Category: Indonesia

Did We Find Mantas in Nusa Lembongan?

Nusa Lembongan is a very small island in the south of Bali. It can be easily reached by ferry from Sanur in only 30 minutes.

After Tulamben we drove back to Sanur and the next day we headed to Lembongan.

Reason why I wanted to go there, besides having heard it is a beautiful island perfect to chill out, was because until then I had never ever seen a Manta Ray!!

There is a dive site close to the island called Manta Point and it is almost guaranteed to see a Manta Ray every dive. I was craving for seeing a Manta. I had only seen it in pictures and videos or heard stories from other divers. I always seemed not to be in the right place when Mantas were seen.

I remember last year in Pulau Weh coming back from a dive, a group of divers saw five mantas and we didn’t even see the shadow of them! (and we were in the same dive site!).

Dom was lucky to see a few when he was working on one of the liveaboards in Koh Lipe, now I wanted to see them. Or at least one. It was also still Mola Mola season (Sun Fish) and there was good chances to spot them here.

After a short ferry ride we arrived in Nusa Lembongan and headed straight to Drift Divers, a dive shop that was recommended to us by a couple of diving instructors we met in Pulau Weh, and booked the dives for the next day.

It was October and low season so there was not many divers around, but the owner of the dive shop agreed to take us to Manta Point and Crystal Bay (this one is the dive site for Mola Mola). Awesome all sorted!

Now we needed accommodation which wasn’t difficult to find since a friend of the shop owner sorted us out with a room at a very cute resort on the beach called Linda Bungalows and a motorbike. We had a room at the top of the building with awesome views over the surf brake.

Massive waves could be seen every day with brave surfers riding them. We learned later that that particular surf spot is called “Laceration Point”, only for the very experienced surfers.

The beaches of Nusa Lembongan are being used as seaweed farms. The locals work hard to grow and harvest seaweed which is then sent to the main cities or exported internationally to make beauty and health products.

The locals, mainly the elderly population, work very hard in the seaweed farms, all day long. If they are not harvesting with their feet in the water, they are sorting out the crops sitting under the hot sun.

The next morning we woke up nice and early to join the dive trip. I was very excited but I tried not to expect too much since I might have been out of luck again.

After about a 30 minutes boat ride we got to the dive site, Manta Point. Our guide told us we were going to stay shallow, max 10 meters and look for Mantas.

We hit the water and descended. The water was quite refreshing, about 22C. It was the coldest I have ever been diving! Dom and I were wearing two wetsuits and it still felt quite chilling. After about 15 minutes into the dive one Manta passed over our heads.

That was it, I thought. Finally I saw a Manta and I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be (maybe I was disappointed cause it was only one and it passed by rather quickly!). Then another… and nothing else. I was almost disappointed now but then… I couldn’t believe my eyes! Six of them (I mean S I X!) all together came towards us and just danced and played on top of our heads for about twenty minutes!!

That was absolutely magical, awesome and almost unreal. I was there, at last, with these beautiful creatures. It was overwhelming and I was so happy I could experience it with Dom. There we were Dom, I, another diver, our guide and six Mantas. An exclusive treat, I’d say. I was happy.

When we ended the dive and went back to the surface, we noticed at least another five boats but none of the divers saw the Mantas. That was a lucky dip!

We headed to Crystal Bay and half hour into the dive we spotted a Mola Mola. Unfortunately it was quite far away, but at least we saw it. It was an amazing lucky day! We didn’t do any more dives afterwards. We were happy to have seen what we had come to see.

We spent the following days chilling out, exploring and drinking cold Bintang. We stayed in Lembongan for a week and then headed back to Bali. Dom had to catch a plane to get back to New Zealand and I was going to travel Indonesia for another month and a half before joining him in his Country.
Tulamben and Amed

One of the reasons we chose Bali was because we wanted to dive the Liberty Wreck, an American cargo ship sank just off the shores of Tulamben on the east coast of Bali. It is one of the most famous wreck dives in the world.

After spending a few days in Sanur, Dom and I rented a motorbike and off we went on a road trip to Tulamben for few days.

Bali is such a small island, but in compare to how big Indonesia is… well it is not that small. Looking at the map it seems like Tulamben and Sanur are only just a short ride away from each other.

It was a three hours motorbike drive through hills, mountains and rice terraces under the hot Balinese sun. I wish someone would have taken a photo of us, two people, two dive equipment bags and one motorbike. Quite hilarious!

Dom driving and me at the back with a heavy load on my shoulders holding on for dear life. Of course it was a fantastic adventure, I would do it again!

Tulamben and the surrounding area are dominated by the impressive Mount Agung. The mountain is actually a stratovolcano and the highest point on the Island. It influences the climate of the surrounding area, the clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.

We arrived in Tulamben with jelly legs and went straight to Baruna Dive Center where Charles, a friend of mine I hadn’t seen since Mexico, was running the shop. He was great, he put us up on one of the rooms at the back of the dive shop and sorted us with some dives for a very good price!

So exciting! We couldn’t wait to go diving the wreck.

We organized an early trip for the following morning and at 7am we were hitting the waters. It was good Charles suggested us an early dive because the dive site is so popular that during “rush hour” there might be more than fifty divers around the wreck which makes for a not very enjoyable experience.

We had a sort of private dive, only Dom and I and Charles leading us. It was amazing, definitely up to my expectations. I love diving wrecks, it is one of my favourite dives.

The story behind the wrecks makes this kind of diving even more fascinating. I normally try to imagine the ships in their good old days.

The USAT Liberty was a United States transport ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in January 1942 and was beached on the shore of Tulamben so that the cargo and the fittings could be salvaged.

The ship remained on the shore until 1963 when Mount Agung erupted and the tremors caused the vessel to slip off the beach and sink. She now lies on a sand slope in 9 to 30 mt of water.

The wreck is covered in corals and it is home to some of the most diverse marine life including Frog Fish and schools of Bumphead Parrotfish. The experience was fantastic.

The same afternoon we did another shore dive just off the same beach. Tulamben is also a good place for muck diving and the black sand makes it perfect for some good photo shots.

The next day we ventured on a half a day trip for 3 dives off the coast of Amed beach. We were driven from Tulamben to a beach in Amed where some locals took care of our dive gear and tanks carrying everything from the van to the shores.

After setting up our equipment we boarded a local fishing boat that took us to the dive sites. That was quite a different ride!

We stayed in Tulamben another few days and explored the area around Amed. We got on our motorbike and drove around along the scenic road on the sea.

The area here is very dry, such a difference from the lush green of the rice terrace only few kilometers away. This is due again to Mount Angung and its influence on the climate.
Bali

Bali is quite an incredible place! It looks almost straight out of a fairy tale or something along those lines. This is the first impression I had, coming from a long time spent in Pulau Weh and Sumatra.

After finishing work at Rubiah Tirta Divers, Dom and I decided to explore a different part of Indonesia and head to Bali for some chilling out time and scuba diving. Same country but definitely a mission to travel from one place to the other.

We traveled all day long. We got on the 8am ferry from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh, then we flew from Banda Aceh to Jakarta and finally from Jakarta to Bali. We arrived in Bali at about 9pm. Luckily I had already booked us a guest house to avoid having to wonder looking for a late at night.

We headed to Sanur, which is a short twenty minutes drive from the airport and it is not as crowded as Kuta. The owner of Bali Senia Hotel upgraded us to a superior room, so we got quite a treat.

Comfy big bed, hot water and room service! Wow, coming from the basics of Pulau Weh this was proper luxury! The hotel would also be our base in Bali while we traveled around.

Luckily we were able to leave most of our luggage there and travel just with the bare necessity: our diving gear, camera, toothbrush and a couple of changing clothes.

The next day we went walking around Sanur checking out the area and the local beach. It was definitely a different world from Pulau Weh. Much more touristic, Hindu temples everywhere with offering to the Gods and a strong smell of incense filling the air all around (which of course I loved!).

It was almost like a different country! Not to talk about their traditional local dish: Babi Guling, which is suckling pig stuffed and infused with a spicy concoction typically involving turmeric, coriander seeds, lemongrass, black pepper and garlic, and traditionally spit-roasted. Mouth watering!

Unfortunately I didn’t have the pleasure of tasting it since the few warungs (local eateries) I checked were sold out or only made it to order for big groups! Well, I will have to go back to Bali to have a taste of this delicacy.

We made a point of eating loads of pork dishes while we were there, to make up for the pork free time we had in Sumatra. Our hotel restaurant made very tasty pork chops!

One thing that really impressed me about Bali was its traditional style dress. Bali is an island with strong traditions and religious ceremonies and their clothing is definitely one of the strongest traditions they have.

On a normal daily basis men and women wear colourful sarongs with a shirt (men) or blouse (women) but when it comes to attend an important ceremony or go to the temple, the Balinese wear their finest traditional clothes with the drape normally made out of Batik which is a traditional cotton fabric painted with beautiful patterns.

They even dress statues and buildings with their textiles!

Balinese food is simply delicious. I fell in love with Sambal, the traditional Balinese sauce made of shallots, garlic, lemongrass, lime, chilly, fish sauce, coriander and coconut (or vegetable) oil. Simply delicious, especially with a freshly barbecued fish.

The scenery in Bali is fantastic and ever so different. From green and lush rice terraces to volcanoes and mountains that during the dry season take a very dramatic arid look.

Bali is a fantastic place but to truly appreciate it, one has to look beyond the huge number of tourists and Australian expats that nowadays populates the “Island of Gods”.
A Day in Pulau Weh

I’m stoked! It took me ages to learn editing a video but finally here we go!!!

This is a short movie of a “typical” non working day in Pulau Weh. We did quite some of this stuff especially when our dive master Kieran was there together with his amazing friends Amy and Owen whom they also became good friends of Dom and I.

Suvi joined the crew for a few weeks while she was on holiday on the island.

Awesome times! No need of further explanation, just enjoy the video and work it out for yourselves.

Special thanks to Dom for choosing the music. It could not be more appropriate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItEVTpSMQfA
Diving in Pulau Weh

“From Birth, Man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to the earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free” Jacques-Yves Cousteau

The incredible underwater world

Diving itself is a wonderful, magical activity. I simply love it. Get me started on it and I can go on talking about it for hours. It fulfills me, calms me and relaxes me.

Once I am underwater everything else disappears, nothing else matters and I feel free. Freedom, this is what diving is to me. Not to mention the overwhelming feeling I get when I come across the beauties of the underwater life.

I love being a scuba diving instructor. I love diving in some of the most spectacular places and bringing new divers into this fantastic world. It can be a little frustrating at times, but the personal reward I get from it is priceless. The smile on the face of students back from their first dive, make my day.

Dom and I freelanced at the local dive shop on Iboih Beach, Rubiah Tirta Divers. It is a local family business started back in 1970 by Mr. Dodent and now run by his three sons: Yudi, Isfan and Iskander.

We worked most of the time but if we didn’t have any student we could go fun diving which was a bonus since not many dive shops allow their instructors to do so. The relaxed atmosphere of the Island was pretty much reflected at work as well.

I worked and fun dived in several places in south-east Asia and I can say Pulau Weh has definitely something special about it.

Diving conditions in Pulau Weh

The diving is quite diverse, with the Indian Ocean to the east of the Island and the Pacific Ocean to the west, both contributing to the bio-diversity of the marine life. The variety and the quantity of marine species found here is outstanding.

There are colourful fish simply everywhere you look! It also helps that the visibility is always good, normally around 25 mt. and rarely dropping below 15.

Diving is good all year round but when the water starts to get cooler around end of September beginning of October, that’s when the big creatures of the sea come out the most.

Schools of Mobulas (Devil Rays) and Manta Rays can be easily spotted together with slender Black Tip reef Sharks.

Currents are very challenging in almost every dive site around the island. Not for the inexperienced, I would say. We found ourselves on many dives having to perform some “underwater rock climbing” in the middle of ripping “washing machine” style currents.

All for the great of good and a proper adrenaline rush. Loved it! Only five minutes boat ride from the dive shop there is a dive site called “Arus Palee”, literally translated into English as “Bastard Current”. This dive site definitely keeps up to its name!

Diverse dive sites

My favorite dive site is “Tokong” a massive pinnacle of volcanic rock surrounded by a variety of colourful fish, black tip reef sharks, devil rays and the occasional manta ray.

It is also known as the moray eels world capital, in fact they can be found hiding into every hole. Everywhere there is at least a moray eel. Here is where I took most of my underwater pictures in Pulau Weh, it is a paradise for underwater photography lovers.

Pulau Weh is also a great place for deep diving.

There is a particularly exciting deep dive, the Sophie Rickmer Wreck. It is a 134 mt long World War II cargo ship that lays at a maximum depth of 60 mt with the top starting at about 37 mt. We dived it a few times, the only downside was the long decompression time on the way up.

Unfortunately I was unable to take photos of it since my underwater housing can only make 40 mt. I absolutely love wreck and deep diving, so the two combined together were a total high!

We had some pretty awesome unforgettable times! Every time I go diving somewhere else now, no matter how good the place is, I always think of Pulau Weh.
Life of a travelling scuba instructor in Pulau Weh – North Sumatra

Home is….where I park my backpack! Living the life of a travelling scuba diving instructor requires a high level of adaptability, flexibility and an open mind.

Comforts are not always available and most of the time hot water is considered a luxury (that is of course if there is any hot water anyway).

Not to mention the possibility of little annoying housemates such as jungle mice and ants.

Some might think: “Awww!! Gross!”. But I can assure you it is not that bad. However, it is mostly up to oneself to make the most out of a place and make it home.

The Green House

During all the time spent in Pulau Weh, we made our home at The Green House in Iboih.

What a fantastic place! A green wooden building nested on the rocks with only few rooms, a shared kitchen, a fantastic terrace with magnificent views over the sea and only one minute walk to the dive shop.

What a place to live! The owner, Erick, is probably the most amazing, friendly and chilled out person I have ever met. He is the best host ever, making always sure his guests have a memorable time. “My home is your home” he says, and it definitely is that way.

When he is home, it is easy to find him sitting on his terrace chilling out with friends, listening to some good music, munching on some local treats and sipping tasty Ache coffee.

“So lucky” he says and no doubt he’s right!

The Green House, or Erick’s as everyone calls it, is the perfect place to hang out for a chill out evening.

So many times after a day’s work or just a day out, we hung out on the terrace enjoying the views, good music and lovely company.

If we were feeling really lazy, Mama, next door to the Green House, would cook a fabulous tasty Indonesian dinner for us. She was my favourite cook on the Island and she surely looked after us. Such great times. I actually miss Erick and the Green House. I always find myself with a smile on my face when I think about it!

Where to eat and hang out

Iboih is a cozy little place that only offers very few places to eat and hang out. My favourite restaurant, besides Mama’s cooking, was Deedee’s Kitchen. She has a great choice of local food but also a great range of fresh salads and other western treats. She made the best fried tempe.

For those who don’t know what tempe is, it is an Indonesian produce made out of fermented soya and mushroom extract. It is a good alternative to meat and it is very versatile since it can be deep fried and eaten like chips, pan/stir fried mixed to salads or cooked with curries. Quite a unique flavour but once I started to like it I could not stop eating it.

I am a food lover and I love eating local food. However, I do get western food cravings occasionally.

Deedee’s sister, Mama (not the same Mama next door to Erick’s), has her own restaurant just across from Deedee’s and makes the best “Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato & Fresh Tuna” I have ever eaten abroad.

Being Italian, I do not normally eat pasta in restaurants abroad but Mama makes it just perfect. Cooked “al dente” with a deliciously tasty and fresh tuna and tomato sauce made to order.

Oh, I forgot to mention that everything in Pulau Weh is made fresh to order so it does take a long time before getting your food. And when I say a long time, I mean a LONG time! But it is definitely worth it!

Meat is a great part of my diet. I like all kind of meats. Here beef is not available and pork is not allowed (except in Bali and other non Islamic areas). The selection is left with chicken and the occasional goat.

Goat is delicious in curries and chicken is mainly fried or made into a curry. The best fried chicken and chips I had was at O Lala Restaurant. A big piece of crispy fried chicken with a mountain of handcut chips. What a treat!

O Lala is also a great hang out place for a bit of a party and definitely a good point for travelers to gather together. Not many places in Pulau Weh sell beer or other alcohol but Eka, the owner of O Lala, always makes sure she has beers in the fridge for her guests. She is also a wonderful hostess. She is to O Lala like Erick is to the Green House.

Iboih, Pulau Weh, it is definitely a home away from home. I don’t really have a home back home so that was a home!