This retreat is designed for women who want to learn scuba diving properly — or add to a certification they already hold — in one of Southeast Asia's most established dive communities. The base is 5 days on Gili Trawangan: four nights at Manta Dive and your PADI Open Water (3 days) or Advanced Open Water (2 days) certification. The water is warm, the reefs are close, and the pace is set by the tide rather than the clock. When the course ends, the ocean is often only starting to speak. Two optional extensions wait either side of the certification — and both of them unfold slowly, the way this retreat is meant to. Lombok is the quieter half. Two nights in Kuta, on the island's wide open south coast — beaches you walk mostly alone, inland drives past rice terraces and the Rinjani foothills, waterfalls tumbling through jungle (Tiu Kelep, Sendang Gile, Benang Stokel), and Sasak villages where the rhythm is still true to the land. A chair, a book, the sea in front of you, and nothing urgent. Surf, if the swell is right and you want to learn. Or don't — the beaches and the waterfalls are more than enough. Komodo is the adventure half. Three nights in Labuan Bajo, harbour-town energy on the edge of Flores, and two full dive days in Komodo National Park — strong currents, big fish, manta rays at cleaning stations, reefs so dense they look painted. This is where the certification you just earned comes alive. The dive divers still talk about ten years later. Take one. Take both. Take neither — the Gili week stands on its own.

Gili Trawangan rises from the sea off the northwest coast of Lombok as a small, sandy island ringed by coral reefs and some of the most extraordinary turquoise water in Indonesia. There are no cars on the Gilis. No motorbikes either. Transport is by bicycle, horse-drawn cart, or foot — and the pace of the island sets itself accordingly. It is the kind of place where the loudest sound most mornings is the sea itself. The Gili archipelago sits inside one of the richest marine zones in the Coral Triangle. Reef sharks, green and hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, and occasional manta sightings are part of everyday diving here. The reefs are close, the visibility is excellent, and the dive sites are reached in fifteen to thirty minutes by boat — which means more time in the water, less time travelling to it. For some people, Gili is the whole story. For others, the ocean has barely started the conversation — and this part of Indonesia opens outward from the island in two directions, both of them worth staying for. South Lombok sits westward, across a short stretch of sea. A bigger island, quieter, mostly empty. Wide curves of white sand between limestone headlands — Mawun, Selong Belanak, Tanjung Aan. Waterfalls tumbling through jungle, reached by a slow drive through rice paddies and the foothills of Mount Rinjani. Sasak villages where the pace never hurried in the first place. A retreat-within-the-retreat, before the last flight home. Komodo lies eastward. A different ocean altogether — older, bigger, stirred by tidal currents that sweep deep water up into the reefs and bring everything with them. Mantas circling at cleaning stations. Trevally schools so dense they shadow the sun. Coral walls so thick they look painted on. Three nights in Labuan Bajo on the far edge of Flores, and two full dive days with Blue Marlin — the dive that turns a first certification into something permanent.

This trip is designed for someone who wants to learn to dive properly — not a resort experience in a swimming pool, but a full PADI Advanced Open Water certification over three days of structured, guided ocean training — and then use that certification immediately in one of the world's finest diving environments.

You will complete your PADI Advanced Open Water across three full days in Gili Trawangan, working through deep diving, underwater navigation, and specialty dives on healthy reefs alongside reef sharks and turtles. On the fourth day of the Gili stay, you will join a private turtle snorkel tour — an unhurried encounter with the island's resident green and hawksbill turtles. A free day follows before the flight to Labuan Bajo.

In Komodo, you will dive with Blue Marlin Dive — the first PADI 5-Star IDC resort in Labuan Bajo — on two full dive days covering up to six dives across the national park's central sites: Tatawa Besar for a first taste of drift diving, Manta Point for the chance of an encounter with reef mantas, and Batu Bolong, a coral pinnacle consistently rated among the top ten dive sites in the world. On the second day, the option exists to swap the afternoon dive for a land visit to Komodo or Rinca island to see the dragons.

The trip closes from Labuan Bajo airport. You leave with an Advanced certification, a full logbook, and — if the conditions are right — the memory of a manta ray passing overhead in open water.

Duration

5 days / 4 nights

Location

Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia

Accommodation

Manta Dive Gili Trawangan (on-site resort rooms)

Diving

PADI certification course with the in-house dive centre (Open Water 3 days OR Advanced Open Water 2 days, chosen at booking) + house reef access

Certification

Optional add-on — PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water

Seasons

3 pricing seasons — LOW / MID / HIGH (see Investment below)

Group size

Small group — intimate by design

Who it's for

Women, beginner to intermediate, solo-traveller friendly

Meals

Breakfast included daily. Lunch and dinner at your own pace.

Language

English

●    An island with no cars and no motorbikes: Gili Trawangan moves at cycling, walking, or horse-cart pace. The loudest sound most mornings is the sea itself.

●    Stay on a PADI 5-Star dive resort's beachfront: your room, the dive centre, and the house reef are all in the same place — walk from your door into the water.

●    World-class reefs 15–30 minutes by boat: Meno Wall, Shark Point, Deep Halik, Turtle Heaven. Reef sharks, green and hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, and occasional mantas are regular sightings.

●    House-reef access any time of day: optional shore entry for a quiet half-hour with turtles before sunset. A second dive doesn't need a second boat.

●    Manta Dive's small-group, long-tenure guiding: dive masters and instructors who have worked the island together for years — they know each reef, each swell, each drift.

●    Three transparent pricing seasons: LOW in quieter months, HIGH in peak summer and Christmas, MID in between. No inflated peak-week surprise.

●    Small group, women-only, solo-traveller friendly: kept intimate on purpose. You are not a number on a trip list — you are one of a few.

●    Founder-led and Swiss-organised: a real person (Rocío) behind every booking, answering questions before, during, and after the retreat.

●    Airport pickup from Lombok International Airport (LOP) and fast-boat transfer to Gili Trawangan

●    Return fast-boat + airport transfer on departure

●    4 nights accommodation at Manta Dive Gili Trawangan — Deluxe or Traditional Bungalow

●    Daily breakfast at the resort

●    PADI certification course with Manta Dive (PADI Open Water for uncertified guests — 3 days; PADI Advanced Open Water for certified guests — 2 days)

●    All standard scuba equipment (mask, wetsuit, BCD, regulator, tank, weights)

●    Gili Marine Park fee

●    WiFi at the resort

●    Host support before, during, and after the retreat

●    International flights to and from Indonesia, and any inter-island flights

●    Travel insurance (required)

●    Lunch and dinner

●    PADI certification course — optional add-on at booking

●    Additional guided dives beyond the course — optional add-on

●    Nitrox upgrade — optional add-on

●    Underwater photoshoot — optional add-on

●    Welcome massage — optional add-on

●    Personal expenses and gratuities

This retreat works for both certified divers and those earning a certification. The base price includes your PADI certification course — the heart of the retreat. If you already dive, you use them directly. If not, you add the PADI course at booking and it runs inside the same 5-day window.

PADI Open Water (beginner) runs over three to four days — theory, pool sessions, and four open-water dives. It is your international certification, recognised worldwide, and no prior experience is required.

PADI Advanced Open Water (for those already certified) runs over two to three days — deeper dives, navigation, buoyancy refinement, and specialty skills. An excellent way to expand what you can do in the water using the Gilis' varied sites.

Both courses are conducted through Manta Dive Gili Trawangan — a PADI 5-Star centre with decades of experience on the island and instructors who teach calmly, methodically, and without rush.

Manta Dive Gili Trawangan (4 nights)

Your accommodation for the entire retreat is on-site at Manta Dive Gili Trawangan — a PADI 5-Star dive resort set directly on the beachfront with its own restaurant, pool, and dive centre. Rooms are calm, well-kept, and designed for divers — a short walk from tank-up to boat, and the house reef a few steps from the beach.

●    Room type (base retreat): Private Deluxe or Traditional Bungalow (single occupancy). Spacious, with private outdoor bathroom and tropical garden surround.

●    Setting: Beachfront on Gili Trawangan, house reef a few steps from the door.

●    On-site: Swimming pool, restaurant, dive centre, house reef access.

●    Wi-Fi: Included.

●    Air-con: Yes, in all rooms.

Room type (Deluxe or Traditional Bungalow) is chosen at booking. All prices are per person, single-occupancy.

Novotel Lombok Resort & Villas — Kuta Lombok (Lombok Extension, 2 nights)

A 4-star beachfront resort on its own stretch of sand in Kuta Lombok, built around a lagoon-style pool, with gardens, a spa, and several restaurants. If you add the Lombok Extension, this is where you stay for two nights of beach decompression after the Gili certification week. South Lombok is Indonesia's quieter face — wide empty beaches (Mawun, Selong Belanak, Tanjung Aan), Sasak villages, surf culture for those who want to try, and a pace that is genuinely slow. The Novotel standard keeps it comfortable and reliable — proper bed, proper shower, proper service — while being directly on the water.

Room: Private single-occupancy, breakfast included.

Setting: Beachfront, South Lombok (Kuta).

On-site: Private beach, lagoon pool, spa, restaurants, gardens.

Laprima Hotel — Labuan Bajo, Flores (Komodo Extension, 3 nights)

A comfortable 3-star harbour-view hotel in the heart of Labuan Bajo, the gateway town to Komodo National Park. If you add the Komodo Extension, this is where you stay for three nights between dive days — five minutes on foot to Blue Marlin Dive, which matters when boats leave at dawn. The hotel has a pool, restaurant, reliable wifi, and harbour views across the Flores Sea at sunset. It is not a luxury resort — it is a well-run, honest, well-located hotel that puts you where you need to be and lets you sleep deeply between dives. Labuan Bajo itself is rough around the edges, fishing-town energy — exactly what you want as a base for world-class diving.

Room: Private single-occupancy, breakfast included.

Setting: Harbour view, walking distance to Blue Marlin Dive.

On-site: Pool, restaurant, harbour-view terrace.

Room types for all hotels are single-occupancy private rooms. Prices are per person.

Your Komodo diving is handled by Blue Marlin Dive — the first PADI 5-Star IDC (Instructor Development Centre) resort in Labuan Bajo, and one of the most respected dive operations in the national park. Fast boats, small guide-to-diver ratios, free Nitrox, and a team that makes daily site decisions based on tides, current, and the experience level of the group.

Blue Marlin's day trips run to 60+ sites within the national park. For a newly-certified Advanced diver, the standard central sites — Tatawa Besar, Mawan, Manta Point, and Batu Bolong — offer world-class diving that is well within Advanced Open Water range. All divers complete a check dive on arrival; the guides are rigorous about matching sites to experience and will never place a diver somewhere they are not comfortable.

Each day trip includes breakfast and lunch on board, refreshments, and free Nitrox for certified divers. Komodo National Park entrance and diving fees are paid separately in cash at the harbour on the morning of departure — budget approximately CHF 70 per day.

This retreat works for both certified divers and those earning a certification. The base price includes your PADI certification course — the heart of the week. If you already dive, you use them directly. If not, you add the PADI course at booking and it runs inside the same 8-day window.

PADI Open Water (beginner) runs over three to four days — theory, pool sessions, and four open-water dives. It is your international certification, recognised worldwide, and no prior experience is required.

PADI Advanced Open Water (for those already certified) runs over two to three days — deeper dives, navigation, buoyancy refinement, and specialty skills. An excellent way to expand what you can do in the water using the Gilis' varied sites.

Both courses are conducted through Manta Dive Gili Trawangan — a PADI 5-Star centre with decades of experience on the island and instructors who teach calmly, methodically, and without rush.

Breakfast is included every day at the Manta Dive restaurant. Lunch and dinner are at your own pace — part of the design of this retreat. Gili Trawangan has a remarkable density of good beachfront warungs, seafood grills, and international restaurants, and choosing where to eat each night is part of the pleasure of the week.

●    Included: Daily breakfast at Manta Dive Gili Trawangan.

●    Not included: Lunch and dinner. Local warungs and beachfront restaurants on the island are excellent.

●    Dietary needs: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergen-aware options can be arranged — let us know at booking.

●    Water: Filtered drinking water available at the resort to refill your bottle.

Who this retreat is for

This retreat is designed for women who want a warm-water, dive-focused week in a beautiful and unhurried place.

This retreat is for you if you

●    want to take the PADI Advanced Open Water course on Gili Trawangan

●    want to earn your PADI certification on a small, car-free island with excellent teaching

●    like the idea of a dive resort where your room, the dive centre, and the reef are all in the same place

●    are travelling solo and want structure without losing freedom

●    prefer small-group diving over crowded boat operations

This retreat is probably not for you if you

●    want a cultural-immersion retreat — this one is ocean-focused

●    are looking for a party or social-first atmosphere — the Gilis have a nightlife scene, but the retreat is quiet

●    prefer highly structured day schedules — island time here is real

You don't need dive experience. You just need comfort in the water and curiosity about what's beneath it.

Komodo National Park fees

The national park charges a daily entrance and diving fee payable in cash IDR at the harbour on the morning of each dive day. Budget approximately CHF 70 per day (IDR 700,000–750,000). This is not included in the Blue Marlin package price and should be brought as cash. Most ATMs in Labuan Bajo dispense IDR.

Domestic flight — Lombok to Labuan Bajo

The flight from Lombok International Airport (LOP) to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) should be booked in advance. There are two daily schedules: 11:05–12:20 or 14:30–15:45. Seats on both routes are limited. We recommend booking as soon as dates are confirmed.

Travel insurance

Recommended. Your policy must cover scuba diving to at least 40 metres and include emergency medical evacuation. Labuan Bajo has a decompression chamber at Siloam Hospital — confirm your insurer covers treatment there. This is non-negotiable for dive travel. An insurance migh tbe purchased at check out.

Morning Arrive at Lombok International Airport (LOP). Your private transfer takes you to Bangsal Harbour, and from there a short fast-boat hop brings you to Gili Trawangan. No cars, no motorbikes — just cidomo (horse carts), bicycles, and the sound of the sea. Afternoon Check-in at Manta Dive's on-site resort rooms. Light briefing with your instructor over a welcome drink. If you have added PADI Open Water, the optional theory/e-learning sessions begin this afternoon. Evening Dinner at your own pace on Trawangan's quiet east side.

Morning Breakfast, then the first session with your PADI instructor. Open Water students begin with theory and confined-water practice in the Manta Dive pool — introduction to equipment, buoyancy, and core safety skills. Advanced Open Water students head out for their first deep and navigation dives on Gili's reefs. Afternoon Open Water students continue with the second pool session and first open-water dive. AOW students complete a second specialty dive. Evening Free evening — the island is small and walkable; sunset from the west side is worth the ride.

Morning Second day of dives with Manta Dive — the classroom is the reef itself. Open Water students complete their third and fourth training dives in Gili's calm waters (Meno Wall, Turtle Heaven, or adjacent reefs depending on conditions). Advanced students continue with their specialties — navigation, deep, or peak performance buoyancy. Afternoon Either an additional training dive (OW) or a specialty dive (AOW). Time between sessions for a proper lunch, a nap, or a slow walk along the beach. Evening Dinner, dive debrief, maybe a book.

Morning For Open Water students: the final qualification dive and certification with Manta Dive — you leave as a certified PADI Open Water diver, recognised worldwide. For Advanced students: the final specialty dive, AOW certification issued by your instructor. Afternoon Slow check-out. Fast-boat transfer back to Bangsal Harbour and private transfer to Lombok International Airport (LOP). If you are continuing to Lombok or Komodo via the add-on extensions, this is where that part of your journey begins.

Morning A slow breakfast at Manta Dive and a fast-boat back to Bangsal Harbour. From there, a private transfer takes you south across Lombok — past rice paddies, the Rinjani foothills, and small Sasak villages where time moves differently — to Kuta on the island's wide open south coast.
Afternoon Check in at Novotel Lombok Resort & Villas, a 4-star beachfront resort built around a lagoon pool, on its own stretch of sand. An afternoon free to swim, rest by the water, or walk the long empty beach.
Evening Dinner at leisure at the resort or one of Kuta's beachfront warungs. No schedule.

Morning A guided day out into Lombok's interior and south coast — waterfalls tumbling through jungle at Tiu Kelep, Sendang Gile, or Benang Stokel (chosen by conditions), rice-terrace lookouts, and traditional Sasak weaving villages where the rhythm is still true to the land. The south-coast beaches — Tanjung Aan, Mawun, Selong Belanak — are some of the quietest in Southeast Asia, wide and uncrowded.
Afternoon Return to the resort for a final swim, a late lunch, or time by the pool.
Evening Either a private transfer back to Lombok International Airport (LOP) for departure, OR — if you are continuing to Komodo — an overnight at Novotel Kuta and a morning flight on Day 7.

Morning Private transfer to Lombok International Airport (LOP) and a short inter-island flight to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) on the west coast of Flores — the gateway to Komodo National Park. Flight is booked directly by each guest.
Afternoon Check in at Laprima Hotel — a comfortable harbour-view hotel in the heart of Labuan Bajo, five minutes on foot to Blue Marlin Dive, which matters when boats leave at dawn. An afternoon to wander the harbour, watch the fishing boats come in, and adjust to Flores time.
Evening Dinner at leisure in Labuan Bajo. Briefing with Blue Marlin for the next day's dives.

Morning Second full day with Blue Marlin — different sites, different currents, same park. Possibilities include Crystal Rock, Castle Rock, Cauldron, or a return to the sites you loved most from Day 1, depending on conditions. Free Nitrox is included on all dives.
Afternoon A final dive or a slow return to Labuan Bajo. Padar Island viewpoint stop if there's time — one of Indonesia's most photographed vistas.
Evening Celebration dinner at Labuan Bajo's harbour-view restaurants.

Morning Slow breakfast at Laprima Hotel. Transfer to Labuan Bajo airport (LBJ) for your onward flight home. Return flights are booked directly by each guest.