Indo Siren
It had been 4 years since I was last in Komodo and I couldn’t wait to get back. I’ve always said (to anyone who cared to ask) that Komodo tops the list of my all-time favourite destinations– so with much anticipation I boarded the plane to Bima to start the adventure aboard the Indo Siren.
The Cabin – Double bed #5
Comfy bed, nice linen – the beds are pushed together to make a double which made a little gap but a mattress topper will solve that issue (I believe one will be bought!)
Spacious, plenty of storage for the limited clothes we brought & we stowed our gear bags in the cupboard also, though the crew will store below decks if you prefer.
Private safe in cupboard also, bathrobes very good.
Entertainment system had plenty of variety but a few times it didn’t work or stopped during the movie.
Bathroom is functional and I liked the addition of the tiled floor, but I’m not keen on water heaters –never seems to be really hot enough (but then again I guess we need to avoid hot showers after dives!)
Very little engine or generator noise, though creaking is to be expected (wood does that!)
Dive Deck – I love the Siren set up
There is loads of room and plenty of personal storage.
Fresh deck towels after each dive if you like (though I kept mine for the full day as I try to limit laundry use).
I made use of the shaded relaxation area only once during the trip – could benefit from triangular cushions so you can sit up to read/ hammocks / bean bag loungers.
Sun Deck – used daily after breakfast and in the late afternoon. Comfy loungers and we improvised using clothing pegs to hold towels down to stop them flying away in the breeze as we cruised between sites.
Dining Area – like all Siren yachts, comfy, functional and good for group chatting. Outdoor TV screen is great for briefings – would be good to show marine life slide shows was useful to see dive briefings clearly.
Lounge / bar – 2-seater couches not 3-seaters made it hard to truly lounge about indoors. But 2 tv screens made separate sitting areas and it was easy to view the day’s goPro footage.
Fresh coffee was from a proper machine was delicious of a morning.
Camera Area – we had 2 people with large cameras and a few of us had small ones or GoPros – so there was plenty of room for charging & 3 areas to work at – lighting over the work space was bright.
The large drawers do need fixing as during one fairly rocky crossing a few flew out – no kit damaged though.
The Food – Breakfast was typical of Siren yachts – bacon, eggs to order, fresh fruit, yoghurts but the chefs always made something extra whether it was noodles, fried rice, hash browns or porridge.
Lunch & dinner were predominantly Indonesian style (sliced meat, chicken or fish fillets in sauce) but with plenty of choice and lots of veggies and salad. Perhaps a little repetitive of the beef dishes/ sauces used. Desserts looked ok but I didn’t eat them. Soups were delicious and the fresh baked bread a real hit.
The Crew – What can I say?? Siren service with a smile! I thought the crew of the Indo Siren really worked as a team. There was always someone on hand to assist you whether on the dive deck, fixing you a drink, or picking you up at the dive sites. A fun group who enjoyed interacting with guests and spoke a good amount of English so communication was pretty easy. They also learn your name so its nice to be greeted with "Pagi Susie" in the morning.
Dive guides Dince & Inyo are excellent spotters. Dince was also particularly good at checking the less experienced divers of our group and ensuring they stayed safe.
Cruise Director Nick is new to Komodo (he just joined from 1 year on Palau Siren) but he found many great critters and he is very fun and enthusiastic. Good pole dancing skills too!
Deckhands & Dinghy drivers were friendly, courteous and helpful – carrying tanks to the dinghy, helping with gear, making sure the cameras and correct fins were in the dinghy to hand, helping those who needed with getting their fins on (some of us don’t bend so well anymore!) Tank fills were never below 200bar and nitrox was always 31.4-32.5 %
Chefs – Ismael’s dinner briefings were quite funny and he always seemed to be smiling
Host / Housekeeper – Joe & Deyby kept the interior clean and dry and made sure we always had fresh towels and a drink pre & post dive (and knew who liked a bintang after the last dive of the day!)
Captain & Engineer– Hasbia & Ruslan kept the yacht running smoothly, we had pretty good crossings, only 1 was rocky and bumpy. No engine, water maker or generator issues. 1 guest (cabin 3) had an issue with the aircon but that was fixed right away, nothing else noticed.
So Komodo remains at the top of my all-time favourites and for me the 10-night itinerary offered by the Siren Fleet gave the perfect mix of macro sites & big fish current dives. The day with the mantas was my best experience at Manta Alley but Rhino Rocks has pipped the post for favourite site of the trip.
If you like diversity of dive sites, critters, sharks and mantas – get yourself to Komodo and you can;t go wrong with booking Indo Siren.
