Diving for the Anti-Mainstreams in Lembeh Strait

Most people dive to see the beautiful colorful fishes, corals and other living creatures that live underwater. But if beautiful and colorful is not really your thing, you can still dive and enjoy the different kind of beauty in Lembeh Strait.

Lembeh Strait is located in Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. To get there, you should fly to Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, then take a taxi or rent a car.  There are a lot of fancy resorts around the strait that will give you their very best services.

Diving in Lembeh Strait will give you an amazing experience that you will never get in other places. This place is very famous for its anti-mainstream diving activity that mostly caused by its unique marine biodiversity that live underneath this beautiful place. This place will probably make us realize that beauty is not always identical with cute and colorful. Unique-shaped sea creatures can also be beautiful and breathtaking in their own different way.

You can start your journey with the most famous spot, Hairball. You can meet seahorses and frogfishes here. Moreover, if you are lucky, you can also witness the oddest and the most fascinating sea creatures that swim freely in this site. After that, you can move a little bit to the South to visit Air Prang. This site is the home of varying octopus and frogfish. If want to try the experience of night diving in Lembeh Strait, Air Prang is the right place for you. You will meet bobbit worms, plurobranchs, bobtail squid, large gastropods and snake eels here.

After that, you can go to Goby-A-Crab that lies in the South of Lembeh Strait. If you have no idea how pygmy seahorses, cleaner shrimps, crab eyed gobies, leaf scorpionfish and halimeda ghost pipefish look like, you can go here and start knowing this unique beautiful creatures better. As if it is not enough, you can go to Mawali Wreck to see the huge World War 2 Japanese freighter that lies in her port side. This wreck is now become the home of huge scorpionfish and lionfish.

Walking in the black sand beach can be a fun thing to do after finished observing all those amazing creatures by diving in Lembeh Strait. Lay your back in the sand, make the sand perfectly fit your body, close your eyes and listen to the sound of the nature or maybe start reading your favorite book in the beach. Those things are still amazing and relaxing every time you do it and anywhere you go.

Day diving or night diving in Lembeh Strait will definitely give you an anti-mainstream experience. Go bring your waterproof camera here and start diving around taking pictures of world’s amazing marine creatures that you can ever think of. There are more than 30 diving spots that will give you various kinds of excitement. This place gives the word beautiful a whole new meaning. Lembeh Strait will show you that being unique, weird and uncommon can also make other people love you and adore you.

Exploring The Beauty of Karimunjawa

Indonesia has a lot to offer for diving maniacs as the country is home to several enchanting diving spots. One of the most famous diving spots in Indonesia is Karimunjawa Island. The name may not sound familiar if you only know the most popular in Indonesia is Bali. Karimunjawa is an archipelago consisting of 27 islands in ­the Java Sea, approximately 80 kilometres Northwest of Jepara. This amazing place is rich in sea biodiversity. There are nearly 250 species of reef fish and 100 species of corals thrive under the water and in the hills of the islands, you can find more than 40 species of birds. Actually, there are several tour packages you can choose and there are lots of things to do there;  from taking a diving course for beginners, eco diving or for research. Read More

Exploring the Beauty of Raja Ampat

Words are not enough to describe the magnificent Raja Ampat (Four Kings), in West Papua, Indonesia. Known for its richness in sea biodiversity, this place has been one of the most popular diving sites in the world, let alone Indonesia. Moreover, this exotic place is dubbed as the last paradise on Earth. Read More

The Underwater Garden of Menjangan Kecil Island

The Karimunjawa Marine Park in Central Java is home to many amazing underwater sceneries. One of the favorite dive spot in this area is the Menjangan Kecil Island. This gorgeous island that is located about 15 minutes to the South of Karimunjawa is often visited by people who docked not only to take a quick rest and have lunch, but also to enjoy its beautiful underwater view.

To reach the Menjangan Kecil Island in Karimunjawa, visitors may have to have a little patience because of the limited transportation. You can depart to Karimunjawa by taking a ferry from the Muria ferry port in Jepara. Unfortunately, as the ship is only available on certain days only, it is best that you find out first about the schedule of the ship, then depart to Karimunjawa. It might take quite a long time using the ferry, which might take more than 2 hours. While the time spent on the road is quite long, all of it will be rewarded as soon as you arrive on the Menjangan Kecil Island. Taking the air transportation is probably the fastest way to access Karimunjawa. You can take a private air charter serviced by Kura Kura, the only air charter operator flying to Karimunjawa Islands. Of course this service will be more expensive than taking a boat but you will only need 30 minutes to reach the islands with the minimum charter time of 2 hours. After you reach karimunjawa, you can easily reach Menjangan Kecil Island by boat.

Long beach dotted with white sand greets you once you have reached the island. Try grilling your own fish over a campfire made ​​with makeshift tree branches, which provide unique sensation and pleasure of its own. Menjangan Kecil Island also offers a nice change away from the hustle and bustle of life in the city, where tweeting birds and refreshing breeze of wind enhancing the serene and tranquil atmosphere of the island. If you are interested in camping, there are several spots in this island that is especially provided as camping area for those who want to momentarily disappear from civilization and enjoy sleeping with nature.

Diving in Menjangan Kecil Island is one of the popular activities in Karimunjawa. With calm and warm sea as its specialties, snorkeling around the underwater vista of Menjangan Kecil is something that must be experienced. Although the snorkeling spots located quite far from the shoreline to a depth of about 2 to 5 feet, you will be rewarded when you discover the scenic underwater palace of Menjangan Kecil. By simply diving into the depth of 20 meters, you can enjoy the coral reef that is both alive and colorful. The view is just like an underwater garden, where leaves-shaped coral reefs are blooming with beautiful color of white, yellow and golden. Even more exciting, the famous clown fish, or more popularly known as the nemo fish, will be your loyal and constant companion while diving. If you are observant, you can also find black mussels that further beautify the underwater view of Menjangan Kecil behind the rocks. There is also a wooden ship wreck covered by soft corals and inhabited by various sea lives. The Schooling of Snapper and Fusiliers are the main highlight of this dive site and you can also often seen Octopus in the months of March and April.

Misool Island: Discovering The Exotic Raja Ampat

If there is a place you must visit before you die, make sure you include Raja Ampat on your list. There are many reasons why this place is so popular, both among divers and non-divers. Do you want to know?

Raja Ampat, in the province of West Papua, Indonesia, is a group of islands that consists of four major islands: Waigeo, Misool, Batanta and Salawati. It is known as the world’s best diving site which is also rich in marine biodiversity. Be prepared to get stunned by how many species of fish, coral reefs and other underwater creatures you can see below the ocean.

Yes, there are more than 1.300 fish species and 603 hard coral reefs, which is representing 75 percent of the total coral reefs in the world, in the beautiful waters. In addition to fish and reefs, there are other magnificent species you can see, from crayfish to snails. Besides its fascinating underwater species, its land is also home to a lot of exotic animals. Many unique species of birds and mammals are seen here, from ­bandikut (Echymipera kalubu), a spotted cuscus (Phalanger maculatus), striped opossum (Dactylopsila trivirgata), to bats and the tree rat.  No wonder this place is one of the most popular eco-tourist destinations in the world.

To reach this wonderful island, you can fly to Sorong from Jakarta or Denpasar via Makassar and Manado as there is no direct flight to Sorong (there are many airlines serving flights to Sorong from Makassar and Manado). From the city of Sorong, you can reach Raja Ampat by boat from a local port. There are some choices, from Marina Express Ferry to The Ave Maria boat or you can charter a speed boat.

Make sure you know that this group of islands is a Wildlife Reserve protected by the law of the Republic of Indonesia.  Hence, local people as well as tourists are encouraged to preserve this island, by not littering carelessly, not disturbing and taking any living things as souvenirs.

Before you go to the diving sites, you must obtain a permission from a local police. Make sure you have passport with three copies of passport page with Indonesian visa. You can ask for help from the diving organizers.

There are various tour packages to this enchanting island, from high price to budget. For non divers who want to enjoy the natural beauty of this paradise, you have nothing to worry about as there are also tour packages arranged for non-divers.

No need to say, there are a lot of things you can do here. The islands in the group are stunning. One of the most popular islands is Misool island. Diving in Misool island will really gives you the unforgettable experience as you can see so many critters and unique species such as ghost pipefish and pygmy seahorses. One of the most favorite sites in this island is the slopping wall called Kaleidoscope, ­which is completely covered in colorful soft corals and gorgonian sea fans.

No wonder, diving in Misool island is a must for you while visiting the archipelago as you can explore the natural underwater beauty and make sure you know how to take pictures underwater. There is also a resort that really gives you a relaxing atmosphere. Hope you enjoy diving in Misool island while visiting the divers’ paradise.

Diving in Gili Meno

Gili Islands are three pleasant atolls where the beaches are still clean and the water is so clear with the beautiful sunset over Mt. Agung in Bali and sunrise over Mt. Rinjani in Lombok. It is located on the Northwest corner of Lombok. There are three Gilis; Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno. Visiting Gili Islands is just a short two-hour boat trip from Bali to get there.

One of the most attractive islands is Gili Meno which is located in the middle of the islands. It is the smallest of the three Gili Islands and the quietest island with fewer tourists. The island lies directly in line in the middle of the other Gilis of Trawangan and Air, both only separated by about 1 km of water. Gili Meno is the quietest and most undeveloped natural island of the three islands. The special features of this island are the salt lake, beautiful scenery and spectacular diving sites. The beach on the Eastern part of the island is very nice and the underwater sea is awesome.

Gili Meno has a population of about 300 locals. The interior of the island is mostly palm trees surrounded by grass which is kept neat by the cows munching lazily in the shade. What a lovely countryside! In addition, there are no cars or motorbikes on the island due to the local regulations. All transportation there is done by horse-drawn carts or walking. Diving in Gili Meno is pretty good. It has quite strong currents and incredible swimming pool visibility. This is the most idyllic island among the other islands in Asia.

Fresh water is shipped from Lombok in Gili Meno. Eco-friendly practices are not an option, it is a necessity. There are many options for an enjoyable holiday on the island. You can rent snorkeling equipment, just snorkeling off the shore to see the magnificent coral reefs and fishes or even join a diving course to see the magnificent underwater world by diving in Gili Meno.

In Gili Meno, there are some stunning dive sites such as Sea Turtle Point, Meno Wall and Blue Coral Point. Furthermore, there are few quality scuba diving operations on the island. The blue coral garden around the Northeast of Gili Meno can be reached by snorkeling off the beach or diving. Turtle point and Meno wall are located in the Northwest of Gili Meno which can be reached only by boat. You can also join one of the boat dive trips that are available there. You cannot refuse diving in Gili Meno, can you?

There are also diving equipment shops in Gili Meno. So, you do not have to worry as you still can enjoy the gorgeous underwater life in Gili Meno easily. It is a small and quiet island where divers are for a treat both in and out of the water. You can experience a life without traffic and stress in Gili Meno while enjoying the sunshine, perfect white beaches and palm trees.

The Hidden Beauty of Tengah Island

The waters of Indonesia have been long known as one of the best spots for diving in the world. One such diving site is located in the beautiful archipelagic marine park of Karimunjawa. If you are the type of person who loves adventure, then you are obliged to feel the crystal clear sea water, blue sky, white clouds and fresh air of Karimunjawa. Among those beautiful islands, there is this one island that you have to visit, Pulau Tengah or Tengah Island. Even though the island is not too large, only approximately 4 hectares, its beauty is stunningly wonderful both on land and under the waters.

Tengah Island is one of the few islands that lie in Karimunjawa archipelago. Tengah Island is 1.5 hours away from major islands Karimunjawa and can be easily reached by boat. Tengah Island is located right in the middle of the ocean, so that could be the origin of the island’s name of being in “the middle” (Tengah=Middle). In this island a small wooden pier was built so that small boats or fishing boats can be docked.

Tengah Island has been known for its beauty among the beach lovers, especially those who have been to Karimunjawa. The view of Tengah Island in a distance from the boat looks very beautiful, and that beauty will only multiplied once you arrive on the island. The natural beauty and wealth of marine life on the island ought to be expressed as a hidden beauty of Karimunjawa. The highest temperature on the island is between 30°C and 27°C. Sand, coral reefs and coral rocks are what make up the composition of this island. Palm trees and sea pine thrives almost the entire land area. The water is so clear that it allows you to see the coral reefs right from the ship. Coral reefs such as table coral and brain coral can be seen at a depth of 3-10 meters with very good condition.

As you might have expected, diving in Tengah Island is relatively easy as its waters are quite warm, with the highest temperature within 30°C and the lowest temperature around 27°C. There is almost no strong current here and even if there is, it must be a weak current along the coast.

Under the sea of Tengah Island, there are many beautiful marine life such as the likes of schools of fish or yellow tail fusilier (caesionidae) that are colored in blue, yellow and silver. There are also some other fishes such as snapper and sweetlips fusiliers in about 5 to 20 meters depth. Coral reef fishes such as butterfly, angel, cardinal, damselfish, grouper, batfish, anthias, surgeon, wrasse, parrot, box, puffer, trigger and porcupine can also be seen in the depths of 3 to 17 meters.

Bottom dwellers fish such as flounder, gobies, moray, flathead, blennies and scorpion fish are available to be spotted in the depth of 3 to 20 meters. Other organisms including octopus, shrimps and crabs also inhabit the waters of the island, where they are usually found at depths between 5 to 20 meters. Although quite rare, there are also mollusks, sea snakes, turtles, stingrays, sharks and dolphins in the depths of 5 to 20 meters.

Dive In The Magical Island of Komodo

Have you ever wished to have an adventure in a magical island where magical creatures lives? Well, stop wishing and imagining, because that magical island is exists. You can have the adventure that you ever dreamed of in Komodo Island, Indonesia.

Komodo Island is a place where there is no exact word can actually describe the beauty of it. It is miraculous, breath taking and magnificent in every single possible way. Together with Amazon Rainforest and River, Jeju Island, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Puerto Princessa Underground River and Table Mountain, Komodo Island had became the new seven wonders of natures that is chosen by people all over the world through a global poll.

Komodo Island is part of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. It lies between Sumbawa Island to the West and Flores Island to the East. As for the Komodo National Park, it includes three major islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as other smaller islands with a total surface area of 1,800 km2.

To get there, you can use a ferry service from Sape, Sumbawa or Labuanbajo, Flores. This ferry service usually drops off passengers on Komodo Island once or twice a week. The Labuanbajo route is more recommended considering the ferries from Sape can be suspended indefinitely due to bad weather. There is no port in the island, so the passengers are usually had to transfer themselves onto small vessels that will take them to the island. It is pretty complicated way to get to the island, but it is totally worth it.

Once you have reached the island, it will captivate you with the beauty of its beaches. One of the most interesting phenomena in Komodo Island is the pink beach. This beach contains beautiful pink sand which is a mixture of white and red sand formed from pieces of amoeboid species named Foraminifera. In this pink beach, there are a great variety of fishes and other species such as leaf scorpion fish, blue ribbon eels, crocodile fish and many more. You can do snorkeling and diving in this beautiful beach.

Komodo National Park is an absolute heaven for all divers from all around the world. Diving in Komodo Island is definitely a thing that you have to put in your bucket list. The national park has so many diving spot that you can visit and explore. You can go to Tanjung Rusa, Toro Oi, Cannibal Rock and many more. You can see various kinds of fishes, including sharks, coral garden, turtles and so many more. Diving in Komodo Island will certainly open our eyes that there are so many beautiful species that lives together with us in our lovely earth that need to be conserved, because earth belongs to every single living thing.

The primary tourist magnetism of Komodo Island is of course the wonderful Komodo Dragon. This creature is the largest living lizard that can reach three meters in lengths and 70 kg in weight. It can run faster than humans, jumping into water, dive and swim also a lot faster than humans. It is a very dangerous, yet very interesting animal.

With those magical things, Komodo Island will be a complete package for all of you that longing for a great life adventure. Prepare yourself for a miraculous beauty and thrilling unexpected experiences.

Gili Islands, Lombok

For decades, travelers have made the hop from Bali to the beautifully irresistible Gili Islands and stayed longer than anticipated. These beautiful islands are an archipelago of three small islands, which are Gili Tarawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, located in just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia. The islands are a perfect location for your holiday if you are looking for a remote island experience. The islands are very relaxed and laid-back, with countless little beach-side cafes where you can enjoy drinks and good quality Western and Asian food. Most local inhabitants around here live on Gili Tarawangan in a township stretching along its East side inland. Automobiles and motorized traffic are prohibited on the islands by local ordinance, so you can only travel around in the islands by bicycle or the horse-drawn carriage called a cidomo. Diving in and around Gili Islands is also popular due to the abundance of fish life and attractive coral formations in the area.

You can reach these beautiful islands of Lombok by plane or boat. The nearest airport is situated in the city of Mataram on Lombok mainland. There are no international flights going straight to Lombok, so you have to get to Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali first, then take another flight to Lombok. From Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali, you can connect onward with a domestic flight to Mataram, the main city of Lombok. Flight route to Mataram is operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Garuda, Lion Air, Trigana Air, Trans-Nusa and Indonesian Air Transport. From Jakarta and Surabaya, Mataram is served by flights provided by Batavia Air, Garuda, Lion Air and Merpati. To fly to Bali then take a boat to Gili Islands is also a viable option. There are now numerous direct boat services from Bali to Gili Islands which you can also use. Traveling between the islands requires either catching the infrequent shuttle boats or chartering one to take you across.

Gili Islands consist of three small gilis, which are GIli Tarawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno. The beaches of the Gilis are still powdery white, with beautiful clear blue water positioned perfectly for sunsets over Bali’s Mt. Agung and sunrise over Lombok’s Mt. Rinjani. You can do several activities on these islands, such as scuba diving, snorkeling trips, sea kayak experience, golf days, horse riding at sunset, wake boarding, deep sea fishing, trekking the great Mt. Rinjani and a trip to komodo culture. People are also coming to these beautiful islands to held their wedding ceremony or honeymoon. Gili Tarawangan is the largest and most visited of the three islands. This gili is also known as the party island. In the middle of three gilis lies Gili Meno, the smallest of the three gilis and by far the most peaceful and under developed. Gili Meno is perfect for you who love total escapism for your holiday. This island is also very popular with honeymooning couples and adventurous castaway tourists. Finally, the closest to the mainland Lombok is Gili Air. Here, you can enjoy the grass roots atmosphere of Gili Air and the feeling of really being part of a close knit local community.

Arcing away from the northwest corner of Lombok, the Gili Islands are ideal getaway destination where the sand is still powdery white with sparkling clear water. Enjoying the sunsets here over Bali’s Mount Agung in the West is simply spectacular. You will be guaranteed to see some of Indonesia’s breathtaking scenery in these beautiful islands.

Diving in Gili Air

Indonesia is a world famous diving destination and known for its amazing diversity in marine life. The Gili Islands in Lombok are becoming one of the top spots in the region, attracting more and more divers each year to these beautiful islands. One of them is Gili Air, which means “Water Island” in local language due to the lush vegetation of the island. White sandy beaches, no motorized transport, friendly local villagers, a good variety of restaurants and accommodation ranging from basic home stays to luxury private villas make Gili Air a serene place for your relaxing, yet adventurous holiday. You will be surrounded by a variety of coral reefs with immense marine biodiversity in this island. Many turtles, sharks, manta rays, scorpion fish, pipefish, moray eels, frogfish and colorful nudibranches will take your diving adventure to a new level.

Gili Air is easily reachable by both plane and boat. You can take a flight to the nearest airport in the city of Mataram on Lombok mainland. If you are traveling from abroad, you have to get to Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali first as there is no international flights going straight to Lombok. From there, then you can take another flight to Lombok with a domestic flight. There are several flight services that can take you to Mataram, such as Batavia Air, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Garuda, Lion Air, Trigana Air, Trans-Nusa and Indonesian Air Transport. Gili Islands is close to Bali, so you can also take a flight to Bali, then take a boat to get there. You can get one of several direct boat services from Bali, straight to Gili Islands. While you were on the islands, you can travel around by renting a bike or getting a traditional horse carts called cidomos.

Gili Air is the closest to the mainland, which is a quiet, off-the-beaten-path escape with plenty of stylish bungalows dotted among the palms. The dive sites around Gili Air is relatively easy diving and is a good place to learn to dive with several diving courses available. The water temperature here varies from 26°C to 30°C with very little, even no current at all which makes diving in Gili Air is perfect for all kinds of divers. Diving in Gili Air is all about fringing reefs, slopes, drop offs and plateaus with hard and soft corals in the crystal clear water. Here, you can see white and black tip reef sharks, rays, napoleon wrasse, bumpheads, giant morays and even manta if you come at the right time of year. You can also come across smaller critters like nudis, flatworms, pipefish, ribbon eels, scorpion leaf fish, flying gurnards, octopus, cuttlefish, mantis shrimps, frog fish and many more. Unfortunately, the corals above 15 meters around this area are in very bad shape due to extensive bomb fishing by the locals in the past decade. Nowadays, the beauty of the marine lives seems to be improving but it will take time for the reef to fully recover to its original state.

Away from the busy tourist activity in Bali, you will find a hidden paradise in Gili Air. This is a perfect coral island, fringe with white sands and swaying palm trees, lay in the sparkling ocean just off the north-west coast of Lombok. Gili Air is a perfect site for diving with crystal clear water and amazing marine lives. Diving in Gili Air will make an unforgettable experience for your holiday.