Indonesia · WHALE WATCHING
Good whale watching tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 3 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Travel by boat between Lombok and Labuan Bajo with Agus, Aldy, Rio, or Captain Sosro’s crew, depending on departure. Expect whale-shark swimming, snorkeling, Pink Beach, Rinca, Komodo National Park, Padar, Kelor, and simple deck-class sleeping for $300.
“Amazing boat tour! We visited incredible beaches, saw a lot of animals and ate a lot of good food. 10/10! Would recommend”
Travel from Mataram to Saleh Bay, then take a traditional Begog boat to a Bagang ship where whale sharks gather to feed. You can snorkel or swim near them with a guide. Expect a long shared journey, an early start, simple breakfast, and a maximum group of 10.
“The trip was not well organized. It took us 12h to go to sumbawa. The experience is great but 3h swim for such a mess with the organization. It’s definitely not worth it. My family and I didn’t feel respected and we didn’t have any commercial gesture.”
Travel from Senggigi across Lombok and Sumbawa to Saleh Bay, then take a local boat to snorkel with whale sharks near Labuan Jambu. The two-day private trip includes ferry crossings, a hotel or homestay, gear, boat transport, bottled water, lunch, and dinner. A minimum of two people is required.
“Exciting if done when there are no tours with hit-and-run tourists, the right way is to arrange a motorboat available to be able to spend more time so that the whale sharks get closer and show all their docile character, fantastic experience”
Pick an island, a volcano or a kitchen.
