Misool Eco Resort Review & Trip Report
Kevin
mentioned on other view sites I thought that it warrants a
clarification of other posts on these forums. There are not many
reviews at present and it is difficult to make a good judgement of
this resort based on current reviews, both positive and negative. I
hope that this review will give a different perspective, but would
suggest to contact an agent or find an independent reference to
validate your review impressions. Here is my review:
My wife and I have just returned from an 11 night stay at Misool Eco
Resort in Raja Ampat. Our experience has exceeded our expectations and
would be delighted to recommend this resort to anyone. This is a very
unique resort in all aspects, from the service, accommodation, quality
as well as the location for diving and snorkeling. We shared the week
with a group including those that were snorkeling only, very
experienced divers, families as well as an older couple. Everyone in
the group during this time was delighted with their experiences. I
would like to share some specific details regarding the trip to give a
better idea of our experience and some tips for anyone else deciding
to enjoy this resort.
Arrival: We flew into Jakarta via Singapore to catch our local flights
to Sorong. As we arrived late into Jakarta, we needed to spend a night
in a hotel. We stayed at the FM7 hotel, about a 5-10 minute drive from
the airport. There is also an on-airport hotel which is accessible
from the airport terminal. In terms of quality, I would recommend FM7,
but for convenience I would recommend the airport hotel. We caught our
domestic flights at 5 am with Merpati airlines. They were on-time and
have fairly nice planes, I guess 737 (2-3-2 arrangement). We had a
short stop in Makassar after the first 1.5 hour flight, then a second
1.5 hour flight until reaching Sorong. There are a few strange time
changes along the way so it looks longer on paper, but it goes very
quickly. Makassar airport is surprisingly modern so very easy to spend
the hour walking around between flights. We arrived in Sorong at
around 12 local time to be met by Sangut the representative from
Misool Eco Resort. He was there when we arrived, and very friendly. He
arranged with the local porters to collect our bags and load them into
the arranged cars. He accompanied us to the hotel to spend one more
night in Sorong before the morning boat departure. It seems that this
night in Sorong was required to ensure that all guests have time to
arrive on their respective flights, but next year there will be a
specific flight that all guests are recommended to take to better
plan. This will then avoid the extra night in Sorong which will not be
missed. Sorong seems to be a standard small Indonesian town, but not
much to do other than wander around the local shopping center or
venture into some of the art/antique shops. The boat transfer itself
was a very pleasant surprise as it was hard to judge from pictures
online and the meaning of speed boat. This should have been referred
to as a private charter boat as it was a very comfortable transfer.
The boat seats about 20 people, it is a very new boat with seats
similar to a bus that recline. There are nice big windows on each side
to enjoy the fresh air and watch the scenery passing by. I especially
appreciated this as I tend to get seasick, which I thankfully did not
experience on this trip. The trip also only took just over 3 hours,
not 4-6 like warned. The first hour is entertaining with the passing
villages and islands out of Sorong, I think we slept the next hour
over more open seas, then the final hour we can already see the resort
island in the distance while passing the many little islands. Our
return trip had a bit rougher seas, but also only took 3.5 hours so
was not influenced by the seas. We were welcomed to the resort with a
small pod of dolphins and pilot whales, which we sadly did not see the
rest of the trip but certainly made the arrival very special. We were
welcomed at the dock by the resort staff and owners then given welcome
drinks at the restaurant and shown to our bungalows. Our return flight
was on Batavia airlines which also departed on schedule and had
similar planes to that of Merpati. I think the other airline which
guests used was Express Air, also without problems.
The Resort: We were very relieved to find that the resort does look
the same as it does on the website, sometimes pictures can be quite
creative, but not in this case. The water bungalows are all on stilts
over the water bordering the resort bay and reef. They are spacious
with good shelving for unpacking your suitcase. The bathroom is also
very nice, with all modern amenities of a western hotel. The terrace
is the most enjoyable with the lounge chairs, day-bed and hammock
makes deciding where to relax and have a nap a tough decision. The
resort bay provided for much entertainment with the fish, baby black
tick reef sharks and blue spotted rays, we found something new each
day sitting on the deck or walking around the resort.
The Dive Center: As my wife and I are only beginner divers, we had to
rent our equipment (bcd,fins,mask,computer). Luckily, most other
guests have their own equipment so the equipment we rented was brand-
new. There was also a selection of masks and fins so we easily found
everything that fit and worked well for us.
The Restaurant: This was also a very great experience, the area around
the restaurant has a fantastic ambiance and is very relaxing. All of
the furniture is made from real wood and gives a nice feeling. There
are a few lounge areas with pillows as well to sit for coffee or tea
which we were happy to use with our afternoon cookie break. There were
generally 4 organized meal times per day, 8am for cereal, fruit, juice
and tea/coffee, then 10am for hot breakfast of pancakes, french-toast,
fruit, rice and cakes, then 1 for lunch then 7 for dinner. Each lunch
and dinner always had a different variety of food, with the staple
rice and noodles. There was also the occasional pasta, but the local
food was great. Optional spices for the brave ones, but standard
seasoning for the rest of us. There was also chicken, fish and meat
plus vegetarian dishes. In-between meals there were jars of fresh
cookies and cakes and fruit for snacks, as well as juice or any other
softdrink or beer. The restaurant staff was always on-hand in case you
needed anything, although it was generally self-service so very easy
and quick. I don't think that there was a moment that we ever felt
hungry, the all-you-can-eat buffet and frequent meals kept us eating
and very well fed. As we were at the resort for Christmas, the staff
created some local decorations and arranged the dinner area to be a
bit more festive.
The Diving: We have been diving in Hawaii, Great Barrier Reef, Egypt,
and Thailand and must say that this was clearly our best diving trip
ever. We were amazed by the number and variety of fish, as well as the
corals and so many creatures in the sea. It's hard to describe being
surrounded by massive schools of fish and having a manta swimming
around you. I wasn't accustomed to the many small creatures, so took
some time to learn how to spot them. Once I learned what to look for,
I found it hard not to see the many brilliant nudibranchs and pygmy
seahorses. I had to remember to look around as well to still enjoy the
passing gray sharks and napoleons, it was really a sensory overload
each dive. My wife joined the snorkeling group a few days and
sometimes saw more fish than we did, including the famed mobiles. They
had their own private guide and boat so were able to choose specific
sites best suited for snorkeling. There were either 3 or 4 guided
dives per day and every second day a night dive. The house reef as
available for diving at any time with a buddy, and could have passed
for the highlight of many other diving trips in itself.
In general, this was an absolutely fantastic trip to a gem of a
resort. We are already thinking about our next trip back to share the
experience with our friends.
Dan Bracuk
wrote:
>I have posted this same on Trip Advisor and Scube Diving, but as
>mentioned on other view sites I thought that it warrants a
>clarification of other posts on these forums.
Did you also post this one?
http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.scuba/browse_thread/thread/b255be154209cc8f?hl=en#