Dive Indonesia

Diving in Kota Kinabalu

Borneo is an area that is made of parts of Malaysia, Brunei, Sabah, and Indonesia, and it lies in the South China Sea. Along the western coast in Sabah is the capital city of Kota Kinabalu, known throughout Borneo as KK. The coast and these waters are ideal for vacationers and tourists. Diving in Kota Kinabalu is a popular pastime and provides a memorable experience for anyone who tries it. Kota Kinabalu is a thriving area that gives tourists an idyllic view of Malaysian Borneo. Of course, Borneo diving holds a great appeal for many aficionados, both because there are so many dive sites such as Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai located around the edge of the island, and because of the beauty of the reefs and underwater life in the warm waters of the South China Sea.

However, Kota Kinabalu is a particularly inviting area. Top class hotels overlook the quiet town with the bustling markets, the beautiful stretches of land and exotic wildlife, and the inviting warm waters of the sea, only a short drive from anywhere in the town. Shopping, hiking, and sightseeing are all unsurpassed in this paradise, and divers have a real treat in store. Just a short boat ride off the coast, you will find the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, which is a cluster of five beautiful, idyllic islands. In the waters among these islands are areas that are ideal for shallow diving. Divers will enjoy swimming around the reefs and underwater formations, watching the undersea life thrive and skitter about.

If you did not bring your scuba gear, you need not fret because you can visit a scuba shop or dive shop in town. If you are new at scuba diving, this is a great place to learn. You can experience safe, shallow diving, not too far from land. Stop in at a scuba shop to find out what gear you will need to get started. Yachts and diving boats are available for rental all along the coast of Kota Kinabalu, and each boat comes with its own captain and first mate, both of whom will be knowledgeable of the island, the national park, and the waters in the area. Diving instructors and coaches are also available. It is easy to find a diving center to find the resources you need.

Seasoned divers will be pleased to know that there are several local dive groups that use Kota Kinabalu and the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park as a base; become acquainted with one of these groups, and you will be able to find spots that are not so heavily touristed and perhaps see some sights you would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Whether you are a seasoned diver looking for a new adventure, or a rookie just looking for some new experiences, you will find diving in Kota Kinabalu enticing and thoroughly enjoyable. The warm, shallow waters offer a safe haven for those just starting out, and even experienced divers will enjoy the sights and sensations of diving in these inviting waters.

Scuba Diving South Lombok

Hi all, as I’ve been living and diving in South Lombok for 7 years now, I’ve read numerous articles, blogs, and forum posts about our region and many people think South Lombok is only for the “rough and ready” adventure diver, so I feel the need to clear up a few misconceptions about the south coast of Lombok.

South Lombok, in general, presents itself as a relaxed place (some people compare it to Bali 20 years ago), and travelers of all interests (not only divers) can find a very tropical and enjoyable region to visit. One will find beautiful white sandy beaches, simple to more luxurious accommodations, friendly locals, and lots of nature and relaxation. There are 3 unique regions in the south of Lombok, Sekotong, Belongas Bay, and Kuta Bay:

Sekotong is a tropical little place with not much topside activity other than maybe renting a motorbike and exploring the coastline, snorkeling, swimming, or of course scuba diving. It’s quite perfect for couples and families who just want to relax and enjoy. There isn’t much touristic infrastructure (although it’s developing fairly quickly), but most accommodations have an adjacent restaurant so no one will need to go hungry (or thirsty). The scuba diving it’s relaxed, colorful reef diving at very intact reefs and lots of macro life can be found.

Belongas Bay, the place where the misconceptions actually come from, is truly only for the more adventures traveler and diver. The region is basically in the middle of nowhere, and the locals don’t see very much tourism there. So don’t be surprised if you are approached in a quite curios manner, for some this might even feel a little disturbing. The diving around this region can prove to be very challenging (especially during the dry season from July till October), but also can be very rewarding in a sense of pelagic life. Most certainly I would only recommend diving there only to the experienced diver.

Kuta Bay is comparable to Sekotong (from the diving aspect), but offers more infrastructure and topside possibilities such as, cafes, restaurants, and accommodations. The diving there is well suited for all levels of experience, and the dive shops there also have pool facilities etc. available for all levels of courses. But it should be mentioned that Kuta is best for diving during the rainy season (November till April), as during the dry season it’s subject to wind and waves (hence the time surfers love the place). There are 2 or 3 dive shops located in South Lombok, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to give you some more detailed info about the general conditions for the particular regions.

Sacred Waterways of Bali

5-star resorts the world over are often beautifully designed, but on Bali the 5-star vacation experience is different. Here it is not necessary to insulate yourself in luxury establishments in order to avoid the outside world, as is unfortunately necessary in the capital Jakarta. The beauty of Bali’s rice terraces can not be adequately described in words or art and must, like those in the Philippines’ Banaue, be seen with the eyes. These landscapes, sculpted by human hands, sometimes feel too man-made to be real and almost like journeys inside a painting, in which a careful artist has skilfully enhanced the bounties bequeathed by nature to maximum effect and optimal proportion. The serried rice terraces compete for the eye’s attention with burbling irrigation canals and with the jungle-shrouded rivers which sometimes form a convenient path-way for Balinese women to sway gracefully beneath improbably precarious loads perched on the top of their heads.

In a society where art is regarded as so fundamental a part of a person’s life that the local language does not have a word for it, the entertainment is also stylish. Balinese dance is justifiably world-famous for its subtle sign language and beautiful costumes, but not so well-known are the coming-of-age dances in which one teenage girl at a time dances surrounded by a circle of up to a hundred boys. After she taps a boy with her fan, he dances with her, but in a very different style to hers. Whilst she is attempting to maintain grace and elegance, his sole objective is to squeeze her bum. It sounds uncouth, but is just hilarious, as she vigorously defends herself, often by jabbing her fan, to painful effect, into the most sensitive parts of the boys’ anatomies.

In a deeply religious Hindu society, everybody pays great attention to the ceremonies that mark life’s major events, with funerals in particular being very grandiose events full of colour and excitement: a Balinese’s last journey takes so long to organise that bodies must be temporarily buried while the myriad arrangements are made. All Balinese bear one of only four given names, Made, Nyoman and Ketut. A family’s first child is always christened Putu/Wayan, with the second known as Made, the third as Nyoman and the fourth as Ketut. From the fifth child on the naming cycle starts afresh, with any fifth child that makes an appearance known as Putu/Wayan.

The latest threat to the lovely rice-terraces, after the solution of the pest problems caused by the Asian Development Bank’s ‘Green Revolution’ project, comes from an unlikely quarter: prosperity. Balinese farmers, especially young ones, are leaving the land in droves for better-paid and physically less demanding jobs as caddies and waiters. It is hoped that some of the huge numbers of tourist dollars flowing into Bali can be spent subsidising rice farming, in order to preserve this unique landscape and its aquatic traditions. The best time to see the rice paddies is during the hour before dawn, the hour the Balinese call “the silk time”. But, even for the chance to experience heaven, that is a little too early for most visitors, who prefer the twilight hours.

The night was balmy and, after supper, the moon rose, yellow and huge. After a short walk along a tree-lined lane we came to a gap in the trees. Water chattered and laughed in the gullies all around us and, spread out before us, was a blue, moonlit valley. The terraced paddy fields hugging the contours of the hills were filled with still water, drained of colour by the night. Each patch of black water reflected it’s own little moon. A breeze crinkled the satin-like surface and scattered the golden moon-beams. Then the breeze died, the gold reassembled and the moons settled back into their pools. Frogs croaked. Water gushed. Briefly we mourned the loss of all those moons until our eyes adjusted to the dark and the banks of the terraces came alive with more light. Sparkling sequins of white light flashed around as our minds reeled in the attempt to take in such beauty. Whether the moons or the fireflies were the most beautiful is impossible to say, as both art and words are inadequate to the task of framing such serenity. If heaven exists then maybe it looks a little like Bali.

Water is sacred in Bali. Everywhere you go, you hear it bubble and gurgle and giggle and splash. The ancient irrigation system consists of a network of gullies and channels, dykes and runnels that carry the precious fluid from the river and through the sinuous, rice-paddied, terraces. Water is so vital to rice, and so to life, that in Bali the temples control its flow. The priests are the experts in how the waterways work. They know where each channel runs and when each sluice needs opening, and it’s their duty to ensure that every terrace gets filled and that every farmer gets an adequate flow. Every day, in the late afternoon, all over Bali, you’ll see villagers, in their sarongs, sauntering down to the rivers to bathe. The women gather in one place, dipping and laughing, shampooing their long black tresses. The men gather in another, splashing each other and playing with their children. “They want to give us taps,” I heard one man exclaim, “they say it will make life easier. But we don’t want water from taps. It contains chemicals. We have this beautiful river, how can anybody improve on this?”

Tirtaganga is a special place where, in bygone days, Balinese Kings built a great Water Palace. The kings are long gone, but there is enough grandeur left to enable you to imagine attendants in vivid sarongs laying gold cloth on gleaming stone steps to aggrandize the journey of the king and his courtiers to the three jade-coloured swimming pools. These days the steps are mossy and the spirit statuary is mottled with lichen. Instead of gilded princesses, rice farmers wallow and chat while their wives offer flower-filled palm-leaf baskets to the Gods. It is unsurprising that Balinese love their island, but it might surprise some readers to know of the lengths to which these gentle people have in the past gone to defend it. In the 1840s the Dutch established a presence by playing various distrustful Balinese realms against each other, before mounting large-scale naval and ground assaults, first against the Sanur region and then against Denpasar. The Balinese were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, but rather than face the loss of their island, 4,000 of them marched to their deaths in a suicide attack on the invaders. Afterwards the Dutch governors were able to exercise little control over the island, and the religion and culture remained intact.

When Japan occupied Bali during World War II, a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai, formed a Balinese army of freedom fighters. When the Dutch returned to Bali to reinstate their pre-war colonial administration, they were opposed by the Balinese rebels. On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, 29 years old, rallied his depleted and nearly beaten forces in east Bali at Marga Rana, where they made a suicide attack on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance. The well-developed infrastructure for leisure activities, including golf, sailing, diving, dancing and partying, complements the island’s idyllic landscape and turns Bali into, for many holiday-makers, the best destination in southeast Asia if not the world.

If dancing is your way of reviving your energy and spirits after an aeon behind a desk, then you will be pleased to hear that Bali has the clubs you need. Try the 15,000 watt Double Six, where DJs from across the world play eclectic and variable mixes that have only one thing in common: the ability to make you want to shake your bits till dawn. If you get bored of getting on down to the music then get on down in a more extreme way, courtesy of the club’s bungee jump. KUDOS, the hippest place on the island, prides itself on a computerized colour mixer that synchronises the music with pre-arranged lighting sequences of the bar and interiors.

Best Places To Learn To Dive In Bali

If you want to explore the Indonesian waters especially when you wish to learn to dive in Bali’s clear, blue oceans, then you must also consider picking the perfect spots for you do plunge in the deep and see the beauty beneath the ocean’s surface. When you land in Bali and you wish to have a diving cruise with your family and friends, consider these different hot spots around the city.

If you choose to learn to dive in Bali, you could try plunging into the waters of Sanur and Nusa Dua. They have moderately-deep coral reefs and are just five minutes away if you plan to go there through boat. You’ll also be amazed with its collection of fishes. Nusa Dua has better scenes of coral reefs for you to watch than Sanur’s. If steeper slopes are your thing, then head yourselves to Nusa Penida or Lembongan Island. Just 15 meters and 45 meters away, it offers various colors and sizes of coral reefs, as well as fishes that are very unique and vibrant to the eyes.

Although it has a strong current, one may find this place very pleasurable for diving. Flat types of coral reefs await you if you sail yourselves for 6-15 meters to the Padang Bay. The conditions may vary upon sailing, but the scenes around it are priceless for tourists. Underwater canyons and steep water corals await you in the island of Gili Topekong. You must ride on a small outboard for half an hour to reach to one of Bali’s fabulous diving destinations. You’ll be amazed when you get to see its main attraction, the Topekong Spot. If you’re looking for fishes and coral reefs, the diversity it presents gives fewer problems to its spectators. Looking for some touch of US History in Southeast Asia? Then, Bali gives way to the Tulamben USS Liberty Shipwreck, one of the good destinations for visitors from the western side of the world.

The ship wreck itself is 30 meters off shore, when it sank during the Second World War in 1942. If you’re looking to fish out the night, then a full moon background would be the ideal scene for sea divers. The Jemeluk Beach, which is located in the Island’s East Coast, you’ll be greatly stunned with its numerous colorful coral beaches and fishes. Its black sands and calm waters will surely make it an ideal paradise for divers and beach lovers. No matter where you go, if you wish to learn to dive in Bali, you’ll be surprised for every island you hop on in these diverse islands in Indonesia.

Top 5 Scuba Diving Spots In The World

If you are keen on a vacation of a different kind, why not consider heading to some of the best loved scuba diving spots in the world? Besides unfurling the mysteries of a colorfully sensuous world below, scuba diving is a calming therapy for one’s mind, heart and soul. Where else on the planet can you get up, close and personal with deadly and beautiful creatures that simply cannot be seen anywhere else? So pack your bags as well as your scuba diving gear and get set to have the time of your life:

1. Rangirao, Polynesia - Cited as one of the must visit scuba diving spots in the world; Rangirao is just an hour’s flight away from Tahiti. Besides being home to a gigantic lagoon, Rangirao is one of the largest atoll’s in the world. The two channels called ‘Tiputa’ and ‘Avatoru’ allow the waters of the Pacific into the lagoon, and is home to hordes of fish, manta rays, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins, grey reef sharks and even hammerhead sharks. Although you are assured of a superior diving experience, this place is not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced diver as the weather conditions may play up when least expected.
2. Sulawesi, Indonesia - There are plenty of diving sites around the tip of the Sulawesi islands, which is believed to be home to some of the most diverse life-forms in the world. Pygmy seahorses, different types of fish, flat worms and other bigger creatures can all be found here. In fact, there is even a marine park called the Bunaken National Marine Park, which is one of the world’s earliest forerunners of sustainable tourism. As a tradition, divers who come here pay a small fee which goes a long way in sustaining the park itself. Whether you are a novice or an experienced diver, the lovely coral reefs will simply astound you.
3. Little Cayman, British West Indies - The island itself is quite small and is home to some old school Caribbean diving. So while you may not see extraordinary marine life here, you can most certainly look forward to unusual coral formations and the underwater scenery. While you are here enjoying some laidback diving, don’t forget to see the awesome Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Blight, which is home to a sheer coral cliff that drops more than 1,900 meters into a submarine trench. The clear water and favorable weather, makes Little Cayman a wonderful diving spot for people of all ages to enjoy.
4. Cozumel, Mexico - Cozumel is just 12 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula, but you can be certain that no two diving experiences here are the same. If you are keen to explore coral reefs and other coral formations underwater, then this is the perfect scuba diving spot to visit. The ‘Colombia’ and ‘Palancar’ reefs are the two main coral reef systems here with plateaus that are low-lying. The reefs have abundant underwater sea life in a myriad of colors and if you’re lucky, you can even spot a whiskered Splendid Toadfish which isn’t found anywhere else in the world. No wonder then that many experienced divers claim that this huge island offers some of the best scuba diving experiences of their lives.
5. Great Barrier Reef, Australia - This is the mother of all scuba diving sites and to put it simply- unless you have seen what the waters of Australia have to show you; you a’int seen nothing yet! Besides being one of the seven wonders of the natural world, the reef is also one of the two sights on earth that can be seen from space. The marine park extends over 3000 km, with the reef alone measuring up to 150 kilometers offshore. Scuba diving here will reveal many underwater attractions including the biggest collection of corals in the world, more than 1000 species of tropical fish, sea turtles and even giant clams which are over 100 years old. The reef is also the favored breeding spot for creatures like the humpback whales and for endangered species like the Green Sea Turtle. This World Heritage site is another world away from the one we call home.

The World’s Best Diving Locations

Scuba diving is an extremely popular activity. It used to be referred to as an extreme sport, but due to the fact that anyone from the age of eight can now take part it is probably better described as an adventure or holiday sport. Some divers are brave enough to dive in cold waters in their homelands, but the best scuba diving experiences for recreational divers are usually in tropical or sub-tropical waters where coral reefs can flourish. Although the Red Sea and the Caribbean are very popular package holiday destinations and regarded by many as the best places to go scuba diving, Southeast Asia arguably has the best scuba diving in the world.

Indonesia’s 17,000+ islands are home to the most diverse and healthy marine life in the world, and the neighbouring countries also have some wonderful dive sites. Thailand is visited by millions of international tourists every year, and many of them enjoy scuba diving while there. The father and inventor of recreational scuba diving, the late Jacques Cousteau, named Richelieu Rock as one of his top ten diving sites in the world. Richelieu Rock is a submerged pinnacle which almost reaches the surface and drops down to a depth of fifty metres in crystal-clear waters with nothing else for miles around. Whale Sharks and Manta Rays are common visitors, and even without them, the dive site is unbelievably colourful with its corals, anemones, reef fish and other inhabitants.

However, Richelieu Rock is quite isolated and part of Thailand’s Surin Islands National Marine Park. Without a great deal of other worthwhile diving sites nearby and the distance from resorts, hotels and tourist infrastructure, Richelieu Rock visitors need somewhere else to dive, too. Some Richelieu Rock dive tours also take in the mostly unexplored Burma Banks and Mergui Archipelago, but most combine trips with trips to the Similan Islands. Diving at the Similan Islands diving is not as extreme as at Richelieu Rock, but there are nearly two dozen great diving sites, and islands and islets for those who want to go on land, and opportunities to snorkel and do night diving.

The Big Two – Whale Sharks and Manta Rays – still make regular appearances, and there is a great variety of diving, some of which can be done by beginners. Diving safaris, or liveaboard cruises, sail from Khao Lak and Phuket between the end of October and the middle of May each year. There are several options to suit everyone’s budget, timeframe, and what kind of experiences they are after. Some can even take day trips to Richelieu Rock and The Similan Islands on fast, but safe and comfortable, speedboat catamarans. Similans diving is regarded by many as the best in the Andaman Sea and can be enjoyed for a lot less than some people may think.

Vacation And Diving At Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan is the most popular of the three islands. And therefore if one needs a perfect holiday, where you will swim in crystal clear waters, pool cocktails, seaside BBQ and so much more, Gili Trawangan is perfectly the best. This place has bungalows to stay in especially for those who need peaceful quiet places to stay in. The island is also referred to as a party island with the main streets full of shops, accommodations as well as restaurants. You will also realize that prices at the island always double in the peak seasons; July-August, December-January.

Gili Trawangan has one of the best facilities around the Gilis and all you have to do is to grab yourself a ticket to the Gilis and choose to visit Gili Trawangan for the best of service and excitement. The island has a spectacular outlook, beautiful sunrises, breathtaking sunsets, coupled with warm hospitality from the community. It feels good at Gili Trawangan due to the best of nature’s offers. You get almost everything you would ever want to have at this part of the world. There is no need to get worried when you reach the Gilis because you will immediately experience the different climate at the Island.

You can reach Gili Trawangan through a number of means and these include; air, road and boat. At mataram’s Selaparang airport, you get daily local flight. From the airport, it is a 40 minutes drive in a taxi to Bangsal harbor and from the harbor to Gili Trawangan it will take you between 35 to 40 minutes when you use a public boat and this departs after 20 people have been registered so one has to strongly adhere to the rules of the place. It is also OK if you are in a hurry to buy yet remaining air ticket to get the boat moving. Within Trawangan, there are a number of transport means and these include; bicycles, Cimodos, and also walking on foot. Which ever is comfortable for you is what you decide to use.

There are also a number of sports at the island, these include; Diving which has over seven dive operators on the island who run a range of courses, such as the Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) course also known as the Open Water, as well as Instructor courses during the year. There organized Fun Dives by schools with local dive masters who have extensive knowledge about every site. You will also find dive centres almost every where for everyone, where big busy school like Blue Marlin or Manta Dive, and also smaller groups at laid back schools such as Vila Ombak Diving Academy and Trawangan Dive competing with one another.

Some of the schools have been customized to absorb only French speaking divers commonly called Big Bubble and also German speaking divers famously known as Dream Divers. Diving done here is very easy and varies from walls, slopes and plateaus hence, the maximum depths at many of the sites range from 24m-18m, so beginners will highly benefit it as well as more experienced divers. All the dive sites can be easily accessed by boat within 10 minutes. You will also find attractive marine life such as; turtles, leaf fish, octopus, black and white tip sharks, frog fish, ghost pipe fish, moray and ribbon eels, pygmy seahorse, eagle rays, cuttlefish, snakes and bumphead parrot fish. Gili Trawangan is really incredible and people should try to see that they never leave or visit Indonesia without visiting Trawangan. The island is the most enjoyable among the three Gilis with slightly larger expanse of land and also having most beautiful and fascinating views and other wonderful things that you will enjoy and want to stay.

The island has a daily market which arrives by boat at around 11am going through noon. A number of women unload their fresh fruit and vegetables, meat as well as other goods and set up shops next to the village head’s office, just besides the harbour. It is a busy and colourful affair, with the usual fun, hustle and bustle common at all local produce markets.

The island has one secular playschool and one religious playschool, one primary school and one junior high school. Children who want to continue their education must by all means go to the mainland. The local population found at the island is almost Muslim with two mosques which call people to pray five times a day. Although Gili Trawangan is a ‘tourist island’, visitors are expected to behave with respect to the religion, and so such things as topless sunbathing are very much frowned upon. It is against these countless values and great sceneries that one ought to visit and see what we talk about when we say Gili Trawangan and maybe believe what they hear.

Diving On Hoga Island, Wakatobi

Hoga Island is a remote divers paradise found in the heart of the Wakatobi region of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. This idyllic island has no roads, one small fishing village of about 30 families, and a few bungalows for visiting divers. Long white sandy beaches and spectacular pristine coral reefs make it a great place to enjoy some peace and quiet and get away from it all.

If you are planning a diving trip to Hoga Island, Wakatobi, there are a few things it is good to know before you arrive. So here are my top 10 tips for potential visitors to Hoga Island:

1. Give yourself enough time to enjoy your visit – due to the remoteness of the area you really need a minimum of 4 days to a week to really kick back, relax and make the most of your visit and the Hoga diving opportunities.
2. To get to Hoga Island you will need to get to Wanci Island first. It is possible to fly here from Jakarta or Makassar on a daily basis (except Mondays). You can then take a daily public boat from Wanci to Hoga Island.
3. The best time of year to visit Hoga is between March and November. Although diving conditions are good throughout this period the best visibility and calmest waters are in April/May or Sept/Oct.
4. Accommodation in the various bungalows available is on a per person per day basis, and prices are inclusive of 3 meals a day, drinking water and hot drinks. Expect to pay between Rp150.000 to Rp 250.000 per person per day (2010 prices)
5. There is generally no electricity on Hoga, so bring a torch and plenty of batteries. Dive Operators use generators and solar panels and will let you charge cameras and batteries.
6. There are no shops on Hoga so think about what you will need to bring with you and be prepared. For example you might need; sanitary items, toothpaste, chocolate, batteries, mozzie repellent, and sarongs/sheets to sleep under. During July/August a few little local souvenir shops open up.
7. Most Hoga Dive Operators like to be culturally sensitive and will ask guests to cover up and wear sarongs/vest tops/shorts/t-shirts when walking around the Island and in accommodation areas. Bikini’s are fine on the beach but not for walking around in, as many locals feel uncomfortable with this.
8. There are 22 dive sites around Hoga Island, all reachable within half an hour by boat. Some favourite Hoga dive sites you should make sure to visit are; North Wall, Coral Gardens, Outer Pinnacle, Inner Pinnacle, Channel, Buoy 1, Langira, Ridge 1, Pak Kasim’s, and Inner Pinnacle.
9. If you can tear yourself away from the spectacular Hoga diving, arrange a visit to the friendly Sea Nomad Village of Sampela. You can move around this village of stilt houses by canoe or on little bridges, and meet the hundreds of smiling children. It is an experience you won’t forget!
10. On land don’t forget to look out for; trees full of fire flies which light up like Christmas trees, phosphorescence in your foot prints as you walk along the splash zone at night time, large monitor lizards, the rare coconut crabs, and ‘Maleo’ a relative of the kiwi bird which is very rare and endemic to Sulawesi

Diving In The Wakatobi

The Wakatobi is a remote archipelago situated in the center of the Coral Triangle in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is home to Indonesia’s second largest Marine National Park, covering 12,500 square kilometers of protected and pristine coral reefs, white sandy beaches and remote traditional villages. As such the Wakatobi is a great destination for scuba diving enthusiasts from all over the World. It is becoming increasingly popular with recreational divers, underwater photographers, marine biologists, and backpackers.

Until recently the Wakatobi has been a difficult to reach due to its remoteness, but that is now changing with the introduction of an airport on Wanci Island. There are now daily Express Air flights (except Mondays) to this airport. Wakatobi visitors can take early morning flights from Jakarta or Surabaya and transit in Makassar. From Makassar you can take a small 32 seater plane to Wanci, via Bau-Bau. Divers should be aware that the baggage allowance on these flights is only 10 kilograms, so pack lightly and consider hiring your dive equipment from your dive operator in the Wakatobi. You can pay for excess baggage, but it is often delayed if the flight is already at full capacity.

Upon arrival in Wanci you will need to embark on the next leg of your journey by boat. Most divers do not spend long on Wanci Island as the top Wakatobi diving spots can be found around Hoga Island and Tomia Island. From the airport jump in a taxi and head for ‘Pelabuhan Mola’. From here you can take one of the daily public speed boats to Hoga or Tomia. It is advised to get there as quickly as possible. Flights usually get into Wanci at about 10.30am, so head down to ‘Pelabuhan Mola’ as soon as you get off the plane to ensure you do not miss your boat. If you do though, you can easily charter a small Bajo boat to Hoga.

Hoga boats depart anytime between 9am and 12 noon so it is often possible to catch one of these. Tomia boats generally leave between 9 and 10am, so if you are planning on visiting Tomia it is often necessary to overnight in Wanci first. If you are traveling with a group of 4 or more divers you can pre-arrange a chartered pick up with your dive operator in Tomia. It is difficult to charter boats from Wanci to Tomia without making an arrangement in advance, as it is quite a long journey and needs a large boat.

For the intrepid travelers with plenty of time there are other ways to get to the Wakatobi. For example you can take a PELNI boat from Makassar to Bau-Bau, or you can fly from Makassar to Bau-Bau with Lion Air or Express Air. From Bau-Bau there is a boat which leaves for Wanci at 9pm every night. It arrives in Wanci at about 6am, so you will be in plenty of time to catch one of the public boats to Hoga or Tomia.

In summary there are many ways to reach the Wakatobi, and the gateway is through Wanci. By far the easiest way is to fly, but the overnight boat from Bau-Bau is also a good alternative, especially if you’re thinking of spending a couple of days diving in Bau-Bau beforehand. Once you arrive in Wanci you can travel by public speed boat to reach the top diving destinations of Hoga Island and Tomia Island.

The Natural Wonders Of Bunaken And Lembeh Strait

Full of natural wonders, and offering an almost unparalleled level of marine biodiversity, North Sulawesi has become one of the worlds premier destinations for ecotourism and adventure travel in recent years. Today, large numbers of scuba divers travel to this distant part of Indonesia, to sample some of the finest dive sites to be found anywhere throughout South East Asia. The diving in North Sulwesi is focused in two main areas, the Bunaken National Marine Park and the famous muck diving capital of Lembeh Strait. There are other destinations where good diving is on offer in North Sulwesi, including the dive sites in Sangihe Island and Pulau Bangka, however it is the dive sites in Bunaken and Lembeh which draw large numbers of scuba divers here year after year.

The Bunaken National Marine Park was established in 1991, and the deep waters of the park offer one of the greatest levels of marine biodiversity to be found anywhere in the world. A home to over 70% of all fish species found throughout the Indo-western pacific region, the waters of Bunaken are home to an incredible array of coral and marine life. The scuba diving in Bunaken is predominantly characterised by the awesome vertical walls which almost surround the island. Along these walls, an array of cracks, caves and crevices are home to a wide range of fish life during the day as well as the night. Dive sites including Fukui Point and Black Rock provide divers with access to stunning corals as well as stunning array of smaller marine life.

Lembeh Strait is widely acknowledged as being the ‘muck diving’ capital of the world, and offers what can only be described as a truly unique experience in diving. The diving itself is shaped by the black sandy bottom of the ocean in the region, which is home to a wide selection of critters and smaller marine life. It is for this reason that underwater photographers often choose to make the longer journey out to Lembeh Strait, to sample some of the finest opportunities for underwater macro photography to be found anywhere in South East Asia. Octopus, flying gunnards, frogfish and dwarf lionfish can all be found throughout the numerous dive sites in the Lembeh Strait.

Diving is possible in North Sulwesi throughout the year, although the best conditions are to be found from late March through to November. From January through to March, heavy rains and strong winds can be found throughout the region, leaving the conditions unfavourable for scuba diving. Without doubt, the diving in North Sulawesi is of the highest standard, and the region fully justifies its claim to be one of South East Asia’s leading scuba diving destinations. The superb dive sites of Bunaken and Lembeh undoubtedly ensure the longer journey time to reach here is worthwhile, and leave you only thinking of when you can return!