Join This 18 Day Amazing Guided Safari to Two of Best Snorkeling Destinations in the World
May 20 – June 6, 2024
What a wonderful opportunity to snorkel two areas of the Coral Triangle with some of the most abundant and beautiful reefs you can find. You will have 17 nights, from two amazing Indonesia resorts, with a small group of snorkelers, on this guided adventure of a lifetime. We have visited both locations, and you won’t find better snorkeling in the world.
Your trip will start in Komodo, renowned for reefs just packed full of life, but also for big creatures like manta rays and turtles, not to mention actual Komodo Dragons that you will get to see.
Next you will be visiting Misool, a very remote Eco-Resort in Raja Ampat, and our favorite snorkeling destination so far. This private reserve is focused on conservation and sits in the middle of a 500 square mile Marine Protected Area and No Take Zone. Misool’s reefs are absolutely brimming with life. Thanks to their conservation efforts it is one of the rare places where sea life is not only flourishing, but has increased in health and diversity in recent years. Right off the docks you can see schools of trevally and Bumphead Parrotfish. Green turtles and walking sharks are common.
Watch this quick intro video to both locations.
This trip is being run by our partner and friend Ben and his team. Based in the U.K., they are experts in the Coral Triangle, run amazing excursions, and have a great appreciation for the underwater world.
This small group trip of 16 is exclusively for snorkelers. It is a unique opportunity to experience a guided remote adventure filled with fantastic reefs, beautiful landscapes, and remote island resorts.
The Komodo and Misool Travel Itinerary
After your international flight into Bali International Airport (DPS), you will check into the Novotel Aiport Hotel to relax and recover from your long journey. There will be a group dinner to welcome and introduce everyone. After a buffet breakfast, you will fly with your group to Labuan Bajo. The Komodo Resort team will meet you at the airport, for a quick vehicle transfer to the harbor, and a 75 minute boat ride to the island of Sebayur, the home of your resort for the next seven nights.
For the next leg of your trip you will return to Labuan Bajo and fly to Jakarta, where you will check in and spend the day at the Jakarta Airport Hotel before flying together on an overnight flight to Sorong. At Sorong your group will be met by staff from the Misool Resort, and will be transferred to their large boat. There is a four hour boat ride to the remote resort of Misool, in the comfortable large yacht, with air-conditioning, restrooms, and snacks available.
After spending seven nights at the beautiful Misool Resort, you return by boat to Sorong, to stay one night at the Swissbel Hotel, before flying back to Bali, which is the end of the guided tour.
Snorkeling in the Komodo Islands
Komodo is a national park of 26 islands which lie to the east of Bali. Taking a trip to this remote corner of Asia feels like stepping back in time.
The islands are volcanic in origin with striking rugged hillsides of dry savanna and green thorny vegetation surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches.
You will see other boats out on the water, mostly with divers. But with few snorkelers on the water, you will generally have the reefs to your group.
Below the surface you can expect truly world class snorkeling. Being in the Coral Triangle, it offers an abundance of marine bio-diversity. You have many opportunities to see larger species in Komodo. There are manta ray cleaning stations scattered throughout the park. It isn’t uncommon to have encounters with large numbers of these majestic creatures, as well as eagle rays. Schooling pelagics, reef sharks, and Giant Trevally also make frequent appearances. And you are very likely to see many large sea turtles tucked into corals for a break, or coming to the surface for air.
Komodo has big tidal ranges, with strong currents, which is one of the reasons the reefs are so healthy. So you will often be led by your guide in a drift snorkel along a reef, or even around a small island, and get picked up in a different spot by the boat.
You will explore a variety of reefs, with expansive coral fields of many types, anemones, sponges, and reef fish galore. This makes the snorkeling suited to a variety of preferences.
Besides the nearly overwhelming number of small reef fish, you will also commonly see Napoleon Wrasse, and schools of jacks, fusiliers, spadefish, and trevally, and many more. Beautiful small nudibranchs are commonly sighted, as are colorful tunicates.
Each day your group will venture out by boat to explore neighboring reefs. There will also be unlimited opportunities to snorkel the fantastic house reef at the resort.
Topside, there’s the chance to trek on Komodo Island and see the legendary Komodo Dragons lazing in the warm sunshine.
Watch This Short Highlight Video
What Is Komodo Resort Like?
Komodo Resort is an extraordinary island resort on the outskirts of Komodo National Park. Your luxurious beachfront bungalows are en-suite and the sunset beach bar is simply wonderful. The house reef offers beautiful snorkeling opportunities, but there are also lush and lively reefs within the national park, as well as the chance to snorkel with the huge and majestic manta rays.
Not only is it within range of some of Komodo’s finest snorkeling sites, it has a spectacular house reef, powder white sand beaches for afternoon relaxation, and accommodation finely in tune with its surroundings.
There are many reefs, islands, islets and sandy bays found within range of Komodo Resort to explore.
The 16 seafront bungalows plus 4 suite bungalows are made of teak wood, have private bathrooms, and are surrounded by the nature of a desert island.
All the rooms have air-conditioning, fans, mosquito netting on the beds, hot water, and 24 hours electric power.
The open air bamboo restaurant serves international and Italian cuisine with fresh produce and fish straight from the sea.
You can enjoy daily homemade bread, pasta at dinner, and pastries and cakes at breakfast.
They also accommodate dietary restrictions. Feel the breeze and enjoy the view of the ocean sipping a glass of wine.
The resort has a spa offering traditional Javanese massage, relaxation massage, masks and scrubs.
There is a small gym, if you need a workout after all the snorkeling, or you can also hike the trails around the resort island for fantastic views of the neighboring islands.
The resort has a large boat dedicated to your snorkeling group that ventures out each day to explore neighboring reefs. Some days you will come back to the resort for lunch between morning and afternoon snorkels, but on other days you will have lunch on the boat between snorkeling sessions. The boat has both a bathroom and changing rooms.
The top deck has comfy bean bags under a shaded canopy to relax while underway. The rear of the boat has two very sturdy boarding ladders for getting back on the boat after your snorkel. There is also a zodiac inflatable boat that is always out with the snorkel group so that if anyone gets tired they can return to the main boat at any time.
Snorkeling in Misool, Raja Ampat
Misool’s reefs are absolutely brimming with life. Thanks to their conservation efforts it is one of the rare places where sea life is not only flourishing, but has increased in health and diversity in recent years.
Right off the docks you can see schools of trevally and Bumphead Parrotfish. Green turtles and walking sharks are common. Take it from us.
In 2020 we experienced likely the best snorkeling of our lives at Misool, and we started donating monthly to their conservation foundation, because we were so impressed with the good they are doing. It is extraordinary!
Many of the underwater pictures on this page we took during that trip.
Watch the video below, to get a sense for what Misool is all about.
“There is greater biodiversity — that is to say, a larger number and greater diversity of fish, coral, and mollusks on these reefs than anywhere on earth. A single football field-sized patch of Misool’s reefs has nearly five times the number of coral species as the entire Caribbean Sea.” – Marine biologist Dr Mark Erdmann
This adventure will not lack for snorkeling variety, or time in the water!
Unlimited Beach Snorkeling
Because you are staying at Misool Eco Resort you will have the opportunity to snorkel right from the beaches, to your heart’s content. As you can see in the picture below there is a north lagoon, a south lagoon, and the reef to either side of the dock to snorkel. We found the house reef snorkeling to be exceptional. There are areas full of healthy corals, with fish in the thousands. Seeing small reef sharks and turtles is common.
Snorkel Boat Trips Included
Over the course of your stay at Misool you will have 12 snorkel boat sessions. These adventures take your snorkeling only group out to a variety of neighboring shallow reefs and walls that are as spectacular as the house reef. Most of these boat rides are only 5-15 minutes away.
Night Snorkeling
You will also have the opportunity to do some guided night snorkeling at the resort.
You will see a huge variety of hard and soft corals, and just clouds of fish, including large schools of Bumphead Parrotfish, and a very high chance of seeing giant manta rays at a nearby cleaning station.
What Is Misool Eco-Resort Like?
You will be spending seven nights at Misool Eco Resort. The resort was built entirely with reclaimed wood using their own saw mills on site. Your group will be staying in the Water Cottages or North Lagoon Villas. That means your room is right over the water, with your own steps down into a shallow lagoon with great snorkeling. And when you have a desire to hang out on a beach, you can venture over to South Beach. It is one of the most picturesque beaches we have ever been on.
Your room will have air-conditioning, an open air private bathroom with hot water, and a veranda with lounges.
All food is included, and served at the beachfront restaurant. You can expect Asian and Western cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh, local, organic produce, and fish line-caught outside their no-take zone. They can accommodate dietary needs and restrictions with advance notice. There are four meals served a day (second breakfast anyone?), plus snacks, and afternoon tea. Alcohol is an extra cost item, and pork is not served.
You may also choose to partake in the resort’s wellness spa treatments at The Lookout or in your own room. They offer massage and beauty treatments that feature their signature products, created every morning in their kitchen.
Trip Details and How to Sign Up
We expect this trip to fill quickly. Your spot is reserved with your deposit. Contact Ben below for deposit instructions.
Trip Date:
May 20 – June 6, 2024 – Available.
Trip Price:
$9,845 USD per person double occupancy – Seafront Bungalow at Komodo Resort and a Water Cottage at Misool Resort
$10,445 USD per person double occupancy – Seafront Bungalow at Komodo Resort and a North Lagoon Villa at Misool Resort
Single Supplement: $2,250 USD (Sea front bungalow at Komodo Resort and a water cottage at Misool Resort)
The initial deposit for this trip is $400 US per person. At 12 months before departure there is a $600 US per person interim deposit, and at six months there is another $1000 US per person interim deposit. The final balance will be due three months before departure. A few payment options are available including debit and credit cards.
Inclusions:
- 1 night at Novotel Bali Airport with welcome dinner and breakfast
- All domestic flights with 44lbs (20kg) checked luggage allowance in economy class (Bali – Komodo – Jakarta – Sorong – Bali)
- 7 nights at Komodo Resort in Deluxe Seafront Bungalow with full board (all meals)
- 6 days of 3 boat snorkels per day in Komodo
- Half day Komodo Dragon Trek (entry fees not included)
- Unlimited Komodo Resort house reef snorkeling
- 1 day at Jakarta Airport Hotel
- 7 nights at Misool Resort with full board (all meals)
- 12 boat snorkels in Misool
- Unlimited Misool Resort house reef snorkeling
- 1 night at Swiss-Belhotel with dinner and breakfast included
- All group transfers
- Accompanied by a guide from Ben’s team
Exclusions:
- Travel and health insurance
- International flights and visas
- Snorkel gear rental
- Beverages, spa treatments, sundries, and gratuities
- Marine park fees (subject to change)
Trip Organizers
Ben and his U.K. based team are the organizers and leaders of this trip (more about them below). Galen and Nicole from TropicalSnorkeling.com are promoting this trip, but all signups, trip organization and payments are made to and managed by Ben’s team. TropicalSnorkeling.com does receive a referral fee in exchange for promoting the trip, at no extra cost to attendees.
How to Sign Up or Learn More?
Use the contact form below to contact Ben and his team to request more information about them and express your interest in signing up. They will get back to you shortly with full details.
More About Ben and Our Partnership
Ben (pictured with Nicole) is our friend and snorkeling trips partner. He and his team are based in the U.K. and have over 20 years of experience guiding in Asia and beyond. He has been running his own business since 2010 and is primarily offering guided snorkeling trips, but he started with diving. He began offering snorkeling specific trips because he was aware that snorkelers often get the short end of the stick when thrown in with divers. He and his team love the freedom and low stress of snorkeling, and are very aware of the different needs of snorkelers versus divers, in terms of the reef depth, and calm surface conditions needed.
From our experience going on two of his snorkeling trips we found them very well organized, the guides were fantastic and very helpful, and the underwater experiences were exceptional. Snorkeling groups really get the benefit of all of Ben and his guides’ years of experience in the water, and with different resorts and liveaboards.
All of his trips are small groups of 12-18 guests, or with a similar ratio of snorkelers to guides. These are premium trips including nearly everything you will need, accommodation, meals, transportation, and more.
His company is licensed and insured. Barring extreme circumstances they do not cancel trips, and all funds are held in a trust until the trip is completed giving you 100% financial security if they or any of their suppliers go out of business before the trip happens.