Dive Indonesia at Misool Private Island Resort

Includes:

• Sorong Airport pick-up and porter service
• Speed boat transfer from Sorong to Misool (Approx. 4 Hours)
• 7 Night’s accommodation in either a Water Cottage or a South Beach Villa
• Four meals per day plus afternoon tea time
• Most non-alcoholic drinks, drinking water, soft drinks, coffee and tea
• 1 Night’s accommodation following your stay at Misool in Sorong on a bed and breakfast basis
• Use of kayaks and Stand Up Paddle Boards
• 15-minute massage after first dive
• Snorkeling on the House Reef and with baby sharks in the North Lagoon
• A series of evening educational lectures in the Dive Centre
• Government tax
• Unlimited Diving:
  • 1 x check dive on arrival day
  • 3 scheduled boat dives per day, as well as either a dusk dive or a night dive each night
  • The House Reef is open from 08:00 to 20:00 every day for buddy teams or guided dives
  • Free nitrox
  • Expert Guides

Excludes:

• Flights & Airport Taxes (Approx. R 28 000 JNB – Sorong Return)
• Optional Stopovers
• Equipment rental
• Raja Ampat Marine Park Entry permit (700,000 IDR about 50 USD)
• Additional Sightseeing not specified: Visits to the petroglyphs, kayaking tours, private beach picnics, etc.
• Alcoholic and drinks not specified
• Dinner in Sorong following your stay at Misool
• Internet usage. You may purchase unlimited usage on your own device for 55 USD/7 nights, 72 USD/9 nights, and 85 USD/12 nights.  The first 10 minutes are free so you can test the speed for yourself.
• Personal travel, baggage and diving insurance

Optional Upgrades (from):

• Upgrade to a Water Cottage or South Beach Villa 9 + 1 Nights: R 16 900 pp, sharing
• Upgrade to a Water Cottage or South Beach Villa 12 + 1 Nights: R 42 600 pp, sharing
• Upgrade to a North Lagoon Villa 7 + 1 Nights: R 9 500 pp, sharing
• Upgrade to a North Lagoon Villa 9 + 1 Nights: R 29 500 pp, sharing
• Upgrade to a North Lagoon Villa 9 + 1 Nights: R 59 500 pp, sharing

Misool Eco Resort has a high and a low season, please contact us to get a quote based on your travel dates

Get a feel for this beautiful resort here

Please note the following:

• • Prices are subject to change in the event of price increases, airfares, exchange rate fluctuations and availability.
  • The exact price can only be confirmed at the time of final invoicing and final payment due date. If you would like to secure your price to avoid any fluctuations we will provide you with a final invoice  (calculated at the exchange rate at time) and payment will need to me made in FULL within 24 hours of receipt of the invoice.
  • The tour package has been quoted on a sharing basis and an additional single supplement fee will be charged for singles

Diving Highlights and Bucket List Dive Sites:

You can expect to dive a diverse selection of sites, including a busy manta cleaning station, coral covered walls, reef flats, swim throughs, gentle sea mounts, drift dives, vast hard-coral gardens, and current-raked pinnacles. Visibility is generally 25+ meters, with temperatures around 26-28 degrees Celsius.

House Reef

Accessed at any time from either the end of the jetty or the Dive Centre. Horse-eyed jacks gather under the pier, joined by fusiliers and anchovies and large groupers who make their home under the jetty. One regularly sees large black tip reef sharks patrolling the deeper areas, as well as the occasional grey reef shark. Drifting through the channel, the topography shifts from a gentle slope to steep wall, festooned with colourful soft corals, huge gorgonian sea fans, sea squirts and tunicates. The many rocky outcroppings, coral bommies, and overhangs is always filled with treasure. Large and colourful crinoids often cling to the fans, hosting a menagerie of colour-coordinated cling fish, crinoid shrimp, and arrowhead crabs.

Glimpse the stunning Mandarin Fish, who appear just before sunset, joined by the spectacular displays of several species of Flasher Wrasse. Spot the newly-discovered ‘walking’ Epaulette Shark in the shallows, scooting along with their pectoral fins. The reef wall is also home to an unrivalled variety of soft corals, hard corals, and sponges, in all colours of the spectrum.

Nudi Rock

Just a 5-minute speed boat ride from the jetty, this site is a must for critter enthusiasts and macro photographers. True to its name, you’ll find a wide range of flamboyant nudibranchs lurking among the abundant soft corals. The sea fans are well populated with pygmy seahorses and cowries. Be sure to inspect the abundant crinoids for their colour-coordinated arrowhead shrimp and cling fish. When currents allow, this site is also popular for its pinnacles crowded with larger pelagics like Barracuda, Big Eyed Travelly, and the odd mature Grey Reef Shark.

Magic Mountain

This sea mount is located about 20 minutes from the resort, and is a busy Manta ray cleaning station. The submerged pinnacle reaches up to about 7 meters, and you have a very good chance of seeing both the giant Oceanic birostris as well as the smaller reef manta, alfredi. Magic Mountain is also a nursery for White Tip Reef Sharks and a love nest for Napoleon Wrasse. Because this site is completely exposed to oceanic currents, you can expect to see large schools of pelagics in the blue.

Yillet

The huge island of Yillet stretches east to west about 15 minutes north of the resort. This island used to be home to an itinerant shark finning camp, there is a  stunning resurgence of life on its surrounding reefs, including sharks. One tiny island has been undercut by untold millenia of wave action, forming an umbrella over a sloping underwater plateau with numerous spooky overhangs and cavelets. Diving with a torch is highly recommended for this site. Barramundi cod and Hawksbill Turtles frequent this site, remember to keep a sharp eye out for the blue, as huge schools of barracuda hover in formation.

Boo Windows

One of the most famous, this site is a small island about 15 minutes from the resort, with 2 swim-through ‘windows’ carved into it. The South West face of this site is quite steep and exposed to current, so you are likely to see patrolling sharks as well as the elusive Wobbegong Shark. The pinnacle is often surrounded by pulsating schools of fusiliers and gangs of plate-sized Batfish. Heading back towards the Windows, you will see how the sunlight filters through. Follow the plateau of hard plate corals and look for Sweetlips hiding underneath. Be sure to investigate the huge Barrel Sponges as their crevices often conceal Hairy Squat Lobsters.

The accommodations have been meticulously designed for comfort, privacy, and sustainability. All of the rooms are spacious, well-ventilated, and generously distributed around the undulating karst rock formations of this private resort island.  All rooms feature Balinese-style open air bathrooms, wall fans, independent air-conditioning units, fresh hot and cold showers, mini-bars stocked with treats from around the archipelago, and handcrafted furniture and fittings. The Dive Centre, Restaurant, Water Cottages and North Lagoon Villas are reached by a short but steep walk over the hill, with exceptional 270-degree views along the way. Alternatively, a Water Taxi is reachable by radio and available at all times except for low tides.

You have the option of staying in either the Water Cottages or the South Beach Villas for this package price. Or you could choose to upgrade to a North Lagoon Villa.

WATER COTTAGES

The 8 Water Cottages are built on stilts over the water. For lazy afternoons with a good book, there is a hammock built right into the veranda. The view from your veranda is framed by a traditional grass roof, separated from one another by at least 10 meters they offer a high degree of privacy. Stairs lead down from your veranda to the North Lagoon, and the House Reef is just a few fin kicks away.

SOUTH BEACH VILLAS

On a powder-white beach, you’ll find seven South Beach Villas overlooking a blue water swimming hole, tucked under the trees of an untouched jungle. These Villas offer a variety of options to cater for various needs. Whether you want to book as a group and opt for a few villas in a cluster, or if you want a more secluded option.

NORTH LAGOON VILLAS

Located in the North Lagoon with the Water Cottages, these luxury villas are larger and offer a variety of options for both groups and couples. Perched overlooking the House Reef, these villas offer increasable views and a great spot enjoy the sunset.

Language

Ma’ya is an Austronesian language spoken by most people in this area, however, English is widely spoken.

Time zone

Climate

Average temperatures range from 28 to 30°C year round with fairly high humidity.  The weather is generally drier from October to April, but showers of rain can occur. The winds are normally not strong during that period and some days are totally calm.

Water temperature

The waters around Misool are always tropical, reaching temperatures between 25 and 30°C

Power supply

220 volts, 24 hours a day. There are some 110 V transformers available in the Dive Centre.

Departure Tax

At the time of writing, departure tax is included in the ticket price for both domestic and international flights.

dining

Meals are served in the beach-front Restaurant. The resort offers a tasty, nutritious, and whenever possible, organic menu with an emphasis on fresh local food.

Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style. A mini-breakfast is served before the first dive, a giant cooked breakfast after the first dive. Lunch is served family-style with a selection of dishes to be shared. Afternoon teatime features homemade treats and savoury snacks. Dinner service is plated, so your meal is always prepared fresh even if you’re planning a night dive or star-gazing tour. There is also an all-day a la carte menu available.

 Please let us know about any other dietary restrictions or allergies well in advance of your arrival. Clean drinking water, Papuan coffee, tea, and soft drinks are provided free of charge. Beer, imported wine, and imported sparkling wine are available as well.

MalAria

There is no malaria on Misool island, though it is endemic to most of Indonesia. Nevertheless, we recommend that you always sleep under a mosquito net, wear light-coloured clothing, cover up during evening and early morning hours, and use an insect repellent if necessary (they have natural and very effective mosquito repellent available on site). As for malarial prophylactics, we suggest you consult with your doctor for more information

Staying in contact

The resort does have a satellite internet connection available in the Dive Centre, but it’s very slow. Consider taking a break from your email and just relaxing instead. If your friends and family need to contact you, we encourage them to write to guest(at)misoolecoresort.com The resort will pass the message on to you via Island Post.

What payment method is accepted

Incidental charges such as spa services, excursions, internet, souvenirs, etc can be paid by Visa, Mastercard, or cash (Rupiah, USD, or Euros) before your departure. The resorts bank will charge you 2% for this service.

If you’d like to pay in cash, please note that foreign notes must be in perfect condition – otherwise Indonesian banks will not accept them for exchange or may choose to give you a lower exchange rate. USD 100 notes receive the best exchange rate if dated 2000 or later.

What to bring

• Proof of dive insurance and dive certification card.

• All dive equipment, including a torch, surface marker buoy, dive computer, wetsuit, and well-maintained gear. Computer and surface marker buoy (safety sausage) are required safety equipment. If you need to hire any equipment, please let us know well in advance. Please note the resort does not rent wetsuits so please bring yours with you. We also recommend you bring your own mask, fins, and snorkel to ensure proper fit.

• Passport valid from 6 months from the time of entry into Indonesia. Nationals of most countries will be granted a 30-day Visa on Arrival, which is free of charge. We recommend you check with the Indonesian Embassy in your home country to confirm.

• One full empty page in your passport in which to put the Visa on Arrival sticker.

• You may be asked by Indonesian Immigration officials to show a copy of your airline ticket out of Indonesia within the 30-day period.

• A warm pullover or jacket. Evenings can occasionally be brisk, and the domestic flights are often cold.

• Hat and polarised sunglasses.

• Light coloured clothing. For some reason, light colours are generally less appealing to mosquitos than dark ones.

• Any toiletries you may need such as razors, tampons, toothpaste, medications, etc. The resort supplies eco-friendly shampoo, conditioner, and soap, so you don’t need to bring those.

• reefsafe sunscreen (no oxybenzone or octinoxate). Stream2Sea has earned the prestigious Protect Land & Sea Certification (PL+S), guaranteeing it does not contain ANY ingredients known to be harmful to coral, fish, turtles and sea life.

• Rechargeable batteries.

• Your favourite tipple. It’s very difficult (and very expensive) to get alcohol in Sorong. We encourage you to bring your favourite bottle of wine or spirits from the Duty Free shop in your home country (the Duty Free shop in the Jakarta airport is not very well stocked).

What NOT to bring

• Please plan carefully to minimise your rubbish. Whenever possible, choose rechargeable batteries and avoid bringing things like disposable razors and single use plastics. Any non-biodegradable and non-recyclable rubbish will have to be returned to Sorong.

• Anti-bacterial soap. The waste water treatment system relies on plant life to remove nitrogen, phosphates, and bacteria from grey and black water. Using harsh detergents and bactericidal agents will harm the plants, reducing the efficacy of our filtration system. Please don’t use them.

• Soap with microbeads.

• Any single use plastics, including duty free bags and water bottles.

• Dive gloves. You will not be permitted to wear them.

• Fishing/spearfishing equipment. All fishing is strictly forbidden.

diving

• Nitrox is provided free of charge to qualified divers, upon availability
• Check Dive will be conducted on the day of your arrival
• Certification must be presented as well as a log book and dive insurance
• Safety: Please be advised that due to the extremely remote location and distance from the nearest recompression chamber, the resort dives very conservatively. Safety is a priority, and they don’t allow deco diving or dives deeper than 30 meters. Several of the staff are certified PADI Emergency First Aid Responders. Oxygen is available. In the event of a general medical emergency, you will be evacuated to the nearest hospital, which is in Sorong. In the event of a diving emergency, your diving insurance provider will advise the resort on the appropriate course of action. You must have dive insurance if you plan on diving. We recommend DAN or PADI insurance, which covers emergency evacuation. We also strongly recommend health and travel insurance.
• Alcohol Consumption: If alcohol is consumed in between dives by an individual then they will be required to refrain from diving for the remainder of the day
• Flying After Diving: A minimum surface interval of 18 hours must be allowed prior to flying or going to altitude