go to RA. I did not find it that expensive. But I suppose if you are comparing it to the cheaper options in Bali and elsewhere, RA is expensive relative to that.

In my experience, RA was far superior to Komodo. But that's the thing, sometimes you just have unforgettable dives anywhere. As mentioned above, you can dive Komodo without LOB, but LOB is far superior.

 

[helengomez]

Hey... I have been working in Indo for a while! It is great place for experienced divers. For sure head to Komodo for some fast moving action, Nusa Lembongan to try for Mola Mola and Mantas, Lembeh for some totally amazing Muck Diving, Bangka for cool currents and pinnacles.

If you would like some recommendations on places to stay then let me know!

Helen

 

[Travelnsj]

I've been to three different locations in Malaysia...over fished!...Pass.....Go to Indo...my favorite spots are Lembeh, Raja, Bangka, East Timor (in Indo area) and Bali....Raja Ampat is worth every dime...look at the Kri eco resort a budget spot.

 

[Luko]

I've been to three different locations in Malaysia...over fished!...Pass

Well... I don't really agree with that rough statement.
Been 5 times to Sipadan, 3 times last year, my conclusion is that there are lots of places in Indo, which I know also pretty well (been to all the places you mention except R4, and also some more you haven't been) that would liked to be "overfished" in the sense you claim.

I agree Komodo can be lively with fish (and probably R4) otherwise, I've hardly seen anywhere in Indo with as much fish as in Malaysian Borneo, my statement including some of the remotest parts of Maluku in Indo.

 

[Travelnsj]

Well... I don't really agree with that rough statement.
Been 5 times to Sipadan, 3 times last year, my conclusion is that there are lots of places in Indo, which I know also pretty well (been to all the places you mention except R4, and also some more you haven't been) that would liked to be "overfished" in the sense you claim.

I agree Komodo can be lively with fish (and probably R4) otherwise, I've hardly seen anywhere in Indo with as much fish as in Malaysian Borneo, my statement including some of the remotest parts of Maluku in Indo.

There are spots in Indo that allow commercial fishing, not talking about those spots you have been too. But not in RA....and you say the muck diving in Mabul is better than Lembeh???...LOL...Bali has better Muck diving....and the diving around Sipadan is better than places like Palau and RA?...NO way...not in the same ballpark!...I've been to Sipadan, Layang Layang and Lankayan spent well over 20K and over a hundred dives between them....for a free trip I'd question to waste my time.

 

[Luko]

and you say the muck diving in Mabul is better than Lembeh???...

Says who? show me where I've written that?

and the diving around Sipadan is better than places like Palau and RA?...

Says who? show me where I've written that? (again)
Can you read I wrote I didn't know about R4... I don't think Palau is located in Indonesia either...

I've been to Sipadan, Layang Layang and Lankayan spent well over 20K and over a hundred dives between them

Not a question of money spent, I don't care whether you've spent a nickel or a million, it's a question of regularly diving the place.
I repeat it, I've been 3 times just last year to Sipadan, more than 3 weeks in total -just last year-, dived more in Sipadan more than those 100 dives you've dived in all Sabah sites altogether, and still witness there is more fish around Sipadan than most of the places I dived in Indonesia, including Bali, North and south Sulawesi, North coast of Flores, central Maluku, etc.

You remind me of Scott Benett, a canadian professional photographer I met and dived with in Sipadan in feb 2010. He was grumpy about the diving he made a few years before in Sipadan because the weather conditions were bad, he missed everything... after a week diving last year in february he was raving about the place, published a few articles in AsianDiver and Xray magazine.

Seems to me you've been in Sipadan once, unfortunately your conditions weren't good and therefore you state the diving is not worth.

I also know of people recently been to Palau saying it's not really worth going, since they had much better times and much more variety in Sipadan.

 

[Travelnsj]

Luko I was comparing the diving in Indo and Palau the Great diving (LOL) they tout in Malaysia….you say “Well... I don't really agree with that rough statement” I gave you more specifics. And here are more…I was in Sipadan in 04 for over 2 weeks when you could stay on the Island at that time and the weather was perfect. Had close to 50 dives less than 10 were worthwhile. I compare to places like Palau, RA, Tuamotu’s in Tahiti, Kiribati and a couple of others….The diving in Sipadan to me is comparable to Kadavu in Fiji, a notch above Hawaii and the Caribbean. Due to the travel time and cost getting to Sipadan or anywhere else I’ve been in Malaysia…sorry not worth it and again I’d go back on someone else’s Dime.

I am know there are places in Indo where there is commercial and dynamite fishing that are not up there with Sipadan and I do not go there. But the top spots like Bangka, RA, Lembeh, East Timor (yes I know that is a separate nation but in the Indo area) far exceeds Sipadan and even Bali is better for muck diving than Mabul.

Do you have the links to the trip reports that they say they liked Sipadan over Palau?

We could keep going on and on but my suggestion go to Palau, Tuamotu’s, RA etc. and then draw your own comparison.

 

[NotYetBent]

I would recommend checking out Alor. It's inexpensive and has some extremely unique diving (Anemone City / Clown Valley is a sq kilometer of nothing but anemones - it's incredible and very fishy). It's a bit of a pain to get to and it's definitely off the beaten path...but very worth it.

Everyone else is coming correct by my estimation. Raja Ampat is tops (but expensive), Bali has some incredible diving (see Seraya Secrets - rivals Lembeh in my opinion) - and isn't too expensive, Lembeh is fantastic and can be done relatively cheaply. I liked Bunaken but will go to Bangka next time I'm in N Sulawesi and want to do something other than muck diving. This will be my 4th time to Indo this summer...there's a reason I keep going back!

Oh, Sipadan is excellent as well and can be done relatively cheaply (but in Malaysia as others have pointed out)...you will see 30+ turtles and 15+ shark on many dives sites around the island.Mabul has very nice muck too. However, the coral doesn't quite match up to Indo and I'm not sure I could do more than a week there (not a huge area). Still...would go back in a heartbeat! Have fun!

 

[Luko]

I compare to places like Palau, RA, Tuamotu’s in Tahiti, Kiribati and a couple of others…

Sorry again but I beg to disagree.
I know FP, I have lived in the south pacific, grew up there in Vanuatu and New Caledonia (which btw is better than FP in many respects).
Fish variety is absolutely not up to Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai area... ok there are walls of sharks in Fakarava or Rangi, but apart from that it's quite boring, no macro stuff, the bottoms and walls are bland, with a mix of dead or bare corals.

Nothing with SEA lush fish and coral variety, I suppose you know Allen's studies that showed the fish variety are diminishing each side of the "coral triangle" that includes Borneo, eastern indonesia and the Phils.
FP is far far away in the East, there's not even a third of the variety you may find in SEA. The rule of fish species count is SEA > PNG > Australia> Fiji > Polynesia, that's a fact you can't go against.

the top spots like Bangka, RA, Lembeh, East Timor (yes I know that is a separate nation but in the Indo area) far exceeds Sipadan and even Bali is better for muck diving than Mabul.

Been twice to Bangka first time in 2002, last in 2009. I love the place but all the small critters you may find in Bangka they have them in Mabul/Kapalai plus you don't have such huge schools of fish or as many pelagics in Bangka as in Sipadan.
Once again I agree Lembeh is unique though Ambon is a serious contender), but if you want blue water action it's a bit... errrh... limited (on the other hand Ambon is amazing for seafan and corals, though on the pelagic fish/fish schools side, Sipadan smokes Ambon hands down, I would add even for reef fish Sipadan is better).
Don't know about R4.
Don't know either for East Timor... been to Maumere/Flores, fished out compared to Sipadan and the Kupang area in West Timor is known to be completely fished out, even the fishermen are starving, they must go out south to australian waters to find the fish.

The diving in Sipadan to me is comparable to Kadavu in Fiji, a notch above Hawaii and the Caribbean.

Strange comparison... it would be closer comparing to say, paintings, a car or a card game or whatever... but Kadavu is only about corals, how can you compare???? :shocked2:

Do you have the links to the trip reports that they say they liked Sipadan over Palau?

Do you fluently read french? if yes you then go to plongeur.com website and look through the posts... I have also read someone who wasn't impressed with R4/Misool area liveaboard and found Sipadan much more entertaining.
Different opinions are entitled.

 

[Travelnsj]

Sorry again but I beg to disagree.
I know FP, I have lived in the south pacific, grew up there in Vanuatu and New Caledonia (which btw is better than FP in many respects).
Fish variety is absolutely not up to Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai area... ok there are walls of sharks in Fakarava or Rangi, but apart from that it's quite boring, no macro stuff, the bottoms and walls are bland, with a mix of dead or bare corals.

Nothing with SEA lush fish and coral variety, I suppose you know Allen's studies that showed the fish variety are diminishing each side of the "coral triangle" that includes Borneo, eastern indonesia and the Phils.
FP is far far away in the East, there's not even a third of the variety you may find in SEA. The rule of fish species count is SEA > PNG > Australia> Fiji > Polynesia, that's a fact you can't go against.

Well I disagree with you...I’m not talking about Bio diversity and Allen’s studies in FP. I am talking about the schools of fish bigger stuff of course. I found far superior than I saw in Sipadan!

Been twice to Bangka first time in 2002, last in 2009. I love the place but all the small critters you may find in Bangka they have them in Mabul/Kapalai plus you don't have such huge schools of fish or as many pelagics in Bangka as in Sipadan.
Once again I agree Lembeh is unique though Ambon is a serious contender), but if you want blue water action it's a bit... errrh... limited (on the other hand Ambon is amazing for seafan and corals, though on the pelagic fish/fish schools side, Sipadan smokes Ambon hands down, I would add even for reef fish Sipadan is better).
Don't know about R4.
Don't know either for East Timor... been to Maumere/Flores, fished out compared to Sipadan and the Kupang area in West Timor is known to be completely fished out, even the fishermen are starving, they must go out south to australian waters to find the fish.

Know nothing about West timor or Flores and not talking about big schools of fish just the Bio Diversity between Mabul and Kapalai smaller stuff etc. I found far superior in Bangka and East Timor...I'll leave Lembeh out of this although they Tout how great the muck diving is around Mabul.

Strange comparison... it would be closer comparing to say, paintings, a car or a card game or whatever... but Kadavu is only about corals, how can you compare????

What? Kadavu and the Astrolabe reef about corals?….Now that is funny….regarding corals in that area of Fiji it is a notch or two above FP or Hawaii & the marine life about equal to Sipadan except for White tips, Turtles and the big wall of Barrcuda I saw twice in 2 weeks of diving in Sipadan and I do not remember anything great about the corals in Sipadan that was any better than I saw in Kadavu.

Do you fluently read french? if yes you then go to plongeur.com website and look through the posts... I have read also read one someone who wasn't impressed with R4/Misool area liveaboard and found Sipadan much more entertaining.

I have Google translate cannot find anything about Palau if you can give me that direct link would be appreciated and as you know you can be on a LOB in RA and if they do not know where to dive….it is a waste of time.

But I am happy you like Sipadan and perhaps more people will go there to keep the rising costs down in Palau or select spots of Indo.