In late November of 2021, I had the pleasure of being able to visit a brand new snorkel and dive resort in Indonesia called Kusu Island Resort in southern Halmahera. Halmahera, if you're wondering, is the large odd-shaped island just west of the Raja Ampat area. I was visiting Kusu Island Resort for two reasons, the first was to check it out as a potential resort to run our snorkeling safaris through, and the second was to produce some promotional content for the new resort. As Kusu Island Resort is not 100% open to the public yet because of the seriously annoying restrictions to still in place for foreigners visiting Indonesia, I was the only “guest” and had the whole place to myself for two full weeks. Yes, my job has some serious perks! Anyway, my time was not spent lounging around, quite the opposite actually. I used every bit of daylight and a good portion of the night to explore as much of the reefs and resort as possible to make sure everything is “up to snuff.” Here's what I found. The Resort Upon landing at the Labuha airport on the island of Bacan (pronounced Bachan), just off the southwest corner of Halmahera you'll be met by a member of the Kusu Island Resort team and taken to the nearby port where you'll jump into the resort's comfortable speedboat and driven about thirty minutes to Kusu Island, where the resort is, obviously. The resort has been incorporated into the island in a very natural way and the only evidence you'll see of the resort, in the beginning, is a long—beautifully built pier that extends from the mangroves and ends where the reef drops off into the blue. It's only when the boat is parking on the wooden pier that
In late November of 2021, I had the pleasure of being able to visit a brand new snorkel and dive resort in Indonesia called Kusu Island Resort in southern Halmahera. Halmahera, if you’re wondering, is the large odd-shaped island just west of the Raja Ampat area. I was visiting Kusu Island Resort for two reasons,
Bali is one of the world's most iconic destinations when it comes to exotic locations. This small tropical island nestled amongst the thousands of other islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago seems to have no end when it comes to unique things to do. From sunrise volcano treks, walks through intricately terraced rice fields, monkey forests, cooking courses, waterfalls, more shopping than you could possibly fit in a lifetime, sacred temples, and miles of coastline that ranges from black and white sand beaches to steep cliffs with breathtaking views. This is of course without acknowledging Bali's unique Hindu culture, its warm and welcoming people, and the stylish villas and bungalows that can cost little more than the price of a large pizza back home. Land Excursion Options Batur Volcano Sunrise Trek Climbing to Batur Voclanoe's crater rim is an epic journey that usually starts with a very early wake up around 3 am—depending on where you're departing from. You'll be shuttled to the base of the volcano where you'll begin the trek around 4 am. You'll have a guide who will lead up up the well-maintained trail to the top. As far as volcano treks go it's not particularly difficult, though it is a solid hour to one-and-a-half hour trek uphill. Upon arrival at the top, you'll be handed a boiled egg and a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate just before the sun makes its way over the sprawling horizon. You will quite literally be above the clouds, and as they drift beneath you bathed in colors you'd only ever see in cotton candy they open up incredible views of the sea, lake Batur, more volcanoes, and deep into the crater below you. It's really a jaw-dropping experience and well worth the early departure. Rice Field
Bali is one of the world’s most iconic destinations when it comes to exotic locations. This small tropical island nestled amongst the thousands of other islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago seems to have no end when it comes to unique things to do. From sunrise volcano treks, walks through intricately terraced rice fields,
Unless you're traveling business class, there's no denying that flying long distances—like from the United States to Asia—can be physically exhausting and uncomfortable, particularly if you happen to be someone who needs a bit more legroom and or just can't sleep on planes. As a full-time guide for Snorkel Venture who's originally from the U.S but has lived all over Asia since 2010, I've spent a considerable amount of time flying between many of the different Asia-U.S hubs. I won't lie, I've experienced some pretty miserable flights and layovers, but I've also had some quite pleasant trips once I figured out the better routes, which airlines to avoid, and what airports to transit through. So, for those of you who are planning or considering joining one of our Snorkel Safaris that take place in Asia but are a bit hesitant about the long flights, I'd like to share some of what I've learned so as to make your journey as comfortable as possible because I promise you, it will be worth it! Routes Your flight route will depend a bit on where you are coming from in the states, but most of the routes to Asia will be over the Pacific, even if you're on the east coast of the U.S. There is one route through Doha in the middle east which is also comparable in travel time to the Pacific itineraries. Travel times for any of the routes vary between nineteen and twenty-five hours. Actual flying time is about the same no matter which option you choose, the big difference in travel time is the layover. My personal favorite route is through either Singapore or Doha because it not only combines two of the world's best airlines, but also two of the world's best airports—particularly in the case of
Unless you’re traveling business class, there’s no denying that flying long distances—like from the United States to Asia—can be physically exhausting and uncomfortable, particularly if you happen to be someone who needs a bit more legroom and or just can’t sleep on planes. As a full-time guide for Snorkel Venture who’s originally from the U.S
Muck snorkeling is a really unique type of snorkeling. For many people it can be an acquired taste, like certain types of aged cheese. And just like someone who's developed a pallet for Limburger cheese, for example, what once used to be a casual affair with muck snorkeling or something you would dismiss altogether, can quickly turn into an obsession. So what is muck snorkeling, well it's basically the same as your tropical reef snorkeling, only muck snorkeling typically takes place in areas where there is more sand—usually black—and where an assortment of sponges and different types of algae grow. Reason being, this unique environment is one of the best types of environments—most likely due to the nutrient-rich volcanic sand—for finding some of the most unique and interesting creatures. Frogfish, nudibranchs, a vast assortment of crabs and shrimps, moray eels, stargazers, and some of the most ornate and interesting types of cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, and squids) can only be found in 'mucky' environments. If you've never been muck snorkeling before, it can seem a bit strange when you first jump in, simply because it's not your classical reef scene full of color. Floating over a black sandy substrate is not what people typically have in mind when they imagine a tropical snorkeling holiday. However, as I said, once you get in the zone and start finding these cool critters all by yourself, that dark sand punctuated by unusual colonies of sponges will quickly become a beautiful thing for you.
Muck snorkeling is a really unique type of snorkeling. For many people it can be an acquired taste, like certain types of aged cheese. And just like someone who’s developed a pallet for Limburger cheese, for example, what once used to be a casual affair with muck snorkeling or something you would dismiss altogether, can
Location Description Alor is one of Indonesia's newest snorkeling destinations and is quickly becoming one of the top places to snorkel in the world. Alor is actually just one island—the largest, within a small regency known as the Alor Regency and is made up of twenty islands in the far eastern corner of Indonesia. Like many of the islands in this part of Indonesia, the landscape is volcanic—with several of the dormant conical peaks clearly visible from the horizon. The most iconic volcano in Alor is Pura, and sits just outside Kalabahi bay between the island of Alor and Pantar. This dormant volcano is where a lot of the area's best snorkeling sites are located and where we concentrate our time on our Alor snorkeling safaris. There is one airport that services the Alor Regency and it's located on the northwest tip of Alor Island and is just forty-five minutes by car to the resort that always hosts us, Alami Alor. Snorkeling The snorkeling in Alor is truly exquisite and offers a seemingly endless variety of stunning coral reef vistas and marine life encounters. Within the area just outside Kalabahi bay, we have a large variety of types of snorkeling sites, from vibrant walls that drop of into the deep blue water to vast coral plateaus, reefs made up almost entirely of sea anemones, village piers completely encrusted with soft coral and sea fans, to gentle drifts over beautiful sloping reefs where the village children will often swim along with you in their home-made wooden goggles posing for photos. Then there's the house reef in front of Alami Alor, which has so much to offer despite just being a few steps from your bungalow. One of the key things that make Alor such a unique place to snorkel is the
Location Description Alor is one of Indonesia’s newest snorkeling destinations and is quickly becoming one of the top places to snorkel in the world. Alor is actually just one island—the largest, within a small regency known as the Alor Regency and is made up of twenty islands in the far eastern corner of Indonesia. Like
