Journey Recommendations

Overall

• Check Visa and Passport requirements
• Check your Diving insurance and increase coverage of the luggage insurance if you travel with photo equipment……………. just in case.
• We strongly recommend you to consider taking a Land Tour extension through the islands of Indonesia of your interest. Once you are in Indonesia you cannot miss the opportunity to know somewhere else of this incredible country and the most expensive part of the trip, the flight, you have already spent it.

To keep in mind

Conditions for Payment and cancellations: to avoid any problem, please read carefully the section of “Bookings and Cancellations” of our MENU in our web page.

Passport: The date of expiration must be of a minimum of 6 months from the date of entrance in the country.

VISA: Since February 2004, Indonesia has changed the Visa requirements for many countries. Some nationalities can get their visa upon arrival, have some 25/30 usd ready, some others must bring the visa issued by an Indonesian Embassy. Check your visa need with the Indonesian Embassy in your country or with a reliable travel agency. Do not forget to keep some Rupiah for the airport departure tax. (Ask the hotel or our staff for latest figure)

Money: Euro or American Dollars can be exchanged directly at the airports and hotels in Indonesia. The best exchange rate to Rupiah is found in the “money changers” in Bali, (Beware of being cheated in some of them inside the shops, use your common sense to use the ones with a better and professional image). Credit cards are accepted in Bali and the large cities of Indonesia, not in the villages or in the remote islands. In the SMY Ondina you can pay with cash in Euro, Dollars and Rupiahs, but not with credit card.

Diving: The diving is normally carried out from the chase boats, without anchoring. The group is followed by the dinghy while diving and will always be ready to collect us when surfacing. The director of the SMY Ondina is an expert diving instructor, you will dive with him or with another dive-master after an exhaustive pre dive briefing in which the topographical conditions, biology, currents and the best way to plan the dive are explained. The temperature of the water vary according to the area, being normally of 28º C, descending from time to time to 22ºC in areas exposed to oceanic currents, for instance in the south of Komodo. The average visibility is 20 m.

Diving equipment: It is recommendable to carry a safety sausage and a whistle; if in any case you forgot to take them, we will give you one on board for the cruise; We recommend wetsuits with a thickness of 3mm to 5mm maximum. Bring a torch or flashlight for the night dives, (although we have a few available for rent aboard) Logbook and diving qualifications and a diving medical certificate. You can rent diving equipment onboard, please ask in advance for availability and check prices in the Services Onboard section of our MENU.

Photography: Bring enough memory cards with you. Electric current on board is 220 v with standard electrical sockets. Current in land is 220 v normally with standard and English electrical sockets.

Health: there is no mandatory vaccinations for travelling to Indonesia. The Tropical Disease Institutes consider that some of the islands of the Indonesian archipelago are affected by malaria although this is only true for mountainous, jungles and high areas of the interior of some of them. During the cruise the risks are minimum and is sufficient to bring a mosquito repellent for the land excursions or use the ones that we provide onboard. It is important not to drink tab water and not to eat fruits and vegetables without peeling, washing or boiling them. If you suffer seasickness carry what works with yourself as there is nothing that works for everybody.




VERY IMPORTANT: The sun is very intense here, do not forget a high protection sun cream for the cruise and 2 pairs of sunglasses (although we also have some to borrow onboard).