Dive Review of Komodo Dancer in
Indonesia/Bali ,Gili,Satonda

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Komodo Dancer, Dec, 2007, by Dr. Tom Kelly, SC, USA4 ( Reviewer 6 reports). Report 3783.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Singapore Airlines allows two 70lbs pieces of luggage plus a carry on. Scuba gear and camera gear can easily approach or exceed 70lbs. The problem is getting to Singapore Airline, Continental Airlines only allows two 50lb pieces of luggage or pay "over-weight" charge of $50 per piece. In my case we had four pieces "over-weight" so that $200 going and coming on the domestic carrier. A total of $400! Make sure to fly Singapore Airlines, they have on some flights form New York a category called Executive Economy. This is like our domestic first class, wider seats (21 inches), better reclining, individual TV's with 21 channels, in flight meals. Between meals a snack bar in back of plane which had soups, drink, candy bars, sandwiches and free drinks and alcoholic beverages are free for those in Executive Economy. The flight from New York (newark)to Singapore is 18.5 Hours which leaves at 11 pm at night so take one or two AMBIEN CR 12.5mg you'll sleep 10 hours and not notice how long 18.5 hours can be. Best seats in Executive Economy are rows 31 and 34. Singapore doesn't pre-assign them as you "check-in". We had luck calling the Singapore Airline Desk in Newark (1-973-961-2592) and found an agent who would assign our seats a month out??? Once in the Singapore Airport, while waiting for your connecting flight to Bali go up to the 2nd floor were the Plaza Premium Lounge is located. For $25 a person you can shower, relax and sleep also included are hot heavy hor'doeuvres(french spelling?), sodas, beer, coffee, bottle water, newspapers. A shower is great after 24 hours of being in the different airports, our lay over was 6 hours in Singapore then 3 hours to Bali. In Bali, have your travelers agent, have someone meet you at the airport. Our travel agent is Lisa Wallner with Trip-N-Tour Pacific, she is very Knowledgeable and traveled. Consider staying in the Legian A rea or Seminyak Area away form the airport. Cond'e Nast Traveler Recommends the four seasons in Kuta where you can see and hear jets take off all day till 8 pm! We recommend the Oberie and the LEGIAN Bali. Don't confuse the Legion Bali with the Legian Beach Hotel a big mistake. The Legian Baqli is probalby our favorite and the Club rooms or/and Villas across the street (not beach side) are very exclusive and upscale with your own butler, concierge, private pools, musicians and free happy hours. The best place to change money was in the departure area (where you picked up your luggage) everywhere else including the hotels wasn't so good. The Komodo Dancer is showing its age (13 years old). Don't go unless you can get one of the two owner suites. the cabins below deck are very tight many had to take turns being the rooms to shower and change. Privacy is also a consideration as the owner suites are on the secluded top deck with larger room. The food was great and wonderfully different; i.e., snake fruit, dragon fruit, logans, mango stem and more. Sebastian was the best steward you could ask for , always with a drink or a hot desert after a dive. If you can, go when Gary Bevin is the cruise director for your week on 11 day trip. Gary went out of his way to make sure the current on all the dives were safe. Some of the dives have a ripping current and I would suggest not doing dives at GPS point or Pillarsteen. Gary Bevan also lead the shore excursions d many were incredible hikes up rocky outlooks that were a 1000 feet high with stunning panoramic views. Gary Bevan was also an incredible underwater photographer as well. When your memory card(s) for your dive camera was full Gary was there to down them to a disc. Gary had quite a computer system on the boat and he produced a cruise DVD ($60) at the end of the week.The " other cruise " director brings his girlfriend on the boat and forgets about customer service,,, but her service. The highlight of the trip was my wife and I snorkeling with mantas .The Only two concerns were how small and cramped the two dive tenders were. Put 7 divers, 2 boat handlers, scuba gear and cameras you were on top of one another. The other was the night crossings Lombok Strait and Sumbowa (Gili) Strait are quite rough I kinda wondered if we were going to make it---- so bring sea sick pills if you need them. They only put the sails up when leaving Bali and returning to Bali.I almost forget Komodo island it is amazing with 1500 Dragons running around this island. Bring Rupiah there's a small wood carving market on islands. The locals on Komodo can't use U.S. because there's no where to convert the money into Rupiah. One last note we bought beautiful wood carvings decided to ship the three statues back along with our scuba gear. U.P.S. quoted $1100 and DHL quoted $700.So you go with DHL, Right. When I get home DHL says there are some additional charges for Fumigation, wood crating, custom fees for a total of $1200 the three statues were only worth $14o but they have our scuba gear also , so you pay. Also we used WCC satellite phone through DAN it worked great in Indonesia. Followed up trip with three nights stay in Singapore at the Raffles Hotel. Please E-Mail me if I can answer more questions. painlesstom@hotmail.com
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Palau, Fiji, Tahiti, Bora-Bora, Taha'a, Raieta, Galapagos, All the Caribbean, Maui, Huahine,
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	currents
Water Temp	80-81°F / 27-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Komodo Dancer in Indonesia/Bali ,Gili,Satonda

Komodo Dancer, Dec, 2007,

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 Komodo Dancer in
Indonesia/Bali ,Gili,Satonda