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What can I say about Indonesia other then it is an amazing place. By far my it is my favorite place that I have ever dove. Any diver should set there sites on going there one day and just do it, even though the travel there can be brutal: the trip from Connecticut went as follows-- drive to NYC, fly to Vancouver, then Hong Kong (23 hours on the same plan), then fly to Bali, overnight in Bali, and then fly to Bema. In all it was two days of hard traveling, though I think we gained a day in there somewhere. The time difference was 13 hours. But in the end it was worth it in every respect and I can't wait to do it again, even in coach!
Indonesia is made up of close to 18,000 islands. This trip did not even scratch the surface of this country. I remember being parked in a cove off of Komodo island, other than that, I cannot remember jack. I will say that the Komodo Dragons are quit friendly, gentle, creatures. Yea right, if you believe that I can sell you a bridge....
This trip was put on through Backscatter and Light and Motion. These are the same people who but on the Digital Shootout in Bonaire. I had a great experience at the shootout and could not, or cannot, say enough good things; the same is true here. Berk, Dan, and Jim are consummate professionals, yet down to earth, fun, and nicer than all hell.
The dive and boat crew of Kararu were all very nice and extremely helpful, especially when our luggage missed the boat: they ended up lending us equipment at no charge for three days. The entire crew were all very nice. It never ceases to amaze me how the crew can learn the names of the passengers in such a sort time. The food on the boat was just ok--nothing to special like the Palau Aggressor. While the boat we were on is being retired, I must say it had plenty of character and the uncanny ability to do the Macarena. I have seen the pictures of the new boat and it looks beautiful.
All diving was done off of skiffs. The dive masters were probably the best I have encountered. They were excellent at finding stuff for all us photographers, and doubled as great models. The diving itself was macro heaven. There were so many critters it is unreal. All one had to do is slow down and look. The coral and invertabreads were also an amazing site. The topography was nothing to special. The bottom composition was mostly black volcanic sand in the areas we dove. Muck diving RULES!!
The currents weren't bad, but there were some stiff currents in places. Melissa and I found ourselves in a very strong down current that was quit hair raising... In all, I would say anyone can dive Indonesia with caution. It was certainly easier then Palau.
The island of Bali should not be overlooked. The people were wonderful and are willing to sell you anything at a good price, even if you don't want it. Do take some time to tour around. I highly recommend Monkey Forest though it is PG13 depending on were you grow up.
This site will definitely feature more pictures from Indonesia some day. Stay tuned.
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This site was last updated 07/09/07