Indonesia: Alor + Raja Ampat - July 2012
Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text:
Français
Alor Archipelago, Indonesia. It is completely in the east, near East Timor. It is far away. It is quiet. It is beautiful. And we dive there.
So, Alor?
Indonesia never ceases to attract me. I went back there, during these July vacations. First step of my journey : So.
Alor is an archipelago still well away from the tourist flows, located in what is called the Lesser Sunda Islands.
I was tempted to go there last year already, after my crossing of Flores and my dives in Komodo. I had given up because of lack of time. But I made up for it this summer!
FYI: six years after that first stay in 2012, I went back to diving in Alor, in July 2018. To read here → All to the water in Alor!
This handful of islands presents rather dry landscapes, but less peeled than in Komodo. There are also powerful and capricious currents, tides that you have to take into account and unpredictable winds. I like this kind of place, a bit rough, a bit harsh, off the beaten track. I was seduced as soon as I arrived.
Pantar Island
I reside on the island of Pantar, at Alor Divers. An isolated piece of beach, a handful of simple but comfortable bungalows - raaah, there is even hot water! - facing the sea.
The "civilization" consists of a Muslim village and a Christian village, on either side of the resort, about 30-45 minutes walk. The wifi connection available at the resort's restaurant is as weak as it is random.
In short, when it comes to peace and quiet, it's perfect. I was forced to disconnect! 😱 😂
The only noise nuisance is the geckos, those little lizards that love to shout at night. My diving buddy Carole does not appreciate them very much: well, especially one, which has the annoying habit of wanting to explore her bathroom and wakes her up every night. As she has a great sense of humor, we choke with laughter while listening to her telling us, day after day, her crazy nightly adventures with her gecko...
At home, at the bungalow Lumba Lumba- (Dolphins), no intruders to disturb my sleep. Just the breath of the wind and the rumor of the surf. In the morning, the dawn is sumptuous.
The dives
I was told that Alor was worth it. That I wouldn't regret having come so far to dive in. It's true.
Only, I plunged to Komodo (July 2011), and then especially Raja Ampat (March 2012), before discovering Alor this summer. As a result, after such spectacular spots, my judgment is biased. I know, I'm starting to become a "spoiled" diver.
How to say... I was not impressed in Alor as I was in Komodo and Raja Ampat. Of course, the sites are very nice, both for the atmosphere and for the macro, with magnificent coral reefs. But I did not have the same feeling of incredible profusion, where one does not know how to give the head, as there are fish everywhere.
I have to qualify this... Now that I'm back in Brittany, I'm rediscovering the sub photos I brought back from Alor. And I have to admit that I have a furious desire to go back to make bubbles there !!!
I put a small sample below, as an appetizer. And I'll be back soon to tell you the rest!
👌
