Trip Report

Happy to report, Bali and Komodo exceeded our expectations! 

This was our first (certainly not the last) trip to Indonesia.  There is room on the Feb Raja Ampat trip. We have been hearing wonderful things about the culture, food and diving for years and the rumors are all true!

Our trip started in the small seaside town of Amed, Bali.  One single lane lined with small hotels and tiny guest houses, restaurants, bars, massage spas and more dive shops that you can imagine.  We arrived a few days before our divers so we could get the lay of the land and have the road paved and easy with a local dive shop all set up, figure out the best place to have a ($10 per hour!!) massage and a delicious ($5 or under) lunch.  It’s hard work, but someone has to do it.  

The 5 room private villa is beautiful, overlooking the ocean.  King size canopy beds, ice cold air con, ornately detailed natural outdoor showers, lush tropical outdoor lounge area with an inviting infinity pool.  There are several very good restaurants and spas in the immediate area, walking is no problem, or you can give a little notice and the villa’s private driver will be happy to drive you to any place in the Amed area, it’s included with the villa.  Breakfast was a treat.  Fresh papaya, dragon fruit, watermelon…  You could get bacon and eggs, or the local fried noodle or fried rice or banana pancake.  Just choose the evening before and your choice appears in the fresh air dining area in the morning.

The local dive shop collects the divers/snorkelers after breakfast.  Once you show the dive guides how you like your gear set up, you don’t have to worry about it again!  They set it up, carry it to the transport, take it to the beach/boat, take it back after the dives, wash it and store it until the next day.  Super service, and so easy for us! They threw us a party at end of week.  Video of dive shop “safety dance”.

Diving in Amed was varied, and I don’t mean good/bad.  It was so different!  We dove the famous Liberty wreck, which lived up to the reputation.  There was everything from barracuda and big sweetlips to nudibranch, peacock mantis shrimp and ornate ghost pipefish!  What’s not to like?  Muck diving sounds gross, but it is really just diving without a big reef structure.  We did quite a few muck dives in Amed.  There isn’t any muck!  lol  There was sand, some small sea grass/sponges/rocks/corals and a ton of weird life!  From seahorses (pigmy and standard), nudibranch of many colors and sizes, pipefish, hairy shrimp, squat lobsters, ghost pipefish, orangutan crabs, teeny tiny frogfish…  So many things!  Each dive is like an Easter egg hunt.  Stupendous week in Amed!  So glad we are going back.

Mermaid II liveaboard was recommended to us by one of our well traveled dive friends.  (Thanks V!)  The experience was even better than we anticipated.  The dive crew was a well oiled machine.  Our gear was always ready, tanks full.  They even put our fins on for us in the rib boat before dives.  Top notch service!  The guides really have an eye for the critters. Famous dive sites like Manta Alley(so many mantas, close up and personal!), Shotgun, where the current rips along and literally shoots you out of the narrows are not to be missed.  We had the best night dives, with the most diversity.  Stargazers, giant eels, bobtail squid, pigmy squid, halimeda pipefish, mini frogfish, so many shrimp, spanish dancers and too many weird and wonderful things to mention!  Best night dives we have ever done!

Food above water was out of this world.  Every meal was delicious onboard and Desi made sure we were well taken care of.  She even found out who likes it spicy and brought up the heat with some delicious house made sauces.  

Halloween night, we had a night dive followed by a little party, complete with spooky decorations and costumes.  We even brought some extra dress up things and candy for the crew!  There was music and a bit of dancing.  Fun night!

Mermaid II made life great by offering massages onboard for 25 Euro per hour.  Dezi was a very popular lady with our group of divers!  Laundry service was also available onboard, which is wonderful.

Sadly, our time aboard the Mermaid II came to an end and we spent the night in Sanur.  Arrangements had been made at a nice restaurant very close to our hotel for a farewell dinner party.  Dinner and drinks were delicious!  Complements of Matt.  

Back to Amed for another week at the private villa, just as wonderful the second time around with new dive friends!

Here are a few pics!

pool party at the villa

Komodo national park dragon country

threadfin anthias

Ribbon Sweetlips

there were nudibranch all over the place

plenty of mantas at the aptly named manta alley

Night dives had lots of cool critters

game fish on almost every dive

giant clams were pretty common but not everywhere

seeing a ribbon eel a treat

One week liveaboard to Komodo National Park plus a week in a Bali Villa

Island Divers Hawaii Dive Travel, private boat, Oct 10th to 17th 2020 on the MV Mermaid II

This trip is centered around the 20 passenger liveaboard that departs from Bali on Oct 10th and returns on the 17th.  This one week 20 dive itinerary starts in Bali and dives the Indonesian island chain eastward to Komodo National Park, where we will both dive and visit the dragons on land.   See full itinerary below.  We have also booked the Villa Candi Matahari for the week before and the week after.  This beautiful 5 room private resort only accommodates 10 guests, so you will have to pick the week before or the week after for your land-based resort adventure.

So, trip dates are either:      Oct 4th to Oct 18th      or      Oct 10th to Oct 25th.

Oct 4th to Oct 18th, 2020

Arrive Sunday Oct 4th for transportation 2.5 hours north to Villa Candi Matahari.  The resort provides transportation from the airport to the resort as part of the service.  As most of you know however Island Divers clients may arrive from just about anywhere in the world.  Matt and Sheila will have your arrival information and organize alternative transportation if you arrive separately from the main part of the group.  It is also possible to arrive a day early and stay in the resort area near the airport.  We are working with Akaya Bali Sanur with is $90 per night for the room ($45 pp dbl occ).  One way cars from the airport can be arranged for $30 (probably only 2 people with the amount of luggage we are likely to have).  It is possible to organize this yourself at the lower end of the cost scale.

On Oct 10th the resort will transport us as a group to the vessel where we will board between 1pm and 3pm.   The 10th to the 17th is the liveaboard diving adventure.

On Oct 17th we will leave the boat in the morning and transfer as a group to the Akaya Bali Hotel near Sanur beach for an overnight stay before departure on Oct 18th.  Of course, if you wish you can schedule your flight out on the 17th, but we are hoping to have a night on the town together as a group that you might not want to miss.

Oct 10th to Oct 25th, 2020

Komodo Indonesia

This half of the group will be going straight to the liveaboard upon arrival.  However, boarding is from 1pm to 3pm on the 1oth, so you may need and or want to arrive on the 9th and transfer to the Akaya Bali Hotel.  I gather that there is some flexibility in boarding time, but the scheduled boat departure time is 4pm, so if you flight gets much after that better plan an overnight.  If you need/want an extra night $90 ($45 per person) for a room and a $30 private car transfer puts you on any schedule you like.  We can organize this for you.

From Oct 10th to 17th we are going to have a great time on the Komodo National Park Mermaid itinerary.  See that below.

On the 17th we depart the boat and transfer to the Akaya Bali Hotel.  A night on the town near Sanur beach anyone?

On the 18th of October, Sunday, the Villa Candi Matahari transportation will collect us for the 2.5 hour trip up to the resort.

Will need to depart on the morning of the 25th so that they can get ready to welcome their next group of guests.  Feel free to ask us to arrange a few more days in the resort area at Akaya Bali Hotel.

The Liveaboard

Download the PDF of the itinerary here.

We start and end in Bali, with some incredible stuff in between.  Besides a land tour seeing the dragons, some highlights that I’m looking forward to:  manta alley, wild animals along the beach at Cannibal Rock, possible mola mola, Sangeang Volcano, Moryo Island, ghost pipe fish, ribbon eels.

Of course, as with anything on the water, the itinerary is subject to change.   What is likely true of this operator just like any other: they are going to give us the best the got weather and safety permitting.  That’s what we do.  Mermaid Liveaboards also have a great reputation in the industry, and some of our local divers that I trust have used them and loved them.  There is no reason to expect anything but excellence.

On board everything is included except nitrox at $7 a tank or $100 for the week, beers are about $3.50, and t shirts $18 and polos $25.  Everything is more or less as they bill in Euros and that means to us it can change.

One question I always get is about tipping.  For a liveaboard you could go as high as $300 or 10%, but I’d say that is quite a bit for a 20 dive trip, $200 is more like $10 a dive and that is still pretty high.  I think the guide to diver ratio is 1:4 though.  Got to remember though there tips are going around the whole boat.  If you pin me down I’d say $200, then adjust based on exceeding expectations.

You can do further research on the Mermaid liveaboards here.

Villa Candi Matahari

The group is going to split into 2 for visiting this small private resort.  It is basically a beautiful high end private property 2.5 hours up the coast from the airport.  One group is going to go before the liveaboard, and one group is going to go after.  Matt and Sheila are going to spend the first week in the Villa, the week after the liveaboard we are going to travel up to the Villa with the group and hang out for a couple of days off property, just to make sure everyone is settled and has a handle on the diving.

This is going to be a little different than our usually trip, as the resort is not actually a dive resort.  Here’s what’s included:

* accommodation for 10 people in 5 king bed suites

Diving

Some other activities that we might arrange while we are there:

For food, we are on our own after breakfast, but the staff is willing to cook for us if we want to have lunch and dinner at the house.  We’ll probably do this at least a couple of times, but there are some recommended restaurants in the area.  I’m sure the ones catering to tourists are more expensive but more expensive is pretty relative if Bali.

Rooms

There are only 5 rooms in the resort.  There is one Panoramic Ocean View Penthouse.  First come first serve on that in order of deposit received.  That one will only be a $60 upgrade per person for the week.  The other 4 rooms are Deluxe Ocean View (2) and Ocean View Villas (2).  I’ll ask you your preference in order of deposit received, but there is really no bad rooms in this place, it is all ultra deluxe.  Those of you that have been traveling with us for a while know that we usually go for above average, but not the highest end.  Well, we have made an exception in Bali, because well, everything is cheaper there and it fits in that price range we (and our guests) are comfortable with.

Random Details

Don’t change money at the airport, apparently better deals are had elsewhere, Villa Candi Matahari staff will steer us in the right direction.

Electric at the resort is 230V/50Hz, some adaptors available, but if you want to bring they look like this

The single occupancy rate on this trip is just twice a double occupancy rate.  Triple occupancy not available.  Non-divers pay the normal rate.

At the time this trip was put together I found a plan fare from IAH (Houston) to DPS (Bali) for $695, and one from HNL to DPS for $764.  $687 out of JFK.  These are round trip prices!

Sea temp average is 81F or 27C.

Mola mola are in season up the mid October, that’s why we pushed the fall trip earlier, maybe we will get lucky.  I hope so. 

While beer in Bali is cheap, spirits are even more than US prices.  You are allowed 1L to bring in the country.  You should do it.  If you don’t drink spirits talk to Sheila, she’d probably ask you to bring another bottle of vodka.

Pricing

$4382.50 per person.  Standard 2 person stateroom on Mermaid II and king bed accommodation at Villa Candi Matahari

$3832.50 per person. 2 person  accommodation with 4 people shared bath on Mermaid II and king bed accommodation at Villa Candi Matahari

$60 per person upgrade to Panoramic Ocean View Presidential Suite at Villa Candi Matahari (1 available per week)

Inclusions

• Oct 10th to 17th Bali to Komodo liveaboard on MV Mermaid II (dbl occ)
  • full board
• $192.50 USD Komodo National Park Fee
• RT Transfers from airport to liveaboard on sailing dates
• Oct 17th/18th at Akaya Bali Sanur with breakfast (full group)
• Oct 4th to 10th OR Oct 18th to 25th accommodation at Villa Candi Matahari (dbl occ)
  •  accommodation for 10 people in 5 king bed suites
  • Fully staffed with cooks, concierge service, cleaning staff, and driver
  • Daily Breakfast for all guests
  • Round trip ground transportation from/to DPS airport in Bali
  • one hour massage, one each
  • Free shuttle service in the Amed area
  • 1 Special Island Feast Dinner (usually the last evening of each package) with traditional *Balinese food and Dancing performed poolside.
• RT Transfers to Villa Candi Matahari

Exclusions

• Airfare
• Nitrox on MV Mermaid 96 Euro
• Beer on MV Mermaid 3 Euro
• Scuba Gear Rental
• All meals not mentioned
• Diving and Tours at Villa Candi Matahari
• Early Arrival and Late Departure Hotel ($90 USD) and Car Service ($30USD)
• Required Dan Insurance or equivalent
• Trip Cancellation Insurance

An unlikely but potentially problematic detail

The mermaid liveaboard books in Euros.  The pricing is $3000 Euros.  USD have been trading around 1.1, so that came to $33oo.  I added the park fee at 175 Euros or $192.50 and it came to $3492.50.  Another $890 for the week at Villa Candi Matahari (and the extra day hotel) and that’s how I came up with $4382.50.  If the exchange rate goes past 1.2 Euros per USD then the increased cost will have to get passed on.  Unlikely, but possible.

Payments

Checks to Dive Travel Services at PO Box 30108 Honolulu HI 96820.  $500 holds a spot and possibly more important allows you to pick before or after the liveaboard for the week at Villa Candi Matahari.  There is also the ability to grab the penthouse room if you wanted it.  Additionally, there are only 4 spaces for the cheaper liveaboard spot if that is something you wanted.

Payment Schedule

$500 deposit – holds a space

$1000 payment ($1500 total) by April 1st, 2020

Balance Due July 1st 2020

Payments are non refundable for any reason.  That being said we will work with any resort or operator or airline to secure a refund if possible.  Don’t count on this though, Dive Travel Services makes commitments based on trip payments, and our payment schedule is based on their non-refundable deadlines, so getting it back is not very likely.  Get travel insurance from DAN!