Help me put together my YOLO diving list for S.E. Asia!

[munselln8]

Hey all, I am currently in Langkawi, Malaysia and will be doing a circle around SE Asia this year from January until end of June. I spent Jan. in Thailand and did a live-aboard diving the Similans. Since all the reports of Langkawi diving (Pulau Payar) were "sketchy" at best, I spent my dive money on Sky Diving instead of SCUBA diving . Next I am off to Cambodia for March, Philippines for April, Indonesia for May and a free month (Back to Thailand, maybe?) in June.
I am looking to put together the best diving itinerary I can for these areas, for this trip. So far I am considering: Cambodia: No diving?
Philippines: Malapascua, Panglau, El Nido
Indonesia: Komodo (probably a live-aboard). or Raja Ampat? (don't have money for both-?)


What are everyone's thoughts on places to dive? Not operator specific (unless you have a strong favorite).
Money is a realistic concern. Time is not that pressing (I only get three week in the Philippines but a full month everywhere else.

Thanks ahead for any thoughts, suggestions, ideas!

 

[Centrals]

Forget about El Nido which it is not worth the extra side trip to Palawan.
Philippines: Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin(Dumaguete). Port of entry is Cebu City(no need to go through Manila).

 

[MV Dive]

If you are in the Philippines in April then you cannot miss Tubbataha as its the best place to see sharks and other large pelagic's in the the Philippines. or for a cheaper version try Apo Reef and if you like ship wrecks then Coron is great. Malapascua is the best place for Thresher sharks. Puerto Galera is good for all round diving with great coral reefs, muck diving, wrecks and good drift diving when the current is moving. Also Verde Island is one of the best dives in the Philippines and shouldn't be missed. I would probably give El Nido a miss.

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

If you really want to see an area and have large diversity of dive sites then the best way to see Raja and Komodo are liveaboards, since they are constantly on the move you will see 3-4 new sites every day.

If you are coming from the Philippines you can easily get to Komodo with a flight from KL or SIN to Bali. Once in Bali, you can join a liveaboard to Komodo or you can fly non-stop to Labuan Bajo. Adelaar Cruises offers 10-night round-trip Bali-Komodo itineraries, this itinerary allows you to bypass domestic flights, possible over luggage fees and no-fly times. Think about diving Bali & Komodo, this option allows you to dive:
Bali - Molas & Mantas in Nusa Penida
Muck & Liberty wreck in Tulamben
Nudis, Frogfish and Rhinopias in Padang Bai
Komodo - World Famous Dive Sites, spectacular reefs, tons of critters, Mantas, sharks...etc. (Dive sites | Bali to Komodo Liveaboard) and don't forget the Dragons, it's called the 7 Wonders of Nature for a reason .

If you are looking at Raja Ampat you can fly into Jakarta and catch NAM or Xpress non-stop to Sorong. Otherwise, you could fly from SIN to Manado and connect over to Sorong (if you do this think about a layover in N.Sulawesi - Bangka or Lembeh). R4 is Amazing and a vast area, double check but I think the season in South Raja starts to wind down in May due to rough seas.

We are offering discounts on select sailings, contact info@Adelaar-cruises.com for more information. Wherever you end up enjoy your dive odyssey!

Cheers,

 

[Wingy]

If you are going to be in Cambodia anyway there is diving, it's not spectacular but if you are there it's cheap as chips so why not get wet anyway? Couple of dive shops down at Siahnoukville.

 

[tstormdiver]

Malaysia has Sipadan Island. Well worth the trip to see.

 

[Luko]

My recommendations :
1- Skip the diving in Cambodia, all the fish has gone in the soup probably my worst experience in SEA for diving, plus Sihanoukville is a dump. You should buy a ripped copy of "City of Ghosts" (Dillon, Caan, Depardieu) to check ou, or maybe Bokor hills will attract you.... Rather start with a budget liveaboard in Thailand from Phuket/Khao Lak.btw I dived Payar and found it much much better than Cambodia (lots of soft corals and sharks, even snorkeling... lots of them)
2- Philippines, stay around Cebu island an hop to Moalboal (Sardine run),,Malapascua (Threshers), Panglao (coral dives in Balicasag), Dauin (black sand muck). If you have more time Sipalay on the other side of Negros, Anda on the other side of Bohol or South Leyte a ferry ride from Cebu city.
3- Indonesia is the nig thing especially in April; all option are open. Bali has great variety of diving, a cheap liveaboard in Komodo will be excellent, staying in homestays in Raja Ampat an diving local Dampier strait will amaze you, otherwise Alor La petite Kepa or North Sulawesi are also other options. If I had time on my hands like you have I would spend it in Maluku (Banda islands, Ambon, Saparua) then hop to Raja Ampat for a week, fly to Ternate for a few days then North Sulawesi and finally connect to Bali, where you can go back to KL,.
4- for your free month Thailand in May is not optimal for diving, monsoon may already have come and the liveaboards in Similan islands will have ended, you may then carry on to Sipadan and Borneo.

 

[munselln8]

Malaysia has Sipadan Island. Well worth the trip to see.

Yes, We did a 4 day liveaboard last month. It was excellent!

 

[indiedive]

How awesome - gosh, I wish I have such opportunities!

Indonesia. Not sure what you'd prefer - small or big species, but if you spend Komodo 10 days LOB then it's better to combine it with places like Bali or Alor (I believe there is direct flight connection between these destinations that will ease your travel).

The Philippines. Personally, I like diving in Cebu area. Moalboal for sardine run, and Dauin for muck diving, Apo Island for coral diving.
I was not too impressed by the dive sites in Panglao. But perhaps that because I was sick for two days and I was unable to explore more dive sites in Panglao as I had planned.

good luck and safe travel!

 

[Worldwide Dive and Sail]

Everything depends on what you like the most! J Big or small J

Both Raja Ampat and Komodo are amazing! If you enjoy more the big stuff, then go to Raja Ampat, but if you love the macro life, then go to Komodo. However, in both you will find big and small.

In Raja Ampat you will see wobbegong sharks, mantas, schools of bumphead parrotfish, huge schools of surgeons, jacks and barracudas, pygmy seahorses, a lot of macro, muck dive and incredible coral gardens. In Komodo you have sharks, mantas, huge schools of fish, muck dives an incredible variety of macro life and incredible coral gardens as well.

For the Philippines, the best options are

- Tubbataha, which is only accessible by liveaboard so for this year it might be difficult to find any space left since the park is only open from mid-february to mid-June.

- The Southern Visayas where you can see big and small J Whale sharks, macro life, muck dives, huge schools of fish and incredible coral gardens.

- Malapascua for the thresher sharks and mantas

- If you are a wreck lover then Coron is right for you!

I invite you to read our trip blogs in Indonesia and the Philippines to give you an idea of what to expect

Enjoy your holidays!!!