Dive Review of Grand Komodo/Raja Ampat Dive Lodge in
Indonesia/Mansuar Island, Raja Ampat

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Grand Komodo/Raja Ampat Dive Lodge: "Raja Ampat Dive Lodge, Raja Ampat, Indonesia", Sep, 2014, by Peggy & Jose Miguel Duran M.D , TX, US ( Sr. Reviewer 10 reports with 9 Helpful votes). Report 8043 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	After 4 days of travelling we were wondering if it still was worth the trouble getting there. We did our first dive at 3 pm at Yenbuba Corner and were immediately delighted by schools of barracudas, batfish, surgeonfish, fusiliers dense enough to hide the reef, clouds of anthias, myriads of angels and vibrantly colored and healthy corals and sponges. At 90 feet we saw 2 white tips and 2 giant trevallies feeding on something under a coral head and circling together next to us for a long time; following a turtle I almost collided with a school of bumphead parrots. It was such sensory overload that we didn't see many of the fishes until we reviewed -more than once- our videos. We were in a state of bliss that continued through most of our dives for eight days. Worth it?. There is no better diving in the world. Period. This was our second stay at the Raja Ampat Dive Lodge, a first class dive resort, strategically located in the middle of the best dive sites in this area of Indonesia. It is a little piece of Bali recreated by Grand Komodo on Mansuar Island. We have done 21 trips with them in the last 12 years and to us they are the best and most reliable dive operation in Indonesia. The bungalows are by the water, spacious and airy, well furnished, air conditioned, and very clean with large bathrooms. There are also standard rooms for more frugal travelers. Beautifully landscaped paths along the beach lead to the main lodge/dining room where we enjoyed very good food both a la carte and buffet; later we would have our coffee in the spacious piers over the lagoon. All the staff were very friendly, competent and helpful, any problem with the room was fixed immediately. Communication in English was easy with all the persons we interacted with. The dive shop is large and well organized, close to the main dock and dive boats. There are fresh water tanks for cameras and suits and good showers. Most of our gear stayed in the boat between dives. We would suit up and step in the boats that were large, covered and well powered for faster rides. We were lucky to have one to ourselves for most of the stay and the dive guide and boat captain were excellent. Our guide carefully checked the site and the currents before we got in the water; we didn't see any other divers underwater most of the dives. Each day they offer two morning dives, with a surface interval on some beautiful beach while we ate our packaged snacks, the back to the lodge for lunch followed by an afternoon dive and a night dive if desired. The currents can be fierce but that's why having a skillful guide who knows the sites makes a huge difference. We are getting older and our guide made sure that every dive was comfortable and awesome. Sardine reef, Chiken reef, Cape Kri, Yenbuba, Arborek and so many other sites have to be experienced to be believed. We started coming to Raja Ampat in 2001 and every time we come back we are happy to see that the reefs and the fish life remain as healthy and abundant as it was then. The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and the Indonesian government have done a great job of enlisting the villagers to protect their reefs and sea life. We divers also have to do our best to preserve them. There were lots of sharks from white and black tips to wobeggons on almost every dive, zebra sharks and walking epaulette sharks on night dives in the lagoon by the boat pier. Many, many turtles, sweetlips, napoleons, groupers, surgeons and fusiliers. Saw some mantas although less than last year, probably due to the season. Large numbers of nudibrachs and every macro critter too, not as many as Ambon or Lembeh but those locations don't have the huge schools of fishes, magnificent corals and undersea landscapes that are the signature of this area. Until our first visit last year we had done most of our diving from liveaboards. At RADL we again had a very comfortable stay and incredible diving. As always Grand Komodo did a wonderful job arranging our local flights and hotels, and a guided visit to Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi. Garuda Airlines does not charge for luggage excess weight if you tell them you are divers. Of course we will be back next year.
Websites	Grand Komodo Raja Ampat Dive Lodge
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Sea of Cortez, Philipines, Galapagos, Maldives, Andamans, PNG, Palau, Solomons, Bali, Komodo, Taka Bone Rate, Wakatobi, Bunaken, Lembeh, Halmahera, Tidor, Ternate, Misool, Togians, Banda Sea, Alor, Flores, Ambon.
Closest Airport	Sorong, Indonesia	Getting There	Singapore Airlines Houston to Manado, Garuda Airlines to Sorong, boat ride to RADL on Mansuar.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	82-85°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No restrictions, Diving according to experience and skill, sixty minute dives suggested but not enforced.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Camera room/Charging station at Dive Center, We set up our equipment in our bungalow.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Grand Komodo/Raja Ampat Dive Lodge in Indonesia/Mansuar Island, Raja Ampat

Grand Komodo/Raja Ampat Dive Lodge: "Raja Ampat Dive Lodge, Raja Ampat, Indonesia", Sep, 2014,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Grand Komodo/Raja Ampat Dive Lodge in
Indonesia/Mansuar Island, Raja Ampat