Dive Trek Oct-Dec 2023 Group

[Indah]

English is more than adequate to travel in whole SE Asia.
Indonesia did not give me any problem at all. Bali - Lombok - Sumbawa - Flores - Sulawesi - Kalimantan - Java. Not a bit.

We teach English courses for several years in different places. Outside the touristic areas it will very hard to find even one person who can say more than: Hello Mister. Especially at large part of the Moluccan islands and Papua (Raja Ampat). Even doctors often do not speak English. Good luck with arranging a boat or car.

 

[Shiqi]

Have you done something like this before? I ask because the odds of a group of here-to-fore strangers roughing it in a hot, humid foreign country for 3 months straight sounds like a recipe for interpersonal conflict. If you already have a core group of friends experienced traveling with each other, that might be another story.

My thoughts exactly, unless OP is a professional travel agent, otherwise it sounds way too aggressive of a plan to ask somebody to join.

I am flying out this Sunday for my 1.5-month year-end nomads dive trip to AUS and IDN alone to GBR and R4, 2 multiday hikes, 3 LOBs, and 10 flights, and it took me a few months to research and book everything. Granted, I am the planner type who needs to plan and research everything before going, so it may take longer for me than average, but I still believe the process for this trip will take longer for somebody to know somebody else online to join since they have to get to know each other, finding out options and make agreement and commitment.

And now we are talking about a trip twice as long with 10-12 people here.

Also longer planning period is not always a good thing. A 10+ people group with 1 year ahead pretty much means you can't commit anything a few months in.

I'd recommend making your own plan and going get to know people on the road.

 

[matts1w]

Bringing freeze dried food and a stove is silly. Even in touristy Bali, one can eat just fine for five or six bucks a day: rice, noodles, tempe, tofu, fish, veggies, eggs, chicken, and pork.

 

[drrich2]

Lord of the flies if your just a jerk and know one likes you.

Even if the trip organizer/leader is likable and competent, well-prepared and has good people skills, a previously untried group new to each other is fertile ground for conflict due to human nature.

Out of 10 or 12 people, what are the odds there's at least one Karen? At least one entitled narcissistic guy who makes biting comments? Someone like that can ruin a day for everybody. A compatible couple or pair of couples may be far more practical.

When I was researching for a family trip to Walt Disney World, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World got into the need to plan for the potential conflicts of family dynamics unfolding in a strange place with an over-stimulating environment. And that's a smaller group that know, love and are committed to each other.

We love off the beaten path dive/snorkel ops

Who's we? Will some of these people know each other and have traveled together before?

Richard.

P.S.: When someone formulates a dream and hopes to make it a reality, discouraging critical commentary from anonymous strangers online can come off as abrasive. Please understand I'm not interested in insulting you, and at heart I think we're all mainly concerned with providing realistic feedback.

Elsewhere I've noticed group organizers sometimes take a 'pilot trip' to try out a proposed destination 1st hand, before they start taking trips there. Work out the kinks, make sure it's as good as they say.

 

[Lorenzoid]

We are a group of 4 in the US. With experience in wilderness Back country camping. We thought it would be cool to invite 4-8 others along for some epic long term diving around Indo..

I have gone away from the 10-12 group idea, In favor of a smaller group, focused on homestay instead of resorts...4 people maybe 8 two groups of 4 if the interest is there.
A group saves money unless your a tool, that doesn't know how to negotiate pricing.

A group of four sounds ideal, though i don't don't how much of a discount you will be able to find on homestays. Some homestays may have space for only two persons anyway. As for the larger group you were originally considering, I agree with others here: Spend your time diving and traveling, not having to consider whether a place can accommodate all of you or reach a consensus about everything. A larger group is dead weight--work, either for all of you or for those one or two who end up carrying the load. It's why most people who organize travel in larger groups don't do it for free.

I once did a shoestring trip that mixed diving and touring around Central America and Mexico, but I did it solo. I never had to consult with anyone else over anything, I had no return ticket, and planned nothing more than one day ahead (granted, that limited the kind of diving I did). Nevertheless, I would have been happy to have done it with a partner or in a group of four.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

---

---

A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread is closed

Have you received a Direct Message from fishcandy? If so, please report it.

Thank you!

​

---