The Batu Bolong: Living Aboard the Great Life

The Komodo National Park, an area of 1,817 square kilometres made up of three main islands, Komodo, Rinca as well as Padar, as well as several smaller ones, was earlier This kind of year awarded the prestigious title of one of the brand-new Seven Wonders of Nature. A protected area where one can find prehistoric gigantic lizards, turquoise-blue sea, white (as well as even pink) sand beaches, untouched islands, a bountiful ocean of fish, coral reef as well as even dolphins, the item’s hard to believe This kind of kind of world still exists. The best way to experience This kind of paradise is actually on a live-aboard as well as if you want to be on one where you arrive as friends as well as leave as family, I suggest you try the Batu Bolong.

Owned by Jon Elliot (an Australian geologist), Pedro Restrepo-Pace (a Colombian geologist) as well as Danny Beak coming from Labuanbajo, the Batu Bolong is actually an understated beauty. Her 23-metre long skeleton was found in Sulawesi, where she was worked on for quite a few months to become what she is actually at This kind of point; three levels using a top deck for dancing as well as lounging, along with an open-air sleeping area at the stern of the top deck where eight can sleep on four double beds sans walls, a middle deck where the kitchen cum shaded lounge area can be found, as well as two double en-suite cabins down below. My advice would certainly be to sleep upstairs as the item can get quite stuffy down there, especially when the generator is actually turned off at around midnight. nevertheless This kind of is actually what makes This kind of boat different to others; you sleep without the sound of a generator nagging in your ear, as well as instead to the sounds of wilderness whilst docked in a bay where hardly a ripple can be seen on the ocean’s surface.

The Batu Bolong is actually fully equipped for diving trips as well as will take you to some of the best dive sites inside the planet. Also onboard was our dive instructor, Adrienne Salcau, who knew these parts like the back of her hand as well as enthusiastically shared her expertise with us. Adrienne’s pre-dive briefs were thorough as well as clear, which meant fun as well as safe dives, as well as she gently encouraged us to attempt stronger current dives (renowned in these waters) so we could experience the best which diving here has to offer, as well as become more experienced ourselves.

The best site was Castle Rock, which was enjoyed at sunrise to avoid sharing with additional divers. We did, however share the surface with dolphins, curiously dipping in as well as out of the waters around our dinghy as we edged towards the drop site. Entering the water via negative entry, we went straight down to around 25 metres as well as were immediately hit using a strong current, forcing us to hold on to the rock to avoid being dragged away. This kind of site is actually special because the item’s filled with all things large – white as well as black tip sharks up to three metres in length, reef sharks, tuna, giant trevally as well as napoleon wrasse (known to weigh up to 150kg) as well as thousands of additional fish on a feeding frenzy. When you park on the bottom of the ocean, holding on as well as feeling the current blast in your face, you can just watch their world go by as though you were watching a giant aquarium. I would certainly return to Komodo just for This kind of site alone. the item’s an exhilarating action dive filled to the brim with life.

Another major attraction for divers to these parts is actually the Manta Ray. These gentle giants are the largest of their kind here (three metres long) as well as we came into contact with at least six at Manta Alley. At a max depth of 15 metres, This kind of alley can be enjoyed by snorkelers as well, although the current can take you quite far on the surface. One manta in particular slowly swooped down as well as hovered a metre above us to bask in our bubbles as well as the item was such an honour to be able to get close to these beautiful animals which are being poached at an incredible rate off the east coast of Bali as well as elsewhere.

Of course a trip to the Komodo Islands wouldn’t be complete without meeting some of the local inhabitants – the Komodo Dragon. We took a morning trip to Rinca Island’s national park as well as enjoyed the medium walk, encountering several large mothers guarding their nests, a large male on the prowl, following a water buffalo everywhere the item went as well as almost a dozen lazier dragons dozing below the island’s dapur (kitchen). This kind of park is actually maintained so well, with not a shred of rubbish seen anywhere as well as guides speak excellent English, protecting us with effective, albeit primitive large fork sticks. The National Park has seen a significant upsurge in tourism since the item was declared a New7Wonder with 40,000 visitors encountered inside the first quarter of This kind of year alone.

Life aboard the Batu Bolong is actually multi-dimensional as well as caters for the non-divers, as well as children, with escorted snorkelling trips available on a whim. additional activities include short hikes where you can watch stunning sunsets, beach barbeques, as well as swimming in crystal clear waters of isolated islands.

The crew were genuinely top rate; coming from the moment I got in touch via email until the moment we left, we were looked after. Coordinator, Santy, was a barrel of laughs, welcoming me with open arms, Captain Hassan navigated wearing a pirate’s hat as well as always had a smile on his face, as did co-owner Danny (also a Dive Master), as well as Chef Nur cooked delicious healthy food throughout our time onboard. The deckhands were quiet nevertheless diligent, as well as there was even a live-aboard masseuse to knead out those pesky knots. Nothing was too much to ask as well as we felt 100% relaxed as well as most importantly, safe.

When asked if there were plans to expand the business, Elliott answered, “We have no intention of expanding. We would certainly like the boat to pay its way, providing on-going employment for our team coming from Labuanbajo as well as offering our crew opportunities to develop brand-new skills such as mechanics or dive masters. We also plan to take the boat to additional parts of the archipelago inside the off-season after This kind of year such as Raja Ampat.”

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Getting there:
the item’s best to take an evening flight coming from Jakarta to Bali as well as stay overnight near the airport.
Morning flights coming from Bali to Labuanbajo can be organized by the Batu Bolong team.

Recommended duration of stay:
3 nights – 2 just isn’t enough.

Must bring:
Plenty of sunscreen as well as a camera. Clothes optional.

Contact:
key.me77@yahoo.com
Danny 0852 3933 4873 / Santy 0812 3720 7579
http://www.divingkomodoflores.com/

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The Batu Bolong: Living Aboard the Great Life

Angela RichardsonDec 03, 2012TravelComments Off on The Batu Bolong: Living Aboard the Great Life

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The Batu Bolong: Living Aboard the Great Life