Diving in SE Asia after Cambodia

[dumpsterpurrs]

"American War Crime Museum" I wonder if the name is still valid!

It's the War Remnants Museum now! Still heavily anti-US propaganda though

I did loads of work in Vietnam in the mid 90's and was flying in and out every 6-8 weeks, each visit needed a new visa @HK$800 or US$100 and I filled a passport with visa stamps within a couple of years. Things had a relaxed a bit so you didn't need to list everywhere you were going nor report in and I actually loved the country and even did some diving off Danang using old french naval maps trying to find reefs and potential dive sites

Maybe it is time for another visit

It is SO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT now! I'm very excited to for your return visits. It's as if it's a real, almost modern country and not what its political institution might suggest. Super cool place to visit and even to live, very possible to have a good life and future here. The diving (in Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, barely Cam Ranh near Da Nang, and Con Dao) is mediocre though. I wouldn't dive in VN.

Just and FYI I know most on this site are US or EU passport holders and this is a luxury for traveling . You should see how much effort, time, and money those with "non powerful" passports have to put in to travel especially to get into the US. So I would not complain to much about the odd $20-$50 to get into a country

I have to do so much more bureaucratic craps to obtain a US or Canadian or Schengen visa even today than any of the powerful passport holders would ever have to do to go to "backward" countries. Not only having to list all the places I intend to go and having everything booked with official proofs, I'm also asked to list every. single. trip I've ever taken abroad in my entire life. Each of them with detailed dates and locations. I'd have to submit labor contract + employer's confirmation of employment and leave + pay slips x 6 months + bank statements x 6 months + home ownership + residence confirmation, all must be with the gov-issued red-stamps. These things are asked by the western immigrations, not the local. I used to feel pretty pissed about all these disparities. Then I remembered I get to be smack in the middle of the Indo-Pacific. I stop complaining pretty fast once you get a reg in my mouth....

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

My son and I will be in Cambodia at the end of June doing some volunteer work. We'd like to go diving afterwards, but need advice on where to go/what's likely to be open to Westerners. I think I have enough points on Singapore Air to get almost anywhere in SE Asia. Ideally, we'd go to Sipadan or Raja Amat, but both Malaysia and Indonesia are still pretty locked down. I hear that the Philippines will be opening up, but that is also typhoon season and the conditions aren't great there in July, I think. Some have suggested Thailand, but that would be limited to Kao Tao, which just seems okay. The safest choice for avoiding COVID closures is likely the Maldives. We've been there before, but haven't done a liveaboard. ScubaSpa offers 5d 4n cruises (or full 8d 7n ones). Your thoughts and experiences appreciated.

Summer is the best in Indonesia and also Borneo. It's not optimal time for the Maldives or the Philippines, though still very much possible - both are best from beginning of the year til around April-May. Taiwan's only optimal in April, Sri Lanka is not quite worth the effort, Viet Nam and Cambodia are very mediocre diving I wouldn't bother. Thailand - Andaman is the same season as the Maldives and not diveable the rest of the time, Koh Tao is best in the summer but doesn't have anything special tbh. I'd focus on Indonesia or Borneo in the summer. Malaysia should be open by then.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Taiwan's only optimal in April.

Not true. I am diving in Penghu Island in May. For the hammerheads breeding time you need to be here in December through March. Hundreds of hammerheads in the same location. Is the diving in Taiwan as good as other countries in Asia, no. But I can dive in Okinawa which is close by or SEA. I didn't think the diving in Green Island was as good as this publication suggests.

Best Scuba Diving Destinations - Green Island, Taiwan - AquaViews

Planning to go diving in Green Island in Taitung, Taiwan? Check out our guide to the best dive spots and learn more about the marine life and above-ground attractions.

www.leisurepro.com

Ignore this piece of nonsense

Taiwanese Mandarin is spoken by 70% of the population, while standard Mandarin (the official language) is spoken by about 20% of the people in Taiwan.


Mandarin is spoken by 95% of the population, Taiwanese is a completely separate language which no Mandarin speaker can understand.
How is it that only 20% of the population would understand the language everyone is educated in? lol There are a few very old people who only speak Taiwanese and Japanese who do not speak Mandarin.

 

[KidDocDMC]

Summer is the best in Indonesia and also Borneo. It's not optimal time for the Maldives or the Philippines, though still very much possible - both are best from beginning of the year til around April-May. Taiwan's only optimal in April, Sri Lanka is not quite worth the effort, Viet Nam and Cambodia are very mediocre diving I wouldn't bother. Thailand - Andaman is the same season as the Maldives and not diveable the rest of the time, Koh Tao is best in the summer but doesn't have anything special tbh. I'd focus on Indonesia or Borneo in the summer. Malaysia should be open by then.

Thanks. I've booked the Maldives, because I think there's good diving there almost anytime. We're combining an island near Hanifaru Bay (mantas and whale sharks in July) with a Liveaboard. That should allow us to go almost anyplace where the diving is good. I would have loved to go to Sipadan or Raja Ampat, but I guess those will have to wait.

 

[KidDocDMC]

Thanks. I've booked the Maldives, because I think there's good diving there almost anytime. We're combining an island near Hanifaru Bay (mantas and whale sharks in July) with a Liveaboard. That should allow us to go almost anyplace where the diving is good. I would have loved to go to Sipadan or Raja Ampat, but I guess those will have to wait.

Both Malaysia and Indonesia are opening up. The cost for either will be less than what I've got booked for the Maldives, even after I lose the deposit I put on the Scubaspa. The accommodations won't be as luxe, and the travel to and from will be longer. Still debating. My son doesn't necessarily want to get back on July 7, but the change will only save us a day or two total, given the extra travel. I do want to hit both Sipadan and Raja, but I also love the diving in the Maldives - plus this would be our first experience on a liveaboard, and perfect because it's just 5d/4n. Will we really be blown away by Sipadan or Raja? We aren't macro people - more into the big stuff and big schools. Sipadan seems to have the big stuff, but Mabul is mostly macro. Raja seems like a mix. In the Maldives, we'd get the chance to see Hanifaru Bay at the ideal time (high tide at the end of June).

 

[Centrals]

You are over thinking. Enjoy your first ever LoB and Maldives.
Sangalaki has more pelagic than Sipadan. Easily combine both places on your next adventure in SE Asia.

 

[KidDocDMC]

You are over thinking. Enjoy your first ever LoB and Maldives.
Sangalaki has more pelagic than Sipadan. Easily combine both places on your next adventure in SE Asia.

Over thinking is one of my hobbies