Frequently Asked Questions

Scuba Republic is open all year round. Diving and snorkeling conditions are good year round, with water temperatures constantly between 28°-30°C (82°-28°F) and visibility averaging 10-25m. However, the time from September to May is less windy and from June to August the sea can be choppy for a few hours a day.

The climate in Papua has diffuse seasons with no particular dry or rainy season. It could rain any day. One of those will be lovely heavy tropical rain showers with warm water that usually last up to half an hour.

There is fantastic snorkeling around our resort or by joining the dive-boat on the scheduled excursions, you might find there are beach/ island/ mangrove interludes in between diving and snorkeling activities.

Explore the beaches close by or join a bird-watching tour in the jungle, a trek through the jungle with a stop at the refreshing waterfall or take a Kayak and go exploring. In a nutshell: spectacular bays, beaches, coconut palms, dramatic cliffs, birds, amazing nature and flowers, hidden lakes, blue lagoons.

There are amazing photographic opportunities from several viewpoints. Bird lovers will be in (bird) heaven with just the incredible early morning cacophony of bird sounds. You can find quiet spots to do some bird watching.

Hot and steamy jungle treks will reveal enormous ancient hard-wood trees, strange brightly colored wild mushrooms, thick bamboo forests reaching for the sky, mangroves with their bright red crabs, snails, and mudskippers. Insect lovers will find a great variety of beautiful and strange critters if they care to take a closer look.

And of course, there is always the urge to relax, particularly on the inviting private patio of your bungalow, where you can read or relax in your hammock or just enjoy the balmy tropical island.

The easiest way to get to Sorong is to fly via Jakarta , Bali or Singapore. Domestic travelers can also fly via Makassar or Manado. Then you can catch a ferry to Waisai from Sorong.

From Jakarta: Garuda Indonesia (direct flight), Express Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Lion/Wings operate daily flights from Jakarta to Sorong (with stopovers in Makassar or Manado)

From Singapore: Silkair operates regular flights from Singapore to Manado. From Manado to Sorong regular flights are offered by Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, and Express Air. Please note the flight times are subject to change without prior notification.

From Bali : there are direct flights 2-3 times a week to Sorong.

*Trying to book through most local Online Travel Agents (OTA) such as Traveloka or Tiket.com (payment can be done with Credit Cards). Garuda Indonesia offers online sales through their website and accepts International credit cards.

Ferry Schedules:

Sunday – Saturday : Sorong to Waisai (9.00 AM – 11.00 AM)

Sunday – Saturday : Sorong to Waisai (2.00 PM – 4.00 PM)

Sunday – Saturday : Waisai to Sorong (9.00 AM – 11.00 AM)

Sunday – Saturday : Waisai to Sorong (2.00 PM – 4.00 PM)

Ticket Price :
Economy Rp 125,000
VIP Rp 250,000

-ticket counter opens at 8AM at Pelabuhan Rakyat Sorong

-We also provide VIP Transfer from Sorong Airport to Pelabuhan Rakyat Sorong for Rp 500,000  (included Ferry VIP Ticket Sorong - Waisai). Please contact our Basecamp on WhatsApp +6282363757015 to make the arrangement at least 2 days before you arrive in Sorong.

Meals are served at our sea view Restaurant. We offer a tasty, nutritious, and whenever possible, organic menu with an emphasis on fresh local food.

Breakfast will be served before the dive trip. Lunch is provided by our kitchen and usually between the second and third dive on the boat. Afternoon teatime features homemade treats and snacks. Dinner service is plated, so your meal is always prepared fresh even if you’re planning a night dive.

As previously mentioned, we are in a very remote location and a long way from the nearest doctor, hospital nd hiperbaric chamber.

Your health and safety are of paramount importance to us, so we advise all guests to take utmost care. All of our dive staff are certified Emergency First Aid Responders, and 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 us on the appropriate course of action. Therefore, it is mandatory to have a dive insurance that covers emergency evacuation and decompression chamber treatment if you plan on diving with us. We recommend Dive Master, a UK based company who specializes in this sort of thing. We also STRONGLY recommend health and travel insurance.

If you're planning a trip to Komodo, it's good to know that the climate is tropical and hot all year round. During the main dry season from May/June to September/October is the ideal time to visit the central and northern dive sites within the National Park. Nevertheless occasionally we still head into the southern areas on our liveaboards when the weather permits.

The period from December to March is considered the rainy season, but don't worry it is not raining 24/7, there's still plenty of sunshine to enjoy! The northerly winds make the southern areas more accessible and the water becomes warmer there.

Our Liveaboards operates from Labuan Bajo, Flores. Labuan Bajo has a domestic airport with several connections to multiple destinations around Indonesia. Regular local ferry is also available departing from Benoa Harbour (Bali) to Labuan Bajo. Alternatively, you can come through land transportation from island to island. From Bali you would have to cross through 2 islands, namely Lombok and Sumbawa.

Our Komodo team are happy to recommend airlines, fast boat companies, other activities and accommodation before and after your trip.

The climate here is tropical, averaging 25°C to 30°C. Water temperatures range from 25°-29°C in the North and 22°-28°C in the South and can change rapidly due to tidal movements and currents.

The region has a dry and wet season that alternates each year. Generally, the wet season is from November to March and the dry season from April to October. Heaviest rainfalls are usually recorded in December, January and into February, with high humidity conditions. Even in the height of the rainy season, the rain rarely falls all day.

Depending on which itinerary, our Liveaboard visits the Komodo Dragons on Rinca Island.

220V/50Hz with round two prong plug. An adapter should be brought with you since it is not possible to buy on the Island.

We have tanks with either DIN or A-clamp (INT) valves.

Unfortunately not yet.

First aid kit, an oxygen kit, tools, compass, 2 way radio and a chart plotter with GPS.

We recommend that you always sleep under a mosquito net, wear light-colored clothing, cover up during evening and early morning hours, and use an insect repellent between dusk and dawn.

KOMODO
In Labuan Bajo, most Indonesian telco operators provide reliable 4G coverage.

At our dive center and onboard Bajak, we provide Starlink Wi-Fi to help you stay connected.

RAJA AMPAT
At our Raja Ampat dive centers and basecamp, we provide Starlink Wi-Fi, allowing you to stay connected throughout your stay. In addition, Telkomsel’s 4G network also works well in this region.

Onboard Jaya and Epica, we offer Starlink Wi-Fi. Please note that while Starlink provides significantly improved connectivity compared to traditional satellite systems, internet access may still occasionally be affected by weather conditions, satellite positioning, and remote locations.

RAJA AMPAT

It is mandatory for each visitor, divers or non-divers, to purchase a Marine Park tag, which is valid for a whole year.

MARINR PARK FEE

• Foreign nationals IDR 700,000 (~45 USD) per year

• Indonesian citizens IDR 350,000 (~25 USD) per year

ENTRANCE FEE

• Foreign nationals IDR 1.000,000 (~70 USD) per entry

• Indonesian citizens IDR 300,000 (~18 USD) per entry

If you already have a valid Raja Ampat Marine Park ticket, please let us know in advance.

KOMODO NATIONAL PARK

MARINE PARK FEE & DIVING TICKET
Foreign nationals Rp 275,000 ($17) per person per day.

All document regarding your departure (day trip or liveaboard) will be taken care by our Komodo team and you will be recieved QR Code to be scanned at the harbour gate (please make sure you already submit your passport details for us to proceed the Marine Park permit).

*Please keep in mind that we are in a remote area.

1. Dive Certification card (mandatory for all divers).

2. Dive insurance (mandatory for all divers). Annual dive insurance policies can be purchased before your arrival. We recommend you consider the Dive Master Insurance, as they are specialists in Diver safety and only cost $5 US per day.

3. Insect repellent & light coloured clothes.

4. Good walking shoes & binoculars (for Raja Ampat, especially if you want to join the Birds of paradise treks)

5. A warm pullover or jacket. Evenings can occasionally be brisk, and the domestic flights are often freezing and do not provide blankets in the plane.

6. 1 passport photo and 1 copy of your passport for your travel permit which we will arrange for you (see above).

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

8. One complete empty page in your passport in which to put the Visa on Arrival sticker Sometimes travelers are asked by Indonesian Immigration officials to show a copy of their airline ticket out of Indonesia within the 30-day period. Happens rarely but is possible.

9. Essentials such as hat, sunglasses, sunblock, insect repellent, extra batteries, a towel, and tampons! You can’t find them in here. Our dress code is extremely casual.

10. It is recommended that all travelers bring their own set of medicine (ibuprofen, cortisone, antihistamine, fever, colds, diarrhea, etc) as it is really difficult to get here. You should include antibiotic ointment and band-aids to treat all skin irritations as soon as possible to prevent infections.

Please plan carefully to minimize your rubbish. Whenever possible, choose rechargeable batteries and avoid bringing things like disposable razors, excessive plastic bags, plastic water bottles, etc. Any non-biodegradable and non-recyclable rubbish will have to be returned to Sorong. We are operating in a pristine environment, and we’d like to keep it that way.

Dive gloves are not permitted on our dives

Fishing/spearfishing equipment. All fishing is strictly forbidden.

Indonesia has three Time Zones (Please beware of these when taking domestic flights):

Western Indonesian Time: GMT +7 (Jakarta)

Central Indonesian Time: GMT +8
(Bali / Komodo)

Eastern Indonesian Time: GMT +9 (Raja Ampat / Maluku )

Some international carriers provide baggage allowances for Scuba equipment, however domestic airlines do not provide a dive gear allowance.

The exception is Garuda Indonesia. They are a member of the Sky Team alliance, such as Air France, Alitalia, Air Europa, Delta, KLM and Korean Air. If you arrive with any of those carries, you may be able to check your baggage all the way through to Sorong.

Any excess luggage has to be paid in Indonesian Rupiah at the airport on check-in. Rates for excess baggage are subject to change without notice and vary depend on the airline, aircraft type and location.

Whether you're a dive center owner or a trip planner, you can customize your own private trip with us.

Let us handle the details, from liveaboard experiences to diving the best spots in Raja Ampat, Komodo, Ambon, or Banda.

Contact us on email [email protected] for more details.