Sanur

SANUR, PEACEFUL VILLAGE IN BALI

The waters of Sanur are protected by a long string of offshore reefs, creating large, warm shallow, safe lagoons that are perfectly clear and excellent for swimming, snorkeling and a whole array of water sports. Surfers will be pleased to know that the reefs around Sanur produce some of the best waves in the world in the right conditions although they can be very shallow at low tide. But there are more consistent waves beyond the reefs good for surfing. 

Sanur is also the launching pad for visitors who want to dive and explore the splendors of the nearby island of Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan is approximately 8 square km in size, and is one of three neighbouring islands, the others being much the larger Nusa Penida and tiny Nusa Ceningan. 

Many areas around the island are good for diving and snorkeling, with abundant marine life and healthy corals. Surfing can get a bit crowded, but the waves are good. There are several white sand beaches away from the main centers which are virtually never crowded.

As a place where tourism first flourished in Bali, Sanur has some of Balis’ historic hotels. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes along the coastline. For budget meals you may want to try the Pasar Malam (Night Market) at the northern end of Jalan Danau Tamblingan where it meets Jalan Pungutan.

Sanur's splendid paved beachfront cycle-path stretches some 5 km from Jalan Mertasari area in south Sanur, north to the main beach at Jalan Hangtuah. This makes for a lovely scenic bike ride, especially in the early morning. The more active could try one or more of the many watersports on offer at Sanur Beach. Try kitesurfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, surfing or paragliding. 

For those less active, hire a banana boat and hit the calm waters. The surf here is not great by Bali standard but there are reasonable breaks about 1 km offshore during the northwest wind season (about October-March). In that period you will have no problem locating the breaks-just follow the locals. Boards can be rented on the beach for Rp 100,000.

For one of a kind experience, you should try the Sea Walker. A safe and exciting underwater adventure Sea Walker is a unique diving system, that provides an opportunity to observe the underwater world to a depth of 15 feet without certification, and without getting your hair wet. Participants actually walk along the bottom of the sea, rather than swim while numerous exotic fish and sea life are found all around.

Get Around

Jalan Danau Tamblingan, the main street in Sanur, has a number of outlets for car, motorbike and bicycle rental. A large number of metered taxis patrol the streets looking for passengers. Local bemos run with some regularity up and down both Jalan Danau Tamblingan and Jalan Danau Poso. Sanur is also a great place to walk. Distances are not far, the streets are relatively quiet, and there is a splendid, paved beachfront path which runs the whole length of the district.

Get There

Located within the vicinity of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, Sanur is a 20 minute taxi ride from the Ngurah Rai International Airport. There are plenty of metered taxis all over the island that will be keen to take you to Sanur. This is one of the more straightforward areas of Bali to find as the main Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai is the western boundary of Sanur. 

There are many well signposted exit points from this main road into the heart of Sanur. Allow about 30 minutes driving time from Kuta or Legian, about 45 minutes from Seminyak or Ubud and 15 minutes from Downtown Denpasar.

Sanur is also well serviced by shuttle buses and bemos from the north and south and also from Denpasar's Tegal terminal. The bus company Perama has its Sanur office in Jalan Hangtuah, and offers direct transfer here from Candidasa, Kuta, Lovina, Padang Bai and Ubud. Private shuttle buses run from most major tourist centers of Bali to Sanur.

Read More

Bunaken National Marine Park

BUNAKEN, FEEL THE GLIMPSE OF SEA LIFE IN THE MAJESTIC SEAGARDEN

Bunaken is an 8.08 km² island in the Bay of Manado, situated in the north of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bunaken forms part of the administrative city of Manado, capital of North Sulawesi. The marine Park around Bunaken is part of the National Park that also includes the ocean around the island of Manado Tua, Siladen and Mantehage. In the Bunaken Marine Park, you will encounter a real “mermaid”, and you can also get a glimpse of sea life. Within the Bunaken Marine Park, visitors can see various strange and colourful marine life along its sea bed. To reach this park, you can take a motorboat. The journey from Manado takes around 40 minutes.

The translucent waters of the Bunaken seas enable people to clearly view numerous sea biota. There are 13 species of coral reefs in this park, dominated by edge ridges and block ridges of rocks. The most attractive view is the steep vertical sloppy coral reef that plunges down as deep as 25-50 meters. Feast your eyes on 91 types of fish found in the Bunaken National Park, amongst which are the locally known Gusimi Horse Fish (Hippocampus), the White Oci (Seriola rivoliana), Yellow-Tailed Lolosi (Lutjanus kasmira), Goropa (Ephinephelus spilotoceps and Pseudanthias hypselosoma), Ila Gasi (Scolopsis bilineatus) and others. Divers may also meet mollusk like the Giant Kima (Tridacna gigas), Goat Head (Cassis cornuta), Nautilus (Nautilus pompillius) and Tunikates/Ascidian.

For those who enjoy scuba diving, this is a great place to be. With about 20 dive spots to choose from, divers will have the chance to swim below the sea, and frolic joyfully while admiring the sea creatures. Most diving takes place near Bunaken and Manado Tua, because of the many excellent sites. The following are representative of dive spots in the area.Lekuan Walls (I, II, III)This long wall at Bunaken is divided into three sites: the Lekuan I, II and III. Together they are the park's best.

Steep walls are marked with deep crevices, sea fans and giant sponges. The shallows are filled with fishes. The wall, often protected from stronger currents, is frequented by bumphead parrotfish, turtles, and Napoleon wrasses. You can also explore the island on foot or you can take a boat to move from one dive site to the other Just walking around the beach is already a most enjoyable experience.

Get Around

You can also explore the island on foot or you can take a boat to move from one dive site to the other. Just walking around the beach is already a most enjoyable experience.

Get There

The island of Bunaken is easily reached from Manado by motorized boat, departing from Manado harbor, Molas, Kalasey and Tasik Ria beach. Ferries from Manado to Bunaken leave daily around 02:00 PM (depending on the tide), except on Sundays, when they leave from Pasar Jengki near the Manado harbor. The return journey from Bunaken to Manado usually leaves early in the morning, at around 07:00 AM - 08:00 AM. There are also charter boats that depart in the morning and return in the late afternoon. These are usually reserved for travel packages organized by agents or hotels.

Read More

Cendrawasih Bay National Park: The Whale Sharks dive trip

 

The large Cendrawasih Bay National Park in the north of the island of Papua, otherwise known as Teluk Cenderawasih, includes Indonesia’s largest marine national park, and is one of the best dive-sites in the archipelago.

Here are magnificent vertical drops, picturesque hard coral gardens, sponge life and myriads of fish

This is the playground of one of the world’s largest animals: the spotted whaleshark or rhincodon typus. If elsewhere in the world divers consider themselves lucky to meet one or a couple, here they come in pods and divers can swim along with them quite unharmed except to beware not to be hit by one of their powerful fins.

 

 

Scientist Dr. Gerald Allen calls the Cendrawasih Bay: “The Galapagos of Indonesia’s Reefs”.

Whalesharks are migratory animals, and are known to grow to 18 meters in length or more. Biologists tell us that they are an acient species originating some 60 million years ago, and are usually found in the open sea. They have a lifespan of 70 years. A 7 meter whaleshark can weigh up to 22 tonnes. Unbelievably these huge animals are docile since they live only on plankton, clouds of egg roe and small fish, which in Indonesia are called “ikan teri”.

In the village of Kwatisore near the town of Nabire, these giant fish usually gather by the floating platforms, called bagan, where fishermen haul in their catch of small fry.

Kwatisore can be reached from Nabire in around three hours by boat with two 40pk outboard motors.The only accommodation available in this village are simple rooms at the SD Imanuel Primary School in Kwatinsore.  

Here the local government trains 20 students to become dive guides and to develop facilities in Kwatisore to serve more tourists.

Comprising land and coastal areas, islands, coral reefs and pristine seas, the Cendrawasih Park covers a total area of 1,453,500 hectares.

The Cendrawasih Bay Park combines coral reef ecosystems with mangrove, islands and terrestrial tropical forest ecosystems. Here are colonies of black coral, blue coral and soft coral. The Park is famous for the 209 fish species that make this Park their habitat, among which are the butterfly fish, the damselfish and parrotfish, and, of course the whaleshark, while mollusks found here include the trumpet triton, the great clam and the cone shell.

Best time to visit is between May through October.

Since a few years, a corner of Cenderawasih Bay close to the hamlet of Kwatisore and the town of Nabire, in Indonesian Papua, is gathering major buzz as probably the best place in the planet to swim with whale sharks.

Here, whale sharks don't just pass by seasonally, like in most other places, where expensive tours drop you in the path of one shark for 5 minutes (and you better swim fast). 

Here they stay year-round, gathering nearly every single day to circle under fishermen platforms called "bagans", in the hopes of sucking some fish out of their storage nets.
Here you have a very good chance to have not one, but SEVERAL behemoths CIRCLE around you.

Here you'll have to swim to AVOID the sharks bumping into you (which happened to me and my wife).

However, at the time of writing this review, Nabire remains a VERY remote corner of Indonesia: we saw NO westerners over our entire stay there. There are few hotels, catering mostly to Indonesians, and who very surprisingly have no idea of how to get you to the whale sharks. Most people who see the Cenderawasih bay whale sharks come on liveaboard boats. Very few people organize trips to see the whale sharks from Nabire, and those who do are difficult to contact. 

The only person who replied to our emails was a Rudy from Kali Lemon, a "guesthouse/dive resort" near Kwatisore, but he asked for more than 800 dollars for an overnight trip (no, thanks).

So we landed at the Nabire airport with NO reservations, nothing booked in advance. One option to go see the whale sharks is to ask taximen at the airport; they can put you in contact with fishermen who'll take you. We instead finally managed to reach a person listed in our guidebook, Merry Yoweni and her husband Chris, who organised the trip with local fishermen. She's a local, speaks great english, and is very knowledgeable about the region, it's politics and economy, etc, since she worked for several NGO's.

So the next day, we sat aboard a narrow wooden fishermen longboat rigged with two 40hp outboards (a configuration the Lonely Planet calls “a recipe for disaster”), while 15 papuans were dragging it to the water at Nabire beach. We then left with 3 papuan fishermen, one of which (the captain actually), we soon realized, was mute and deaf. 10 minutes later, the boat started taking in water, which to our great surprise they fixed successfully with a knife and a piece of plastic bottle. Luckily we had good weather, but the experience could have been a lot less comfortable in rougher seas.

After 1h45 of navigation we arrived in the zone of the bagans. After asking 6 bagans unsuccessfully, we finally arrived at one that had 3 whale sharks under it: 2 “juveniles” and one enormous (Apparently 3 is not a lot for Cenderawasih, where many people report from 5 to 10+) .

It was of course magical as you can imagine. The sea was flat like a pool, the visibility was forever, the sharks were slowly circling around us through the rays of light that plunged in the blue as far as light can reach. Our guidebook said to “discourage the locals from interfering with the animals” but we failed miserably: the Papuans were out of control jumping around joyfully, riding the whale sharks, even divebombing from the bagan next to the whalesharks (they must think they love the bubbles). 

Last point: juvenile whale sharks are quite curious, and seem VERY attracted by shiny/white masses, such as untanned European tourists. Wear a wetsuit or expect some collisions. One of them pushed my wife's head against a bagan floater with his humongous mouth, an experience she did not appreciate as much as I did…

Besides the whaleshark, four species of turtles inhabit these waters, they are the hawksbill turtle, the common green turtle, the Pacific ridley turtle and the leatherback turtle. Here are also found dugongs, coconut crabs, dolphins and sharks.

While on Mioswaar Island can be found a natural cave with ancient remains, thermal springs and waterfalls, and at Tanjung Muagguar is an underwater cave with a depth of 100 feet.

On Yoop Island and Windesi waters visitors can go whale and dolphin watching, while Nusrowi Island is ideal for diving, snorkeling, marine tours and animal observation.

On Rumberpon Island one can observe birds and deer, dive and snorkel. A sunken military aircraft wreck lies on the seabed.

Read More

Raja Ampat

The roaring engines fixed to a large wooden boat are finally quiet. Nothing can be heard but the rifting little waves, lapping against the vibrant paint on the sides of the vessel that gracefully slows down. Native birds hop on the tip of a small tree in one of the deserted islands in the distance. 

Raja Ampat or ‘Four Kings’, is the name given to these islands and comes from a local myth. The four major islands found here are Waigeo, Misool (which is home to ancient rock paintings), Salawati, and Batanta. 

 

 

Underwater enthusiasts flock to this region because it offers the world’s best marine sights. Two days earlier, some of these travelers had been at a deafening corner of a tourist trap in Bali. Once they took their flight to the bird head of the island of Papua everything changed as they embarked on a diving tour of a lifetime. In the Raja Ampat islands, divers can explore vertical underwater walls. The thrill of drift diving is another great challenge. These are the awesome experiences you will find in Raja Ampat.

Meanwhile, on this tour several divers were well equipped and looked advanced. The territory within the islands of the Four Kings is enormous, covering 9.8 million acres of land and sea, home to 540 types of corals, more than 1,000 types of coral fish and 700 types of mollusks. This makes it the most diverse living library for world's coral reef and underwater biota. According to a report developed by The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, around 75% of the world's species live here. When divers first arrive here their excitement is palpable. It's common to hear people praise God as they take in the remarkable scenery. Others prefer to remain in silence taking in the overwhelming sight of so many islands with crystal clear water that softly brushes over the white sandy beaches. 

"Disini bagus!", says the friendly local guide who had been appointed by the tour operator who runs an eco-lodge in Raja Ampat, indicating that they have arrived at one of the most fantastic diving sites. On other days, this guide is just a simple fisherman. The local fishermen here are accustomed to foreigners and are friendly, especially when offered pinang (betel nuts) or some sweet candies. These are very popular and offering these sweets is considered polite and a good way to win an instant smile. The fishermen usually eat this snack during Para-para Pinang, or social chatting and exchanging funny stories while chewing Pinang. In many respects, like nature, culture, and history, these fishermen are closer to the Moluccas.  

While the landscape may look like a dream, this is not an illusion. As you embark on your dive, the phrase "Attention to detail" takes on new meaning as pigmy seahorses swim around your fingers. Manta Rays and wobbegongs will glide right by you. Tuna fish, giant trevallies, snappers, and even barracudas are there to complete your underwater "meeting list". Not to mention the friendly assistant of the dugong, and a busy colleague, the turtle.  Natural and untouched beauty is the main attraction here. With no unnecessary adages, the sky, the lush islands, the sea, and everything above and under it is genuinely saying "Welcome to Raja Ampat Islands; your personal Disneyland of diving sites".

More facts about the Raja Ampat Conservation Area:*

• This area is home to 1,511 species of reef fish in the Bird’s Head Seascape
• 1,320 species of reef fish in Raja Ampat
• 75% of all known coral species in the world
• 10 times the number of hard coral species found in the entire Caribbean
• In the Birds Head Seascape there 600 species of hard coral recorded
• 5 species of endangered sea turtles
• 57 species of Mantis Shrimp
• 13 species of Marine Mammals
• And 27 species of endemic reef fish found only in that area

*according to a tour operator 

Tips :

• October or November is the best season for diving in Raja Ampat because the ocean is typically flat and perfect for photography
• Bring your underwater camera AND underwater photography know-how. Because taking underwater photos is not that easy 
• To organize your travel you use travel agents with services in Indonesia. Just contact the agents in any international gateways in Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, Medan, Batam, etc)
• Sun blocks, sunscreens and hats are required
• Bring anti-mosquito repellants and anti-malarial medicines
• For more information, you can contact Raja Ampat Tourism Office at:  Kampung Waisai, Distrik Waigeo Selatan | Head of Office: Kalasina Rumbekwan (+62)81344644434 | Staff: (+62) 81344422779

Useful Website:

www.gorajaampat.com

Read More