Bucket List Trip Recommendation

[Centrals]

Just posted. I have not dived Palau yet myself even though I have a direct flight of 5 hours. Was meant to dive there in 2020 but covid came along lol

Trip Report Post in thread 'Palau Black Pearl liveaboard'

Jul 28, 2025

Pity only 3 dives a day I would expect at least 4. What were your dive times?

Each dive was planned for one hour and surface intervals three. Some divers had to short their dives because of air consumption- and changed to 15 liter tanks because of this. I think that most of the dives were an hour, give or take a few minutes

We were familiar with the guide (and I consider wife and me experienced divers) so we usually jump first and surface last, dive duration not really a constraint factor, although we never exaggerate not wanting all the group to wait for us too much in rough...

• Jai Bar

LOL.
You do not have any experience on diving in Palau!!!
I had done both land based and LoB and preferred the latter because the sites are far from Koror.

@NitroxNemo
In SE Asia, Raja Ampat is one of the best(there is no such thing as the best in my book).
Have a memorable one for both of you.

 

[greatwhite1]

LOL.
You do not have any experience on diving in Palau!!!
I had done both land based and LoB and preferred the latter because the sites are far from Koror.

@NitroxNemo
In SE Asia, Raja Ampat is one of the best(there is no such thing as the best in my book).
Have a memorable one for both of you.

Hi, in Raja did you do a liveaboard or day diving. I'm looking at day diving there, any recommendations? North/Central or South Raja? Dive centres and accommodation please?

 

[grassgreen]

Have you considered the cenotes around Tulum Mexico ?

 

[Bookworm11]

You could dive Raja if you didn't do a LOB. I went to Raja and did both a LOB for 8 nights (the Velocean) and 10 nights at Waiweo on a land resort (Dive into Raja Ampat.) I can tell you my diving at the land resort was far superior than my LOB diving. I saw 4 times as many mantas and 4 times longer mantas with my land resort. I saw way more cool macro stuff, and I ssaw my only wooblygong shark. I snorkeled at night with a bamboo shark, and had the most amazing octopus encounter ever-8 minutes just me and the DM and I was about 1 foot away the entire time. The dive shop there was amazing. I was given my own DM, and I never saw but once any group bigger than 3 people with a DM. And this was about 1/4 the cost of the LOB. The resort was nothing fancy, but it was air conditioned, the bed was comfortable, the resort was on the beach, and the food was good. You could go there and then go on to another land resort, or a LOB if you wished.

 

[Bookworm11]

I have done cenotes, and I love them. But you need to love caves. If you aren't a big cave lover, then you aren't going to want to love doing just cenotes for a week or two. If you did that, perhaps come at teh right time so you could see bull sharks or whale sharks in Cancun, and go dive in Cozumel as well.

 

[pintodog]

That sounds great! So...here are some thoughts:

• Socorro - Fantastic diving. The dolphins and mantas are amazing. The currents can be strong and the water temperature may require a thicker wetsuit. Also...the LOBs are not very "lux" so it doesn't meet your romantic criteria. Basically this trip is for hardcore diving.
• Raja Ampat - Takes a while to get to but the diving is spectacular. If you go on a LOB you can get Misool, Dampier, etc all in one trip, which is nice. Great water conditions (i.e. water is not too cold). The land excursions (jellyfish lake, etc.) are also nice. This is a potential candidate for your trip
• Komodo - I thought this was awesome...especially if you do the Bali - Komodo trip with Mermaid. You can spend some time on land in Bali and you get some fantastic diving in Komodo and on the way to Komodo. I would actually pick this one over Raja for your "romantic trip"
• French Polynesia - I would do a combination of Moorea and Fakarava (and stay at Havaiki Lodge in Fakarava). These islands are absolutely gorgeous and the food in Moorea is also great. Of all the places I'm going to list, this is definitely the most romantic. What you sacrifice, though, is variety in diving. Fakarava has tons of shark action (which is awesome) but that is about it. You can combine it with Rangiroa to see dolphins but basically you are not going to see the variety of Raja, Komodo, or some other places that I'm listing
• Maldives - The diving is great and you can find a great boat that will treat you like a king (and queen). The advantage of the Maldives is that you can combine a LOB (for the diving) with a land based resort (for the romance).
• Caribbean Mexico - The cenotes are beguiling and some of the most spiritual diving that I have done. That part of Mexico also has fantastic resorts (for the romance). Outside of the cenotes, though, I found the diving to be just okay.
• Palau - This...in my opinion...is the winner! Palau is drop dead gorgeous above and below water. I did a LOB, which allows you to anchor close to key dive sites. I also stayed on land on the same trip and did kayaking, etc.. Nothing compares to the Rock Islands. I HIGHLY recommend this for your "dive + romance" requirement.

 

[Bubble Blower 479]

Passport to Paradise in Manado, Indonesia. I have been there twice and love it. 3 resorts with different types of diving at each one. Continuous diving at spectacular resorts, especially Lembeh resort. If you like to photograph small critters, nothing is better than Lembeh. Passport to Paradise

The other place I like is Atlantis Resorts in the Philippines. I am returning there in the Fall for a month of diving in Puerto Galera, Dumaguete, and Visayas Liveaboard. Home - Atlantis Dive Resorts and Liveaboard Philippines

 

[KUFan452]

I've been on The Arenui in both Raja & Komodo. I've also done a liveaboard & land-based option in the Maldives (Carpe Diem & Kuramathi) and Fiji Tavenui. The best diving was hands down on Arenui. There is not a better liveaboard out there, which is why they book years in advance; however they do get openings. Get on their email list to find out about them. I agree with other posters that the romance part of the trip is going to be better on land for privacy reasons if nothing else. The Maldives & Fiji are better for that aspect as is Atmosphere in the Philippines. I haven't been to Palau but was recently reading out how that area is heating up with military maneuvers in the ongoing Chinese expansion issues. It was enough to make me concerned about impacts on sea & reef.

 

[amgscuba]

Palau or Siladen Resort in N. Sulawesi. Both are fantastic!

 

[NitroxNemo]

That sounds great! So...here are some thoughts:

• Socorro - Fantastic diving. The dolphins and mantas are amazing. The currents can be strong and the water temperature may require a thicker wetsuit. Also...the LOBs are not very "lux" so it doesn't meet your romantic criteria. Basically this trip is for hardcore diving.
• Raja Ampat - Takes a while to get to but the diving is spectacular. If you go on a LOB you can get Misool, Dampier, etc all in one trip, which is nice. Great water conditions (i.e. water is not too cold). The land excursions (jellyfish lake, etc.) are also nice. This is a potential candidate for your trip
• Komodo - I thought this was awesome...especially if you do the Bali - Komodo trip with Mermaid. You can spend some time on land in Bali and you get some fantastic diving in Komodo and on the way to Komodo. I would actually pick this one over Raja for your "romantic trip"
• French Polynesia - I would do a combination of Moorea and Fakarava (and stay at Havaiki Lodge in Fakarava). These islands are absolutely gorgeous and the food in Moorea is also great. Of all the places I'm going to list, this is definitely the most romantic. What you sacrifice, though, is variety in diving. Fakarava has tons of shark action (which is awesome) but that is about it. You can combine it with Rangiroa to see dolphins but basically you are not going to see the variety of Raja, Komodo, or some other places that I'm listing
• Maldives - The diving is great and you can find a great boat that will treat you like a king (and queen). The advantage of the Maldives is that you can combine a LOB (for the diving) with a land based resort (for the romance).
• Caribbean Mexico - The cenotes are beguiling and some of the most spiritual diving that I have done. That part of Mexico also has fantastic resorts (for the romance). Outside of the cenotes, though, I found the diving to be just okay.
• Palau - This...in my opinion...is the winner! Palau is drop dead gorgeous above and below water. I did a LOB, which allows you to anchor close to key dive sites. I also stayed on land on the same trip and did kayaking, etc.. Nothing compares to the Rock Islands. I HIGHLY recommend this for your "dive + romance" requirement.

Wow. Thanks for all the recommendations and the write ups. I am jotting some of these down because they sound like great trips even beyond this one.