tips for Indonesia from april

[funscuba]

My plan is to travel to Indo from april or beginning of may for 3 - 4 months, so is it a good month or season to go and visit and especially dive in Indonesia, as I've never been there before ?
As Indo is very wide from east to west, from which side would u recommend me to start ?
Was wondering, can you dive anywhere in Indo or the best places are restricted to sulawesi, Bali and I don't know how many other places ?

After that I'd like to go to papua new guinea.

Thanks for the help !

 

[Zippsy]

In addition to:
Sulawesi (Manado, Bunaken, Lembeh, Gorontalo, Bangka) and Bali (Tulamben, Nusa Penida, Menjagan, Puri Jati, Padangbai)

There is always:
Raja Ampat, Komodo, Flores, Sangalaki, Derawan, Pulau Weh, Mentawai. Ternate, Misool, Pulau Ahe, Lombok, Ambon, Banda Sea, Spice Islands, Anambas, Krakatau, Sunda Straits, Timor Leste (well, no longer Indo but damn close)

...and I am sure I am just scratching the surface

 

[Zippsy]

incidentally, doesn't Indonesia just give 30 day visas with a single possible in-country extension?

 

[highdesert]

I "think" the current regs are, visa on arrival, 30 days, visa gotten in advance from Indo embassy in another country, 60 days.

BTW, add Alor to your list!

 

[Kilili]

I do this every year...
Visa on Arrival: 30 days [they always count day of arrival and day of departure, so really 29 days]
If you get VoA, you CANNOT renew. Must exit country [like Singapore] and return.

Visa from Consulate: 60 days and renewable for up to 6 months, 30 days at a time. On second renewal [after 90 days], you must go to immigration office to get photographed and fingerprinted [who knows why?].

Usually renewal can be handled by someone where you are staying, except for second renewal. That one was a headache. Place I was staying arranged a lawyer to go with me to ease the process [so much about who knows who]. Still took couple of hours or so.

These rules change, and are not necessarily consistent. Last year, my passport had to be sent to Jakarta for renewal, and it took 4 weeks to get my 30 day renewal. Other times, no problem, handled in a couple of days. I would expect it to be good time of year, overall.

Overall, sometimes a headache, never know just what to expect, but usually no problems, and never that difficult. I just give to dive resort office or travel agency, and let them figure it out.

As for diving April, I usually dive much later in year, because of my schedule. Indonesia is a big place, weather varies, along with rainy season.

Besides Bali and N Sulawesi, also consider Ambon, which has good diving, more remote, yet easy to get to, 3 resorts total, so no crowds. In three weeks we never saw another boat nearby. Prices run from low budget to expensive.

 

[funscuba]

So is there still a rainy season to avoid between april to july about somewhere in Indo ?

 

[OnTheSpot]

You can dive in Indonesia at any time of the year. Generally speaking for such a vast country, April to December are the best times to go since rainy season is more or less between the months of January and March. That said many places, such as Sulawesi, have excellent conditions at this time so be sure to check the diving season details for your particular destination of choice. The Indonesia liveaboard safari season is all year round.

 

[BLUESEASONBALI]

Raja Ampat is a must if you have the budget to cover it by liveaboard! In Far Eastern Indonesia we also have amazing pristine dive locations such as Ambon where the new species of Psychedelic frog-fish was discovered a year or so back!

Here in Bali the diving is great year round, with the Manta Rays at the world famous Manta Point at Nusa Penida, macro diving in the north that equates to if not beats the famous macro site in North Indonesia and of course the USAT Liberty Wreck in Tulamben (always found in the top 10 Wrecks dives list where ever you look)!

High Quality guaranteed when you DIVE BAL!

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[funscuba]

Thanks for all the infos, but if you had to make me an itinary, from where should I start and where to end, saying I'd have ~ 3 months holiday. Should I start from the far west where Banda aceh is ?

 

[Bubble Junky]

Pulau Weh's a good start point, and you fly into Banda Aceh..... Either with Air Asia from KL, or Fire Fly from Penang.