Trip Report - Misool Eco Resort

[Laval]

A bit off topic, but at Sorido (or Kri Eco), what does a beer and/or glass of wine cost? I'm fully aware alcohol in general is expensive there, and bringing your own is recommended, however on an extended trip, that could become a problem.

I am not sure about Kri Eco resort, but at Sorido Bay Resort, my recollection is that a bottle of wine (750 ml) costs 45 Euro, small bottle of beer is 3.50 Euro and large bottle is 5 Euro.

 

[Laval]

What don't you like about Indo food? Just curious. I saw the other report about why they didn't like the resort food, but you mentioned Indo food in general...

I guess, food preference is quite personal, but in my case, I am mostly vegan (not very strict, but in 95% cases) and prefer whole plant food.

 

[billt4sf]

I am not sure about Kri Eco resort, but at Sorido Bay Resort, my recollection is that a bottle of wine (750 ml) costs 45 Euro, small bottle of beer is 3.50 Euro and large bottle is 5 Euro.

Yeah REALLY expensive at Sorido! I actually did not drink at all on that trip because of the cost. Alcohol is expensive everywhere in Indo, and even more so at a dive resort or boat, but the Sorido price was off the charts.

No one but Max knows, but I was guessing that the exceptionally high price was to discourage its use per their religious affiliation. In my case it worked - for 10 days.

- Bill

 

[Diving Dubai]

I've followed this thread with interest.

I went to Misool in Feb 2016, and despite us being "hard to please" divign wise, because we're spoilt at home. We enjoyed ourselves greatly.

Rather than make comment noe, I'll reserve my thoughts until after my next visit (15th March) and see if it lives up to my expectations as a returner.

I'll post my full thoughts here in April

 

[Laval]

Yeah REALLY expensive at Sorido! I actually did not drink at all on that trip because of the cost. Alcohol is expensive everywhere in Indo, and even more so at a dive resort or boat, but the Sorido price was off the charts.

No one but Max knows, but I was guessing that the exceptionally high price was to discourage its use per their religious affiliation. In my case it worked - for 10 days.

- Bill

I checked by bill from Misool, and alcohol is even more expensive at Misool compared to Sorido Bay Resort: a small can of local beer at Misool costs $4.5 USD, and a bottle of red wine - $58 USD.

 

[billt4sf]

I checked by bill from Misool, and alcohol is even more expensive at Misool compared to Sorido Bay Resort: a small can of local beer at Misool costs $4.5 USD, and a bottle of red wine - $58 USD.

WOW! It's gone up. I think Indo put more taxes on it?

 

[Laval]

I've followed this thread with interest.

I went to Misool in Feb 2016, and despite us being "hard to please" divign wise, because we're spoilt at home. We enjoyed ourselves greatly.

Rather than make comment noe, I'll reserve my thoughts until after my next visit (15th March) and see if it lives up to my expectations as a returner.

I'll post my full thoughts here in April

Diving Dubai, are you trying to tell that diving in Dubai is comparable to Raja Ampat? If this is the case, I am interested to learn more about it. What place would you recommend to dive in Dubai?

 

[Manneca]

I dived both Sorido and Misool in February. First, Sorido follows the religious customs of the Papuans who work for them and live near them. They are Seventh Day Adventists and observe Saturday as Sabbath. I also encountered this in the Solomon Islands. I noticed in one village where we had our surface interval that the village prohibited diving on Saturdays.

Second as to wine. I noticed in the always air-conditioned museum/shop that there was a wine rack with a variety of French wines (not for sale). There were a bunch of Max's friends and a film crew while we were there and one of Max's friends would go in and get a bottle of wine and take it to their dinner.

I preferred Sorido (I had booked it on a whim, looking forward to all the great things I'd heard about Misool but wanting to spend a bit more time in Raja). A greater variety of dive sites; a greater variety of food and a much better set up for sharing space with a non romantic dive buddy. It was more crowded than Misool, though.

I really disliked Misool's light breakfast before the first dive. I'd really like some protein before I dive. They had only soft boiled eggs and lots of carbs. I understand the light early breakfast on a dive boat where you're in the water at 7, but at 8 really?

In either resort, fantastic diving. At Sorido, there is a much diving beach that was fun. And I am really, really tired of chasing mantas.

 

[Mike Veitch]

And I am really, really tired of chasing mantas.

Let them come to you

 

[Manneca]

Let them come to you

That's definitely what I prefer! But for some reason dive operations insist on taking divers out, swimming like crazy against the current, and then either finding none (in four trips to Magic Mountain, Misool, there was one far away) or being among 40 other divers, tied into the reef, rolling around in the coral. I know that mantas are bucket list items, but give me a nudibranch anytime!