SCUBA Diving in

August 14 - 20, 2019

Picture Credit: White Manta Diving

We’re going in search of dragons and pelagic giants. In case you haven’t noticed, we absolutely love – the diving, the food, and the people. In the last year and a half we’ve visited (or will be visiting) , Gili and Raja Ampat. And now, we’ve teamed up with White Manta Diving and its fantastic team to bring Komodo to life. consists of 3 main islands (Komodo, and Padar) and several tiny ones scattered across the union of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It’s a dramatic landscape – dry savannah on the island hillsides, white sandy beaches, clear blue water and reefs bursting at the seams with life. Someone once described Komodo as the ‘Texas’ of SCUBA diving – everything is just bigger. Titan trigger fish? Bigger. Barracuda schools? Definitely bigger. Mantas? Huge. Komodo has some of the healthiest and most bio-diverse reefs in Indonesia, and there’s something for everyone – from brilliantly colored frogfish and nudibranchs to manta cleaning stations, staghorn coral meadows and adrenalin-pumping currents. One of the Lacadives team even saw her first Mola mola there!

And then, of course, are the giant lizards that roam the islands – the Komodo dragons. Tara Jain, Executive Director at Reefwatch Marine Conservation, marine biologist, dive instructor and yoga instructor(!) will be leading this trip – so along with terrific diving, expect a holistic experience which includes pranayama, light yoga, and discussions on marine life and coral reefs in the evening!

Spots are extremely limited. Reserve yours soon!

Inquiries & bookings: [email protected] | +91 9619698098 | + 91 2226400434

The Diving

Picture Credit: White Manta Diving, Sumer Verma

Nestled in the western vertex of The Coral Triangle, Komodo National Park has 1,000 species of tropical fish, 260 species of coral, and rare mammals such as the dugong, living within its borders. With over 50 dive sites to choose from, this UNESCO World Heritage Site includes muck dives with rare and colorful invertebrates, blue-water current dives chasing pelagic giants, and fields of brilliant coral. We’re expecting to spend time at manta feeding stations, look for tiny critters such as pygmy sea horses and blue dragons, watching sharks and trevally destroy bait balls (they don’t stand a chance) and night dives with Spanish dancers, sleepy turtles and hunting cuttlefish.

The Operator

We will be diving off White Manta Diving’s beautiful luxury flagship vessel KM Blue Manta. White Manta Diving is a somewhat of a specialist in Indonesian waters, and since 1989 has grown into one of Singapore’s best liveaboard companies. It’s a company built by divers for divers, and is one of the best operators in the area, above and below the waves. It currently offers liveaboard safaris in Raja Ampat, Komodo, the Banda Sea and Sangalaki

Picture Credit: White Manta Diving

Key Features

Picture Credit: White Manta Diving

 14 furnished en-suite cabins, each about 200 sf in size, air-conditioned  Outdoor al-fresco dining area and indoor air conditioning  Camera preparation area for the photographers  Sundeck with lounge chairs in both the shade and the sun  No less than 5 meals a day (trust us, you won’t drop weight on this trip, even with 4 dives per day!)  Satellite Wifi (!)  Plasma TV and Home Theatre system in the lounge – for movies and photograph viewing  Nespresso machine (hey, it’s important!)

Getting to and from there: and Labuan Bajo

The Blue Manta will depart from Bima (BMU) and end at Labuan Bajo (LBJ).

Getting to and from these places is fairly straightforward – from Mumbai, one can fly to/from Bima and Labuan Bajo via Bali. Flights are about INR 40,000 (USD 600 approx) round-trip.

Trip Safety

Travel cancellation and dive insurance (including insurance covering decompression chamber fees) are absolutely mandatory on this trip. We recommend using DAN for dive insurance, and your preferred insurance company for travel and medical insurance.

Komodo can have unpredictable sea conditions, so it’s recommended that participants have a PADI Advanced or equivalent certification, and 30 – 40 dives.

Itinerary (subject to change)

 6 nights, 7 days (August 14-20)  18 dives, 2 – 4 dives per day, weather permitting. Sample itinerary is as follows o Day 1. (1-2 dives) 3pm. Our staff will meet you upon your arrival to Bima Airport and transfer you to Blue Manta. Depending on arrival time, we do check dive and night dive in Bima Bay. o Day 2. (4 dives) North Komodo; dive around the thriving reefs of the active Volcanic Island of Sangeang, at Hot Rocks & Deep Purple, then onto Gili Banta & Batu Moncho for stunning reefs & possible Manta sightings. o Day 3. (4 dives) South Komodo; Manta Alley to fly with mantas, Cannibal Rock, Torpedo Alley at Nusa Kode. o Day 4. (4 dives) North Komodo; Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, & Shot Gun at Gili Lawa Laut. Pinnacles, drift dives full of action with hunting fish; jacks & sharks! o Day 5. (4 dives) North Komodo; Tatawa Besar & Kecil, Siaba Kecil, & Wainilu. Tons of Anthias, Napoleon wrasse, sharks, & excellent night dive. o Day 6. (2 dives) North Komodo; Batu Balong & Mantas on the Moon (Makassar Reef). This followed by a walk on the wide side in search of Komodo Dragons, and trekking on one of the local Islands. Then we sail towards Labuan Bajo, where you spend last night on Blue Manta in Bajo Port. Plenty of time to wash & dry equipment, rest & relaxation, and if need be, an early flight on Trip Departure day. o Day 7. (0 dives) 5am-12pm; Check out after light breakfast & farewells, we transfer to local hotel or airport in time for Check-in & flight. Take your pre-booked flight from Labuan Bajo to Bali

Dive sites

So. Many. Fish. Like Monday morning rush hour, but so much more colorful and pleasant. It’s hard to describe the exquisite color and detail of this place, but here are some of our favorite memories and anecdotes, and you can look up additional sites here

Manta Alley, South Komodo: This site is located among a rock islet that’s runs along Komodo’s South coast. Park on a sandy bottom at ~25 meters and watch mantas (sometimes up to 20!) fly, feed and get spa treatment. These graceful giants are unafraid of humans, and maybe even curious. They’ll get close – don’t get

whacked in the head! We had a surprise visitor here once, but we won’t reveal too much! Conditions here may be rough (choppy surface, strong current) and may not be suitable for inexperienced divers

Crystal Rock, North Komodo: Is a rainbow come to life. This site is covered with soft coral and is home to brilliantly coloured anthias and damselfish. You’ll also be treated to octopus, cuttlefish, and schooling action from sweetlips, snapper, Bluefin and bigeye trevally.

Shot Gun

As the name suggests, you’ll be catapulted through a channel filled with Giant Trevally, Oriental Sweetlips, and the occasional manta. A spectacular place in a nearby passage north is called the Fish Bowl. This, again, is heaped with fish: big G.T.'s hanging like statues, all the surgeons and tunas, sweetlips, snappers, big eye travelly, Maori wrasse.

Pricing and inclusions

 Accommodation and diving: o Twin sharing or double: USD 2,700 (approx. INR 180,900) o Single occupancy: USD 3,000 (INR 201,000)  Marine Park fee: USD 180 (approx. INR 12,060)  Rental of full set of equipment, including dive computer: USD 300 (approx. INR 20,100) – contact us for individual equipment prices. o Approximate total per person price, assuming a full set of equipment: . USD 3,180 (approximately INR 213,060) twin share or double. . USD 3,480 (approx.. INR 233,160) for single occupancy  Expect the full cost of this trip to be approximately USD 3,700 – 4,000 , or about INR 250,000 – INR 270,000, once you include flights  Inclusions o 6 nights accommodation, meals and snacks o Tea, coffee. fruit juice, soft drinks o 18 dives o Equipment and computer rental, if applicable (contact us for individual equipment rental prices) o Towels, toiletries and cabin services o Island visits o Transfers to/from hotel/airport in Bima and Labuan Bajo on arrival and departure days o Dive guides (1 dive guide: 5 guests) o Marine park fees  Additions/extras o Domestic and international flights: Approx. USD 600 (approx. INR 40,000) o Visa fees, if required (Indian nationals can receive a visa on arrival for up to 90 days’ stay; please make sure your passport has at least 6 months’ validity) o Alcohol, Nespresso, WiFi, massage services

o Insurance (we require diving insurance, health and travel insurance for this trip) o Nitrox, laundry service and merchandise. Please see on-board extras for pricing

Payment methods and timelines

 Payment methods and details will be shared at the time of booking  Payment timelines and policies are as follows: o On confirming booking: . 30% of retail trip price due to Blue Manta within 7 days of confirmation . 20% of retail trip price due as a non-refundable deposit to Lacadives within 1 month of confirmation o Balance 50% retail trip price PLUS Marine Park & harbor fee due 45 days prior to departure date (i.e. June 30, 2019)

Cancellation policy

 For payments made to Lacadives: o Cancellations made 60 days or more before trip departure can be retained as credit towards future trips either in the Andamans or for other outbound trips o Cancellations made within 60 days of departure are not eligible for credit or refund  For payments made to White Manta o Initial deposits and balance payments (to be made 45 days prior to departure) are not refundable upon cancellation.

Other things to know

 Currencies accepted on board are USD, GBP, IDR and EUR  Although it’s the tropics, the wind tends to pick up at night and it may be a bit chilly – bring a light jacket!  You might want to plan for an extra day in Bali before and after your trip to recuperate