+Number of dives/site selection…
Each scheduled trip outlines the approximate number of dives planned for each cruise destination… Scuba diving Indonesia is always subject to weather conditions and more importantly safety... Dive site selection is subject to change by our cruise team without prior notice... There are many fantastic dive sites across the ring of fire and our objective is to take guests to the best… Repeat guests - we’ll take you to some new sites or more of those you really loved…
+Certification needed for diving in Indonesia...
Everyone is welcome on board our liveaboard dive boats, the minimum level of certification required is advanced or a deep speciality. These course can been completed by a dive center that trains in one of the many certifying agencies such as Padi and SSI... Dive groups and site selection will be chosen to meet your safety, comfort and diving ability and is subject to the discretion of the cruise team... Our professional dive crew will take you on the easy route or to another site if you don’t like currents… If you are up for it, we’ll take you right into it, for all the action the site offers… You may wish to bring a reef hook for use at some dive sites…
+Dive guides and diver safety…
Our experienced dive crew would be delighted to assist you with the best diving in Indonesia... Divers are welcome to dive with their buddy on sites deemed suitable by the cruise leader... Please allow 24 hours between last dive and flying... Guests are requested to show diving certification cards on checking in, and are strongly recommended to have valid dive insurance (PADI, DAN or equivalent)…
+Departure and Arrival times…
Boarding time is 11am for all locations...
The arrival time back in harbour is mid morning for all locations...
+Departure Harbour Komodo...
The meeting location in Labuan Bajo is at the harbour "KP3". The location is attached below in the google map link... https://maps.app.goo.gl/BxRJZ3SVdKGgwvdJ9
+Harbour Details Raja Ampat...
The harbor in Sorong that you purchase the ticket and then board the fast boat to Waisai is called "Pelabuhan Rakyat Sorong" Any taxi or hotel in Sorong knows the location and you can just ask for Fast boat ferry to Waisai. The ferry runs at 9am or 2pm depending on the day. PLEASE CHECK FERRY SCHEDULES AS LIKELY TO CHANGE. The schedule is in link below... https://rajaampat.biz/raja-ampat-ferry-fastboat-schedule
The location of the harbor is in the google maplink below... https://maps.app.goo.gl/GfBbAehQfgm7j7968
The harbor and meeting point in Waisai plus departure point and ticket office for return fast boat ferry is in the google map link below... https://maps.app.goo.gl/s3nPPdEPGK1yw5Tj7
+Domestic Flights…
The majority of local flights can now be booked using Traveloka.com, Visa and Mastercard are both accepted... Guests are strongy advised to arrive at least 1 day prior to their cruise to avoid any delays…
+Hotels Labuan Bajo...
High End Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo, Plataran Komodo Resort & Spa, Menjaga Bay, Bayview Gardens Hotel
Mid Range Green Hill Boutique Hotel, Wae Molas Hotel, Cool Breeze Authentic Hotel
Budget Friendly Seaesta Komodo Hotel & Hostel, Christika Homestay, La Boheme Bajo
+Hotels Raja Ampat...
Sorong
High End Aston Sorong Hotel & Conference Center, Swiss-Belhotel
Mid Range Favehotel Sorong, Rylich
Waisai
High End Coriana Dive Resort, Coco Huts Guest House, Meridian Adventure Scuba Dive Resort & Marina, Sorido Bay Resort
Mid Range Raja Ampat Sandy Guesthouse, Amfriwen Homestay, Firdas Bungalows
+Hotels Ambon...
High End The Natsepa Resort and Conference Center, Swiss-Belhotel Ambon
Mid Range Wisma Grace, BIZ HOTEL City
+Taxis...
Labuan Bajo
Taxis from airport to town centre and harbour take approximatly 5-10 minutes and cost approximatly 100,000 Idr
Sorong
Taxis from airport to town centre and harbour take approximatly 10 minutes and cost approximatly 100,000 Idr
Ambon
Taxis from airport to town centre and harbour take approximatly 30 minutes and cost approximatly 500,000 Idr
+Arrivals/Visa's...
Most European Countries and North Americans will receive a 30 day visa upon arrival which can often be extended by 30 days, you must have a return flight ticket… Please double check with your local embassy or consulate if this is the case… Upon the day of your arrival, your passport must be valid at least 6 months…
+Water temperature and recommendations…
The tropical seas of our Raja Ampat liveaboards, sit within equatrial boundries, delivering water temperatures of aproximately 27-30 degrees, 3-5mm short/long thermal protection is prefered as cloud cover often frequents the day...
The Flores Sea (our Komodo liveaboards) with its usually clear blue waters and great visibility has a water temperature of approximately 26-28 degrees (northern dive locations) and most guests are comfortable with 3-5mm short/long thermal protection... The Sumba Sea (southern dive locations) has an average temperature of approximately 24 degrees… The awesome diving lets you forget about the cooler waters, however think about a 5mm long suit, possibly adding a vest or renting a short suit to go over the top if you feel the cold…
We do have a modest selection of long and short wetsuits on board which you can rent if you are cold or change into if you are too warm in your suit…
+Diving equipment on board…
Rental is charged on a per diving day basis... Full rental equipment is available (most of the equipmet BC, air delivery system, fins, mask/snorkel set, wetsuit, belt and weights are Scubapro)… Please advise your rental equipment needs including sizes when you book... Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki both have 11.1 liter aluminum tanks on board... Tank valves are yoke and DIN... Any dive equipment failure or loss will require you to rent a replacement from us at our published rates… If rental equipment is lost/damaged, full replacement cost will be charged by the Cruise Director…
+Camera Stations…
There is a rinse container for small/regular camera/video setups such as GoPro and DJI, please liase with us if you have specific camera/video needs… There are charging stations throughout the saloon area... Usually our dive team will have a laptop available in case you experience any problems with yours...
+Electrical current and plugs…
220 volt charging is standard throughout the boat…The type of plug is Type C and Type F Please ask the team on boarding if you are not sure what to use…
+Sim Cards...
We recommend buying Telkomsel sim cards. These are available at airports or readily available at shops throughout all location we operate from. Please note that the coverage will still be limited at best.
+Meals…
Our Indonesian cooks are truly excellent, preparing a variety of Asian and Western dishes, BBQ’s, breads, cakes and treats... Please advise of any special dietary requirements upon booking, we will happily cater for vegetarian and vegan passengers, severe allergies should be discussed in depth at the enquiry stage…
+Currency…
Please pay all, on board costs in Indonesian Rupiah... We suggest you also have some Rupiah for souvenir shopping and small shop items... Exchange rates vary throughout Indonesia, the further away from Bali the lower the exchange rate… To check the current exchange rate we recommend XE The airport’s rate is lower than the rate you find at most small currency exchanges... Bank rates are low and take a long time… Euro and USD are accepted by the souvenir sellers in the Komodo National Park but Rupiah is preferred… There are several currency exchange services and ATM machines from banks such as BNI and Mandiri in all main departure areas we cruise from... Have a plentiful supply of Rupiah for the more exotic cruises as the local villagers will often come to the vessels with affordable and magical souvenirs you will not be able to resist...
+Crew tip/gratuity…
Our boat and dive crew will try very hard to deliver a high level of service, safety and professionalism tempered with lots of fun to optimize your holiday... Many of our guests use 5-10% of the cruise price as a tipping guideline... Tipping is voluntary and most appreciated on our Indonesia liveaboards…
+Luggage and what to bring…
All luggage can be taken on board… For return cruises only, if you have large bags you do not need on the trip, you may arrange to leave at your hotel or with one of our dive shop partners… Other items you may need on board are bathing suits, shorts, t shirts, sunglasses, hat and sunscreen, mosquito repellant and a light weight jacket or jumper… Good walking shoes for hiking to view points should be considered, trainers are fine - slip on sandals are often not...
+Can I be contacted while on board…
Guests can keep in touch with the families and loved ones at many points throughout their cruises via mobile phone and the tour leader will advise when signal is available… If you require to purchase a local sim card we recommend Telkomsel as they have the largest coverage
+Insurance…
You need 2 types of insurance when planning your dive holiday… Diving insurance is strongly recommended due to the high cost for you, should you have a diving accident and require hospitalisation and/or hyperbaric chamber care... Please contact diversalertnetwork.com to check which DAN area can cover you or padi.com/dive-insurance ... General travel/cancellation insurance is also worth some consideration... There are several companies around the world that can assist and one we can suggest is worldnomads.com for reliable and professional service recommended by lonelyplanet.com... Please note, if you are unable to make your dive trip and the date has past our cancellation terms and conditions, we are very sorry but regardless of the circumstances we cannot refund or transfer to another date…
+Medical assistance…
We cruise to remote areas, scuba diving Indonesia, however we are prepared to handle most accident or medical emergencies... Our management team is available 24 hours a day (signal permitting) to expedite emergency evacuation plans to the nearest recompression facility and/or hospital... We have an first aid kit on board plus emergency oxygen... Please bring any of your own medications that you may need including sea sickness pills should you suspect you may suffer... You can help as well by making sure you are in good condition for diving, prevention is always better than the cure… Please remember to dive safely and to make sure your dive insurance is up to date…
+Malaria…
Generally speaking basic precautions such as covering at dawn/dusk and using mosquito repellent for land tours is satisfactory... If you are at all in doubt, please liaise with your doctor…
+Child Policy…
A diving child 10 years or older pays full diver price... A non diving child 12 years or older pays full non diver rate…. A non diving child 12 years or under pays 50% of diver rate if shares with 2 parents/guardians… A non diving child 12 years and under pays full non diver rate if sharing with only 1 parent/guardian… Parents/guardians have to be with the child at all times… If both parents want to dive and the child remains on board, we will hire an additional crew member at the parent’s cost to supervise the child’s activities only while the parents/guardians are in the water… Please give a minimum of 4 weeks notice to arrange this service...
+Cancellation Policy…
Although we would love to see you on board, we understand that plans can change… Should you need to cancel your booking we ask that you notify us at your earliest convenience… All cancellations must be received in writing to liquidadventuresindonesia@gmail.com... Unfortunately, Liquid Adventures Indonesia is unable to return your deposit in the event of a cancellation…
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend you purchase appropriate international travel insurance at the time you pay your deposit... If you do not purchase travel insurance, you may not be able to recover cancellation charges, medical costs, repatriation and other expenses that may arise if things do not go according to plan... Please also ensure this insurance covers you for scuba diving to 30 metres… We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) Insurance as they provide a specific cover tailored to scuba divers…Please note that dive insurance is mandatory… A no show for whatever reason, including, but not limited to flight delays, planning or communication errors, or just not getting out of bed will mean loss of payment and no refund…
Illness
If you cannot complete scheduled individual or all dives due to ill health whilst onboard, please understand that there will be no refund given, but if required a letter for travel insurance purposes to claim the value of missed dives can be provided... For illnesses prior to joining please see the above cancellation policy, which will apply… Travel insurance is very handy in these situations and we strongly recommend its usage…
Weather
For closed port situations or bad weather, exchange products and/or other alternatives will be offered… As Liquid Adventures Indonesia offer overnight dive tours, if you choose to not complete all dives signed up for in the course of the liveaboard trip, you will still be liable for full payment... Rainy or cloudy weather is no valid reason for cancellation, and we strictly follow harbour master recommendations on when to cancel a tour…
Program Changes
Liquid Adventures Indonesia, its subsidiaries, and operators reserve the right to rearrange the order of any itinerary, to cancel or substitute elements of any schedule without notice when local conditions force such changes… Liquid Adventures Indonesia and the dive guides on the boat can prohibit participation on dives at their discretion based on lack of respect for ecological rules and regulations, lack of respect or “handling” of any marine life, alcohol consumption between dives or not abiding by international safe diving rules... In this case, we will not refund you for the missed dives…
Responsibility
There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our guests and all activities are carried out under strict and safe supervision… We ask you to follow your guide during all scuba diving activities, always ensuring you stay ABOVE and BEHIND your guide and NEVER below... This ensures you limit the risk of getting lost, getting taken by a current, going into deco, or possibly seeing nothing (as we cannot show you cool things if you are not there to look)…
We expect you to follow safe scuba diving practices at all times, and we stick to no-deco rules…
Liquid Adventures Indonesia is not responsible for any losses, damage, death, injuries, or claims whatsoever arising from, connected with or related to any activities engaged in by guests while aboard our boats tender at sea or in any port of call... This includes all shore excursions and transfers… Guests engage in all activities aboard or off the boat at their own risk...
Liquid Adventures Indonesia is not responsible for any interruptions caused by flight delays, cancellations or any other travel arrangements made by or external or in conjunction with your booked liveaboard trip... Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance cover arranged to reduce your risk… If your plane is delayed and your arrival time to our boats will be later than the scheduled departure time, a fee will be payable, to transport you, to catch up with the vessel, if at all possible... Departure date and time from our boats will be as planned, and we cannot offer later departure times or additional days onboard due to our fixed schedule... We suggest you plan your departure for the day following the liveaboard tour as it may interfere with your diving schedule due to the 18 - 24 hour no-fly after diving rule…
Force Majeure
Liquid Adventures Indonesia is not liable for failure to perform their obligations if such failure is as a result of Acts of God (including fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane, volcanic ash cloud, or other natural disasters), pandemics, war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, hostilities (regardless of whether war is declared), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power or confiscation, terrorist activities, nationalization, government sanction, blockage, embargo, labour dispute or strike...
+Recommended Websites…
Insurance... DAN, Padi insurance, DiveAssure
Travel planning... Traveloka, Booking.com, Agoda, Skyscanner
Local Information... Stay Raja Ampat, Komodo National Park
Training Companies... Padi, SSI, CMAS, Naui
Recommended Dive Centers... Manta Dive Gili Trawanagan, Uber Scuba Komodo
Please browse the common topics above for answers to your questions, should you not find the answer you are looking for please use the contact form provided...
Patrick Laughlin - United States...