Planning or interested in a trip with us but still have some unanswered questions? We've prepared a lit of our "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) to help with that. Do not hesitate to contact us here should you still have any further questions.
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Do I need a visa to travel to Indonesia?
This depends on how long you plan to be in Indonesia and your nationality. Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was over 160 countries which that are eligible for visa exemption. Citizens of these countries are allowed to stay in Indonesia for a maximum of 30 days with no extensions. However, this free visa exemptions is now only eligible for 10 countries. Click on the "List of Country Exempted from Visa" option from this website: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/bebas-visa-kunjungan/#1627290530498-6bc9566d-1f1c for the full list of countries eligible for this exemption.
If you're not from one of the visa exempted countries or if you plan to stay in Indonesia for longer than 30 days, you can apply for Visa on Arrival (VoA) at your port of your entry. A VoA will cost you US$35 or IDR500,000 (to be paid in cash) and is valid for 30 days with the possibility of extending for 30 more days at any of Indonesia's immigration offices. For the list of country eligible for VoA, click here: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/visa-kunjungan-saat-kedatangan/.
VoA are now availble for processing online as well. Click on this link molina.imigrasi.go.id to apply. To be eligible to apply for the e-VoA, your passport must be from one of the country that is eligible for VoA.
If your country is not listed in either the visa exemption or VoA list, you will have to apply for a visa from an Indonesian Embassy/Consulate in your home country.
Please note that to enter Indonesia, your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from your arrival date and that there must be at least one blank page in the passport. You must also have a ticket showing an onward journey from Indonesia.
NOTE: if you intend to stay in Indonesia for a period longer than 30 days and are not able to get to an immigration office to apply for the extension in between, please contact us at reservations@dive-damai.com for the possibility of applying for a 60 days visa before arriving into Indonesia.
What should I do if I have special food requirements?
For all food requirement(s), be it health or preference, Dive Damai will do our best to fulfill your request. Our friendly reservation staff will reach out to you with the registration form, in which is a section specifically designated for these purposes. Kindly note your request there and we will try our best to make it happen.
Dive Damai has extensive experience managing the food requirements of guests with many different backgrounds and health conditions. We know exactly what we need to do to fulfill those requests. Though, due to the remoteness of locations in which we travel, some of these ingredients are not available locally and are therefore delivered directly to the boat from our head office. To ensure that we have sufficient stock of what you need onboard, we require a minimum of 3 weeks’ notice on all requests. Please reach out to our reservation staff at reservations@dive-damai.com directly with your requests should you not have received your registration form in due time.
We will do everything in our power to ensure that your needs are met and to provide you with your preference. However, we do ask for your understanding that we will not be able to provide for extravagant requests such as truffles, caviar, wagyu steak, etc. Please also understand that there are some brands of items that are not available to purchase in Indonesia, therefore we will not be able to provide such items.
In support of the local economy, we aim to purchase locally as many of the items we use onboard as possible. To ensure freshness, we buy all of our fresh produce (mainly vegetables and fruits) locally. This means we have only such seasonal items available to us and are unable to purchase some produce that does not grow within Indonesia.
Is there a form I need to fill in?
Yes, 2-4 weeks before your trip, Dive Damai's friendly reservation staff would be in contact with you providing you a "Registration Form" that all guest must fill in before your trip. You will also be asked to provide a copy of the passport you will be using to enter into Indonesia for your trip.
What currency should I bring?
Under Indonesian law from June 2015, all payments in Indonesia MUST be made in Indonesian Rupiah.
Currency Exchange are available in larger cities but will not be available in more remote areas. If you choose to pay cash, it is best to ensure you have enough before arriving at the port of embarkation of disembarkation from Dive Damai's vessel.
We recommend exchanging currencies at high street banks or big money changers with CCTV as the smaller money changers that provide much higher rate than these places have a tendency of performing "Magical Miscounting".
Can I use credit and debit cards?
Most tourism operators like Dive Damai will accept the major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard & AMEX) but charges a bank fee of 3.5% for all transactions. Please note that if you are planning to spend money at the port of embarkation or disembarkation from the vessels, we will highly recommend to prepare physically cash as the locations Dive Damai travels to are quite remote and most are not very tourist-centered.
Are there ATMs available?
ATMs can be found in all cities however not all banks will be represented and there is a chance that ATMs in remote areas could run out of money during long holidays. All ATMs will dispense currency at the current exchange rate but your bank may charge you extra fees for the transaction.
What are the baggage allowances for domestic flights?
Baggage allowances vary enormously from destination to destination and airline to airline. Our reservation team is constantly monitoring the changes that regularly occur. A safe rule of thumb is 20 kg, or 44 lbs for economy class and 30kg or 66lbs for business class. However, some small domestic planes going to/from remote destinations can sometimes have an allowance of only 10kg or 22lbs or some do not include check-in baggage in their ticket prices. Some airlines will allow for selection of additional check-in baggage (with extra fees). If you are booking your ticket online, the website should clearly display this information and provide the necessary options. If you are booking this with a tour agency, please make sure this is clarified up front and clearly stated in writing to avoid complications and/or dispute.
Overweight baggage fees at the airport can start from USD5 per kg and could be higher depending on the location of your departure and your destination. If your return journey is with a different airline, there could also be different allowances and overweight fees applied. Please note that most airlines will not accept credit cards to pay for excess baggage at the airport.
Most airlines allow pre-purchase of additional check-in allowance. If you're bringing your own dive gear and is expecting to go above your allocated check-in weight, contact your airline to pre-purchase these additional baggage allowance before you travel.
We do urge you to take advantage of our dive equipment on the vessels to reduce your baggage weight. Due to limited storage space onboard, we do have limited sizes and brands, so please book your gear up-front to avoid disappointment. Contact our friendly reservation staff at reservations@dive-damai.com for inquiries and booking, or simply include this booking requirement(s) in your registration form and we will coordinate to ensure requested items are available on board. All dive equipment is top of the line and maintained to the highest standards.
How do I arrange our domestic flights?
Online booking agents and direct booking on airline websites are two of the best options available. To check flights availability across different websites, try www.skyscanner.com to help get a overview of your flight options. Booking directly through the airline’s website would be the best as it proves to be the most convenient for online check in, changes or cancellation (if required). However, due to website restrictions in some countries and language barriers, its not always possible to book directly with the airlines themselves. If this is the case, the only available online agent in Indonesia would be www.nusatrip.com. This provider can offer you flight options for most, if not all, airlines in Indonesia.
A second and more appropriate option for booking your flights would be through Dive Damai’s reservations team. With our extensive experience, great local knowledge of the area and the advantage of our existing knowledge of the trip you will be joining us, you can save yourself from all the hassle of researching the right flight and allow us connect you straight to the boat. There will be a 15% administration fee on top of the flight price. This fee will cover the sales tax and VAT. Contact us at reservations@dive-damai.com to book you tickets now.
NOTE: Please make sure that you book your domestic flights prior to booking your international flights to avoid missing your connection(s). Dive Damai often operates in remote locations of Indonesia, therefore guests will need to take a domestic flight to/from one of Indonesia’s international airport hubs. We recommend that you plan your international flights at least one day before and after your domestic flights in case there are any unforeseen delays in domestic connections.
Where do I collect my purchase flight tickets?
If you’ve booked it online, the airlines or online agent will send the flight tickets to you directly via email.
If you’ve booked through us, we will also obtain your email address and send you a copy of the flight ticket via email. Let us know if you prefer another option (i.e. WhatsApp or Messenger) and we will be happy to send it through in this manner as well.
Is there any domestic airport tax to pay?
All flight tickets booked after March 2015 will have all airport taxes already included in the tickets.
Is there anything to pay when I leave the country?
At the end of 2015 all airlines were required to include the departure tax in the ticket price so there should not be any further taxes to pay.
Do I need to fill in a Custom Declaration before exiting the airport after baggage collections?
If you are connecting to your domestic flights via Jakarta and Bali, they no longer provide the paper customers form. Instead, they are requiring all travellers to fill up their online customer declaration form. You will find it available here: https://ecd.beacukai.go.id/
Some smaller International Airport (other than Jakarta & Bali) in Indonesia still require you to fill in the paper customer declaration form instead.
When will I embark the vessel? (arriving first day of the trip)
If you book your domestic connection with our reservation team, you will be scheduled to arrive at a recommended time of which our crew will be notified and thus will be waiting for you at the airport to escort you directly to the vessel.
If you have already or intend to book your domestic flight on your own, we will recommend that you arrive before 12pm so that guests who may have arrived earlier would not need to wait too long before the boat departs. You are required to provide us with your flight information within the registration form. This information (when submitted) is passed on to our crew on board so they can be waiting at the airport to pick you up and transport you directly to the boat.
NOTE: We do have some trips that have require embarkation after 2.00pm. This is usually noted within your invoice and if you have booked your trip through an agent, the agent is responsible to notify you of such a requirement up front. In the event that you have booked one of these trips we recommend highly that you book yourself into a day hotel for some rest and we will come by to pick you up after 1.00pm. Please contact our helpful reservations team at reservations@dive-damai.com should you need assistance to book the hotel or arrangements for transfer from airport to the hotel (subject to additional charges).
When will I disembark the vessel? (flight departing on the last day of the trip)
We generally do not have restrictions on what time to disembark. We usually transfer you to the airport a couple of hours before your departure flight to allow you enough time for your check-in.
NOTE: We do have some trips that require disembarkation before 12.00pm. This is usually noted within your invoice and if you have booked our trip through an agent, the agent is responsible to notify you of such restrictions up front. In the event that you are have booked one of these trips and have booked your domestic flights with our reservation team, we will have booked you on an earlier flight. However, if you are booking your own flight, we recommend that you book a flight that departs before 2.00pm.
When will I embark and disembark the vessel? (flight arrived before and after the day of the trip)
You are required to update your hotel information and preferred pick-up time in your trip registration form. Should our pickup time differ from your preferred time, we will be in contact with you prior to pickup. If you do not hear from our crew, wait for us at the lobby of the hotel at the time you have selected in your registration form and our team will be there at +/-15 mins to escort you to the boat.
Arrange with our friendly Cruise Director on board for your time of disembarkation. Unless you are on a trip that has requirement to depart before 12.00pm (which will be stipulated within your invoice or informed to you by your agent during booking), we will usually allow you depart at the time of your choice.
How do I get from the airport to my hotel and vice-versa?
All transfers to the vessels within 20 km on the day of embarkation and disembarkation are complimentary and arranged by us.
If you have arrived before the day of embarkation or are departing after the day of disembarkation and therefore need transfer from airport to hotel or vice versa, please reach out to our friendly reservation team at reservations@dive-damai.com and provide us with relevant information so we can help to make the needed arrangements. The cost of these transfers can be paid on board or directly to the driver himself in cash.
What is the minimum certification I require to dive with Dive Damai?
All diving passengers must be a certified diver of minimum Open Water level and be physically fit to dive. With prior arrangement, we can certify divers on the vessel, but you should have completed all theory and confined water training prior to the trip and bring with you all the corroborating documentation. You can contact your dive shop at home for more information.
If you are not a certified Open Water diver, we can also organize a limited number of "Discovery Dive" with a qualified dive instructor on board the vessel, please contact our reservation team at reservations@dive-damai.com for more information on this.
For those who are on board with the "All Inclusive Package" and would like to dive with Enriched Air Nitrox, you must be Enriched Air Nitrox certified. If you are not yet certified, a short training course can be provided on board with prior arrangement at an extra cost. Click here for more information on this cost
What’s the water temperatures, currents and visibility like?
This can vary greatly depending on the location, the season, and even the day.
Temperatures can vary from 30C/86F to 17C/65F (rarely) but a normal range for most areas is 26C/76F to 28C/82F. A 3mm wetsuit usually suffices for most areas and a hooded vest could be good as extra backup. If you find yourself getting cold, you can take advantage of our thicker wetsuits onboard, free for our All Inclusive and Repeat guests as part of the dive equipment..
Currents also vary, but currents are what make diving in Indonesia so special. Some dive sites are recommended to be dived in current because there is something extraordinary to see with the current.
Visibility can vary from 5 to 40 meters but there are always amazing things to see in Indonesia, regardless of the visibility.
Not to worry, our expert dive guides will always check currents, temperature, and visibility prior to each dive. We dive the best dives at the best times to find the best marine life. If we feel that a diver’s experience is not adequate, we will recommend they skip that dive, but, more often than not, the Cruise Director will personally escort the diver on that dive to ensure safety.
I’m an avid photographer, can I dive on my own and can I have my own guide?
If you are a certified solo diver, we would allow you to dive on your own. Though we would highly recommend that you stay with your group so that our guide (with their knowledge of the dive site) can find you more interesting subjects for your photography.
We have 3 dive guides for 12 guests on board (14 guests for some full charters), therefore, we will not be able to allocate you a personal dive guide. Though, we do have plenty of experience with having photographers onboard and we understand their desires and the way they dive. Therefore, we put a lot of thought into the formation of the dive groups.
If you would like to hire your own private guide, this can be arranged for USD100 per day of diving, plus the cost of flights for the guide to and from the boat. Please contact us at reservations@dive-damai.com to arrange and book for this service up front. We will require at least 3 weeks’ notice to make the needed arrangements. Usually our guests find that with such a small diver to guide ratios, this service is unnecessary.
What is Enriched Air Nitrox and how can I get certified on board?
Enriched Air Nitrox is air that has a higher amount of oxygen than normal air that we breathe. Diving with Enriched Air Nitrox can increase your No Decompression time compared to diving with normal air at the same depths. Some divers also think that diving with Enriched Air Nitrox has a possibility to reduce diver fatigue.
However, diving with Enriched Air Nitrox limits your depth compared to normal air. On Damai boats we find that over 90% of our divers feel that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
The certification course is quite simple and straightforward, if you are interested in doing the Enriched Air Nitrox course onboard, please let us know in advance so that we can prepare learning materials for you. Please note that the course will require extra cost. Click here for more information on this cost.
What is the rules on board for drinking alcohol and diving?
You are permitted to drink alcohol while onboard. Dive Damai even provides free-flow beer at no extra charge and a complimentary glass of wine each evening. You are not, however, permitted to consume alcohol if you still plan to dive that day. For safety reasons, we are very strict about alcohol consumption prior to diving and if you were to even open a can of beer or take a sip of alcohol, we will not permit you to dive for the rest of the day.
What safety equipment is available on board?
We take your safety very seriously.
For divers, we have plenty of surface marker buoys available, free of charge (if you do not have one). We also have Nautilus LifeLine Marine Rescue GPS units which can be rented for USD100 per trip. We highly recommend pre-booking as we have a limited number of units available.
On board, we have plenty of emergency oxygen, radios, GPS, satellite phone, and satellite internet. For a list of all safety equipment on board, click here (for Damai 1) and here (for Damai 2).
Do you serve alcohol on board?
Yes, included in the price of your trip, we provide free flow of beer and we also give out a complimentary glass of wine during dinner. We do have our own stockpile of beer on board, but if you are a group and all are very heavy drinker, please make sure that you warn us upfront so that we can stock up and ensure that we do not come out short during your trip.
Other than those complimentary alcohol we provide on board, we also have a selection of wine by the bottle that you can purchase onboard. With prior arrangement and sufficient notice, we can also order and send to the boat your own selection from our suppliers in Bali.
Please contact our reservations team at reservations@dive-damai.com for the wine or spirits list. Prices for imported alcohol in Indonesia are high due to a luxury tax and we will be charging you only the cost price of these alcohols (including the shipping fees). For a better deal, you should buy your own wine and spirits at the duty-free shop at your home country. Please note that Indonesian customs limits 1 liter per person.
DIVE INSURANCE IS COMPULSORY
We dive in extremely remote locations. Safety is a priority and we ask you to help yourself by ensuring you have the correct travel and dive insurance for everyone’s peace of mind. Those without valid dive insurance purchased will not be allowed to dive while on board.
Dive Damai has a partnership with DiveAssure for our dive insurance. Click here and look for the “Diving Accident & Dive-Travel Insurance” section. Insert the relevant information to get the option that best suits you. Click the options below to access the relevant information:
You could also contact our reservations team at reservations@dive-damai.com to assist you with this purchase.
Travel and trip cancellation insurance?
Dive Damai travel and/or trip insurance is mandatory.
Indonesia lies on the Ring of Fire, a famed line of active volcanoes that circle the Pacific Ocean. Some volcanic activity could disrupt international and domestic travels. Dive Damai will not be held responsible should a trip be cut short or cancelled due to “unavoidable circumstances” such as weather conditions, unforeseen natural phenomena, Force Majeure (natural disasters, epidemics and unforeseen acts of God, etc) and unavoidable acts of man (war, riots, terrorist attack, etc). In the rare occasion of this happening, you will be directed to your insurance provider for trip cancellation.
As for flight arrangements, please allow yourself extra time when booking flight schedules and check the small print of your trip insurance to avoid disappointment.
What power does the vessel provide and do I need to bring an adapter?
Our camera room on board has both 110V and 220V international power sockets with voltage stabilizer. We strongly recommend you charge your batteries and other electronics in our camera room. Your cabins also have international power sockets which we suggest to use only for small electronic devices when there is someone awake in the cabin. However, the standard power socket in Indonesia is a European two-prong plug.
What are provided in the Cabin?
Each of our cabins have en-suite bathroom facilities and individual air-conditioning units. The cabins are also equipped with plenty of storage and cabinet space.
For the most comfortable sleeping experience, all cabins are equipped with high quality spring mattresses, highest thread-count bed sheets and duvet covers, two sleeping pillows for each guest and a couple of small pillows.
We provide each guest with a large size bath towel, a face towel, a hand towel, and bathrobe. Toiletries provided onboard are our own range of Palm Oil-free Damai Body Wash, Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Lotion and Hand Soap which allow you to save the time, trouble, and baggage allowance for more important items. We also provide hairdryers and ear plugs in every cabin.
How is Damai managing the trips & crew whilst keeping up and putting into consideration the latest COVID-19 conditions?
Based on standard operating procedure adhere by most tour/flight operators in the world, we believe that a person (guest/crew) are deemed healthy if they show no symptoms to suggest otherwise. They, therefore, should not be required to undergo any testing before coming on board. However, as an additional step of pre-caution, Damai's crew will perform a once-a-month rapid test. Please note that these might change depending on the latest worldwide progress as well as recommendations by the local authorities.
What about if someone display symptoms during the trip?
In the unfortunate event where someone display symptoms of COVID 19 during the trip, they will be tested (with a rapid test) and isolated only if they are tested positive.
Once tested positive, they will be isolated in their own room and be tested daily until there's a negative result. In the event where they show no symptoms prior to getting a negative test, they will still be allowed to dive and have their meals in the restaurant if they want to but will be required to wear a mask and Damai will arranged that their meal and diving time be different than all other guests to maintain social distancing while allowing guest to still enjoy the trip despite the unfortunate circumstances.
We believe this is the best way to maintain the balance between health & safety of all crews and customers whilst allowing all on board a fair opportunity to fulfill their diving dreams.
