Diving in Vietnam?

[Rainbow Divers]

So you've been to Thailand, experienced Malaysia and even popped over to the Philippines. Thought that was all the diving destinations.... well think again. Vietnam has a wealth of diving opportunities awaiting you. Sure it's not as well know as it's neighbors, but this is what makes it a great destination right now. No hoards of divers fighting over a piece of coral or a lion fish, plenty of room for everyone we say!

You can in fact dive all year round in a host of destinations. Nha Trang for instance is open 12 months of the year! Sure it isn't at it's best during wet season (Nov-Jan) but very dive-able no less. Pho Quoc island offers some fantastic diving over the Christmas period and into the new year. Hoi An is the place to be during May-Aug offering some of the best diving in Vietnam. As for Con Dao...... amazing diving and an amazing island.

One thing you will notice about Vietnam is that it is so much cheaper than the usual destinations. Friendly people and amazing cuisine add to a great experience and the scenery will blow you away. It is now becoming much easier to get here, although direct flights are expensive, traveling through Bangkok, Hong kong, Qatar or Singapore can offer some excellent value flights. Internal travel is cheap and reliable and very easy to book. No longer a backpackers only destination with a vast amount of 5 star resorts being added throughout the country on a seemingly regular basis, but you can still find an excellent room here for $20 per night.

So if you are looking for something different....... Give Vietnam a try!!

 

[drbill]

I'll get there some day! I keep promising Jeremy and Caroline I will...

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Rainbow Divers,

I have not dived Vietnam, but have flown over some wonderful areas for diving when I was in USAF Rescue. We flew over a small volcanic island about 60 miles south of DaNang, which at the time looked like a diver's paradise. It has a fringing coral reef, two villages (I think), and a beach where you cannot determine where the water line is, the water is so clear. There were small boys with masks, fins and a spear out on the reef when we flew over in a HH-53C Super Jolly. I was a PJ, and asked the pilot for "permission to 'accidentally' fall out the rear ramp with my swim gear on." His reply, "Ratliff, get back in here!" But honestly, that is a place I have wanted to return to since I first saw it. I arranged a dive trip for "currency" while I was stationed at DaNang, and then was sent to Bein Hoa when the others were ready to go to the island. We knew it as "Cu Lao Re" island, although I don't know if that is true. I found this on the web:

Quang Ngai, Vietnam 9 August 1962. AGC-ND 49-1. Scale 1:250,000
Ranges from North of the Hoi An river south of Da Nang along the coast to south of Quang Ngai City. Includes Cu Lao Re island on the east and goes out a few miles west of Hiep Duc. Brilliant colors, best color map. Created by the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center,U.S. Air Force, St Louis, MO, 63118.

Looking at Google Maps, it may be one of the islands off Thanh Thuy. If you have any information on diving there, I would be very interested.

SeaRat

 

[saltynay]

Hey John, the island of Cu Lao Re is not dived by any companies that I know of as it is across from Quang Ngai. The Cham Islands are a bit further north and are parallel with Hoi An and a marine park so a bit better protected. Cham Islands are dived by Blue Coral diving, Cham island divers and Rainbow all the companies have good reputations and go out of Hoi An. I believe there is one Vietnamese company based in Hoi An called Happy divers which mainly does DSD style dives (I don't know if their organisation affiliated). The Cham are like much of Vietnam and excellent for Macro but with a lack of big fish. Occasionally things come through but normally by the time its reported the fish have moved on so you need to be lucky.

Thanks for the heads up on Cu Lao Re looks like a nice island to visit next time I take a trip out of Da Nang and only about an hour away. I may be able to give you a little info on it in the future if you do decide to come out this way send me a pm.

 

[DevonDiver]

I dived with Rainbow Divers in Nha Trang in 2008. They are a very professional operation and I'd recommend them to anyone. The diving in Nha Trang was very enjoyable - with a good selection of reef and macro marine life. It was sparse of bigger critters and pelagics though.

The month that I spent travelling Vietnam was one of my best vacations ever. I loved the place.

 

[mdb]

I've always wanted to return to Vietnam, this time without a weapon.

We had a 3 day in country R&R called "Stack Arms" off the white sand China Beach just south of Da Nang. The country although bomb scarred was beautiful. The people, even in the midst of a civil war, were amazing, sending their kids to school, working hard and kind to us, when they were treated with respect and courtesy.

This thread has good information. I hope to be diving there before too long.

 

[Jun Lao]

is Con Dao now open for diving?, saw a vid posted just Dec of last yr? any operator, I'll take the trip pronto

 

[finbob]

I will be in Ho Chi Minh (Nov 25-27) any recommendations for dive sites?
Thanks, Finbob

 

[ti325v]

is Con Dao now open for diving?, saw a vid posted just Dec of last yr? any operator, I'll take the trip pronto

Feel free to contact me at info@dive-condao.com
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