Search results

There haven't been any kidnappings of tourists around Sipadan for a while. They have successfully kidnapped crew on commercial boats in the last couple of years, but tourists are better protected. You'll be mostly safe on land and the risk is usually that the kidnappers attack at the resorts at...

Just finished a week of diving in PG with ABWonderdive in Sabang, basically saw the MV boat almost every day. The aptly named Big Beth is kind of hard to miss - it's probably the biggest boat in the area, bigger than the bangkas that bring tourists in from Batangas to PG. White, has the same...

Still during Similans season, so would suggest looking into Similans liveaboards for that time period. Make sure you visit Richelieu Rock - don't go for any liveaboard that doesn't have it. That area has the best diving I've encountered so far in Thailand by far. You would normally go from...

My diving is mostly in South East Asia: - many liveaboards requires AOW or at least taking courses on the boat to AOW. Not all though. - Night dives - some ops (encountered in Philippines and Indonesia/Bali) require AOW to do night dives Possible that these requirements may be waived if the...

Are you buying flights from Italy to Sorong (or whichever location near RA)? Or buying straight from Italy to Jakarta, then buying a ticket from Jakarta to Sorong/wherever separately? In our experience, trying to book a flight all the way through is much more expensive. A quick search online...

Haven't dived there myself, but from speaking to other divers in China - avoid it like the plague. No knowledgeable divers or even tourists go there. It's mostly for the super rich or people taking advantage of tourists who don't know any better. Above water, much better value for money can be...

Like everyone else, would definitely suggest arriving at least a day earlier in Sorong. Coming from such a long distance and with the pressure to make it a good trip, you really don't want to take the risk of a delayed flight ruining everything. Indonesian airlines aren't famous for their...

I fly regularly in and out of Beijing with a full set of scuba gear (less weights & tanks) without trouble. Likewise with diving buddies throughout China so I don't think there should be any problem. I've also bought gear (fins) while diving overseas and brought it in with the rest of my gear...

I have a pair of OMS slipstreams (XL with spring straps) and they are definitely not neutral. Much better than Scubapro Jets but still needs a bit of balancing.

Commie Chinese Diver here! :) Well, not really. I just live here. Have stayed and dived with Evolution. They definitely respect wildlife and also good diving techniques. Great place for training - my friends and I have had really good experiences with their training at many different levels...

Most times I went, you geared up right on the beach and then walked into the water, so it was a really short walk. (Put on the fins in the water of course) However, if the surf is rough on that day, it can be a challenge to get in/out at certain sites. Hazy memory says that the USAT Liberty site...

Finbob, most of your concerns would be dealt with by following the advice above. If you want to dive the Liberty wreck, probably best to spend a couple of nights at least in Tulamben. Diver centers that are frequently recommended on this board include Liberty Wreck Divers and Matahari. Luko...

What Luko said - there's no good diving near Sanur and it takes hours to get to the nearest dive site. Why spend hours traveling daily when you can stay right beside the beach and just walk into the ocean for your morning dive? That's diving at Tulamben. Sanur's good if you want restaurants and...

Not recommendation per se, just my own experience in Jan 2017: Stayed at Jakarta Airport Hotel. Basic, but comfortable. Terminal 2E on 2nd floor. Not easy to find. Look for metal detector on a staircase going up on the 2nd floor. Just really convenient since it's in the airport and a short...

Usually very hard to find a place where you can see both the big stuff and the little ones together. The big ones tend to love current while the little ones are usually in low current areas. Only liveaboard I've been on yet that had plenty of both was Raja Ampat. There can be a lot of current...

@travelnurse777 Was on the Tambora in Jan and like Wingy, would highly recommend it. A couple of points addressing issues you raised: 1. A/C in each room, ensuite toilet/shower. Quite comfortable. Soundproofing in rooms is pretty decent as long as you don't get the double bed rooms (over the...

Status symbol. Last time I hung around a group of Chinese divers, the first thing everyone asked after getting each other's names was the level of certification, then number of dives. Never mind if their buoyancy was all over the place, never mind if they barely learned anything from those...

I've dived Malapascua and Cebu (Mactan) area, currents were mostly mild. Nothing like what you would encounter in Komodo. A reef hook would be way overkill except for unusual dive sites. The pointer might be useful depending on your diving style. I've never needed one in those locations.

A bit off topic, but I'm curious - was there a 4G signal at the resort? Was in the area on a liveaboard and the only place where we could get the slightest signal was when we were near the resort. If there was a decent 4G signal there, then there would be little reason to rely on their internet.

Dived with them twice in 2015. If they haven't changed much, then most of their daily diving would be shore dives. 4 daytime dives and 1 night dive rotating between 3 different locations. USAT Liberty is a short walk 200-300 meters to the west. Coral garden is straight out from their dive site...