Wakatobi-Bali Trip report

[Travelnsj]

Bali/Wakatobi Trip 9-27 thru 10-14…Part one..

Bali
Arrived in Bali from LA at about 2pm with severe jet lag. Upon arrival at the Bayou Cottages in Amed my over weighted 65 lbs dive bag was hoisted by two men and put atop a young ladies head, which she proceeded to walk up a couple flights a stairs. I said to the two guys that was tooooo heavy for them to carry…I got with a smile “our women are used to it.” I will not get used to that custom! The Amed region is remote nothing fancy here in this part of Bali. The Bayou Cottages was nice but not luxurious. Great staff, great food and nice rooms. The one thing that bothered me a bit was this hotel is built on a hillside with a major road in front of it. Therefore, you heard every car, motorbike etc…..but great view of the bay.

The first day we did a couple of dives on the Liberty Wreck. Sleeping shortly after arrival in the afternoon until Midnight, I thought I was rested up. Thus ambitious to do three dives. During the second dive at about 50’ I felt severe narcoses a couple of times thus I decided major hydration was needed along with a little more sleep. Our first dive was around the wreck. Saw a very large school of Jacks…a giant big fat Barracuda (at least 6’ long), big Napoleon Wrasse, frogfish, scores of small marine life. Very good dive…the second dive was more of diving inside the wreck and looking for smaller stuff. Rest of the diving was great saw a couple of Sharks, Rays, Cuttlefish, Sea Pens, Weird sea urchins, Flounders, Ornate ghost pipefish etc.

The Weather was wonderful and the water temperatures were around 81-82. If you are going thru Bali, Stop and Dive! My suggestion is dive in Tulamben. I also dove the Amed wall, which OK, I found more stuff in Tulamben and if you stay in Amed, it is a ½-hour drive daily. If you want to dive with the Mola Molas or Mantas in Nusa Penida (much cooler water) perhaps stay in a more central area as the daily drives to the sites are long. You will not regret a couple days or more of the diving and the wonderful hospitality.


Wakatobi

Wow what an operation. Our dive boat can hold up to around 30+ people….only 12 on board with two Instructors. My group has only 4 people and the other 3 are semi-professional photographers. Thus, I have my own dive guide! You analyze you own Nitrox tanks (they have 100’s for air hogs…Big smile) everything is put on the boats in the AM. They will set up for you if you like but I prefer to do my own. Excellent dive operation! The rooms are nice but basic and can get warm in the afternoon. The AC will get thing cooled down by about bedtime. The food…again Excellent great Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners. Did our check out dive plus a couple of other dives yesterday. Nothing to rave about yet. Vis was an issue yesterday about 30’ water temps around 81!…..have 9 days to go….time for breakfast and briefing….more to follow.

[deepdiver47]

You flew from LA to Bali direct? Ouch, that lag must be nasty. It will be worse on the way home brother

Bali (heavy sigh) this brings back memories of July where I was in the Tulamben staying at Scuba Seraya. I too did 2 wall dives in Amed that had some huge fans on them (must have been 9-12 feet across) and at 80-90 ft an awesome sight, But that was it, overall the diving in Amed was okay.

I hear you about those heads. I routinely saw 14 year kids with 100's on their heads while riding scooters! They smiled, smiled all the way. That is the thing about Bali, your jaw will hurt because you smile so much.

Liberty wreck = huge Jack fish bowl......really cool.


30' at Wakatobi? what is up with that? Did you have heavy surf conditions?

thanks for the report, keep up the good work!

Originally Posted by Travelnsj

Bali/Wakatobi Trip 9-27 thru 10-14…Part one..

Bali
Arrived in Bali from LA at about 2pm with severe jet lag. Upon arrival at the Bayou Cottages in Amed my over weighted 65 lbs dive bag was hoisted by two men and put atop a young ladies head, which she proceeded to walk up a couple flights a stairs. I said to the two guys that was tooooo heavy for them to carry…I got with a smile “our women are used to it.” I will not get used to that custom! The Amed region is remote nothing fancy here in this part of Bali. The Bayou Cottages was nice but not luxurious. Great staff, great food and nice rooms. The one thing that bothered me a bit was this hotel is built on a hillside with a major road in front of it. Therefore, you heard every car, motorbike etc…..but great view of the bay.

The first day we did a couple of dives on the Liberty Wreck. Sleeping shortly after arrival in the afternoon until Midnight, I thought I was rested up. Thus ambitious to do three dives. During the second dive at about 50’ I felt severe narcoses a couple of times thus I decided major hydration was needed along with a little more sleep. Our first dive was around the wreck. Saw a very large school of Jacks…a giant big fat Barracuda (at least 6’ long), big Napoleon Wrasse, frogfish, scores of small marine life. Very good dive…the second dive was more of diving inside the wreck and looking for smaller stuff. Rest of the diving was great saw a couple of Sharks, Rays, Cuttlefish, Sea Pens, Weird sea urchins, Flounders, Ornate ghost pipefish etc.

The Weather was wonderful and the water temperatures were around 81-82. If you are going thru Bali, Stop and Dive! My suggestion is dive in Tulamben. I also dove the Amed wall, which OK, I found more stuff in Tulamben and if you stay in Amed, it is a ½-hour drive daily. If you want to dive with the Mola Molas or Mantas in Nusa Penida (much cooler water) perhaps stay in a more central area as the daily drives to the sites are long. You will not regret a couple days or more of the diving and the wonderful hospitality.


Wakatobi

Wow what an operation. Our dive boat can hold up to around 30+ people….only 12 on board with two Instructors. My group has only 4 people and the other 3 are semi-professional photographers. Thus, I have my own dive guide! You analyze you own Nitrox tanks (they have 100’s for air hogs…Big smile) everything is put on the boats in the AM. They will set up for you if you like but I prefer to do my own. Excellent dive operation! The rooms are nice but basic and can get warm in the afternoon. The AC will get thing cooled down by about bedtime. The food…again Excellent great Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners. Did our check out dive plus a couple of other dives yesterday. Nothing to rave about yet. Vis was an issue yesterday about 30’ water temps around 81!…..have 9 days to go….time for breakfast and briefing….more to follow.

[Travelnsj]

I have done this route about 5 times...and the jet lag seems to get worse every year....LOL....I have found the one with the least Jet lag is going to Palau you get in at nite.

The vis sucks....no heavy surf conditions....the vis in Bali was great....hopefully it will clear up in a day or two.....back to lunch and another dive!

[ParrotheadDiver]

nice report....sounds like a good trip except for the jet lag part

[frrdiver]

Great Report!! Keep us informed. Want to go there next year!! I haven't decide if Wakatobi or Raja Ampat.

[Travelnsj]

Wakatobi,

When comparing dive locations, I judge everything against Palau for Pelagic’s plus overall best Bio-Diversity and East Timor for Corals and just plain weird stuff like Carpet anemones and Spanish Dancers etc. Wakatobi is most like Timor or overall probably better. Most of the diving is wall diving. Unfortunately, the visibility is/was only about 20’to 40’ max the entire time and the water temps were between 77 to 81 degrees…too cool for me. It looks as though there may sea life out there i.e. schools of fish but unless they come close, you cannot tell. There are pigmy seahorses to see (if you can), many types of Nudibranchs, Cuttlefish, Ornate Ghost Pipefish, flounders, Crockfish, Eggshell cowrie’s etc. Corals both soft and hard of almost every imaginable shape and color.

You can pretty much dive all you want as they have a great house reef in front of the resort. I tend not to dive to get wet and if all I am going see pretty much the same thing it becomes a bit redundant to me. Being I did travel all this way I did not miss a dive and added a 4th dive here and there. I found on a 70 minute dive there was only about 10 minutes of interesting diving to me, let me clarify I like to be entertained by the diving. In Wakatobi, you have to look and have patience to find your reward. There are people here that are in Heaven with this type of diving. In addition, I am diving a shorty with 100 tanks which I get around 70 minutes bottom time. After the 3rd dive in waters of 81 or less, it will takes me the end of the evening to start to break a sweat…I get downright chilled…LOL..My own internal AC.

Wakatobi is an excellent operation. I have visited about 20 to 25 different dive or dive resort operations around the world, Nothing compares to Wakatobi. The Indonesians take care of these boats like their own. One day after coming up for a dive I went to make a cup of Hot Chocolate, the boat captain waved me off. Not knowing what he meant, I soon learned. After every dive, I had Hot Chocolate waiting for me. The dive guides are mostly European coming from Germany, Austria, England, France and Switzerland. Alex my dive guide was as good as the best I have dove with anywhere. I cannot say enough about how excellent every facet of this dive operation is.

If you are into small stuff and have patience to find it, this is the place for you. I prefer more action and warmer waters and if that is what you are looking for….go to Palau, Tuamotus in Tahiti, Kiribati etc….well off for my final day of diving.

[deepdiver47]

Keep up the good work. so it si cool and cloudy in the water. 77 to 81 in a shortie? That would be a 3 mm full suit for me.

I am still perplexed by your viz, or lack of it. From all of the pics I have seen it should be gin clear. Is the house reef a muck dive? Muck diving isn't for this boy.

There is always Palau!

Indonesian service is second to none. And I'll bet your HC was given to you with a big smile.

[Travelnsj]

Originally Posted by deepdiver47

Keep up the good work. so it si cool and cloudy in the water. 77 to 81 in a shortie? That would be a 3 mm full suit for me.

I am still perplexed by your viz, or lack of it. From all of the pics I have seen it should be gin clear. Is the house reef a muck dive? Muck diving isn't for this boy.

There is always Palau!

Indonesian service is second to none. And I'll bet your HC was given to you with a big smile.

Nobody is more perplexed than me about the vis....it is unsual...but they say it has been this way for over a month!.....and the water is cooler than what they said it was.

If you like big stuff or ever med....do not come to Wakatobi....go to Palau...if you are into pigmy seahorses and nudis....you will love Wakatobi...plus it is the finest dive resort I have ever forund.

[bperrybap]

My wife and I were the second week of September 2007 just about
a month ago.
Vis was good at 60-100 ft sometimes more.
There were a few sites/dives where it dropped down to 30 ft
or so, but that wasn't the norm.

While there is quite a bit of muck diving for small stuff
there is more than just small stuff around.
If you move slowly and look around it is amazing
what will show up.

We saw 4-5 ft turtles every time we dove the house
reef. One time we swam with a school of 14 giant (3-4 ft)
bump head parrot fish on the house reef as well.

I saw a school of hundreds of puffer fish on one dive.
I never even knew they schooled.

Some sites we saw large (4ft+) alligator fish.
I got to see a cuttle fish for the first time. He was
about 18" long. Those things are very weird!

I got some great shots of a large frog fish (10-12 inches).

Just to mention a few.

The clarity and colors up in the shallows were amazing.
Lots of colorful fish and corals.

I attached a few un-touched up photos taken
with a DC-500 with no strobe using only natural light.
You can see how clear the water was.
One of my favorites is the shot looking up at the end of the
pier on the house reef while down at 40 ft just before
sunset.

Enjoy,

--- bill

[Travelnsj]

Bill unfortunitly I did not have the same vis....I am sure I would of enjoyed it more....I love that dive op!....when we dove Turkey Beach...many turtles....My trip report is posted.