I’d like to tell you about a trip to two of the most iconic Indonesian snorkeling destinations: Alor and Komodo. Both delivered unforgettable ocean encounters, sparkling, jaw-dropping reefs, and unmatched relaxation. As with many of our trips, we started off in Jakarta, in my home away from home, the FM7 Hotel (which I recently found out stands for “Fond Memories”!). I met my group for our welcome dinner in the hotel’s restaurant and instantly felt at ease as we all bonded over tales of snorkeling. A sense of shared excitement and anticipation for what was to come filled the room. That night/morning, we flew across the chain of islands that borders the southern end of the Indonesian archipelago and finally made it to our first resort of the two-week trip, Alami Alor. Alami Alor As we pulled into Alami Resort, we were greeted by the wonderful Alami staff, who showed us around and made us feel at home. Alami is a small resort, nestled in a remote Indonesian village. At Alami, you really feel like you have arrived somewhere special! Meandering garden paths, shaded by palm trees, lead each of us to our beautiful bungalows with stunning waterfront views. From here, it is not rare to spot baby reef sharks cruising over shallow coral and dolphins flipping in the distance before even leaving your room. That first afternoon, we wasted no time jumping into Alami’s house reef, home to moray eels, octopus, baby batfish, and thriving coral, to name a few. That evening, we all met in the lounge to watch the sunset with a cocktail in hand, feast on our first delicious dinner, and settle into what was already proving to be snorkeling bliss. Alor is definitely one of my absolute favorite places to explore. The variety of sites
I’d like to tell you about a trip to two of the most iconic Indonesian snorkeling destinations: Alor and Komodo. Both delivered unforgettable ocean encounters, sparkling, jaw-dropping reefs, and unmatched relaxation. As with many of our trips, we started off in Jakarta, in my home away from home, the FM7 Hotel (which I recently found
I'm just back from a very recent Alor & Komodo trip - and what a trip it was. Our guests certainly had one of the best snorkeling trips you could wish for. With our Alor trips we always hope to find Mola Mola, but as all things with wildlife tours nothing is guaranteed. However, on this last trip our group was very lucky. By far one of the strangest fish out there, but we love to see them. While out on the hunt for Mola we had our first large encounter. A huge blue whale pops up and passes by. On day two we were escorted out to the snorkel sites by a large pod of melon headed whales. Once I put the drone in the air, it became apparent we were observing a mating behaviour. Then the jackpot!! We found our first of 5 Mola that day. For the next 4 days we would find the Mola Mola. When on tour in Alor we always try to see if we can find them. While out on the speed boats we spend time in between the islands, in the channels looking out for them. The best time to find the Mola is when the currents are strong and the water is cold. What we are looking for is that very large fin sticking out of the water. Sometimes it can take some patience and others we find them as soon as we arrive or on the way to our snorkel sites. What makes this extra special, is watching how excited the team from Alami gets when we find them. Lots of excitement and adrenaline pumping. So some facts about this weird and wonderful fish. Mola Mola, also named ocean sunfish or head fish. All six species of oceanic sunfish .
I’m just back from a very recent Alor & Komodo trip – and what a trip it was. Our guests certainly had one of the best snorkeling trips you could wish for. With our Alor trips we always hope to find Mola Mola, but as all things with wildlife tours nothing is guaranteed. However, on
For those of you reading this that have been snorkelling in Alor, you already know just how amazing that place is. By far one of my top snorkelling places in Indonesia, and trips we offer at Snorkel Venture. It is still one of those places that feels like a well-kept secret. We can spend a week there and never see another dive/snorkel operator around. Leaving us with the immaculate reefs to ourselves. We also have a great boutique resort we use, Alami Resort. Such a splendid resort and run so well by the managers Max & Rhome' (& Team). Giving this place that little extra feeling of paradise. When in Alami, we charter the whole resort for our group making it feel like a home from home. But what makes Alor super special, is the abundance of marine biodiversity it has to offer. We can go out in the morning and come across migrating whales. Then in the afternoon, we'll be muck snorkelling looking for all the small weird and wonderful critters. So there really is a huge range of marine life here. Something Alor can possibly offer if you are LUCKY!! Are some of the big sea creatures we don't see in other places. Being situated in the Savu sea above East Timor. With a very deep sea around the island. There is an oceanic channel that runs through there called the Wetar Strait. This is like a runway for migrating whales. Periodically through the year Pygmy blue whales pass through the Alor island chains heading north. I once had guests see them from the plane as we were coming into land. These giant gentle ocean mammals are a sight to behold. Only slightly smaller than their larger subspecies blue whale, they are huge at a whopping 24 metres.
For those of you reading this that have been snorkelling in Alor, you already know just how amazing that place is. By far one of my top snorkelling places in Indonesia, and trips we offer at Snorkel Venture. It is still one of those places that feels like a well-kept secret. We can spend a
The group met for dinner on the first evening, after arriving in Bali and checking into the airport hotel. We shared a delicious traditional Balinese meal, served family-style while getting to know each other a little. As expected, people were tired from the long journey and jetlag so we went to bed early. The following morning we reconvened in the lobby and met a local English speaking guide who accompanied us (and our luggage) to a waiting bus. As we drove through Bali, towards Uluwatu, he told us about the local people and customs and about the historical and religious significance of the beautiful places we were to visit that morning. First stop was Uluwatu Temple- a traditional style- old Hindu temple, built on the edge of a high cliff, with spectacular views of the ocean down below. We also got to watch some local kids who were there practicing playing their musical instruments and dancing. So sweet. We went in search of some Macaque monkeys as we did not immediately see them around. We then returned to the bus and went to the GWK park, a government cultural and tourist park on the way back to the airport. It is most well known for the 263m statue of Lord Vishnu on the back of his Garuda (eagle). It is a magnificent sight. Upon return to the airport, we received packed lunch from the guide before leaving to check in for our onward flight to Kupang. Here we transferred to the hotel to check-in, and meet in the restaurant for a well deserved cold beer and a few giggles before dinner, and bed. This meant by the next morning we were all feeling well-rested and fresh and knew each other a little better so the real fun could begin. A
The group met for dinner on the first evening, after arriving in Bali and checking into the airport hotel. We shared a delicious traditional Balinese meal, served family-style while getting to know each other a little. As expected, people were tired from the long journey and jetlag so we went to bed early. The following
A lot of people wonder what type of wetsuit they need for a snorkeling trip, if any at all. My recommendation would be yes, no matter where you go snorkeling and how warm the water, purely for protection from the sun. But that's just me being hyper-aware of anything that involves being in the sun, as I happen to be 'blessed' with a skin type that turns a really awesome shade of reddish pink after several minute of sun, then right back to that shade of white that can only be described as pale after the peeling process is over. So yes, this blog is going to be all about what type of wetsuit you need for several different locations. Skin Suits and Rash Guard Best for warmer waters of if you just naturally run hot. These types of exposure suits are great for warmer waters as they really just protect you from the sun and the little stingers in the water, without letting you get too warm. The skin suits are great options as they are basically just a thin lycra material that will either be full body design or a long sleeve t-shirt you can wear with your swimming shorts. If you want to do a bit of freediving, this option is great as you won't need to pack along any extra weights to help you dive down since the lycra suit is neutrally buoyant. 1 mm Wetsuits Good for warmer waters or if you have a tenancy to get a bit chilly. The 1mm option will give you a bit of added protection if you happen to get a bit cold even in warmer waters, or if you plan to do a long snorkel session. If you intend to do0 some freediving I would recommend taking
A lot of people wonder what type of wetsuit they need for a snorkeling trip, if any at all. My recommendation would be yes, no matter where you go snorkeling and how warm the water, purely for protection from the sun. But that’s just me being hyper-aware of anything that involves being in the sun,
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