Planning My Next Trip

It's time to plan for another trip. This time I planned for a diving trip in island archipelago of Sangalaki, Maratua and Kakaban in Makassar Strait, Kalimantan and I'll include Derawan if time permitted. I suppose to go for this trip with Alie (my dive buddy) but unfortunately she can't commit to our scheduled trip from 24 Oct - 01 Nov 2008. Look like I have to go alone this time around. Going alone means I have to fork out more money due to single supplement charges and all but I can't think of any other suitable time that I can go there.Planning a trip is never easy especially if I'm going to these kind of remote places. The logistic part of planning itself enough to give me a headache coz there will be so many ways of transportation involved this time around and limited choices. It's time to get creative playing around with the limited options in order to save some time and money. We'll see... or else I can just hire an agent to do it but of coz with a lot more extra cost. We'll see......
I choose to base my diving in Maratua Island coz it's cheaper and comfortable. The most important thing that I have to consider in my planning is the 3-4 hours boat transfer schedule from Berau-Maratua. I have to catch one of the boat going in and out to/from Maratua or else I have to pay much much more to get there. There will be ONLY one boat transfer to Maratua on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and ONLY one boat going out on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. So, I have to base all my other logistic planning from these boats schedule.
OPTION 1
I'll take a ferry from Tawau to Tarakan on Friday then overnight in Tarakan. On Saturday I'll take a flight Tarakan to Berau before catching the boat transfer to Berau. Going back, I'll have to take the next Friday boat out to Berau before boarding a flight Berau-Tarakan then overnight in Tarakan before going back to Tawau on the next day. For this option, I have to stay 2 overnights in Tarakan which can offer nothing much coz of the limited ferry schedule to Tawau.

OPTION 2
I'll take a ferry to Nunukan on Saturday and on the same day boarding a flight Nunukan-Berau before catching a boat transfer to Maratua. Going back on the next Friday, I can choose either flying back to Nunukan or Tarakan coz either way I have to stay overnight at either place coz of limited ferry schedule back to Tawau. For this option, I can save 1 overnight stop which can save me some time and money coz hotel in Tarakan doesn't come cheap either but it can be a hassle and risky to catch all the connecting transportation in a day. It can work perfectly if there is no delay in any mode of the transportation.

Diving trip is never cheap and I hope I can still find another diver who wants to join me for the trip so that I can avoid paying the single supplement charges. If anyone interested, just call me for the cost and arrangement. In the mean time, I'll start planning.. I'll update my progress from time to time.... I'll tell you guys later in my post what's so special about these dive sites.