Raja Ampat

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

Raja Ampat: Wild West of Scuba Diving

Raja Ampat is still the Wild West (well, East if you’re in Indonesia) of Scuba Diving.

We’re all aware of Raja Ampat’s beauty topside, the pristine corals, diversity of marinelife, tropical climate, the unrivalled smiles of the local people – everything needed to become a huge magnet for adventurers.

Thankfully, despite its growing fame, Raja Ampat is not yet on the tourist or backpacker trails. However, visiting remote islands and communities means a lack of local homestays and amenities.

If as a diver, you prefer land-based, imagine an eco-friendly environment in a secluded area. Escape from ‘the crowds’; the continual hum of your everyday life will be replaced by birdsong, the breeze in the coconut palms, and waves on the shore. What bliss!

If you love the biodiversity part of Raja Ampat but prefer more ‘home comforts’, you could choose an upmarket dive resort or liveaboard. Please ask my Dive Travel Consultants for recommendations.

Diving in Raja Ampat

Diving-wise, Raja Ampat can be divided into two areas: North and South.

North Raja Ampat centres around Mansuar Island and the Dampier Strait; this is where you’ll find most of the dive resorts. Here you can explore famous dive sites such as Chicken Reef – nowhere is known to be ‘sharkier’ (including Wobbegongs!) or more accessible. If you are coming for Manta, Manta Sandy is best October – April. For muck and macro (although the Tulamben area in NE Bali is hard to beat), we’ve heard 12-20m depth on Saporkren Jetty at Waigeo island is incredible: Bobtail squid, flying flatworms, Boxer crabs, Colemani shrimp, and more!

Misool is located to the south of the main islands. Compared to North Raja Ampat, Misool offers better visibility and gorgeous soft corals. The highlights at Magic Mountain are barracuda and Napoleon wrasse but this is also the place where you’ll encounter giant black Pacific Manta rays. All other dive sites are now within the marine reserve meaning the shark and fish populations grow every year.

Diving Seasons

The north of Raja Ampat is more sheltered therefore it’s diveable year-round. The ‘rainy seasons’ are November – December and July – August. For the Misool area, resorts are closed June-September due to rough seas and high waves

In short, everywhere in Raja Ampat is phenomenal! Let us know how we can help you start your planning!

Bali Topside Activities

Posted on April 12, 2024April 12, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

Comment

Bali Topside Activities with AquaMarine

It is difficult to know where to start when listing Bali’s topside activities as they range from bird-watching walks and Balinese cookery courses to downhill cycling tours through Bali’s heartland and the ever-popular surfing as well as world-renowned golf courses. You can study puppetry or make your own batik sarong, learn the Balinese gamelan (xylophone) or try Balinese dancing.

Whitewater rafting is available and you can horseride on the beach or through the rice fields. Several companies offer Daytime and Dinner cruises. Watersports abound: fishing, wind-surfing, para-sailing, banana-boating.

These days Bali is the spa capital of Southeast Asia with many hotels boasting their own spas and many independent spas throughout the island. Holidays are the perfect time to indulge yourself: treatments for jetlag and sunburn are usually available!

Shopping and therefore bargaining (hard) is a way of life here, whether it’s for handicrafts, furniture, paintings, stone and wood carvings, fabric and soft furnishings, clothing, jewellery; whatever you need, it’s here in Bali. There are many cargo companies, too…

But perhaps the most enjoyable and educational activity of all is to learn about and experience Balinese culture. Deeply rooted in daily activities, ceremonies (such as tooth-filing) to mark each stage of this life can be witnessed all over the island. Visits to beautiful and spectacularly located temples are within 1-2 hours of most hotels in Bali.

Come and experience
The Island of the Gods for yourself
– you’ll find it hard to leave!

Dive Site: Amed

Posted on April 5, 2024April 5, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

Comment

Dive Site Amed: A Little Known Treasure

Amed, the village, is located on the north east coast of Bali. Amed was traditionally dependent on salt-panning and fishing. Despite the arrival of tourists, Amed has retained the feeling of making it a place where people stay for weeks at a time.

Amed area is quiet with a lovely scenery. It makes a great location for 1 Day Bali Dive Trips. Conditions here, from the sandy shore or using an outrigger boat, are easy, with good visibility.

The dive sites actually stretch along the coast from Amed village (muck site) to Jemeluk and Bunutan, and beyond to Lipah Bay (Japanese Wreck site). Access to the various Amed dive sites is either from the shore or by jukung (local boat).

Popular Dive Sites in Amed

Popular sites in the area include Bunutan Point, the Japanese Wreck and Gili Selang.

Amed Reef (depth 12-22m), with many different kinds of sponges and Gorgonian seafans, is home to marinelife that includes lobsters, shrimp and goby sets, Blue-spotted rays, pygmy seahorses, and schools of fish from anthias to barracuda.

White-tip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, Giant trevally and large schools of bannerfish, snapper, and fusilier can be found at Amed Wall (10-35m). The deep slope after the wall is rich in invertebrates with crinoids and commensals.

Bunutan Point (18-25m) starts with a gentle sandy slope which often has many different nudibranchs and other macro critters. Visibility is usually good although sometimes there are thermoclines.

Lipah Bay (3km south east of Amed), a small black sand bay, is home to The Japanese Wreck, a 20m steel freighter wreck (5-15m) that is encrusted with sponges, Gorgonian seafans and coral bushes, and inhabited by anthias, parrotfish and angelfish. The deeper slope has interesting seafans and is often dotted with a wide variety of nudibranchs.

The small island of Gili Selang on Bali’s eastern point has some protected areas with big bommies and low-lying, healthy corals where you may see White-tip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses. The more exposed areas may have strong currents but can provide the opportunity to see large pelagics. Gili Selang can also be reached by fast boat from Padangbai.