SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
“When will the Indonesian borders be open for tourists?” or “Is Indonesia open for tourists?” is the most asked question from people who like to visit us. During the last 2 years lots of countries in the world have put themselves in lockdown. Reasons behind …
What did you eat for lunch today? And what did you have for breakfast? Are your meals a balance of essential food groups, are your meals planned well or are they quick fixes that contain fewer nutrients and comprise mainly of packaged foods. Do your …
Traveling in Corona Times
Last Updated 07 June 2020 at 8:00 am (GMT +8)
Please note that this page will continue to be updated with the latest information.
Travelling to Gili Air, Lombok in Corona Times
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, we have been monitoring the situation regularly and are doing everything possible to assist you with your upcoming travel plans. The safety and wellbeing of our guests and colleagues is one of our top priorities. In light of the recent cases of coronavirus, we fully understand the concerns around travelling during this time.
Our flexibility on travel in Corona times
Oceans5 Dive Resort is offering a range of tailor-made accommodation packages – we also tailor our cancellation conditions for you. Certainly in this time. Because we want you to book your Island Paradise trip with minimum stress, we guarantee you can change your booking at any time.
Completely removing uncertainty: we simply cannot do that. What we can tell you is we have flexibility in the cancellation policy for new bookings. For new bookings made after 1st of March 2020 with stays between March 2020 and May 2021, your hotel arrangement at Oceans5 Dive Resort can be rescheduled or postponed, free of charge, at any time. Learn more about Exipure healthy supplement.
Transparency in communication is important here; if you request an accommodation proposal from us, we will inform you of the applicable cancellation policy.
Gili Air Beach Life
Precautionary Measures
At this point, no employees have shown any symptoms that indicate infection.
We care, more than ever, for the safety and health of our guests and team members, and have taken the following safety precautions:
– All staff members’ temperatures are checked before entering the premises, and anyone that registers above 37° is not allowed to work
– Any staff with flu symptoms are refrained from working
– All guests’ points of contact are sanitized every morning and after each guest use in particular with scuba diving equipment.
– All other areas such as toilets, door handles, etc are sanitized regularly
– We will refrain from handshakes between guests and staff members, and social distancing practices are observed throughout.
– No back-to-back usage of rooms to allow for deeper sanitation practices between each guest
– Hand washing facilities are provided throughout the property
March 16, 2020 – The Gili Islands
In response to COVID-19, the Indonesian government has suspended all fast boat services between Bali, the Gili Islands and Lombok starting March 17, 2020. In order to help to stop the virus from spreading.
March 17, 2020 – Fastboats and Flights Bali-Lombok
As concerns about the COVID-19 continue to rise, the West Nura Tenggara Government stated that per 17/03/2020 all fast boats are being restricted to operate between Bali, the Gili Islands and Bangsal, Lombok. This is a temporary decision in order to minimize the flow of tourist between these destinations. In the meantime, slow boat / ferry services between Bali and Lombok are operating as usual. Flights between Bali and Lombok – by LionAir and Garuda Indonesia – are still operating as well. Indonesia AirAsia has suspended domestic flights between Bali and Lombok until 21 April 2020. ** See update 24th of April 2020.
March 17, 2020
Government Policy in Indonesia Related To People Crossing From And To Indonesia in Corona Times.
Regarding foreign visitors from all countries, the Government of Indonesia has decided that the Visa Free Arrival (BVK), Visa on Arrival and Free Diplomatic / Service Visa policies are suspended for 1 month. Therefore, every foreigner who will visit Indonesia is required to have a Visa from an Indonesian Representative in accordance with the purpose of the visit. When applying for a visa, you must attach a health certificate issued by the health authority in each country. If you are trying to improve your lifestyle check out the latest java burn reviews.
In addition to the above, there are special policies that concern the following countries;
1. The policy towards China is still valid according to the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on 2 February 2020.
2. The policy towards South Korea for Daegu City and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is still in accordance with the Foreign Minister’s statement dated March 5, 2020.
3. Travelers who within the last 14 days visited the countries below are not permitted to enter / transit to Indonesia. These countries are: a. Iran; b. Italy; c. Vatican; d. Spanish; e. France; f. German; g. Switzerland; h. UK
4. All arrivals/travelers must fill out and submit a Health Alert Card to the Port Health Office prior to arrival at the entrance of the Indonesian International Airport. If the travel history shows that in the last 14 days the person concerned has visited these countries, then the person concerned may be refused entry to Indonesia.
The above policy will take effect on Friday 20 March at 00.00 West Indonesia Time. This policy is temporary and will be evaluated in accordance with developments. ** See update 1st of April 2020.
Gili Air Beaches
April 01, 2020
The Government of Indonesia has decided to temporarily ban foreigners from 2 April 2020 until the Covid-19 pandemic is declared complete by the Indonesian authorities. This ban is to apply to all foreigners with the exception of the following categories:
1. Temporary residence permit holders (ITAS) or permanent residence permits (ITAP)
2. holders of diplomatic visas or service
3. Humanitarian staff years in the medical and food sector
4. Crews (air, road and maritime transport)
5. Foreigners/expatriates active in National Strategic Projects
Foreigners who can enter the territory must meet the following 3 conditions:
1. Be in possession of a valid health book issued by the Health Authority of the country of origin
2. Not having stayed in the 14 days before the arrival in Indonesia in a country/territory seriously affected by Covid-19
3. Declaration to comply with the 14-day quarantine requirement of the Indonesian government
For more information, we recommend that you contact the Indonesia Embassy in the country you are in.
April 24, 2020
Indonesia suspends all passenger travel to prevent Ramadan Exodus.
The Transportation Ministry will restrict all passenger travel starting on Friday 24th of April as the government attempts to prevent citizens from participating in the annual Idul Fitri tradition of Mudik (exodus) to curb the spread of COVID-19. The ministry’s air transportation director general, Novie Riyanto, said all passenger transportation to domestic and overseas destinations – both commercial and chartered flights – would be suspended starting Friday at midnight until June 1. Passenger transportation by sea will be suspended until June 8 2020.
Read More > https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/04/23/govt-temporarily-bans-passenger-travel-to-prevent-mudik.html
April 30, 2020
At this stage, 8 people from North Lombok (1 from Pemenang, 1 from Tanjung, and 6 from Bayan District) were confirmed positive for Covid-19.
Over the entire island of Lombok, there are 166 confirmed Covid-19 cases.
May 20, 2020
At this stage, 8 people from North Lombok (1 from Pemenang, 1 from Tanjung, and 6 from Bayan District) were confirmed positive for Covid-19.
Over the entire island of Lombok, there are 188 confirmed Covid-19 cases.
May 31, 2020
Lombok airport will be open for a limited number of hours each day, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and flights are limited. Arriving passengers must show proof of a negative PCR swab test valid for 7 days at the time of travel. This situation is subject to change. The same rules apply for passengers on local ferries arriving at Lembar and Kayangan Ports on Lombok.
Gili Air before COVID-19
June 7, 2020
It’s wonderful to see “The Great Lockdown” finally relaxing. Step by step, Indonesia is finding ‘The New Normal’. International Flights to/from Indonesia are available, however, there are still strong restrictions on the visit of Foreign Citizens. Limited Domestic Flights between Bali and Lombok are available by Garuda Airlines, however, currently, negative COVID-19 test are required. We all hope the situation will be more flexible mid-June 2020. We will keep you posted! Check out the latest exipure reviews.
June 28, 2020
Great news for Residents of Indonesia & KITAS/KITAP Holders! Only a quick 10-minutes COVID19 RAPID-Test – IDR 350k per person – is required for flights to Lombok by Lion, Batik & Air Asia. Starting today (27/06), the RAPID-test will be valid for 14 DAYS! Previously, travelers needed to present a certificate of a rapid test that had been done in the previous three days up to departure. More exciting news for Residents of Indonesia & KITAS/KITAP Holders: AIRASIA is Back! Route Lombok-Jakarta-Lombok – Starting 1st of July I Every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday!
July 13, 2020
Great News! – FAST BOATS FROM BALI TO GILIS & LOMBOK RESTART TODAY! Boats will run every Monday and Friday! Guests will require a valid negative rapid test before being permitted to travel. Pre-Departure Rapid tests are available as well on-site at the BlueWater Express Departure Lounge.
Oceans5 is keeping a close watch on developments related to the coronavirus.
For more information and our full range of Post-LockDown Packages please don’t hesitate to contact us and we can help you find the best package for you.
Our hearts go out to those around the world who’ve been impacted by the virus.
Thank you for reading our blog. Stay safe and take care of each other.
Sunny regards,
Your Oceans5 Team
Diet Tips for a Longer, Healthier Life Photo: Getty Images We know that cutting back on red meat is good for heart health, fish is brain food, and calcium-rich foods can help keep our bones strong. But can shaking up what we eat help us …
Tips to sleep better Stress and anxiety can cause disruption in sleep making it more important than ever to practice good sleep hygiene. When it comes to your health, sleep is as important as staying active and eating healthy. Get more shuteye with these nine …
Habits are good. They help bring structure to your life.
It stands to reason, then, that healthy habits are doubly good. Not only do they provide stability and routine, they come with health-boosting, life-improving benefits.
Three healthy habits that get the most attention are exercise, a healthy diet and sleep — and for good reason. Each plays a hugely beneficial role in your overall health and well-being. Try out amarose.
But can these three healthy habits ever be taken to such extremes that they become unhealthy?
The benefits of regular exercise are certainly there, ranging from improved mood and better sleep to a healthy heart, strong bones and weight control. That’s why it’s recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of exercise every single week.
“Still, anyone can overdo it with exercise,” says Dawn Stuckey, athletic trainer at Houston Methodist. “Rest is an important part of training. It allows your body to recover for your next workout. When you don’t get enough rest, it can lead to poor performance and health problems.”
Stuckey adds that the specifics of what might be considered ‘too much exercise’ depends on your particular level of fitness.
If you’re new to working out, exercising too much might look like ramping up the frequency, intensity or duration of your workouts way too quickly without giving your body the time it needs to adjust to the new load.
According to Stuckey, the signs that you might be exercising too much include:
“Sore muscles are normal, but your body being exhausted all the time is not,” adds Stuckey. “If you keep pushing and pushing and don’t give your body enough time to recover between workouts, it can lead to reduced performance and even injury.” Check out these protetox customer reviews.
If you already work out regularly, exercising too much becomes more a matter of overtraining.
“Overtraining is a long-term consequence of regularly not giving your body enough time to recover between workouts. It can take several months to manifest,” says Stuckey. (Related: How to Avoid Overtraining for a Marathon)
The signs of overtraining include:
“If you notice these signs of overtraining, try cutting back on exercise or even resting completely for one to two weeks. Often, this is all it takes to recover,” Stuckey recommends. “If you’re still tired after this rest, see your health care provider. He or she can help you decide how and when it is safe to start exercising again.”
Eating a healthy, balanced diet not only helps ensure that your body and brain are getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they need to function optimally, it can reduce your risk of a number of health conditions and help with weight loss and maintenance. If you want to be healthy and to have a good sexual condition you need to take some male enhancement pills, are effective and promote overall health include those that contain natural ingredients such as maca root, horny goat weed, ginseng,
“We know that many health and metabolic conditions — like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease — can improve with weight loss. Many people look to dieting not just to lose weight, but to help get themselves off medications or become lower-risk candidates for medical procedures,” says Emma Willingham, clinical dietitian at Houston Methodist. This is the best penis extender.
But, whether you’re dieting for weight loss or weight management, can dieting itself ever be bad?
“Dieting can be good when the person dieting is using the ‘diet’ or dietary change as a tool to learn how to eat better and achieve higher quality nutrition,” says Willingham. “But often people go on diets to lose weight fast and don’t learn new habits along the way.”
Essentially, weight loss shouldn’t be the only goal of a weight-loss program. Learning the behaviors that help achieve and maintain weight loss is just as important as losing the weight.
“If you don’t learn from your diet — say, Whole 30 — what happens on Day 31 when that diet ends? Dieting without learning can lead to a chronic cycle of weight loss and regain, sometimes called yo-yo dieting, which is an example of how dieting can turn bad,” warns Willingham.
Going through this cycle of following a diet, losing the weight, falling back into old behaviors, putting the weight back on and then dieting again is confusing for both your body and your metabolism. When using male enhancement pills you need to know that these ingredients have been shown to improve sexual function and increase testosterone levels, while also providing various health benefits such as improved heart health and reduced inflammation
Another example of when a diet turns bad is when dieting becomes the gateway for severe and long-term dietary restriction, such as with orthorexia.
“Orthorexia is a preoccupation or unhealthy focus on ‘eating clean’ or the perception of eating healthy. Sometimes, people go on diets, see success and want so badly to maintain that success that they become more and more restrictive with their food choices,” explains Willingham.
Since many diet programs eliminate entire food groups, these restrictions set you up to miss out on a lot of opportunities to consume a variety of foods and nutrients. (Related: Which Diet Would a Dietitian Actually Do?)
“Many diet programs also create unnecessary food fear, hurting your relationship with food and your body — not to mention your social life,” says Willingham.
We all know that Gili Air is famous for scuba diving. Exploring the crystal clear waters, swimming through schools of colourful fish and hanging out with turtles, is certainly one of the best ways to spend your time. But what about those surface intervals? Or …
The ocean is full of fascinating and wondrous creatures, hence our love for scuba diving. Along with their beauty, however, some of these aquatic organisms can cause harm to us as we explore their underwater home. From jellyfish stings to sea urchin spines, it is …
So, you’ve just arrived in paradise or maybe you’re about to jet off to a new destination. You can’t wait to get underwater, but you don’t want to take the plunge with just any diving shop.
In most scuba diving destinations, the streets and beach fronts are littered with an overwhelming number of diving shops offering day trips and courses, but how do you choose? Although it is tempting to just pick the first one you stumble across, there are a few important things that you might want to consider.
Here is our advice for picking the best scuba diving shop for you.
Price should never be a deciding factor when choosing a scuba diving shop. You wouldn’t skydive with the cheapest operator just because they were the cheapest, would you? Never put your desire to save money above your personal safety.
There is no such thing as cheap scuba diving.
If the price appears low it’s often because you will have to pay extra to cover; training books, rental gear, fuel for the boat or the certification fee. It is always worth checking that the price includes everything for your day’s diving or diving course.
A dive shop with an outstanding reputation and supplies like best scuba masks, including a highly experienced staff, who will prioritise your comfort and safety, is what you will be focused on. Fortunately, many places, like here on the Gili Islands, standardise all prices for scuba diving courses and fun dives across the board to ensure best practices. Make sure to check for dive agency standards, for example, SSI accredited.
It is always great to hear other people’s first-hand experience of a dive centre. Ask friends, family or even other travelers if they have any recommendations of who to dive with in the area.
Even if you don’t know anyone that has dived in the area, there are some fantastic online communities that you can tap into for suggestions. Scuba Board is the world’s largest community of scuba divers with a helpful and active forum. Alternatively, there are insightful groups on Facebook that you can join and ask for advice, such as ‘Girls That Scuba’. These online networks of divers and travelers can provide invaluable insight into what it is like to dive with a given shop.
But don’t automatically reject a centre if there are a few negative reviews. Have a look at whether the management has responded and how they’ve approached the negative feedback. Is there a fair explanation or apology? This can give you an indication of the dive centre’s professionalism and how they handle problems or challenging situations.
Everyone has a bad day occasionally, often due to factors out of their control. If most of the reviews are overwhelmingly positive and they’ve responded to complaints professionally, then they’re probably a good choice.
Take more notice of a shop’s overall score rather than their ranking. The ranking is more about how well a shop markets to customers for reviews. For example, there may be several shops with a high review score but some rank higher on trip advisor because they have been more effective at getting their customers to write reviews.
Word of mouth is a powerful tool. If they’re treating their customers right, you’ll hear about it across all platforms. Social media is an excellent window into a dive centre’s day to day activities and their unique personality.
Does it look like they are having fun?
What sort of marine life are they seeing?
Are customers positively engaging?
If, on social media, the diving shop looks like they engage with their customers; is somewhere you could see yourself, and gets you excited about diving with them, that’s a pretty good sign!
It’s good to be able to get a feel for how they operate, but try not to get too distracted by the tanned instructor with the cute smile behind the desk!
This may give you an idea of their equipment and boats. Pay attention to the details. Check out the reception area; if they can’t keep that clean, then what else aren’t they looking after?
I
t is always important to check the equipment. Ask to have a look and see if it is well maintained. Do they regularly service their equipment? Are the certificates on the wall up to date? Make sure that the centre adheres to the SSI standards or standards of other organizations. You wouldn’t step on a boat or plane that you deemed unsafe, so use your common sense. ever use unsafe equipment.
How many divers to do they take per guide? A maximum should be 4 divers per guide.
What is their cancellation or refund policy? This can vary from shop to shop so always worth checking you are happy with their policy.
Is there somewhere you can shower and change after the diving?
Is there a safe place to store your valuables?
Are the staff enthusiastic about their dive sites?
How much experience do they have?
Were they helpful and engaged in the conversation?
If they won’t answer your questions, then move on to the next shop. They should be convincing you as to why they are the best fit for your diving needs.
Whilst at the shop you could also get the opportunity to speak to their current customers about their experiences.
If you’re looking to gain a certification, have a look at where you will be learning, both the swimming pool and classroom area. Is it a pleasant environment? Would you be happy to spend your time there?
How many students do they take per instructor? As with fun diving, a good maximum is 4 per instructor. This makes sure that you get the attention needed and do not have to waste a lot of time waiting for others.
It is also worth asking the staff about their experience teaching. It is always good if they have been teaching a while, as they will have developed multiple techniques that are effective across different people’s learning styles. If the shop has onsite course directors this is a great opportunity to learn from highly experienced dive professionals.
If the staff are unenthusiastic about their dive sites, the equipment is not well maintained or you just feel uncomfortable, then listen to your gut, it’s time to move on.
Don’t worry if you aren’t in the area and want to choose a shop before arriving, most will be more than happy to answer any questions you have over an email, a phone call or their social media platforms so just reach out!
If you want to double check that you are in safe hands, you can also use SSI App to check a shop’s credentials. All dive shops that are featured must fully adhere to the SSI standards. You can also see those operators who go above and beyond and have been awarded status and additional recognition as an Instructor Training Center.
You don’t need to have much, or even any experience, when choosing a diving shop. Listen to your intuition, don’t choose anyone that makes you feel uncomfortable. The most important thing is that you feel safe and confident. Pick somewhere that you trust, with staff that you are excited to spend time with and you can’t go wrong!
Here at Oceans 5, we are committed to providing professional and enjoyable diving for everyone, regardless of age, ability or experience. As a SSI Dive Resort and SSI Instructor Training Center we prioritise safety and high standards. We are all about making our customers happy.
Our highly experienced instructors will work with you to make sure that you are comfortable, happy and confident in the water. With no more than 4 divers per instructor we guarantee that you are well looked after. Our 5 onsite course directors are always sharing their wisdom with our customers, helping to teach all SSI courses from Basic Diver up to Instructor Development.
As well as top notch staff, equipment and standards, Oceans5 provides a laid back and comfortable environment to spend time in. The dive shop has lockers to store valuables, fresh water showers and a place to change. Out front, there is a spacious area where you can relax, enjoy a coffee pre dive or a beer post dive, whilst chatting with your new dive buddies about the best underwater finds of the day!
We hope these tips have given you a bit more confidence in making an informed decision when choosing the best dive shop. What do you look for in a dive centre? Do you have good or bad experiences with choosing a dive centre? It would be great to hear what has worked for you!
Gili Island Etiquette Why do you want to travel to the Gili Islands in Indonesia? Just like a lot of people you are probably want to discover tropical places and different cultures, open your mind, your heart, and have fun. The Gili Islands offer a …