SCUBA DIVING IN KOMODO: ULTIMATE GUIDE

Scuba diving in Komodo National Park is an unparalleled expertise for diving fanatics. With its numerous marine life and crystal-clear waters, the park is a well-liked vacation spot for divers from around the globe. From drift dives to wall dives to nighttime dives, Komodo gives an array of diving alternatives to swimsuit all ranges of expertise. One of essentially the most famend diving areas within the park is the Batu Bolong dive website, well-known for its sturdy currents and vibrant marine life. Whether you’re a seasoned diver or a newbie, scuba diving in Komodo is an journey you received’t neglect.

SCUBA DIVING IN KOMODO

In this Komodo diving information, I’ll share with you the most effective dive websites in Komodo and the opposite epic adventures on land I acquired as much as within the Komodo area. I’ve been on two separate Komodo Liveaboard journeys they usually have been actually each the most effective time of my life. This is the routine. Wake up, eat, dive, eat, dive, discover, dive, eat, sleep.

In this weblog put up, I’ll cowl the whole lot it is advisable to learn about your Komodo Liveaboard expertise.

• How to get to Komodo/Labuan Bajo
• Komodo liveaboard finances (luxurious out there)
• How many days do you want
• Best time to go to
• An in depth checklist of the entire actions you may anticipate to do whereas on a Komodo liveaboard
• The greatest Komodo Dive websites
• The greatest Komodo viewpoints
• Onboard expertise overview – detailing meals, facilities, rooms, beds, and luxury.

Komodo Diving Liveaboard

A Komodo Diving Liveaboard liveaboard contains all your meals, scuba dives and actions and might vary anyplace from $200 an evening all the way in which as much as $1000 an evening for essentially the most luxurious cabins and boats.

To guide a liveaboard you may go to an internet site like Liveaboard.com they usually checklist the entire completely different boats and journeys out there. They present you the cabins on every boat and in addition the checklist of actions and dives every journey contains. They are usually essentially the most dependable website slightly and are a world model with a superb fame.

Check charges and availability: Komodo Liveaboards 

Best Komodo Diving Sites

If you determine to discover Komodo National Park from the posh of a liveaboard, there are a variety of world-class dive websites that might be proper in your doorstep. On my dive journey, a lot of the individuals in my group had finished over 1000 dives of their life. When they acquired out of the water at Batu Bolong they declared it, the dive of their life. These have been my favourite websites throughout our Komodo Liveaboard Diving Experience.

Batu Bolong

From above the floor, a small rock arch marks the spot for an incredible array of life beneath. A lightweight present slowly carries you alongside a rock tower, plastered in coral and sea life. On this one dive alone there have been over 5 turtles noticed, sharks, and lots of of fish. The topography is dramatic with prolific, jarring rock formations capturing from the ocean flooring like stalagmites.

Manta Alley

One of the extra relaxed dives in Komodo. A sluggish present permits you to float via an unlimited alley ready for a Manta Ray to look. On this dive, we bumped into a number of Mantas and some turtles, and in direction of the tip of the dive, the coral grew to become the point of interest!

Castle Rock

Castle Rock is probably essentially the most well-known dive website in Komodo and it didn’t disappoint on my go to. We noticed 10 sharks, one among which was fairly massive. Giant Trevally fish schooled collectively whereas we additionally noticed crocodile fish and creole wrasse.

There was a second when our complete group was engulfed by a fast-moving college of 1000 bannerfish. There was a lot motion at Castle Rock it was arduous to know the place to look.

Taka Makassar

This is the Manta ‘guarantee’ website. Well, nothing is assured however the crew informed us there aren’t many instances they’ll bear in mind having visited Taka Makassar with out having noticed a minimum of one Manta. Having informed us this we grew to become fairly anxious as we couldn’t spot one from the floor.

We determined to drop in and start the dive and ended up coming throughout a number of Giant Manta Rays and several other smaller majestic Eagle Rays. This was undoubtedly one among my favourite dives of the journey.

Things to do (That aren’t scuba-diving in Komodo)

In this part, I’ll share the entire ‘dry’ adventures which are out there within the Komodo area. Most of those will naturally be constructed into your Komodo itinerary. As a lot as you most likely wish to scuba-dive 24/7 in Komodo, there are many lovely land actions value exploring aswell!

Hike up Padar Island Hike

Padar Island is essentially the most iconic view of the area and probably Indonesia. From the summit, you may spot greater than ten completely different seashores. You might want to take a smaller boat out of your liveaboard after which make the trek up the steep hill for about 20 minutes.

Stop typically and take within the view, which solely will get higher as you climb increased. I went to Padar Island for sundown but it surely seems to be wonderful for dawn additionally.

Full Blog Post: Padar Island Hike

Gili Laba Viewpoint

I didn’t hear in regards to the Gili Laba viewpoint till my second journey on a Komodo Liveaboard. I wasn’t anticipating it to be wonderful after solely ever listening to about Padar however this spot blew me away. It’s just like Padar as you want a small boat to run you ashore earlier than a 20-minute trek up the steep hill. Once on the high, you’ve got wonderful views down into the bay, which has a shocking reef.

The solar rises straight in entrance of you over the ocean. I may have spent a very long time atop this mountain and it was one of many highlights of my journey to Komodo the second time round.

Full Blog Post: Gili Laba Hike

Hang out at Pink Beach

Red coral is damaged up into wonderful items, mimicking grains of sand and giving this shoreline a pink tinge. From the sky or a drone, the seaside is well identifiable as pink however from the sand itself, it doesn’t seem vibrant pink as you may think. Don’t be fooled by the modifying some individuals add to their photographs. The water readability right here is insane, like a lot of Komodo National Park.

After marveling on the pink sand, take a fast stroll up the hill on both facet of the seaside to look again down alongside the shore and even on the cove across the nook. Pink Beach is a spot you may spend an entire day exploring.

Komodo Island

One of the focal factors of Komodo National Park is Komodo Island, the house of the well-known Komodo Dragon. The beasts can develop as much as 3m lengthy and have killed people. This is a predator and never one thing to fiddle with however nice to witness within the flesh.

Our ranger led us via the bushes recognizing a Komodo and educating us about their habits and traits earlier than we discovered just a few extra strolling alongside the seaside. They additionally do swim, not recurrently however they’re on the market. Beware snorkeling!!

Rinca Island

Rinca Island is residence to deer, monkeys, and Komodo Dragons. Our small ferry took us from our liveaboard to Rinca Island. Here you may see Komodo Dragons up shut and private as they cling across the headquarters of the Rinca Island headquarters. Rangers are all the time available to maintain the Komodo Dragons at a protected distance.

We have been fortunate sufficient to see a Komodo Dragon guarding its subsequent when impulsively one other Komodo got here in slightly too shut. An aggressive chase ensued and we stood again, our vary slightly frightened for us. At the highest of the strolling path, the ranger took us on a candy viewpoint wanting again out over the islands of the area.

Kalong Island – Bat Watching

An hour earlier than sundown our captain anchored the boat going through a small island. We have been all preoccupied having the time of our life leaping from the roof and flipping into the nice and cozy water as the daylight slowly pale. However, simply after the sundown, we discovered ourselves amidst a Nat Geo second.

A mass migration of 1000’s of bats screeched as they flew out from the mangrove island, heading in direction of Flores for an evening of looking. We sat on the deck of our liveaboard in awe however on the identical time, we have been crossing our fingers to not get bombed by bat shit.

Mesa Island Village

One of my favourite stops on my first Komodo Liveaboard expertise was a go to to Mesa Island Village. This is an island with no recent water and residential to the gifted and curious Bajo individuals. Fresh water is ferried day by day by wood boats to the island because it solely rains right here a number of months a 12 months. It’s a terrific place to stroll round and discover the tradition and day by day lifetime of the individuals of Mesa as it’s like no different village I’ve ever seen.

Several of the villagers confirmed me their goggles, which have been primarily items of glass inside a round ring of wooden tied along with string. However, that’s all of the Bajo individuals want. They are in a position to free-dive to unbelievable depths looking for fish for minutes on finish with no fins and solely their do-it-yourself goggles.

Komodo Liveaboard Budget

You can anticipate to pay anyplace from $200 an evening all the way in which as much as $600 an evening relying in your route and the extent of luxurious of your Komodo Liveaboard. This worth is all-inclusive and covers your meals, transit, as much as 5 dives a day (Nitrox out there), climbing, and different actions. If you don’t have your personal gear there may be typically a small day by day rental payment. It is unquestionably a terrific worth approach to journey in what is sort of an remoted a part of Indonesia.

There are cheaper locations to journey by boat such because the Gili’s are the Nusa Islands however there’s a motive Komodo is so wanted. Diving in Komodo insane and it’s a area of uncooked pure magnificence above and beneath the floor. The more durable issues are to get to usually the extra lovely they’re!

Liveaboard.com is the most important on-line reserving firm and all the time has offers for various instances of the 12 months, particularly in the course of the off-season. Click Here to match all liveaboards and to examine availability and pricing for the Komodo area.

How to get to Komodo

There are just a few alternative ways to get to Komodo from Bali to Komodo:

• FLY: Fly straight from Bali (Denpasar Airport) to Labuan Bajo which is on Flores Island. Many individuals use Labuan Bajo as their base after they discover Komodo National park. From Labuan Bajo, you are able to do day journeys, scuba diving, and different climbing/Komodo Dragon day journeys. However, if you happen to do base in Labuan Bajo, daily it is advisable to do a day journey and also you spend lots of time ferrying to and from locations whereas the Komodo Liveaboard diving expertise means you sleep the place you’re about to scuba dive within the morning!

• KOMODO LIVEABOARD: My favourite manner to get to Komodo and the choice I extremely recommend is to fly to Labuan Bajo after which guide a liveaboard so you may get pleasure from Komodo National Park at a leisurely tempo and sleep in some wonderful areas on the boat. This manner you may get up for a dawn hike, do an evening dive, or watch the sundown go down from the deck of your boat.

• BALI TO KOMODO LIVEABOARD: There can be the choice to get a liveaboard all the way in which from Bali. You will do some diving within the Lombok area earlier than making your approach to Komodo. I’ve by no means made this liveaboard journey from Bali to Komodo however can solely think about how wonderful that may be.

Click Here to match all liveaboards and to examine availability and pricing for the Komodo area.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT DIVING IN KOMODO

1. What is the most effective time of 12 months to go diving in Komodo National Park? The greatest time to go diving in Komodo National Park is between April and November when the climate is dry and the visibility is at its greatest.

2. What sort of marine life can I anticipate to see whereas diving in Komodo National Park? Komodo National Park is residence to over 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of coral, and a spread of different marine life, together with manta rays, sharks, and turtles.

3. Do I have to be an skilled diver to dive in Komodo National Park? Komodo gives a spread of diving alternatives, from drift dives to wall dives to nighttime dives, to swimsuit all ranges of expertise. However, some dive websites have sturdy currents, so it’s really useful to have some prior diving expertise.

4. What are the most effective dive websites in Komodo National Park? Some of the most effective dive websites in Komodo National Park embrace Batu Bolong, Castle Rock, Manta Point, and Crystal Rock.

5. Is it doable to dive with Komodo dragons whereas within the nationwide park? While it’s doable to come across Komodo dragons on a number of the islands inside the nationwide park, diving with them will not be allowed. The park rangers preserve an in depth eye on the dragons to make sure the security of holiday makers.

I hope you loved this information to diving in Komodo National Park, Indonesia.