Never heard of Alor? Us neither until we were told it’s a scuba dive heaven, so Girls that Scuba travelled to this little known island in Indonesia to see for ourselves if it really is the most colourful dive destinations the world. It’s safe to say, we weren’t disappointed. Here’s everything you need to know about scuba diving in Alor, Indonesia.
Best Dive sites in Alor
Babylon
Start off your diving adventures in Alor at Babylon dive site, with insane visibility, a huge drop off and more fish than you could imagine. You could spend hours at this dive site, whether it be watching the Babu fisherman setting fish traps and free diving down further than you and your buddies on one single breath, watching sea snakes glide into the blue, or simply just admiring the beautiful colours and sites of the underwater world of Alor. A great check dive. More than a great check dive.
Mikes Delight
Now you’ve warmed up to the beauty of Alor it’s time to really get stuck in. Mike’s Delight earns its name somehow and we are pretty sure it’s from the sheer amount of delightfulness to be seen each and every time you descend. Again, there’s a common theme here: COLOUR. Imagine your every site was saturated, highlighted, shot in HD, then you may get an idea of the sheer amount of colours you’ll be seeing on this dive. The usual suspects are there; sea snakes, lobsters, box fish, macro, and schools of fish, but this dives about the corals. Bring your camera.
Aquarium
It doesn’t take a genius to work out why this dive site is hailing the name “Aquarium”. But we think, it’s even better than an aquarium ( also, capturing fish is just not ok) and would compare it more to a David Attenborough documentary. Dive in to your real life fantasy and join the rays swimming past as you descend down an epic drop off and then let the current push you home. Your eyes will be in awe.
Clown Valley – Our top pick
Here’s something you never knew you wanted – to dive among the highest concentration of clown fish in the world! And it’s ever bit as magical as it sounds! Jump in to Nemo city and literally be saturated in clown fish and huge, beautiful aneomies. Nemo’s friends are down there too, sea snakes, eels, puffer fish, to name a few. Sending up you’ll most likely be greeted with kids from the local island diving down to meet you, with no fins, and hand made goggles, holding their breath for an insanely long time. Clown Valley has it all!
Who to dive with in Alor
Alor is still fairly untouched by tourism. On our 3-day trip to the region our group were the only tourists in sights. This also means there aren’t an abundance of dive shops – but that’s not actually needed based on the quality of the ones already there. We dived with Dive Alor Dive, run by Aussie Donovan who has been diving these waters for 25 years! His knowledge and passion for the area and the waters are what puts him above the rest and is the reason Girls that Scuba are recommending Dive Alor Dive.
There are other dive centres in Alor – all at different ranges of service level and price – although we didn’t visited these ourselves, fellow GTS members recommend:
- Alor Divers
- La Petit Kepa,
- Air Dive Alor
- Alami Alor Dive Resort
Scuba equipment to bring to Alor
Diving in Alor isn’t always easy, there are unpredictable currents, so you must never dive without a DSMB/SMB. Other equipment to consider bringing:
- A underwater camera!!
- Torch/Flashlight for night dives
- Warmer wetsuit – temps can be anywhere from 25 – 28c even in summer
Your own equipment is advised as there are not many dive centres on the island
Get your dive equipment here
Other Things to do in Alor
Ok, we’ll admit it, there isn’t much else to do in Alor apart from scuba dive. So do just that. Get in as many dives in as possible and use the surface intervals for lapping up the secluded beauty. There is one cool thing you could get up to on a non-dive day and that is watch the Abui tribe in Takpala village performing a local dance and ceremony. Join in with the beats and get to know locals in their humble homes.
How to get to Alor
To get to Alor from from Jakarta, Surabaya or Denpasar (Bali) you will fly into Kupang (West Timor). The flight to Kupang takes about 50 minutes and from there you will get a connecting flight to Alor. However, as always in Indonesia, things can change quickly and frequently with internal flights, so keep patient.