What Next?

[billt4sf]

Emily and I have been living in Bali for 6 months, and we’ve decided to stay here at least through 2017.


We’ve been lucky enough to dive some amazing places so far, what should we do next? One thing I know: I am of an age and condition where I want four star accommodations (I have to be honest with myself about my limitations). We are NOT photographers (therefore not muck fanatics), we (esp. Emily) prefer easy diving.



Done So Far:

Amed (3X) – calm water, laid-back area, and the Liberty.


Padang Bai (3X) – good op Geko Dive, Nusa Penida and the jetty


Bangka – great diving, limited accommodations, and lots of trash in the water


Lembeh – great accommodations, black sand, and the best things you see are on the computer screen


Bunaken – great walls, OK accommodations, and lots of trash in the water


Raja Ampat (2X) – Rivers of fish, oceanic mantas, Wobbegong sharks, and a great boat Mermaid I


Misool Eco Resort – a resort par excellance in southern Raja Ampat, friendly oceanic mantas


Banda – a good dive op in a laid-back island. Good walls and maybe hammerheads


Crossing Trip Flores to RA – combine Banda Sea and Raja Ampat on a great boat Mermaid I



In the Works:

Feb: Raja Ampat with Emily on Mermaid I and Misool Eco Resort


April: Philippines: Cebu with Sea Explorers, probably Dauin, Malapascua, and ??



On the Radar (help me choose among these or others for trips for July and December):


PNG Tawali Resort – always great reviews, some get mostly muck, some get mostly reefs. Might combine with a land excursion.


Komodo – I continue to be nervous about the washing-machine currents there


Malaysia – land / dive on islands off the east coast?


Sipadan – great diving but we are nervous about a location close to where Abu Sayif is active. Combine with a land trip in Malaysian Borneo?


Thailand – land and diving trip, Chiang Mai and the Andaman sea?


Cambodia – How could we possibly live in SEA and miss Angkor Wat?


India / Andaman islands – sounds like a great combo, I’m nervous about visiting India and getting sick.


Alor – really liked the three dive sites last month


VietNam / Laos land trip – everyone who goes says it’s great.


…or repeat Raja Ampat? (Would be Emily’s second time, my fourth).

 

[Dan]

You may check out Nabucco in East Kalimantan. Home - Nabuccoislandresort. The resort is in Maratua Atoll. There are 2 other interesting islands, Kakaban & Sangalaki, about an hour boat ride from Maratua Atoll. Kakaban is where you can snorkel with stingless jellyfish, like you see in Palau. Sangalaki is where turtle nesting & manta cleaning. See the video below for more detail:


One of the dive sites I like the most is called "The Channel" or "The Big Fish Country" in Maratua Atoll, where you can dive with tons of schooling barracudas there, as shown in the video, below.


For a land tour, you can visit the BOS (Borneo Orangutan Survival) Foundation, Borneo Orangutan Survival - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, where Harrison Ford spends some of his time there, Harrison Ford Visits Nyaru Menteng | BOS Foundation. I spent a couple of days after diving in Nabucco in BOS Samboja Lodge, Borneo Samboja Ecolodge :: About BOS Foundation :: BOS Samboja Lestari, near Balikpapan to see the orangutan & sun bear sanctuaries, before going back home.

 

[jcclink]

Alami Alor - dive and stay resort in Alor, Indonesia
Alor & Pantar offer some great diving, both wide angle & macro. The link is to a new resort in Kalabahi Bay that only takes 8 guests. Accommodations, food & diving are all great. Excellent staff & guides. Only saw 7 rhinopias in Oct. Just booked a return visit for next year. I especially enjoyed diving with the small group.

 

[bunty99]

I just came back from Komodo. Currents are indeed strong, but find a reputable operator who knows the area well and you can simply tell them you want to drift and not try to fight any current. Some times there is a bit of fighting to get to a spot to watch all the fish action, but if you prefer not to, let the guide know and they should be okay.

My dive op avoided areas where there might be washing machine currents; it was always safety first. There were a couple of sites when we got there and they thought the currents were too unpredictable and decided to go somewhere else.

Never been to R4 so I can't compare. But tons of fish action underwater probably due to currents. Amazing diving.

 

[Wingy]

I think you should go to Angkor Wat while in SEA. I also think you should see Phnom Penh (a lot to be learned from Cambodia) and while you can dive out of Sihanoukville I really wouldn't bother making the trek south to do so. A - diving is very bland compared to your Indo spots and B - the 'atmosphere' of snooky can be somewhat seedy. From Siem Reap fly to Bangkok then why not work your way down from Chang Mai to PHuket or similar and hop on a LOB ato Richelieu if you're worried about going to Havelock or other Andamans via India?. Thailand and Cambodia are great countries.
Thai diving can be hit and miss but you should like Richelieu and Thailand does tourism for westerners well.
Sipidan - Mabul diving and Borneo topside?
If you have Phillipines on the list great - think about Anilao and Puerto Gallera too.
You still have so much of SEA to explore I'd take advantage of being situated in Bali and check out neighbourhood countries before trekking to PNG.
You would be able to afford at least 3 SEA Countries with the money spent on one PNG trip - just throwing some ideas out there

 

[Indah]

Weda Resort, Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia, welcomes you to come Diving, Snorkeling, Kayaking and Birding at Halmahera. Dive and snorkel in the Heart of the Coral Triangle, with its amazing diversity of underwater-life. Explore the forested coast and rivers by kayak. Be part of the dance of the Wallace’s Standard Wing Bird of Paradise and be astonished by the beauty of the other endemic tropical birds. Weda reef and rainforest Resort, on the east coast of Central Halmahera is situated exactly between Lembeh Strait and the Raja Ampat islands.

By staying at our Eco resort you contribute directly to the conservation of the forest and reefs and the development of the local communities of Sawai Itepo and Kobe Village. Please visit Sawai Eco-tourism Foundation and Vision about Eco tourism for more information. Eco tourism does not have to mean “uncomfortable”. Our beds and bathrooms, for example, easily meet the standard of any international hotel. Scuba Diver Australasia elected Weda Resort in 2015 as one of the top sixteen eco resorts in the Asian Pacific region. Full board accommodation rates start from IDR 975.000/EUR 65, -*/USD 72, -.* per night/person.

Until recent, Weda Bay was an unknown spot on the dive map of the world. Now 90% of our guests, many of whom dived in several other places in Indonesia, including Raja Ampat and Wakatobi, think it was their best diving and snorkeling ever!

 

[billt4sf]

Weda Resort, Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia, welcomes you to come Diving, Snorkeling, Kayaking and Birding at Halmahera. Dive and snorkel in the Heart of the Coral Triangle, with its amazing diversity of underwater-life. Explore the forested coast and rivers by kayak. Be part of the dance of the Wallace’s Standard Wing Bird of Paradise and be astonished by the beauty of the other endemic tropical birds. Weda reef and rainforest Resort, on the east coast of Central Halmahera is situated exactly between Lembeh Strait and the Raja Ampat islands.

By staying at our Eco resort you contribute directly to the conservation of the forest and reefs and the development of the local communities of Sawai Itepo and Kobe Village. Please visit Sawai Eco-tourism Foundation and Vision about Eco tourism for more information. Eco tourism does not have to mean “uncomfortable”. Our beds and bathrooms, for example, easily meet the standard of any international hotel. Scuba Diver Australasia elected Weda Resort in 2015 as one of the top sixteen eco resorts in the Asian Pacific region. Full board accommodation rates start from IDR 975.000/EUR 65, -*/USD 72, -.* per night/person.

Until recent, Weda Bay was an unknown spot on the dive map of the world. Now 90% of our guests, many of whom dived in several other places in Indonesia, including Raja Ampat and Wakatobi, think it was their best diving and snorkeling ever!

Has anyone been to this place?

- Bill

 

[Immeriswas]

Yes , just came back from a longer stay in Indonesia. There is already a report about Nunukan Maratua atoll further down this thread.The one about Weda will follow soon. The statements on their webside are all true ! I love the place very much ( beeing to Banda, Ambon ,Lembeh, Bangka, Bunaken ,Selayar , Bali , Flores and RA beside some other places ). If you like to see already some picture.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129925047@N03/albums/72157678185779425

 

[Dive Explore Indonesia]

Hi Bill,

There is one place that I could suggest that you didn't mentioned, it's the Triton Bay Area, south east of Raja Ampat, in the Kaimana area.

There's a new resort called Triton Bay Divers. Since the resort is new the accomodation is in very good condition. I don't know if I would call it 5 stars but it's still very high end, especially considering the remotness of the place.

I've been there twice but didn't sleep there, just did an exploration and dived from Triton Bay Divers with Leeza the owner who is absolutely lovely.

I've been amazed by the diving, plenty of small and big things to see with a few "local specials" like the walking sharck that you can see with a bit of luck and the Whale Sharcks if the Bagans are around.

The area itself is amazing, there's only one resorts in the whole area so you'll feel pretty "alone in the world" wich is in my opinion a great luxury

Have a nice day

 

[chillyinCanada]

Bill, I didn't notice any trash at Bangka but having just come from Lembeh, where I found lots of trash, perhaps I was merely more blind to it. I must go and look up your report on Bangka again.