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Need to know
Contact details
info@thebestdivingintheworld.com
FAQs
What to bring?
- 250 € cash to pay for the Harbour Fee on board. This fee includes all national park fees, diving permits for Marine Protected Areas, unexpected fuel price increases, etc...
- Passport valid for a minimum period of 6 months.
- Since 2015 the Indonesian authorities have extended its Free Visa program to all countries except six (Cameroon, Guinea, Montenegro, North Korea, Pakistan and Somalia). All other countries don’t need a pre-arranged visa for stays of less than 30 days. If you plan to stay longer in Indonesia, make sure you have the right visa. Check out with the Indonesian Embassy or Consulate in your country in case of any doubt.
- Your own diving gear and all spare parts you may need. We have a limited number of sets of dive gear for rent and spare parts on board, but better check in advance if you plan to rent equipment onboard.
- Photography and video equipment.
- Mosquito repellent for when we go out on land tours (not needed onboard).
- Any specific medication you may be taking. No need for malaria treatment unless you are extending your stay in a malaria-endemic area. We have a complete First Aid Kit on board for minor injuries and regular illnesses.
- Your personal toiletries
- Light and comfortable clothing (cotton shorts & T-shirts are best), a sweater, and a pair of washable footwear for landing ashore on some land tours.
- Your favourite alcoholic drink from the Duty-Free shop at the airport. We have beer and a limited number of bottles of liquor on board, but you are welcome to bring your own bottle of the latter. Beer from outside the boat is not permitted. If you want to bring your own beer, we charge a “corkage” fee.
- Domestic flights are usually strict with overweight. You may have to pay extra if you exceed the allowance, so bring the minimum with you and some change to pay for extras.
- Electricity onboard is 220V all-around-the-clock, and all sockets are two round pins European standard. Please bring your adaptors if needed.
Water temperature and wetsuit
The average water temperature is around 28ºC, but in some areas like south Komodo, Alor or North Raja Ampat the temperature can drop to 22-24ºC. Usually a 3 mm wetsuit is enough, but bring a 5 mm or a hooded vest if you tend to get cold underwater.
Why 3 dives per day?
The first day we only do the check dive in the afternoon plus night dive if we don’t have to cruise a long distance. The last day we also program two dives: early morning and after breakfast, to allow enough time to desaturate and safely fly the morning after. The remaining days we usually do three day-dives and night dive most days, unless we need to sail overnight to the next destination, in which case there is no night dive. Also, certain land tours - such as the walk on the Komodo National Park or the early tour to see the birds of paradise in Papua - take the time equivalent to the first dive in the morning. For all these reasons, the average number of dives at the end of the cruise ends up being about 3 per day.
Embarking and disembarking time
We encourage our guests to arrive at the port of embarkation before noon (12:00) on the departure date, to allow for the check dive in the afternoon and subsequent departure the same day. If you can’t find a flight arriving at noon at the latest please consult the organization so we can plan accordingly.Equally, on the departure date guests are expected to leave the boat around noon at the latest, to allow for the preparation of the next cruise. The boat usually arrives at the departing port the night before the day of departure.Transfers from and to the airport or hotel at the starting and ending towns are included in the price of the cruise. Remember to provide specific details of arrival, either flight number and ETA, or name, address and telephone number of the hotel if you arrive earlier than the scheduled day of departure. Guests staying in a hotel will be contacted by our Cruise Director at 6 pm the latest the day before departure.
Are all the dives in strong currents?
Currents make for good diving, and the reason Indonesia enjoys such great levels of biodiversity is precisely because of this constant flow of nutrient-packed currents and upwellings that feed the reefs. These currents promote rich, varied environments, from walls to flat reefs, slopes, underwater mountains, jetties, river mouths and black sand slopes. It is this extraordinary variety of ecosystems that provides the unique experience that diving Indonesia is.When it comes to currents, it is important to understand is that our cruise directors and diveguides all have many years of experience taking groups of divers in the waters of Indonesia. We have never had an accident, something we pride ourselves for, but we also make an effort to adapt to the needs of every diver, starting from the assessment of the kind of group we have during the first pre-dive briefing upon arrival, and subsequently dividing the group into smaller sub-groups with a ratio of about 4-5 divers to a guide. We assess the needs and interests of every group and plan the dives according to the level and interest of every diver, working around the tides and timing the dives to always ensure everybody has a good experience on board.
Money
Euros and Dollars are widely accepted in Indonesia, although dollar notes must be from years later than 1996 and virtually flawless, or else might be (and often are) rejected. The best exchange rates are in Bali, though pretty much every town has at least one place to exchange hard currency. Banks do change as well but at a slightly lower rate. Always try to stick to larger money changers and avoid smaller ones in tourist areas. We accept any kind of hard currency or Indonesia Rupiah on board, though not credit cards nor checks. We recommend you to bring some small (local) money to buy handicrafts when visiting villages.
Internet access
As defendants of the “digital detox” movement, our boats don’t have internet connexion. Still, nowadays about 50% of the time there is some public internet connection available, depending on the route. If you are the kind that likes to be connected at all times, we suggest you purchase a phone card with a data package upon arrival in the country. Telkomsel works best and is available in any of the many dedicated phone stores. Our boats are both equipped with a satellite phone for emergencies, and guests are welcome to use them at the established rates.