I'll put up a more comprehensive trip report later..
Some highlights in response to
@Laval original post
To get to the resort is quite a challenge. First you would have to get to Sorong (i.e. via Hong Kong and Jakarta). Then, from Sorong it will take about 4.5 hrs by a speed boat. Good news is that they have their own speed boat now, which I assume would provide a more comfortable ride.
This unfortunately is the price you pay for such a remote destination and there's no way around it. Our boat trip was 4 hrs in heavy seas on the way to the island and 3.5 on the return.
They will meet you at the airport (at 6:30 am in our case), bring you to their office in Sorong, give you a bottle of water, and you will watch a TV for an hour or two. No food..., and you could not buy anything from them if you do not have local currency.
We were all served Breakfast - no comment on paying by card as we carried USD and local currency for such eventualities - We were taken to the boat for 9am so the "wait didn't seem excessive bearing in mind you got fed, had coffee and a stretch.
For food, however, I would give them 3 stars only. In general, we do not like Indonesian food, but other guests were complaining about food as well. Also, my wife and at least one other guest were severely poisoned by tuna. At the same time, we like their fruits, juices and teas.
I'm not a great fan of Indo food, but I felt there was sufficient choice to get me through. I preferred big breakfasts, but personal choice. No food illnesses while we were there, apart from the usual upsets from travel/change of diet.
The last day of the stay is actually a 'write-off', because you have to vacate your cottage after breakfast and sit on your luggage half a day waiting for a new group to arrive. Then they bring you to Sorong by the end of the day, where you have to stay overnight.
Not sure how this can differ from anywhere else on the travel day. You get a relaxed morning where you pack your cloths after breakfast and your dive kit when dry. I think I had 2 hrs with a book which after my full on dive schedule was quite welcome. We were on the boat back for 1:30 and checked into the hotel in Sorong for 5:30pm
Maybe you can do a dive or two in the morning after you have checked out ?
No not really, you need to dry and pack your kit, plus all the staff are busy doing the turn around. Some people did a snorkel but I didn't feel the need. You will appreciate, when you arrive that the resort is ready to go, we literally changed got out gear onto the boat and were diving 2 hrs after arrival (some people sleep)
I did go with some trepidation given or last trip was so good, and I wondered if I'd feel disappointed this time. Not so. While we had a couple of "mediocre dives" (the fish life doesn't run to schedule) generally we had fantastic diving, and got to sites we hadn't dived last time.
The LOB's do spend a lot of time in Misool, and it should be noted that the sites they dive is dictated by MER while they're in the protected zone. MER get first choice on the sites, then the LOB's check in at 5pm and pick up the remaining allocations.
