Which is better for rare critters? - Lembeh or Komodo

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curiousgeorgie

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Location
New York City, NY
# of dives
200 - 499
Looking to see lots of rare and unusual critters and good macro stuff. I've done Raja Ampat. I'm now trying to decide between a Komodo itinerary or a Lembeh itinerary. I would be doing a liveaboard for either. Any suggestions? Thanks.
 
Lembeh can be done very well from land based resorts. There is a large range of accomoodations available. Most resorts are five to ten minutes from most of the dive sites.

Good place to do night dives. Great fun.
 
Lembeh absolutely. If rare and macro critters are your focus, Lembeh is the bomb. As soon as you get to your resort (or boat) your dive guide will ask you for your wish list. You will most likely see everything on your list plus a bunch of stuff you didn't even know to ask for by the end of your stay. The only thing we didn't see was a blue-ring octopus and that's only because on our last day we had a choice of trying to find it vs. spending some more quality time with the flamboyant cuttlefish and we opted for the cuttlefish instead.

Don't get me wrong, we loved Komodo and still consider it the best all around diving we've ever done, but you can't beat Lembeh for critters.

Also, unless you just love being on boats (and the cramped quarters that go with them), I'd choose a land-based resort instead. The absolute best Lembeh diving is so accessible to land that it just doesn't make sense to me to stay on a boat there. Plus, I'm pretty sure that even the best resorts are cheaper than a liveaboard. All of the best critter sites are clustered in the straits within 10-30 minutes of the resorts. You go out, do a dive, come back, relax, change tanks, go out again, repeat 3-4 times/day. Komodo, on the other, you are much better off on a liveaboard since the sites are so far away from any inhabited islands.
 
Lembeh. If you want to dive Lembeh, do a land base op. The live-aboards travel around to other sites other than Lembeh, cost more and provide less space. That's one reason the Aggressor pulled the plug.
 
Suggestion . . .

If you go to Komodo, don't play with the big lizards . . . they'll eat you!

the K-omodo Dragon
 
I forgot to say that if I go to Lembeh, the liveaboard would also go to Bangka, Bunaken and possibly Sangihe islands. Are there critters or good macro over there also?
 
you get nice coral at bangka and some good wall dive at bunaken, but for rare critters, lembeh all the way!!
 
Ask you dive operator in Lembeh or Manado if they will make trips to Bangka. It is longer ride than to to the usual dive spots, so there may be a minimum number of divers and a fuel surcharge to cover the extra fuel.
 
Don't get me wrong, we loved Komodo and still consider it the best all around diving we've ever done, but you can't beat Lembeh for critters.


Couldn't be more agree.
 
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