Dive Review of Grand Komodo -- Raja Ampat Explorer in
Indonesia

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Grand Komodo -- Raja Ampat Explorer, Dec, 2009, by michael harder, hi, usa ( 2 reports). Report 5311.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	GRAND KOMODO DIVE BOATS ..........INDONESIAN PARADISE I JUST FINISHED A 15 DAY TRIP WITH GRAND KOMODO ON THEIR NEWEST BOAT, THE RAJA AMPAT EXPLORER. THE TRIP WAS FANTASTIC. WE DID HAVE SOME BAD VISIBILITY ON SOME DIVES, BUT THAT WOULD BE NORMAL FOR MOST DIVE TRIPS. THIS WAS MY 13TH OR 15TH TRIP WITH GRAND KOMODO, AND I DO NOT KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD CHOOSE ANOTHER COMPANY TO DIVE WITH IN INDONESIA. IT IS TRULY INDONESIA..........ALL OF THE CREW AND SUPPORT PEOPLE ARE FROM INDONESIA, SO YOU WILL REALLY EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE OF INDONESIA. THE SUPPORT TEAM WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL DOMESTIC PLANE TICKETS, HOTEL RESERVATIONS AND TRANSPORT IF YOU DESIRE. THEIR PRICE FOR TRIPS IS USUALLY AT LEAST $100 A DAY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER DIVE BOATS. IF YOU CHECK ON THEIR WEBSITE KOMODOALORDIVE.COM YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THEIR TRIPS ON DIFFERENT BOATS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED DIVING ON ALL THE BOATS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER SINCE 1995. I HAVE BEEN ON 3 EXPLORATORY DIVE TRIPS AND HAD A MAGNIFICENT EXPERIENCE. ALL OF THE BOATS HAVE ROOMS WITH AIR CON AND BATHROOM AND SHOWER. MY FAVORITES ARE THE TEMUKIRA AND THE RAJA AMPAT EXPLORER SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE IS MORE ROOM ON THE BOAT. THE FOOD ON ALL THE BOATS IS GREAT. THE COOKS ARE ALL SCHOOL TRAINED, AND THE DIVERSITY OF FOOD IS PLENTIFUL AND WONDERFUL. WE HAD FRESH FISH EVERYDAY.....ALMOST. THE ROOM BOY AND DIVE CREW ARE ALL INCREDIBLY HELPFUL WITH PUTTING ON YOUR DIVE GEAR, AND PICKING YOU UP NO MATTER WHERE YOU HAPPEN TO SURFACE ON A DIVE. YOU MAY EVEN GET TO LEARN SOME BAHASA INDONESIAN WHILE ON THE TRIP. THE DIVEMASTERS ALL SPEAK ENGLISH AND GIVE GREAT DIVE BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO THE DIVE. YOU CAN MAKE 4 DIVES A DAY ON MOST OCCASIONS. THE DIVEMASTERS WILL FIND ALL THE LITTLE CRITTERS FOR YOU, OR YOU CAN GO OFF ON YOUR OWN. THEY SUGGEST FOLLOWING PADI GUIDELINES, BUT NO ONE CHECKS YOUR COMPUTER OR AMOUNT OF AIR WHEN YOU SURFACE. YOU JUST NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THE NEAREST CHAMBER IS A LONG DISTANCE AWAY. MOST EXPERIENCED DIVERS WILL AGREE THAT INDONESIA IS THE MOST PROLIFIC MARINE DIVERSE DIVING ON THE PLANET. YOU WILL SEE ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU EVER DREAMED OF SEEING UNDERWATER. WHETHER IT IS LARGE PELAGICS, SMALL FISH, NUDIBRANCHS, CRABS, SHRIMP, BRILLIANT COLORED SOFT CORAL, PRISTINE HARD CORALS; IT IS ALL PRESENT IN INDONESIA. ON MY LAST EXPLORATORY TRIP IN MARCH OF 2008 I WAS FORTURNATE ENOUGH TO BE THE ONLY GUEST ON BOARD THE "RAJA AMPAT EXPLORER" AND WE MADE A TEN DAY TRIP TO "TRITON BAY". IT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE "THE" NEXT PLACE TO GO FOR EXPERIENCED DIVERS. I HAVE MADE 4 OR 5 DIFFERENT TRIPS TO THE RAJA AMPAT AREA, AND NOW THERE ARE MANY DIVE BOATS EXPLORING THERE. GRAND KOMODO CONTINUES TO MAKE EXPLORATORY TRIPS STAYING AHEAD OF OTHER DIVE OPERATIONS. THEY NOW EVEN HAVE A SMALL DIVE RESORT ON MONSUAR, A SMALL ISLAND IN THE RAJA AMPAT AREA. I HAVE VISITED THE RESORT, AND THEY ARE STILL PUTTING ON THE FINISHING TOUCHES. THERE ARE 4 ROOMS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME, AND THE DIVING IS FANTASTIC CLOSE TO THE ISLAND. I GUESS MY TRUE PURPOSE IN WRITING THIS MEMO IS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT: YES, THE DIVING IS GREAT IN INDONESIA; IT IS SAFE IN INDONESIA, AND THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA ARE TRULY WARM AND FRIENDLY. THERE ARE MANY DIVE BOATS HERE IN INDONESIA WHERE YOU CAN HAVE CLOTH NAPKINS AND TABLE CLOTHS ON YOUR DINING TABLES, WITH FIRST CLASS CHEFS COOKING YOUR MEALS. HOWEVER, TO TRULY EXPERIENCE THE REAL INDONESIA, IT IS MY OPINION THAT ONLY GRAND KOMODO PROVIDES THAT REAL INDONESIAN EXPERIENCE ALONG WITH TAKING CARE OF ALL OF YOUR WANTS AND NEEDS. I LOVED DIVING ON THE BILIKIKI IN THE SOLOMONS, AND THE FOOD AND SERVICE WAS GREAT, BUT LIVING WITHIN THE CULTURE OF THE INDONESIAN PEOPLE ON A BOAT SURPASSES THAT EXPERIENCE. SO IF YOU WANT THE FREEDOM TO DIVE THE WAY YOU LIKE TO DIVE, AND FOR AS LONG AS YOU HAVE AIR TO STAY UNDERWATER, GREAT FOOD, GREAT ROOMS, AND FUN AND CHEERFUL CREW MEMBERS........AND ALSO A TRUE INDONESIAN PARADISE EXPERIENCE......THE GRAND KOMODO COMPANY IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. MICHAEL HARDER Mauimike47@yahoo.com
Websites	Grand Komodo -- Raja Ampat Explorer
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	all over the world
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy	Seas	calm, surge, currents, no currents
Water Temp	80-85°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	20-100 Ft/ 6-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	NO RESTRICTIONS. PADI RESTRICTIONS SUGGESTED, BUT NOT ENFORCED
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	1 or 2
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 Grand Komodo -- Raja Ampat Explorer in Indonesia

Grand Komodo -- Raja Ampat Explorer, Dec, 2009,

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 Grand Komodo -- Raja Ampat Explorer in
Indonesia