Komodo, you're a gem!

I HAVE been diving for three years now and being an adrenaline junkie, I am always up to new diving adventures.

Over the years, few of my diving buddies and I have worked out on a bucket list consisting of our dream diving destinations.

One of the destinations that we have always talked about was Komodo.

Komodo is famous for its Komodo dragons, and the incredible landscape including underwater biodiversity the island offers -- a diving heaven for divers!

This is my story exploring a new corner of the world.

The trip

After a year of planning and saving (yes, the trip is not cheap), we were finally on our way to Komodo.

We boarded two flights. The journey began from Kuala Lumpur to Makassar to Labuan Bajo, and from there we continued the journey on a liveaboard vessel for the next seven days.

We chose Blue Dragon as our liveaboard vessel for this whole diving trip.

There were 14 of us on board not including the cruise director, the crew and the cook. The boat has everything -- rooms with attached bathroom, plenty of space to set up our diving gears, dining area and a sundeck.

Dream come true

As we cruise through the sea, we could immediately see the beautiful string of islands formed by volcanic eruptions (yes, they have active volcanos there).

The view was just phenomenal and there was a surge of emotions to able be there. It was certainly a dream come true.

Diving in Komodo has its perks due to its incredible biodiversity, but it is also famous for its strong (and crazy) currents.

Hence, Komodo is only suitable for experienced divers, preferably divers with Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD). Some dive centers have a minimum requirement of 50 logged dives to be able to dive in Komodo.

Although the dive guides are mostly trained for this kind of condition, it is good to fulfill the requirements to avoid any unwanted incidents.

Apart from that, we were all be given clear briefing on the sea's condition, the dive sites and to ensure safety at all times, including having a reef hook and surface marker buoy (SMB).

Keep calm and blow bubbles

As we submerge in the waters of Komodo, we instantly understand why it is described as an underwater heaven.

The reefs, the boulders, the corals and the wall are just mesmerising. There were many magnificent diving sites in the Komodo.

Two of my favourite dive sites are Batu Bolong and Shotgun because of its unique landscape and feature.

Photos can’t do justice but it gives a bit of a picture of my feelings and how I enjoy diving in the waters of Komodo.

Normal sightings in Komodo among others include jack fish, napoleon wrasse, white tip sharks, black tip sharks, barracudas, manta ray, whales, dolphins and small colourful critters like the pygmy seahorse, nudibranch, frogfish, ghost pipefish, sea turtle and different kinds of nudis and a lots of other different creatures that I had never seen in my entire life.

Komodo will not fail you and I hope by now it will be in your bucket list for your next diving destination. Indeed, Komodo is a lifetime trip!