Thirteen takeoffs and thirteen landings
ENAlor and Raja Ampat: two remote archipelagos, in Indonesia. I just came back from there. I reconstructed my itinerary on video... Total : 13 planes !
????
My journey in video
I don't think I've ever taken so many planes on a trip. It's a bit scary, though. Here is what my trip looks like in video, it will be more explicit... Fasten your seatbelts, we are taking off!
The summary of the journey I took is as follows:
→ Paris - Dubai - Kuala Lumpur (Emirates)
→ Kuala Lumpur - Bali (Air Asia)
--- Night in Bali
→ Bali - Kupang (Garuda)
→ Kupang - Alor (Trans Nusa)
--- STAY IN ALOR
→ Alor - Kupang (Trans Nusa)
→ Kupang - Surabaya - Makassar (Lion Air)
--- Overnight in Makassar
→ Makassar - Sorong (Sriwijaya Air)
--- STAY IN RAJA AMPAT
→ Sorong - Makassar (Sriwijaya Air)
→ Malassar - Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia)
--- Overnight in Kuala Lumpur
→ Kuala Lumpur - Dubai - Paris (Emirates)
Thirteen aircraft and six airlines
This new Indonesian journey in July will have brought me, in total, thirteen take-offs and thirteen landings. With six airlines : Emirates Airlines, Air Asia, Lion Air, Garuda Indonesia, Trans Nusa, Sriwijaya Air.
I am unable to count the dozens and dozens of hours of flight, transit and stopovers that this represents. It's a lot, it's too much, surely. I didn't dare to calculate the carbon footprint it represents... 😱
But it was worth it. Even by dragging 30 kg of diving gear and photo gear ...
July 2012: Alor and Raja Ampat
Extend to Alor, return to Raja Ampat... I was dreaming about it. I decided to optimize the realization of these two dreams, by grouping the two destinations in one trip to Indonesia.
Alor is part of the small islands of Sunda, with Komodo and Flores (where I had already been in July 2011), and is very close to Timor. Raja Ampat (which I had discovered in March 2012) is in the extension of Papua New Guinea.
Yes, I know. I didn't give any news for the whole month of July. In fact, I didn't manage to blog "live"... A bit because of lack of time (I spent most of my days diving), a bit because of the slow internet connections.
But I'm going to catch up, now that I'm back from vacation ...
😉 😎
Hello,
Very nice journey!
Quick question... how did you make your video? Is there any software that allows you to make these course animations?
Thank you
@Greg: I get this question a lot. It's one of the great features available in iMovie, the consumer video editing software on the Mac: http://www.apple.com/fr/ilife/imovie/
Congratulations for these beautiful pictures!
Good continuation 😉
@Marion: thanks, the sequel is coming soon 🙂
It makes your mouth water! Can't wait for the sequel 😉
@Nouchka Nouchka: that was the point!!! I'm preparing the next posts, patience... 🙄
Hello Corinne, difficult to read your article being stuck at work but hey thanks to you here I am decided to break the piggy bank and go to Raja ampat next year! I just wanted to ask you how to discover the seabed you had preferred (cruise or resort?) Otherwise since you master your Canon and your fisheyes your photos are all simply sublime !!!!! Have a good day
@Nassim: I love making people want to leave!!! 😀 Raja Ampat really is an exceptional destination, I don't regret my big (very big) piggy bank break....
For my part, I always prefer to stay in a resort or on land, whatever the diving destination: it's more comfortable, I sleep better, I don't have to share my room with anyone, and it allows me to alternate diving with land-based activities.
After that, it all depends on what you want to see in Raja Ampat. A cruise allows you to cover more sites. But you also have less choice of program than on land, where you can more easily choose “à la carte” the sites you want to visit or revisit...
Finally, a thousand thanks for the compliment on the photos, it means a lot to me... I've got plenty on my hard drive. The sequel should please you!!!
🙄
There you have it, your dream trip (at least for us). It was exactly when we saw the number of air transfers between Alor and Sorong that we looked for (and found - Youppi!) a boat that picked us up off Alor (in swimsuits please) and dropped us off directly at a resort in Mansuar (off Sorong). Diving transport ... of course, and what a stay! I'm telling you this just so you'll want to try it: the Banda Sea, what a pleasure, what water ... And then, we reach Sorong via the lower Raja Ampat via Missol .... The rest you know and apparently you enjoyed (we already knew that). I like to inspire others. So I'll give you the tips for this short (almost 2 weeks) cruise that avoids Alor-Kupang-Surabaya-Makassar-Sorong .... and what's more, you'll feel like you're saving money. Aren't all these planes a bit expensive?.
I can't wait to read your article on Alor, we loved it so much! I dream of going back, but we're stuck in Paris for at least a year for health reasons. Grr Grr ....
@IsaM: Yes, I had read about your crossing, on OnThePloufAgain, and I envied you... 😡 I did think of doing like you, when I was preparing this trip, but in this month of July, no way to find a cruise making the crossing in relation to my dates. Anyway.
As for the rest of the diving, as you know, it's grandiose... Raja Ampat remains at the top of my little personal top, and, in my eyes (now that I've been able to compare), just above Alor.
I could have flown direct from Kupang to Makassar (and saved myself the detour and stopover in Surabaya of the Lion Air flight) but that was with Merpati, and if I have a choice, I'd rather avoid that airline... Local connections were generally not too expensive (from €35 to €90 depending on the flight).
I hope that health problems won't keep you down any longer than necessary, and that you'll be able to go diving again soon. In the meantime, I'll try to transport you virtually to Indonesia with new images...
Yes, this year we travel by proxy. So thank you to all those who carry us by their stories on another planet. The duration of the trip for Alor is almost part of the charm. But when we arrive, what pleasure, what satisfaction! The end of the world ... (we had 72 hours between Paris and Alor - see our article on http://ontheploufagain.com ). Where were you: Gilles“ (Alor Divers) or La Petite Képa? Having dived with 2 different structures on Alor (resort and cruise ship) and only a few days apart, we were struck by how different the sites could appear: the launch point, the direction of the dive, not to mention of course the current, the guide etc. As you've already pointed out, the ”locals" know every nook and cranny, the address of the rhinopias and the moray eel, whereas on a cruise, you can be in for some (nasty) surprises (in this case, our guides on the Banda were excellent, but we preferred our dives on Banda via the resort).
How were the viewing and diving conditions? Same on Raja Ampat. We'd always been advised the end of the year (very rainy), but apparently the season on Raja Ampat is now year-round. What do you think, having been there in March and July? Still a lot of questions...
@IsaM: In Alor, I stayed with Gilles (Alor Divers). Diving conditions were generally good, both in Alor and Raja Ampat. Visi good to very good, even excellent in Raja Ampat. Sometimes very windy, both in Alor and Raja Ampat.
ALOR. In Alor, the water is colder (25-27°C), or even very cold, depending on the tide and the site (up to 21-22°C). Because of the wind (waves), you may have to opt for nearby or sheltered sites. Lots of current on many sites.
RAJA AMPAT. Summer in Raja Ampat is supposed to be the “dry season”, but it still rained some days. Because we're right on the equator, the climate is “tropical humid” all year round... Because of the wind, there's no cruising in this season (too many waves), so it's better to be based in a resort with the sites nearby, but Raja Ampat, at least the northern part, is diveable all year round. Just be aware that summer is not the season for mantas, and they become more difficult to encounter than in February-March-April... Water temperature almost constant: 28-29°C, very pleasant. Lots of currents, too, depending on the tide and the site, but it's manageable on drift dives and with a hook, even for a poor flipper like me with a big box for the camera.
(Anyway, I'll do a little practical report on Raja Ampat later... 😉 )
What a journey indeed!
you're right we always have more time when we're not on holiday! 😛
In any case, the 1st photos are already great, now we just have to wait for the rest...
@Laurence: thank you! The rest is coming... 😉
Nice trip !
A little publicity: Malaysian Airlines flies direct from Paris to Kuala Lumpur, and divers are entitled to 30 kgs in the hold...
@Henry: great info! Is it new?
I used to take Malaysia Airlines, when I could manage with 20-22 kg of luggage. But now, with my bag weighing almost 30 kg, I prefer Emirates (and the service is top-notch). All the more so as it's not unpleasant to cut this very long journey of a dozen hours with a short stopover in Dubai.
I thought you were mistaken, because I had looked (probably badly) before leaving: the official limit on Malaysia Airlines is 20kg in eco from/to France (you have to travel in business to be entitled to 30kg, or travel from the USA). But I've just gone back to the Malaysia Airlines website and checked exactly what they say about diving equipment. In fact, they give you an extra 10kg if you're carrying scuba gear.
Well, now that's good to know for future trips!!!! Many thanks !!!
😀
Always on the same subject Egypt air has the same policy of + 10 kgs anyway from Geneva, same for Etihad Airways for the Maldives.
There are no ads and you often have to ask the company for confirmation.
Not to mention the 8/10 of hand luggage + computer after which you just have to put on the wetsuit or stab to travel with but it's less comfortable 😀
@Henry: yes, they rarely advertise for that ... Good to know in any case!
When it comes to cabin baggage, I always happily exceed the weight limit, but they rarely check. I pretend that my “small” cabin backpack doesn't weigh anything at all... I carry it casually over my shoulder as if it didn't weigh 12 kilos (it contains everything precious and fragile that shouldn't go into the hold: in addition to money and papers, my SLR, compact camera, lenses, laptop, hard disks, housing, domes, etc. etc.).
😀
Top top top.......I'm also looking forward to the sequel. Raja Ampat is obviously a diving destination I'm thinking about.
I am currently in Tulamben at Liberty Dive Resort: o))
@Kamille: Liberty Dive Resort? Ah !!!! Excellent address. It's always where I go, for a few years now, when I want to dive the Liberty wreck... 😉
https://www.libertydiveresort.com/
For Raja Ampat, until I post new articles on my stay in July 2012, you can already read the posts of my previous trip there in March 2012:
https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/voyage-raja-ampat-bali-indonesie-2012/
(Beware: big piggy bank breakage, it's not at all the same budget as in Bali, for diving...).
Thank you for the trip seen from the office .. Olala this carbon balance ... Buy a boat and drop everything!
@Cédric: I'd have to learn how to navigate first... Not my line of work.
Or you can write me an apology note in the newspaper, so that I can take several months off in a row (paid, of course) to have time to make the train + boat trip... 😀
Hello Corinne,
In the middle of the season in my shop in Pézenas, but already with my head turned towards my future Indonesian discoveries, your writings and images give me a great desire to discover these islands that are still unknown to me! Thank you very much for all your tips, for these dream bubbles! Selamat jalan Teman dari Dunia! 🙄
@ Karyne: thank you for this little message! Nice to be able to make you still travel through my little bubbles! Sampai jumpah lagi !!!
🙂
Great trip! Can't wait to see full photos.
I see that you avoided Merpati ... We did not know and we took them to go to Labuan Bajo cruise to Rinca and Komodo: that problems ... You reserve your flights in advance from France via the Internet or you buy directly on the spot ?
Following the advice of Gili Air Divers, with whom I did 3 dives at Gili Meno, we cancelled Amed and went instead to Tulamben with the French company Dive Concepts. There I spent my AOWD around the USAT Liberty and added a 6th fun dive with camera rental to bring back some nice souvenirs. I think I've caught the Petitesbullesdailleurs bug... 😀
Thank you !
@Thomas: hey, hey, la Merpati, yes, better avoid it if you can....
For my tickets on Indonesian airlines, I was able to buy almost everything online on the airline websites. This wasn't possible until a year or two ago, as European credit cards weren't accepted. But now, you can book yourself on sites such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air... Only for Trans Nusa did I have to ask Gilles from Alor Divers, based locally, to make the bookings for me, as the Trans Nusa site is obsolete and you have to go through a local intermediary to buy tickets.
Delighted to have given you this delicious virus !!!! 😀 In Tulamben, an excellent address: the Liberty Dive Resort, where you can explore the wreck at the best times, with a super Indonesian guide all to yourself, it's ideal for photographers sub :
http://www.libertydiveresort.com/
🙄
Hmmh... interesting to hear from R4 in July. 😕
I had wondered about this in August and then Raja Ampat Lodge was too slow to make me a discounted offer, so that was all it took for me to give up.
So I'll be following your report with interest: if you can put a little climatological accent on it... 😉 ... miciii.
@Ludovic/Wet&Sea: “Raja Ampat Lodge” is, if I'm not mistaken, the operation that the Grand Komodo company ( http://www.komodoalordive.com/ ) opened to Raja Ampat (in 2010, I believe).
I've heard good things ( https://www.ontheploufagain.com/?p=3586 They've only been in Raja Ampat for a very (too) short time, so they don't really know the sites well (but they're well placed on Mansuar Island for quick access to the various interesting sites), and their clientele seems to be very “Asian group” oriented (which doesn't necessarily guarantee tranquillity underwater).
Good to know: as far as I've been able to ascertain, the local diving resorts (Papua Diving, Raja4Divers, Raja Ampat Lodge, Papua Paradise...) easily offer discounts during the summer months (June-July-August), as the season is less busy. So it can be worth it.
In fact, as far as rainfall is concerned, in July it's no worse or better than in March, as far as I've been able to judge: some days it's super sunny, other days it's just a bit grey with no rain, other days there are showers. In short, a real humid tropical climate, apparently more or less the same all year round, with no real variation in temperature.
The difference, during the summer months (considered the “dry season” in Raja Ampat), is that there are regular gales, sometimes quite impressive, which generally last half a day or an evening, then abruptly die down, as if someone had pressed an on/off button, and the sea becomes quite calm again... Really curious. When it's too windy, it's difficult to get to more remote sites, or even to find certain sites if you don't have GPS (you can't see the bottom from the boat, because of the waves, and so it's impossible to know where to let the divers go, as the current is often there too).
Visi varies from good to excellent during the summer. Better than in March, I think. The only problem is that there are fewer mantas in summer, it's no longer the season. And when you are lucky enough to see one, including at Manta Sandy, it's a maximum of one or two, sometimes up to 6 (this was the case for divers from Sorido de Papua Diving, in particular). In short, nothing like the incredible carousel I filmed in March:
https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/manta-raja-ampat-papua-video-20120422/
So much for the small climato-plongeolistic presentation ...
😉
Okie, thanks for the comprehensive weather briefing 🙂
As far as Kri is concerned, I'm accompanied, you see, and I'm a bit worried about taking a non-diver to a hardcore diving resort... R4L seemed to me a better alternative in terms of the environment, and they come highly recommended by Maureen Shimlock herself.
As far as the clientele is concerned, I must have been half Asian in another life, I often prefer the company of Singaporean divers and DM Indos to that of European or American tourists.
During my stay at the Lembeh Resort earlier this year, I suffered surrounded by cohorts of Yanks barely out of their midwest. 😯
Here in Lembongan, although the French language is certainly second only to Bahasa, it's depressing 🙄 there's no shortage of mantas... 50 minutes with 5 mantas this morning. 😛
They spoke neither French nor American, they... 😆
@Wet&Sea: yes, from what I've seen of it off-shore, the Raja Ampat Lodge resort looks pleasant as far as the environment is concerned (pretty bungalows, great beach), and then if Maureen says good things about it, then... 😉
My remark was in fact aimed at the notion of “group” (I too must have been a bit Asian in another life) and since you've come across me on diving websites, you know my preference for Indo DMs and small group diving...
Gee, I didn't know Lembongan was getting so “Frenchified”... 😯 Thank goodness for mantas, dis!!!! Enjoy.
🙄
@Ludo/Wet&Sea: ah, and in addition, I invite you to read Isa's (OnThePloufagain) comment at the end of this link:
https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/plonger-alor-indonesie-20120810/#comment-5543
🙂
Great video! Not only are your photos super pretty, but above all it makes you want to dive when one of my big fears is the big blue 😯
I plan to overcome this fear very soon 😀
Thanks to you for sharing this with us 🙂
@Stéphanie: for a girl going to Australia, it would be a good idea to try and master this fear a little... I think there's a small coral reef in the area... 😉
On a more serious note, you can start snorkeling at your leisure. You're rarely in the “big blue” in these conditions: usually, you're swimming quietly over shallow bottoms or along coral reefs full of life... Nothing scary about that.
Then, if you really feel like going under the surface, there's always time to give it a try and see what happens...
🙄
Hou pinaise the “Alor - Kupang - Surabaya - Makassar - Sorong”! Now that's a trip 😮
I discovered Indonesia for 1 month this summer with my girlfriend and it's with great pleasure that I (re)discover your adventures in this beautiful but immense country!
We did a few dives of course (Amed and the inevitable Liberty, the Gilis and their bombed corals and finally Gerupuk, south of Lombok, which I highly recommend as there's only 1 club, 1 boat and therefore no crowds underwater 😀 ). But above all, I've brought back a list as long as your arm of places we didn't have time to go to, such as Komodo, Nusa Lembongan, Bunaken, the Togians... Well, it's more diving-oriented 😛 And thanks/because of you (yes, the banker is going to pout again) I can now add Raja Ampat and Alor...
I've also promised myself to return to Bira (South Sulawesi) and why not opposite Makassar... (you couldn't fail to notice this multitude of islets, most of them deserted, surrounded by turquoise waters... )
In short, a dream country, thank you for telling us (and show) so well!
@paradise: I don't know Gerupuk or Bira in diving, I'll note on my to-do-list... 😉 Glad to have contributed to lengthen yours, list!!!! Don't forget Sipadan (Malaysia, Borneo)... Hey, hey!!!!
Selamat pagi,
I made a 2nd cruise north of R4, in mid-August on the Putiraja, the 1st being last December, on the Shakti, southern route. I can confirm that there are fewer mantas in August, and it rains more. I found the dives less beautiful, partly because I prefer the big ones (manta) to the tiny ones (pigmy sea horse, barely visible with my mole eyes), partly also because Dave on the Shakti is a much better diver and site connoisseur than the Putiraja's boss, who no longer dives and seems to choose dive sites according to how easy they are. Nice dives nonetheless, wobbegongs on almost every dive, 2 mantas, my first mobulas, flocks of humpback parrots... and I, who was desperate to see the famous Wayag landscape, was spoiled. You don't say it enough, Corinne, the landscapes are magnificent.
I'm not sure I'll go back a 3rd time, it's overpriced, it's not direct, and it's far, far, far away, it's at the end of the world for me who lives in Martinique. But that's why it's so unique. Never 2 without 3? I'll see once I'm healthy again.
@Gerard: yes, the terrestrial landscapes are splendid and that's also what I liked so much about the area... But I was already saying a bit about it during my first stay there, in March 2012 :
https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/voyage-raja-ampat-bali-indonesie-2012
For my part, I found the dives equally magnificent in July, even if we did see fewer mantas, it's true. But the rest (sharks and wobeggongs, humphead parrots, huge shoals of all kinds of fish) are still there. The profusion and variety of species underwater is truly spectacular.
Never two without three? We'll see... 😉
I came across your comment by chance. Perhaps you could give us some advice. We're going to Sulawesi for the second time in April, and we can't decide on a dive site. We have the Padi Open Water. Since our Open Water we've dived in the Red Sea, the Perhentians (Malaysia) and Pulau Weh (Sumatra). 4 years ago we went to Bunaken, just for snorkeling, and found the seabed magnificent. For our next trip, we're hesitating between the Togians, the Lembeh Strait, the South Sulawesi Islands or the Molluccas. Have you been to any of these places? Do you have any recommendations? Thank you for your reply. Anne and Jeff
@Anne: Welcome to my Petites Bulles d'Ailleurs! I've deleted the duplicate message you left on another page.
To answer your questions: I went to Togian once (in 2007) and Lembeh twice (in 2007 and 2010). See the links below:
-> https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/voyage-sulawesi-indonesie-2007/
-> https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/voyage-sulawesi-indonesie-2010/
I do not know (yet) the islands of South Sulawesi nor the Moluccas.
Lembeh Strait is really great if you're a fan of the so-called “muck-dive”. Lembeh Strait is a black sandy bottom, where you can spend your time looking for funny little creatures:
-> https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/les-minimonstres-de-lembeh-20100804/
If you also want more “traditional” diving, with reef, coral and schools of fish, you can combine this with a stay in Bunaken, or Bangka Island, all close.
Good preparations!
Corinne
I'm a novice diver and for my 50th birthday I really want to see the mantas. I was thinking of treating myself to Raja ampat in July. It's not manta season, I know, but .... there's so much to see and I don't have much choice at the moment. I do have an advanced open water certificate (I won't have quite 40 dives) but .... I have no experience of diving in the current and I don't really see how I can acquire it since I only dive on vacations. For a beginner, I'm spoiled, I've seen coiba in panama, cozumel in mexico and roatan in honduras. But in terms of current... it's like diving into a bathtub, or almost. All I read is that diving in raja ampat is sporty and not recommended for beginners.
Do you have a suggestion? should I leave the mantas for the benefit of nudibranchs, change destination, take a course of kicking and buoyancy additional ... prefer Maldives, French Polynesia.
thank you for your valuable information
Catherine 😥
@Catherine: Yes, there are sites with a lot of current in Raja Ampat, but the dive center guides are careful to adapt the level of the dives to the level of the divers and to supervise them in principle. We use hooks so we don't get swept away. It's easy to learn how to use them, there's nothing tricky about it. You learn to let the current carry you, not fight against it (you always lose). And there are also sites where you're protected from the current, where you can make quieter dives...
I laughed when I read the end of your message... because the Maldives and Polynesia are particularly well known for their strong currents, these are two places where diving, especially in the passes, can be very sporty!!!!
With 40 dives under your belt, I think you can start experimenting with drift or hook dives, accompanied by a guide, instructor or someone with experience, who will make sure everything goes smoothly...
🙄
Hello,
Superb blog! Very well explained !!
With all the destinations you've already done in Indonesia let me ask you for some advice regarding the itinerary 🙂
We leave with a friend (24 years old) for 1 month, we land in Bali on August 5th.
We went for 10 days Bali, 10 days Lombok and 10 days on the Gili Islands to party.
After some research we would like to focus on less touristic corners and we opted for Sulawesi and Gili.
For a month of traveling if we want to see paradisiac beaches, rice paddies, traditional villages, treks, surfing and of course scuba diving
What would be the best route based on your experience?
In advance thank you very much for your answer 🙂 !
Louise
@Louise: very good idea to spend some time in Sulawesi, which is huge and has a lot to offer. If I were you, I'd skip the Gilis in northwest Lombok, as they're overcrowded at this time of year and not at all authentic. But if it's “to party”, why not, knowing that there's plenty to do on that front in Bali too...
As for the itinerary, there's no “best” one. All the destinations you're considering are easily reached from Bali, so it's not a problem. I'd recommend a Bali-Sulawesi combination. Start by spending just a day or two in Bali on arrival, to get into the rhythm of the country and acclimatize, then head straight to Sulawesi: spend at least 15 days there, if not more, it's worth it (Toraja country, Lake Poso, Togian islands, North Sulawesi islands and the Manado region, you'll have to make some choices). Then come back and enjoy the Balinese sweetness (ten days or so) with a trip to the magnificent Nusa Lembongan - Nusa Ceningan. Don't forget that you “lose” a day with each trip...
You can find all that and draw ideas on the page that brings all my travels:
https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/voyage-plongee/
Good preparations!
8)