Ready…steady…eat

By: Panca. Indonesian Resident Chef – Moyo Island Beach Resort

After one week of meeting every day with the management team of Moyo Island Beach Resort, we are finally ready to launch our new menu.

Managing the Restaurant on Moyo Island comes with the huge challenges associated with being in such a remote location.

On the other hand, we can spoil our guests (and ourselves, too) with the freshest seafood from the ocean around us which is delivered straight to our kitchen, and with the best fresh fruits and vegetables coming from Moyo Island itself, cultivated by the locals, and likewise brought to us directly by them.

Being an Indonesian chef, I can show to our international guests who are visiting Moyo Island the best selection of local dishes.  We are proud to offer them some of the best specialties from Sumbawa Island as well.

Of course, a selection of international food is available too and I love to cook it!  We cooperate with food suppliers from Bali to get the best products coming from overseas.

As our restaurant is located inside BER, our guests are mainly clients of the Resort. However, since more and more tourists are coming to visit Moyo Island, we always have guests coming from other accommodations who are lured by other tourists’ positive reviews of our food and staff.

This makes me and the whole staff very proud of giving our small contribution to the positive reputation of Moyo Island and Moyo Island Beach Resort as well.

I love my job. I have been doing it for so many years now. I am originally from Sumbawa Besar, but I got the chance to travel and work abroad. My last work experience was cooking for a restaurant in Hong Kong, and before that, I spent a few years cooking for a restaurant in Singapore. Now, I am the Indonesian resident chef of the BER Restaurant.

Moyo Island Beach Resort is the perfect environment where I can keep doing the job I love for people from different countries.

I can keep practicing my English daily, sharing my experiences and story with international travelers. I find myself learning something new every day from all our wonderful guests.

Moyo Island is such an incredible island and its jungle, ocean, beaches, waterfalls, wild animals, flowers and friendly locals are enriching my experience beyond my daily job and responsibilities.

All these keep me motivated to do my job better, trying new recipes, new ingredients, and making my dishes tastier and my cuisine more enjoyable.

I am excited to cook the dishes to be picked from our new menu by our next guests and see the response from them. I am sure they will be satisfied!

As I say many times every day… “Enjoy your meal here at Moyo Island Beach Resort”.

THINGS TO DO ON MOYO ISLAND

You might want to know what are the best things to do on Moyo Island, if you are considering our paradise island as your holiday destination.

You have probably already heard about Moyo Island, its world class waterfall and scuba diving. Not to mention that Lady Diana considered Moyo as one of her favourite spots.

This article will give you an overview of the island and of the activities to do during your stay.

JUNGLE, WATERFALL AND SEA

Moyo island is mostly uninhabited and covered by a wild jungle. This dense vegetation hosts a vast array of animals, plants and flowers. Moyo is famous for its world class waterfalls. There are a total of three waterfalls scattered around the island and more will probably be discovered. Moyo is also surrounded by pristine coral reefs home of  tropical fishes, sharks, rays, sea snakes and more. On the island there are only 4 villages and about 1000 very friendly locals.

Without a doubt, scuba diving and snorkelling must be on your list as he best activities to do on Moyo. Roctopus, our own scuba dive center, is located inside our resort. The dive team will take you out with a purpose built dive boat to discover all the best coral reef of the island. Not certified yet? Roctopus offers a wide range of RAID courses. Enquire here for more info.

Visit the famous Lady Diana waterfall (Mata Jitu) must be on top of the list of the activities to do on Moyo Island. This waterfall is deep into the jungle, it takes about one hour walk to get there. Once you reach the waterfall you immediately understand why Lady Diana loved this place so much!

There are other waterfalls on Moyo. One is only accessible by boat but definitely need a visit too.

THINGS TO DO ON MOYO ISLAND: TREKKING
THING TO DO MOYO ISLAND: WATERFALL
THING TO DO MOYO ISLAND: DIVING

TREKKING

Moyo locals are always happy and proud to show tourists their amazing jungle. One thing to do on Moyo is definitely some jungle trekking with a local guide. You’ ll spot plenty of monkeys, butterflies, wild pigs, majestic trees and incredible flowers. With some luck, you might even encounter wild deers, monitor lizards endemic and rare birds along with weird and colorful insects. If interested, ask you guide to show you some venomous snakes too, locals know where to find them and how to avoid them. 

WHAT TO DO AT MOYO ISLAND BEACH RESORT? YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN MOYO ISLAND

After a day out at sea or in the jungle, what is best then having a cold drink by the sea while enjoying an unforgettable sunset? This is another thing to do on Moyo and one of our guests favourite. At Moyo Island Beach Resort we have a 80 meters long pier with a 20 meters long floating jetty right in front of where the sun sets.

And then, why not put some romance in your things to do on Moyo? Stargazing is unbelievably beautiful on our paradise island. With almost no artificial lights at night, our own Moyo Island Beach Resort is widely considered the best place for stargazing. You just need to lie down in the quiet of our garden and look up. You will see a sky like no other in the complete silence with only the sound of the breeze and nature around you.

Cover image courtesy of @mamma_ka

YOUR PERFECT SUITCASE FOR MOYO ISLAND

What to pack in the perfect suitcase for Moyo?

Usually, when planning a holiday to Moyo, people wonder what they need to pack in their suitcase and what they can leave at home.

Here you will find a detailed answer to the question “What should i take with me on Moyo?”

Moyo is mostly inhabited but it does host 4 villages. Labuhan Aji, Sebaru, Brang Sedo and Sebotok

Each village has, at least, one shop that sells basic goods.

Basic goods for sale include: water, canned soft drinks, snacks such as chips and sweets, instant coffee, cigarettes, toilet paper, glue and few other items. On a lucky day you might even find bottled beer!

So apart from these articles, you are not going to find anything else on Moyo.

What is going to be really useful to have is a very good amount of a high quality Mosquito repellent. Especially if your accommodation is located inside one of the villages. While Blue emOcean and Amanwana perform an anti-mosquito fogging every day, the rest of the island remains plenty of them.

While on Moyo, you will spend most of your time in the open air, on the beach, pool, taking long walks, etc.. a sunscreen is highly recommended to avoid sunburn especially for the little ones.

On Moyo there are no banks and no ATMs. Even though Blue emOcean and Amanwana accept credit and debit cards, all the rest of the island will only accept cash.

So you might want to do little bit of math before coming to the island. It is also advisable to pay in Indonesian Rupiah to avoid some funny currency exchange rates. 

Medications and First Aid: definitely mineral salt and anti-diarrhea medicines. Each village has its own infirmary but, for small accidents, you might want to have plasters and wound disinfectant. Don’ t forget some sea sickness medicines if you know you will need them.

Toothbrush and toothpaste along with shampoo and shower gel. Not all accommodation provide them. 

Since there is no public lighting on Moyo, nights tend to be very dark here. This will allow you to stargaze like nowhere else in the world but it is better to have a flashlight when moving around at night.

Even though on Moyo we have a nice tropical weather, nights can get a bit chilli. It is always better to have a jacket, just in case. And don’t forget your raincoat! Tropical storms are sudden and rains are heavy, especially the December-March period.

Amanwana and Blue emOcean resorts offer 24 hours electricity while the rest of the island only has electricity 12 hours (6pm-6am) you might want to have a power bank if you need to charge a usb device during the day.

These are the items that you should have with you in your perfect suitcase for Moyo. Obviously there can be more to carry depending on your personal habits and the activities that you are planning.

Feel free to contact us for more info and advices.

In short. What you definitely have to take with you on Moyo island:

  • Mosquito Repellent
  • Sunscreen
  • Cash -Indonesian Rupiah preferably- (Blue emOcean and Amanwana accept credit cards)
  • Mineral salt and anti-diarrhea medicine. Small first aid kit is always useful.
  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and shower gel. (check with your accommodation if they provide them or not)
  • Flashlight
  • Jacket
  • Raincoat
  • Powerbank 

You can find a general checklist for your suitcase following this link https://www.travelers-checklist.com/

Have a nice trip!!!

HOW TO REACH MOYO ISLAND

So, this is the most common question we deal with: How to reach Moyo Island?

And all its sub-questions:

How do i get to Moyo from Singapore? Kuala Lumpur? Perth?

How do i get to Moyo from Bangkok? and from Hong Kong? 

What’s the best route to visit Moyo from Europe? and from USA?

First of all, it is not that complicated. The problem is the lack of information and all the misleading advices you find online. 

We already went through this topic in one of our website pages: How to Get to Moyo Island.

Although it is probably the most complete guide on how to reach Moyo island, it deals mostly with transportations within the Indonesia archipelago.

Here we want to get into deeper details. Especially for those willing to reach Moyo Island directly from outside Indonesia; therefore, here we are going to focus mainly on air travels.

First of all, to reach Moyo, you must land at the Sumbawa Besar airport (SWQ).

Sumbawa Besar’ s airport is, at present, only connected (with direct flight) to the Lombok International Airport (LOP).

Lombok International Airport is well connected to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Perth and other major cities in Asia and Australia.

The best option is to visit the Air Asia website and check out their latest schedules. Also Skyscanner.com and Momondo.com are useful resources when planning your trip to Moyo Island.

Lombok is also very well connected to some major indonesian cities: Jakarta, Bali (Denpasar), Surabaya, Solo, etc… 

So, if you happen to land in an Indonesian city, it is going to be easy to make your way to Lombok, and then onwards to Sumbawa Besar.

Traveloka.com is definitely the best website to both find and book flights within Indonesia.

The above applies especially if you are an Asian or an Australian resident or if you are stopping over any Asian city along the way.

But, what if you are an European or American resident? How can you reach Moyo Island if you’ re travelling from the West side of the globe?

According to our experience, the best airlines to fly to Asia are:

KLM, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines. 

We always suggest to look for flights landing in Jakarta or Denpasar (Bali).

And now that you’ve reached Sumbawa Besar Airport? How are you going get to Moyo?

You can find deep info on this both in our guide and in our FAQs.

The only option is, obviously, to use a boat.

There are public boats that run every day, charter boats and our resort’ s private boat.

PERSONALITIES OF MOYO ISLAND

Get to know the personalities and the representatives you are most likely to meet when visiting Moyo Island.

Moyo is a relative small island off Sumbawa Besar. It hosts 4 villages with a total of about 1000 inhabitants.

The Desa (Indonesian for “main village”) is Labuhan Aji, on the west coast of the island. Labuhan Aji is about 4 km away from Blue emOcean and where you will land on Moyo if you are coming via public boat. It is also the village the hosts the most important people of the island.

People in the transportation business

Speaking about public boat, you will definitely meet Pak Bedo when boarding it. Bedo is the owner of the public boat and drives back and forth Sumbawa Besar-Moyo Island every day. He and his public boat have a key role on the economy of Moyo. He transports people, goods,supplies,  food, tourists, diesel and petrol, money, documents, animals, motorbikes and much much more. 

Another person you’ll almost certainly meet as soon as you arrive on Moyo island is Pak Hamabana. Moyo has very poor infrastructures and its road are narrow, unpaved and difficult to travel. But, if you need to move from one place to another on Moyo, Hamabana is the guy you want to go to. He is the leader of the ojek (motorbike taxis) of the island. There are no cars on Moyo and motorbikes are the only mean of transport available. He makes sure that motorbike taxis are always available, he manages the drivers, etc. He also negotiates the new ojek’ s fares each year with village representatives and tourism leaders. As fares are fixed, each year they need to be re-discussed and adjusted.

Istitutional figures

Labuhan Aji village, as the main village of Moyo island, is where the Kepala Desa office is located. The Kepala Desa (Head of the Village) is elected by popular vote every 4 years. At present, the Kepala Desa in Charge is Pak Suhardi. He is the person in charge to represents Moyo island. Kepala Desa is the link between local residents, institutions and government. He is the person that locals refer to when they have a problem, any kind of problem. So, according to the situation, he may act as a mediator, peace-maker, lawyer, advisor and more. He is also in charge for approvals related to the tourism sector and the sale and purchase of lands.

At Blue emOcean we are lucky enough to have one of the Moyo island’ s personalities as a member of our staff. Pak Baco is an RT (representative of a neighborhood) and one of the oldest member of the Moyo’ s community. He works as keeper at our resort and he is the person we refer to when we have to deal with representatives from the nearby village. You’ ll see him walking around our garden with his broom and a sweet smile on his face.

A guide for future generations

Another personality that definitely need a mention is Pak Ramli. Ramli is a Bahasa Ingriss Guru (English teacher) at the local school. He also covers the role of Immam at the local mosque and during various religious gatherings.

He helps both Blue emOcean and Amanwana resorts by providing guidance to the local staff of the island. As former Amanwana’ s employer he knows well the hospitality business and how to provide high level of customer care. His focus is now to pass on his knowledge to the new generation on local workers in the tourism sector of moyo island.

It is very easy to get along with Pak Ramli and, as Moyo native, he is alway happy to provide lots of information about the island. Certainly a person that will enrich your vacation on Moyo Island.

Come visit Moyo island and you’ll get to meet these personalities and many many more.

THE MOYO ISLAND INSIDER: FOOD

An inside look on Moyo Island’ s food traditions.

When it comes to food, Indonesia has very diverse traditions and habits. And Moyo island is no exception on this.

Even though Moyo island culture has huge influences from the many Bimanese people, it has some unique and peculiar traditions.

Since about 20 years ago, Moyo island was totally inhabited. Then the Indonesian government gave the chance to a number of poor families from Bima to relocate to Moyo. These people received some plots of land to build their houses, cultivate and feed the cattle.

Another minor influence comes from the Bugis people of Medang Island, especially regarding the fishing tradition.

Rice is definitely the cornerstone of the Moyo Island’ s (and Indonesian) culinary tradition. It is cultivated on the island. You will actually see the rice fields on your way to Lady Diana waterfalls. Rice is the base of every meal of the day. Indonesians say that, if they don’ t eat rice, it feels like they are not eating at all. 

Along with rice, there are other foods that are both nutritionally and culturally appreciated by locals on Moyo island.

FISH

Fish is served fried, boiled, in soups and even raw. But, grilled fish, is by far the most common way to enjoy a dinner with friends. Locals call it ikan bakar. You will just need some coconut shell to burn and a couple of bamboo sticks to hold the fish above the fire.

KELOR (Moringa or Drumstick Tree)

Kelor is a very common plant on Moyo Island. Locals boil its leaves to prepare a simple yet delicious soup, and enrich with other vegetables. It grows spontaneously everywhere all year round and comes particularly handy during the shortages of the rainy season. When boats that deliver food can’t run, the soil gets muddy and the sea is too rough to fish, this plant provides a healthy and nutrient meal and comes basically for free.

DEER

Moyo island is home to a variety of wild animals, including deers. They are rarely hunted but sometimes some deer meat becomes available. This meat is by far the best food you can eat in Indonesia, definitely a meal that you are not going to forget. Luckily it is not so popular, therefore the deer’s population remains protected.

HONEY

Moyo Island’ s honey is famous all over Indonesia. People from every corner of  the archipelago come to Moyo to test it and buy it. There is no proper production of this honey and nobody exports it. It is a very common souvenir to take back home to family and friends. The honey changes in color according to the season. Different season provide different food to the bees, therefore their product changes in color and slightly in flavour. Definitely worth to try it while visiting Moyo Island.

SINGANG and SEPAT

Both Singan and Sepat are fish soups that belong to the Sumbawanese tradition. Singan is a delicious fish curry soup that comes with seasonal vegetables and, sometimes, fruit. Sepat is a more simple fish soup. It’s very spicy and it is one of the most famous Sumbawanese dishes. Both soups are now part of Moyo Island’ s food traditions.

Grilled fish aka Ikan Bakar, is one of the best seller and one of the most appreciated dishes at our restaurant at Blue emOcean. 

What’ s best then a grilled fish while enjoying the views of our tropical island?

Singang and Sepat are also very popular dishes, especially among indonesian tourists.

We serve Moyo Island’ s honey at breakfast and upon request throughout the day.

We have a network of local fishermen from Moyo and Medang that provide us with the best and freshest catch of the day.

Don’ t like fish or don’t fancy local food?

At Blue emOcean Restaurant we serve also western choices including pasta, steaks and burgers.

Vegetarian or vegan?

We have plenty of options available.

DIVE RESORT INDONESIA: TOP 5 FEATURES TO LOOK FOR

How to chose a dive resort in Indonesia?

Indonesia is a very diverse country that attracts all kind of scuba divers. Both very demanding divers and novices willing to enhance their diving skills, will find top dive resort facilities around the Indonesian Archipelago. 

But, when it comes to choose where to go, it is necessary to narrow down the options as Indonesia offers an astonishing number of dive resorts.

Here are the top 5 features to consider when choosing a Dive Resort in Indonesia:

1. Safety

Only look for reputable dive resorts. Read carefully guests reviews and analyse them meticulously. Go through the dive resort’ s website and collect all the available informations about their safety standards. If there are no informations about safety, then probably safety is NOT their top priority. Reputable dive resorts in Indonesia spend lots of resources on safety and understand how important is to highlight these features to their customers.

2. Location

Indonesia is huge. Each and every island offers different underwater conditions, flora, fauna, temperatures, etc… So, it is first necessary to find out what you and your dive buddies are expecting from you dive holiday.  Looking for big fishes and pelagics? You might then consider heading to Alor Island or Raja Ampat. Curious about small, rare and elusive critters? Then Ambon Island or the Lembeh Strait must be on top of your list. Not sure of what really interests you? Opt for a dive resort on Moyo Island or Bali. Both destinations offer macro dives, sharks, mantas, etc..

3. Logistic

How far is the dive resort from the dive spots and how do they reach them? You are going to dive every day for 1 or 2 weeks. Nobody wants to spend endless hours on a slow boat, car or a small bus without air condition. It’s a waste of time and it also create a lot of irritation within the dive group. It is best to consider well the position of the dive resort. A boat trip of max 20 to 30 minutes each way is the ideal time as it allows the divers to set up the gear, enjoy the scenery, spot dolphins, etc.. More than 20 minutes can become boring after a few days, very uncomfortable in case of bad weather and, of course, less safe. When possible, choose dive boats rather than cars or buses. 

 4. Dive Boats fleet

Dive boats are normally the greatest pride for an Indonesia dive resort. A dive boat must be, first of all, safe, with a specially trained crew, comfortable and reliable.

An experience dive crew should give a detailed briefing of their dive boat’ s features on your first day. Particularly highlighting the position of the first aid kit and the emergency oxygen tank.

As a scuba diver, you are going to spend many hours a day dealing with that boat. A poorly designed dive boat can soon become a nightmare. Dive boat are also the main cause of dive injuries.

 5. Eco-Friendly Dive Resorts

When possible, try to promote eco-friendly holidays. You’ ll help the development of an ecologically aware local community.

Indonesia produces 25000 tons of plastic every day (Source: Jakarta Post, 01/2019) . It is crucial for dive resorts to play a role in trying to reduce this amount. Dive resorts tend to focus on the marine conservation and often organise events such as beach cleanings, coral restoration and much more. Marine protected areas show huge signs of improvement, even in the short term. Eco-friendly tourism is the foundation for these great things to happen.

These are the top 5 characteristics to take in consideration. There are other factors such as the languages spoken by the dive team, especially if you are going to take a dive course. Macro photographer will need to make sure to have the best spotters available in Indonesia.

Do not hesitate to contact your dive resort. We, at Blue emOcean Resort, are happy to answer any question to make sure that we are the right facility for your needs.

DIVE BALI AND MOYO: THE ULTIMATE INDONESIA DIVING EXPERIENCE

The Indonesian archipelago is huge and made up of about 17000 islands. Each and every island has its own unique characteristics and beauties: different languages, traditions, religions, natural attractions, etc..

The country is also located right in the middle of the Coral Triangle, making diving in Indonesia, probably, the best on the planet.

Here is our suggestion for the best combination of stay and dive in Bali and Moyo Island. Dive Bali and, right afterward, Moyo Island offers a unique mix of Indonesian culture, landscapes, savage nature and, of course, the best indonesian diving. It can be done in 10 days and with the average budget of a diving holiday.

DIVE BALI

For our diving in Bali, we like to use the services and experience of Bali Secrets Diving Safari, a dive center located in the village of Sanur. 

Most importantly, during the first 5 days in Bali, we will dive the best of the best that the island offers: Nusa Penida, Padang Bai, Tulamben.

Nusa Penida is worldwide famous because of its manta point and for the “notorious” Mola Mola aka sunfish. A speedboat is required in order to reach and dive this small island off Bali.

Padang Bai is home to a stunning dive site called The Jetty, with a great chance to see Rhinopias frondosa along with other critters. We’ ll need a short Jukung (local boat) ride to reach this old jetty.

To dive Bali’ s famous Tulamben, we’ ll need to drive east for a couple of hours. Tulamben hosts the remarkable Liberty’ s shipwreck, a resident population of bumphead parrotfish and an amazing coral reef. All these extraordinary dive sites are all accessible from the shore.

Certainly Bali diving is special and offers a lot. The downside is that we always need a car to move around the island and reach the famous Bali’ s dive spots. Unfortunately the traffic is terrible in Bali. As a result of that, traffic jams are everywhere with plenty of cars and overloaded motorbikes. Due to this. Bali loses a lot of its tropical charm.

However, moving around Bali by car, offers plenty of opportunity to visit attractions beyond the sole Bali diving. Many temples, rice fields, lakes are right on the way to the dive sites.

DIVE MOYO ISLAND

After this first day of diving in Bali, a 40 minutes flight will take us to Sumbawa Besar. Another 40 minutes by speedboat we will reach Blue emOcean, west coast of Moyo Island!

Here we can forget about cars and traffic and only focus on monkeys, water buffalos and wild pigs. The real adventures starts here on Moyo.

Blue emOcean is strategically located on Sejelek cape. Therefore, one of the most beautiful and diverse dive spot of the island is right at our doorstep and easily accessible from the resort’ s private jetty. Blue emOcean’ s house reef hosts a great population of reef sharks along with other pelagics. Ghost pipefishes and the elusive blue ring octopus inhabit this paradise dive sport too. Manta rays and whale sharks occasionally pass by the house reef. 

Roctopus Dive Moyo Island is the dive center that will take care of our safety and logistic. 

During our 5 days stay on Moyo, we’ ll visit also visit other dive spots such as Shark Point, Endless Reef, Angel Reef, and others. They are all located within 10 minutes boat trip and offer mainly pelagic fishes, sharks and turtles. Critters such as pygmy seahorses and frogfishes are regularly spotted.

The volcanic island of Satonda is a must-see both for its underwater landscapes and for its lake that once was its crater.

Unlike Bali, Moyo has no temples or cultural attractions. Its strength is the lush nature: animals, jungle and , of course, its waterfalls. The most famous, and most spectacular waterfall is the Lady Diana Waterfall (Mata Jitu). There is a total of 4 waterfalls on the island and one of them is within walking distance from Blue emOcean resort.

VISIT MOYO ISLAND: TOP 5 REASONS

Here are the Top 5 reasons why you should visit Moyo Island

Moyo is a natural wonderland. Pristine jungle, unspoiled coral reefs, lack of tourists are what makes this place a real paradise island. 

But, many times, people still ask us: Why should i visit Moyo Island? What can i do once on the island? What is there to see? How do i get there?

We always invite people to visit our FAQs page as it offers many handy information.

However, these useful resources don’ t answer all the questions that a traveller may have.

UNCROWDED, UNPOLLUTED, UNSPOILED

Bali, Lembongan, the 3 Gilis, Komodo, Raja Ampat are flooded with tourists every single day of the year.

As we all know, there is a niche of travellers that desperately try to avoid the tourist crowd. Even though Moyo is slowly getting more attention from international tourists, it still remains off the beaten track. This is definitely the main reasons why you should visit Moyo as soon as possible. It is a feeling that you immediately have as soon as you arrive here.

Locals don’ t speak English but shyly try to invite you for a coffee in their simple houses. When walking in the jungle, you don’t hear anything but the sound of nature, monkeys and birds.

When diving, the reef is all for yourself and your dive buddies. You’ ll not bump into any other group of divers.

Moyo also offers an unique stargazing experience. 

Did you know that from our resort you can clearly see the Milky Way?

MATA JITU (LADY DIANA) WATERFALL

Definitely the symbol of the island. Mata Jitu could be described as “the perfect waterfall”. It is best known as Lady Diana Waterfall as the late princess of Wales used to visit this place too. Crystal clear waters flows down and forms 5 pools where visitors can bathe and relax. The water then goes to a larger pool that then becomes a river, it’s an unbelievable scenery. The water here flows so gently that literally anyone can swim in it. More intrepid travellers, have the chance to dive from the top of the waterfall into this large pool.

NATIONAL PARK

Over 70% of the island is a protected National Park. It was established in 1986 to protect the unique environment of Moyo island. 

Macaques (Macaca fascicularis), deers (Cervus timorensis), wild pigs, wild buffaloes are among the many species on mammals inhabiting Moyo.

A walk in the jungle offers the chance to encounter these wild animals while walking surrounded by massive trees. During these trekking trips, the presence of a local guide is highly recommended.

The National Park is also a paradise for bird watchers. It hosts 86 species of birds, 2 of them endangered: the Cacatua and the Megapode (endemic of indonesia). The island is home to 21 bat species.

The Sumbawa Tiger along with other species of butterflies are another spectacular sights while walking in this wild jungle.

MARINE PARK

The whole coastline of Moyo island has been declared Marine Park.

As divers, we are very sensitive to matters regarding the conservation of our oceans. Our resort faces the Flores sea, and we are happy that the waters that we admire every day are actively protected. The abundance of fish and corals are the 2 reasons that pushed us to visit Moyo Island in first place.

Moyo’ s coral reefs are home to many species of sharks, including whale sharks. Black-tip and white-tip sharks are spotted every dive. The abundant population of sharks is a sign that the marine ecosystem of Moyo island is healthy. Along with sharks, Moyo hosts other “big boys” such as tunas, groupers, snappers, sailfish and more. Spotters and macro photographers, will be delighted by the vast array of macro life and critters. Blue ringed octopus, mimic octopus, mototi octopus, pygmy seahorse, harlequin shrimps, various species of frogfish are all residents of our reefs.

PROXIMITY TO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS 

How to reach your destination remains a critical factor when planning a holiday. And, especially when dealing with an immense archipelago like Indonesia, challenges are huge.

Fortunately, Moyo island is easy reach from International hubs such as Jakarta, Bali and Lombok. Reaching Moyo doesn’ t require a lot of efforts or money like other destinations. It is actually quite easy! and our How to Get Here on our website

Check out our guide Getting to Moyo Island, it is probably the best resource available on how to set foot on our beautiful island.









DIVING IN SUMBAWA

Diving in Sumbawa offers many peculiar spots and definitely needs to be in every diver bucket list.

Indonesia is the best and most famous destination for scuba diving. World class dive destinations such as Sulawesi, Bali, Raja Ampat, Komodo stand out of the crowd.

The immense Indonesian archipelago offers many scuba dive destinations such as the Banda Sea, Hamlaheira, Lembeh, Lombok. Finally, Sumbawa diving is making its way into this world class dive destinations.

MOYO ISLAND: WILD JUNGLE AND SUPERB DIVING

The pristine and untouched coral reefs of Moyo Island are definitely standing out of the crowd when talking about diving Sumbawa Island.

Clear and warm water that hosts sharks, tunas, snappers, groupers and much much more. In fact Moyo hosts some elusive critters such as frogfish, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, bluering octopuses, etc.. 

Moyo’ s coral reefs are plenty of healthy hard and soft corals that are perfect for both scuba divers and snorkelers. Moyo is getting more and more famous in the freediving community as well. With its deep vertical walls close to the shoreline, gentle currents, perfect visibility Moyo island makes the diving in Sumbawa attractive also for the niche of freedivers.

Davide Carrera, freediving champion and record holder, is a personal friend of us and gave positive comments on Moyo island on multiple occasions.

SALEH BAY: WHALE SHARK’ S HOTSPOT

The huge Saleh Bay lies just east of Moyo Island. Recent studies actually speculated that Moyo and Saleh bay, were once a huge volcano. The bay is at the moment under the spotlight for its huge resident population of whale sharks. Biologists from all over the world are now gathering in Saleh Bay to study the behaviours of these gentle giants.

The bay offers perfect conditions for diving all year round. The water is always flat and warm and plankton is abundant. Plankton, being whale shark’ s favourite food, is actually what keeps them inside the bay.

Unlike Moyo island, there are no proper dive resorts or dive centers. 

We, at Blue emOcean, together with our own Roctopus dive center, are planning to offer daily trips to this paradise bay in the near future. Stay tuned!

SANGEAN: SPOT THE CRITTERS OF THE BUBBLING REEF

Another elite dive spots that makes Sumbawa a world class dive destination is the Sangean Volcano. Yes, a volcano: an active volcano!

Sangean Api is actually an island off the north of Sumbawa. It is formed by 2 active volcanic cones that last erupted in 2014.

Diving here is impressive both for of the scenery offered by this incredible volcanic island and for the underwater landscape. In fact, Sangean volcano is famous among the diving community for its “bubbling reef”. Here, the volcanic activity releases different gases that leak through thousands of tiny holes in the coral reef. It is just one of the most spectacular phenomenon you might see underwater.

However, muck diving enthusiasts will find their cup of tea along the black sand of this island. The island is home to mototi octopus, blue ring octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, spiny devil scorpionfish, bobtail squid, mimic octopus and many other species.

The vast array of species of frogfish, ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, stargazers, bobbit worm, weird shrimps and crabs, rhinopias completes the great variety of critters that will satisfy even the most demanding divers.

Definitely an haven for underwater photographers and muck diving addicts.