cubbiegirlem
Contributor
Hi, all. I haven't been on this board for awhile sadly, but I'm planning the trip of a lifetime and could use your help. I am planning a career change and as part of that, I am going to take a year traveling around Asia and Africa, getting my instructor certification (I will hopefully have completed DM before I leave), diving, and volunteering (preferably in marine conservation). It's been making me so excited to come back here and read all your trip reports but it also makes it hard to decide so I thought I'd just reach out to you helpful people for advice. I think I could travel for 10 years and still not see it all.
The must dos for sentimental reasons are Saipan and Mozambique. Other than that I've sketched out some ideas of roughly where I might be when. I'm planning to leave room for spontaneity, but I also have some things I want to do that book quickly, and some friends and family who want to meet me places, so I need to have at least an outline of a plan. (My friends and family aren't taking a gap year so they'll actually need to plan ahead when and where they'll meet me!)
Any and all advice is welcome! Anywhere I cannot miss? Anywhere on my list you'd skip? Anywhere that I'm planning to go at absolutely the wrong time of year? (I don't need perfect weather but would prefer not to have all rain all day every day. Your typical tropical afternoon rains are fine. I've never really been anywhere that was that bad even during the rainy seasons but maybe I've been lucky.). Any good marine conservation volunteer programs you know about? (I know many are basically Eco tourism. Which is ok as long as they're doing some good and it's a good experience.). And any great value locations that are still worthwhile? In between my big bucket list items (live aboards, etc.) I'm going to try to get by pretty cheap in terms of housing and food so while I'm willing to spend on the must-dos I'm going to try to get by on the cheap elsewhere!
Here's my initial brainstorm of my plan along with a few specific questions I have for you helpful people. I am also planning to blog my adventures so I will post that here so you all can follow when the time comes!!
July-August: Indonesia (Bali)--considering IDC/MSDT internship with Bali scuba as I read good reviews. If anyone has experience with their instructor training I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Sept-oct: Philippines--traveling and hopefully volunteering. I've looked at Marine Conservation Philippines. Any experience with them? I may head back to Indonesia for part of this as I will need to go through Jakarta to get to...
Nov 1-13: Raja Ampat/Banda sea with La Galigo--this is the only thing I'm close to booking. It's a bucket list destination and I've read this is the time with the best chance of seeing the hammerheads. Looks like they book crazy far in advance. Some other boats are already booked up! Anyway this is one of the few boats I've found that does both raja Ampat and Banda sea in this time period, and I really think it's the perfect itinerary. I've read great things about it and they've confirmed they have availability.
Mid-late Nov: a week in Palau. I was originally thinking live aboard but that seems like a LOT after RA. How is the land based diving in Palau? Is there interesting stuff to do topside as well? Any recommended ops? (I figure if I don't do a live aboard I can probably work this out later.)
Late Nov.-mid Dec. Guam/Saipan/Chuuk: this is a big one for me because my grandpa was stationed in Saipan and told us about his old "swimming hole" we learned was the grotto. I have to dive the grotto but I also really want to go to Chuuk to see the WWII ships for that reason as well. Anything worthwhile in Guam or is it just a jumping off point? Is Chuuk best done by live aboard or is land based good as well? Do I need to try to get any tec training before Chuuk if I want to see the good stuff? Anything interesting topside (particularly WWII related)?
Dec-January: Back to USA
Late January-February: FP/Tahiti to Cook Islands to Fiji. Maybe some volunteering in Fiji? Maybe a live aboard? (Fiji is thus far my favorite place I've ever been. I dove with Wananavu and loved it but we didn't get much time out at the next sites due to conditions.). Maybe New Zealand?
March-April: travel Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, wherever the wind takes me?)
May-July: travel via India to SE africa (Tanzania/zanzibar, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana... Thinking about volunteering with blue ventures in Madagascar?)
HOME.
Sorry this is so long. It's too far away but I am just so excited! And I don't want to be disappointed and miss out on any of the things that tend to book way in advance (like the live aboards...)
Thanks in advance for any advice!!!!
The must dos for sentimental reasons are Saipan and Mozambique. Other than that I've sketched out some ideas of roughly where I might be when. I'm planning to leave room for spontaneity, but I also have some things I want to do that book quickly, and some friends and family who want to meet me places, so I need to have at least an outline of a plan. (My friends and family aren't taking a gap year so they'll actually need to plan ahead when and where they'll meet me!)
Any and all advice is welcome! Anywhere I cannot miss? Anywhere on my list you'd skip? Anywhere that I'm planning to go at absolutely the wrong time of year? (I don't need perfect weather but would prefer not to have all rain all day every day. Your typical tropical afternoon rains are fine. I've never really been anywhere that was that bad even during the rainy seasons but maybe I've been lucky.). Any good marine conservation volunteer programs you know about? (I know many are basically Eco tourism. Which is ok as long as they're doing some good and it's a good experience.). And any great value locations that are still worthwhile? In between my big bucket list items (live aboards, etc.) I'm going to try to get by pretty cheap in terms of housing and food so while I'm willing to spend on the must-dos I'm going to try to get by on the cheap elsewhere!
Here's my initial brainstorm of my plan along with a few specific questions I have for you helpful people. I am also planning to blog my adventures so I will post that here so you all can follow when the time comes!!
July-August: Indonesia (Bali)--considering IDC/MSDT internship with Bali scuba as I read good reviews. If anyone has experience with their instructor training I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Sept-oct: Philippines--traveling and hopefully volunteering. I've looked at Marine Conservation Philippines. Any experience with them? I may head back to Indonesia for part of this as I will need to go through Jakarta to get to...
Nov 1-13: Raja Ampat/Banda sea with La Galigo--this is the only thing I'm close to booking. It's a bucket list destination and I've read this is the time with the best chance of seeing the hammerheads. Looks like they book crazy far in advance. Some other boats are already booked up! Anyway this is one of the few boats I've found that does both raja Ampat and Banda sea in this time period, and I really think it's the perfect itinerary. I've read great things about it and they've confirmed they have availability.
Mid-late Nov: a week in Palau. I was originally thinking live aboard but that seems like a LOT after RA. How is the land based diving in Palau? Is there interesting stuff to do topside as well? Any recommended ops? (I figure if I don't do a live aboard I can probably work this out later.)
Late Nov.-mid Dec. Guam/Saipan/Chuuk: this is a big one for me because my grandpa was stationed in Saipan and told us about his old "swimming hole" we learned was the grotto. I have to dive the grotto but I also really want to go to Chuuk to see the WWII ships for that reason as well. Anything worthwhile in Guam or is it just a jumping off point? Is Chuuk best done by live aboard or is land based good as well? Do I need to try to get any tec training before Chuuk if I want to see the good stuff? Anything interesting topside (particularly WWII related)?
Dec-January: Back to USA
Late January-February: FP/Tahiti to Cook Islands to Fiji. Maybe some volunteering in Fiji? Maybe a live aboard? (Fiji is thus far my favorite place I've ever been. I dove with Wananavu and loved it but we didn't get much time out at the next sites due to conditions.). Maybe New Zealand?
March-April: travel Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, wherever the wind takes me?)
May-July: travel via India to SE africa (Tanzania/zanzibar, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana... Thinking about volunteering with blue ventures in Madagascar?)
HOME.
Sorry this is so long. It's too far away but I am just so excited! And I don't want to be disappointed and miss out on any of the things that tend to book way in advance (like the live aboards...)
Thanks in advance for any advice!!!!