Bali in Oct...where to dive for 2 days?

I am heading to Bali in Oct, jumping to Alor for some diving. I arrive at about 01:00 so planning to spend that day and the next at Ubud, adjusting to the local time before diving. This will leave me 2 days for diving prior to starting toward Alor. Never been to Bali, hope to visit again but you never know the future.

Some many here know Bali.. so giving 2 days of diving there would you:

a) Stay on the east side and take a boat trip for a chance at Mola Mola's?

Write up's here talk of crowds, great if you see the Mola Mola...big fish encounters can be excellent or non-existent based on the whims of the fish. With boat diving for a week, wondering if more boat diving is the way to go?

b) go further north and dive the Tulamben - Liberty area?

the Liberty gets busy as well but can do it early and late to avoid some of this. Can dive as much as you want since its shore based...no boat and limited travel for a few days. After a 29 hr trip to get there, seems not traveling via boat for 2 days would be nice.

I was all set to go with (b) above until I talked with a dive instructor who has been to Bali several times and strongly encouraged going for the Mola Mola's instead. So wondering the best course...

Never been anywhere near Indonesia so only seen the wonderful creatures in pictures. Most all the creatures will be new to me (except for those present in Fiji and French Poly).

For those in the know...If you only had 2 days to dive Bali then heading to Alor for a week...what would you recommend?

Not looking for recommendations for resort/accommodations. There are plenty of threads on that here already and I have read them many times.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Dave

I'd suggest Tulamben & Seraya. Both have great muck. Lots of fish species around Liberty wreck. Nitrox is available at Wreck Divers in Tulamben. If your into the small stuff, check that your guide knows where to look for your wish list subjects. Dropoff area is an ok reef dive.

Both are good options, Manta point (usually done the same trip as a mola-searching dive) is also a great dive.

Who are you going to dive with Dave? I've heard good things about http://www.aquamarinediving.com/ if you want to head over to Nusa Penida. In October you might have a chance to see some Molas. I can't speak from personal experience, not yet anyway.

Cheers,

Steve

Liberty Wreck at Tulamben is a good dive so is Seraya for muck. You may also want to consider Manta Point. I was there early this month diving with BIPD, they are a good bunch people.

Alor is actually known for having decent chance for encounters with Mola Mola as well, but I'm not sure if there is a particular season that would be best. You may want to check with the local dive operators there. Sept/Oct is a good time to see them in Nusa Penida/Lembongan, but expect crowds. We went last Oct and there were quite a few boats in Crystal Bay. We saw one Mola Mola and as soon as it appeared, there were a bunch of people chasing it down for a closer look and so it didn't hang out for very long. If it is the season in Alor, you will certainly have far less people around to spoil it. Aquamarine Divers have their own boats in Padang Bai and they are fast and comfortable. It is a fairly short ride to Nusa Penida, half hour as I recall. If you choose to go with them, I'd suggest staying in Padang Bai or Candidasa to be close to the boats. Two days is perfect for some relaxing dives in Tulamben. If you stay in Tulamben, you can usually get a dive or two in, on the Liberty wreck, before the day crowds get there. There are some good spots nearby for reef and muck later in the day. As mentioned, you really can't go wrong with either choice.

Vijay

Don't believe the hype about Molas in Alor. One should talk to Donovan or Graeme about the number of sightings over the last 5 years even before comparing it to Bali or Socal.

Tulamben has a great wreck with nice life and the surrounding area is muck galore. Great place to break in from jetlag with plenty of dives. My recommendation is to dive the wreck/drop off from a boat so you can finish where you want and not have to swim back to shore.

Penida/Lembongan for Manta/Molas 3 dive option is a great way to spend the day out on the boat. Yes there are crowds at crystal bay but there are other sites with molas. Not necessary to be a crystal bay. Penida is reachable from Sanur and Padang Bai but Padang Bai is 1.5 hr+ from the airport, not something you want to deal with if you are trying to make a flight in the morning. One ceremony or accident and you're sunk. Plus the trips to the northern sites of Penida are shorter but not so the southern parts for the mantas for eg.

From Sanur, if the tide is out, it can be a bit of a walk to the boats but the crew carry everything. Sanur is also a nicer place to stay than Padang Bai, with some decent restos and dive gear should u be missing anything. It's also 20-30mins from Seminyak and the airport.

I use BIDP exclusively for all of my diving in Bali, except for Tulamben where I tend not to have a DM anyways. Disclosure: BIDP's boss is a good friend of mine since I've been using them for over 10 years).

The 3 dive ops/resorts in Alor dive the same area so you'll get wonderful walls, pelagics and corals. The few muck sites in the Kalabahi bay aren't as prodigious as Tulamben, as far as my 20 odd dives go but that's too few data points to have anything definitive on any site. Southern Pantar has some nice muck sites but a long ride by boat.

So if you do do Tulamben, stay one night and stay nearer the airport the night before your Kupang flight. Same for Padang Bai.

Good luck with your choice. You could also keep everything open by contacting the dive ops and decide closer to the date to see what is happening in terms of conditions etc. That's what I do but you run the risk of messing up accommodation choices being last minute.

Thanks for all the replies.

Steve,

I have not decided who to dive with at Bali at this point. I want to dive Nitrox so leaning toward using Tulamben Wreck divers as the dive guides...but not decided.

Drew,

I have the good fortune to be doing a live-aboard at Alor for the week. So we will not be limited to shore access locations. Its a 30 meter boat with 7 Aussies and me plus our Aussie 'host'. Hoping they are willing to 'adopt' me for the week.

Thank you for the comments about Mola's at Alor. I know they have been seen sometime but I will not expect any.

Our connection does not let us make it all the way to Alor in one day so we are staying at Kupang overnight. Any suggestions for the time there is welcome. The good news of that is we arrive at Alor early in the day and arrive at the first dive site before lunch.

I had not considered having trouble getting back to the airport at Bali on the day departing to Kupang. Thanks for the head's up! I will adjust accordingly.

While I would love to see Mola's, I am thinking the jet lag will be significant. I keep thinking a long day out on the boat might not be the ticket. At Tulamben, I can dive more or dive less - depending on how I feel so I think I will take that route.

Just wanted to know if I was missing the 'chance of a lifetime' with the Mola's. Too many trip writeups like Indoreef with limited Mola sighting and having them driven off by over anxious divers.

I will definitely request diving the Liberty via boat.

Dave

Dave

Tulamben Wreck Divers are situated behind the main road on the wreck stretch of the beach. They will likely not have a boat dive for the wreck but other places (like Seraya Secrets) shouldn't be a problem. Just beware some operators just park the jukung at the beach and you dive from shore.

Scuba Seraya has nitrox as well and their guides knows the house reef very well. It's right on the beach and the house reef is Seraya Secrets, one of the best invert places in Bali. Their boat also goes out to the wreck in 5 minutes and is a real zodiac and not a jukung. While a jukung is fun to sit on and take pictures, diving from one isn't fun. It's slow and uncomfortable. I now only stay at Scuba Seraya when I go to Tulamben, a. because the owner, Patrick, is a dive buddy, b. because it's a nice place with easy access to good muck diving and c. the staff are excellent.

If you think jet lag is an issue, then stay in Sanur for the 1st day and relax. Hit the spa and get a massage. Then do the mola/manta dive. It's less traveling by car and more R&R time with better food than anything at Tulamben. To travel 2.5hrs to Tulamben crash for the day and get maybe 3 dives in is just a lot of time wasted since you only have 2 days.

The problem with many operators is that they go to Crystal Bay or TP or SD for Molas. There are other places that have almost no people. Talk to the ops. I still think you should just contact the ops and ask them for the conditions just before you take off. And decide then. Just talk to them about options. A good ops will give you options to suit conditions.

Drew,

thanks for the additional information. You are giving me good things to ponder and I really appreciate your time and consideration.

I have 4 days in Bali before leaving for Alor... 2 in Ubud, 2 diving.

My first 'day' (arriving at 01:00 at the airport), I will go to Ubud, stay there the next night as well then go to a dive related location the second aftn. That puts me diving a bit over 48 hrs from arrival.

Then I have 2 days of diving with no travel....except to get back nearer the airport on the second dive day if I am at Tulamben.

I may indeed wait until just prior to departure to decide, as you suggest. Seems like good advice except for my stress level for not having a plan. Since I will be traveling solo...I was considering having a spot with beach view so I could relax between dives and watch the world go by. If I wait, those places will likely be gone....but maybe the diving arrangements might be better.

The real dread is the return home...2 hops from Alor during the day, kill about 8 hrs some place not too far from the airport...be back to the airport at midnight for the 02:00 flight and the 29 hrs home. That seems like a "not too fun" day. Maybe I will go to Sanur for a massage that aftn.

Don't believe the hype about Molas in Alor. One should talk to Donovan or Graeme about the number of sightings over the last 5 years even before comparing it to Bali or Socal.

Good to know about the Molas in Alor. I've never been there, but had heard there was a cleaning station where they are frequently seen. Guess even the Mola spas are better in Bali now.

Alor molas are there. I personally saw 3 in my various trips. There's no reason why not since the topography is similar to Penida, except for the through flow. However, the area to cover in Pantar straits is much bigger. Logic makes the hit ratio lower than Bali.

Dave, Oct can be a busy month. but Tulamben has a bunch of places now. Using a dive ops to book would give you options on resorts as well.

As for the end trip, hire a car with driver, dump all the stuff in there and eat well in Seminyak (Sarong or Metis) before jumping on the plane. I know many people have recommended drivers they've used in other reports. I have several drivers I use too.

I agree Scuba Seraya is the place to be. We were able to dive the Liberty every dawn and night (with no crowds), unlimited shore/muck all day (without a guide), and easily arranged a morning trip to Nusa Penida. Even if the Molas aren't there, it's really beautiful. I stayed at Wreck Divers the year before, and although they're dive op is top notch, there is no comparison on the rooms or grounds; Seraya is gorgeous. Wreck Divers is more of a nice backpacker's.

Go to Wayan's for dinner and ask them what the fresh catch is!

I have been given the impression that Scuba Seraya is located such that you cannot really walk to the village, etc. But I have never been there. If you have a partner to keep you company, this may not be an issue. Since I will be going Solo for that time, walking around and seeing different people/settings might be rather nice. Similarly, since I am going solo, I will likely only be in the room to down load pictures, hang up dive gear and sleep.

Have been thinking about the Liberty Dive Resort. It will likely not compare to Scuba Seraya in many ways but you can have an ocean view room for about $40. Then I can see the ocean as I download pics.

Anyone know much about this resort? Its run by someone named Wayan, if I understand correctly.

With tax included, Scuba Seraya is about $180 a night to see the ocean from your room. But I can imagine its very nice.

True Dave -- I would not want to be at Seraya without a friend or two! When I was by by myself I stayed at Wreck Divers and met all sorts of cool people. It's right across the street from Wayan's Warung and the great beachbar (w/ wifi) at Tauche Terminal. It's cheap and Australian owned. Very pro. To get to the wreck you walk across the street, into the water, and you're there.

The one issue I am having with selecting a place to stay...

Many here recommend boat diving the wreck, which sounds good to me. But the Tulamben resorts all seem to really only want to provide shore diving...which makes sense for them since they are right at the shore.

Not certain which way to go to get boat dives but be next to the village as well.

well getting in from shore was sometimes no picnic, but otherwise i don't see what the difference is. it was certainly much cheaper to do it that way, and you can go whenever you want (vs waiting for min pax).

Staying in "town" will make it easier to meet others to share the boat to NP (it's expensive) as there are so many dive shop choices.

You're sort of stuck at Seraya....

Although....that muck site (Seraya Secrets) out front is fantastic! And you don't want to be at the wreck mid-day anyway, (unless you enjoy getting kicked in the head). But you can always get a boat/car to take you down there.

The problem with shore entry at the Liberty Wreck is that you are walking on smooth slippery rocks the size varying between golf balls and hard balls. That added to some small waves and carrying a photo rig leads to some major balance problems. Having a guide to lend you a hand is very helpful. The wreck is close to shore and no big deal to get to, but as suggested dive there early or late to avoid the crowds. Since you have only two days and don't know Bali, I would suggest you contact: http://www.aquamarinediving.com/, they will make the trip hassle free and can arrange everything from airport pick up to outstanding dive guides. Bali is wonderful, enjoy it.

The "village" of Tulamben is nothing really worth seeing - a very small commercial strip and some houses that have grown up to service the dive resorts. For the short time you're there, hang out at the resort bar and make your new friends there

Phil

Dave, if you are looking for local people watching, Seraya is much more interesting. Run or walk north along the beach (just watch for the cow turd mounds!) and you'll see fishermen tending to their boats all along the beach and you'll see plenty of locals in the sleepy village. I've even played football (soccer) with the local guys. At scuba seraya, maisonnettes 3-6 have an ocean view past the restaurant and grounds and they have a proper chair and desk in the rooms to view it from. You don't need to book the villas, although they are very nice, being beach front and having the sala outside. They have switched to charging in € instead of the tanking US$. So, if Seraya isn't in your budget, then the strip ops will have to do. Just remember ocean view isn't always beach front.

Scuba Seraya does not have a minimum number for runs around Tulamben. Like most other resorts doing boat dives, the staff will unload the photo and dive gear for you. All you have to do is take care of yourself. It's just so much more comfortable. Even when doing a shore dive, the staff will carry your camera, and even tank if you want.

Chavala, you took the boat from Tulamben to Penida??? That's a long haul!