What's the "right" path to Ambon or Sorong?

[Shasta_man]

What's the best way to get to Ambon or Sorong? I'd read that there are drawbacks to some ways to go. Should I go through Manado or DPS or?

Also, what's average cost for just that last leg of the trip on Indo airlines?

Thanks

 

[Kevster]

Ahh one of lifes great mysteries!!!
I am planning a trip to both of these locations in the next few months.
For Ambon see details below
Flights from Bali also depart every day, but there is a one hour stop in Makassar, the route is as follows;
Bali - Makassar 09:00 - 10:10
Makassar - Ambon 12:00 - 14:40
Return flights from Ambon - Bali are as follows.
Ambon - Makassar 07:45 - 08:20
Makassar - Bali 09:10 - 10:25
For Flights via Jakarta, the flights are both via Makassar…
Jakarta - Ambon 06.00 - 12.30
Ambon - Jakarta 07.45 - 10.25

Getting to Sorong is a whole different ball game but i would go via DPS.
If you are really brave there is even a flight from Sorong to Ambon!!!

 

[Shasta_man]

Many thanks, Kevster. I've been enjoying your trip reports.

Any thoughts on cost for the DPS - AMBON flights?

 

[highdesert]

Downside of departing DPS for Sorong ... it takes over 24 hours! You depart DPS for Makassar at about 8:00, which is about the same time the only flight from Makassar to Sorong is departing. So you get to Makassar, garden spot and tourist mecca of Sulawesi, and have to spend the rest of the day plus a night there to get on the flight to Sorong.

 

[Kevster]

You should check out the Peter hughes website. Under Raja Ampat there is some good travel info regarding the different options on getting to Sorong. Papua diving website also has a good travel page. One of the factors that is important is what day you need to get to Sorong to get your transfer to the boat. Papua diving is based on a sunday transfer and that is quite difficult to do from Manado. Btm line is that it can be a nightmare getting to Sorong what ever way you decide to go , be it from Jakarta,Manado or DPS!!! Generally i always try to fly during the day in Indonesia & overnight in hotels, it is slightly more re-assuring, also less turbulance !!

I flew to Sorong from Manado last year. I had a problem as the Manado volcano erupted & our Silk air flight from Singapore was cancelled. I flew the next day & my Manado-Sorong flight on a Monday morning with Merpati was surprising ok.
Also when i was in Papua the Sorong-Makassar flight seemed to be more reliable compared to the Sorong-Manado flight. The S-Manado flight was cancelled for 3 days due to maintainence & a lot of people at the resort had to re-schedule.

Regarding flight prices: they are very flexible , especially with all the different classes the Indo airlines have. I would budget around $50-150 each way, depending on the airline. This is just a guide based on all the flying i have done.

Anyway i am off to Indo next friday for 65 days!!! I will post some reports. I am starting at Banda Ache (PW) and taking it from there!!!

 

[PeCaRi]

@Kevster: how have you got the visa for 65 days? is it the "usual" 2 month visa?

 

[jcclink]

If your're going to Sorong, connect in Manado. Then you can also dive Lembeh since you'll be about 1.5 hr away. Makassar had a very nice new terminal when I was there last year. I've found that morning flights are more likely to be on time (more or less) than later in the day.

 

[Shasta_man]

Thanks a lot for the tips guys.

 

[belcuzco]

Hi can somebody tell me if the diving in Raja ampat is really worth the travel? It is very hard to get to, and i was told the vis is mostly around 10-15m which does not sound too exciting to me. But i have heard many mixed reviews - of the large schools of fish, variety of species. Are we talking about micro staff or is there a mix? How would the diving there be like compared to say, Maldives, Sipadan or even Bunakan?

I would appreciate some inputs and comments from you if you have been there as I am thinking of planning a 7-10 days trip in December, but I'm alittle daunted by the travelling time and do not want to be disappointed if I had my expectations up too high.

 

[Kevster]

An interesting question.

I was in Papua last Jun. Some of the dives were amazing so many fish.
I found the fish life to be similar to the Maldives(in terms of quantity, not number of differnet types). Reefs/corals in RA are the best i have seen. There is also lots of small stuff. The passage & mangroves were also amazing. There is also a fantastic manta dive.
Now for cons - It can be expensive, it is definately a pain to get there, malaria is a concern & i stayed in a basic resort with basic facilities. however it is definately worth visiting once, especially if you are based in Singapore.! I also had very high expectations and was a little dissapointed a couple of days. It was rainy and quite gloomy underwater.
Compared to Sipidan the travelling time is probabily similar, as Sipidan is also not easy to get to. Sipidan is nice(you can have amazing dives there if you get lucky) but there are a lot more divers & the permit situation is not great,it is also expensive. Definately go RA rather than Sipadan.
Bunaken is nice, easy to get to , many nice resorts & can be cheap but should not be compared to RA.

I say go RA but keep your expectations in check & build some flexibility into your travel plans.