Mai Thai Khang (27 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) has been passionate about scuba diving since 2020, but the pandemic broke out at that time so he didn't start learning scuba until 2022. Currently, he is on a free diving trip across Southeast Asia. The diving experience in Alor is very different from many places Thai Khang has been to. He learned about Alor by typing "Top diving destination in Indonesia" on Google and just like that, Alor was firmly in the top 10.
The diving experience in Alor is very different from many places Thai Khang has been to.
The water in Alor is crystal clear blue.
Alor Island is known as the largest island in the Alor archipelago, located on the eastern edge of a group of islands collectively known as the Nusa Tenggara archipelago that runs along southern Indonesia, from west to east including the large islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo and Flores.
Alor is a heaven-sent ecosystem completely different from the rest of the country. Although it is only at the civilian pier on the island, it is a diving spot with a dense coral ecosystem growing tightly around the pier pillars in the crystal clear water.
"Although Alor is not a very famous destination on the popular tourist map, for those who love diving, it is really a must-try. Because for me, the coral reef in Alor is as beautiful as Komodo," said Thai Khang.
“Alor is truly a very 'local' place among all the places I have been diving in Southeast Asia. Houses, restaurants and accommodation services almost only serve domestic guests, very few foreign guests and there are not many dive centers here. Alor is an archipelago with only a few islands, of which Pura is the most prominent because it is an ancient volcano with a very unique and healthy coral reef ecosystem on a characteristic black sand background under the cold, deep blue ocean water,” Thai Khang exclaimed.
What impressed Thai Khang the most about Alor was the local people here. Unlike Komodo - a very large archipelago located in a strictly protected national park, only exploited for tourism, prohibited from fishing and with a high daily diving fee. The islands in Komodo do not have local people living in a village, but in Alor, on every island there are villages from small to small living normally even though this area is still part of the national park and they are really aware of preserving the coral reefs.
Magical Pier
During a week of diving 22 times, he only saw them using small wooden boats to fish with simple fishing lines or using tools woven from bamboo to form a fish trap called "bubu". Then, they gently placed it on the reef and used rocks to fix it, very environmentally friendly with the coral reef. During the dives, Thai Khang saw a lot of bubu, every 1-2-3 days they would pull it up. Another thing is that in Alor, there is very little trash, sometimes under the sea there are a few fishing lines stuck in the reef, the tour guide will always carefully remove them, on the surface of the sea, it is rare to see trash floating.
A variety of eye-catching marine life
“I hardly encountered any difficulties because I was familiar with the skills when practicing diving. My advice is to get used to drift diving first. Because the current in Alor is extremely strong, it will easily make you panic. In addition, you should book your flights at different intervals because there will be 6 flights for the total trip, if there is a delay, it will easily lead to a delay,” Thai Khang emphasized.
Scuba diving is a special sport. All customers must go through a scuba diving course and receive an international certificate before registering for the diving service. You can learn anywhere, even in Vietnam. The biggest plus point of this type is that you can go down to the bottom of the ocean to explore. Witness thousands of marine creatures and coral reefs of diverse species. However, not everyone is brave and healthy enough to participate in this service.
"Bubu" fish trap
The Alor ecosystem is very similar to Komodo and Raja Ampat (the beautiful unbleached part) but the coral reef at Alor is very long.
According to Thai Khang, the dive center in Alor will provide all the equipment because it is included in the diving package price, all skills have been learned. Importantly, in Alor, the currents are strong, so almost only experienced divers (divers) who are not afraid can participate.
Thai Khang's total cost for diving at Alor is 34 million VND. Including 8 nights of accommodation, 22 dives, diving equipment, airport transfers. This price does not include airfare (about 13 million from Ho Chi Minh City - Alor) and other expenses such as: sim, transportation, 3 nights stay in Bali...
“Alor is one of the few places on the planet that still retains a beautiful and healthy coral reef. If you have the chance, everyone should try scuba diving because the underwater world is very magical,” said Thai Khang.
Rich and extensive coral reefs
