Help send Mike on his fantasy.

[buff]

Hello All

I have some money, some time. And of course I LOVE diving.

I am thinking of a trip to Thailand and/or Australia OR a trip to the Red Sea.

It doesn't have to be cheap. And I could take up to 3 weeks to do it. I would like to do it in July if possible.

I have been to Bonaire, Honduras, Bora Bora.

What would YOU do if you were me? I'll entertain all ideas.

Thanks
Mike

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Start with the INVASION in the Keys in July.. and go from there!

 

[Diver Dennis]

Come to the Philippines! Your money will go a long way and you can also get cheap trips to Palau from here to see the big stuff after all the amazing macro here. Just one of the terrific dive areas... http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=189546

 

[almitywife]

australia is not cheap to tour... i personally would hit the tropical isles we are surrounded by to get more for my buck

to start with,
vanuatu
niue
png
solomons
east timor

 

[vladimir]

It doesn't have to be cheap. And I could take up to 3 weeks to do it.

1. One week on Mike Ball's Spoilsport in the Coral Sea and the next in PNG.

2. Truk Aggressor (is there still a Truk Aggressor?) one week, Palau Aggressor the next.

3. A week in Bali, ten days on the Kararu or Peter Hughes to Komodo. Tack on 4 days in Lembeh.

4. Two week Cocos/Malpelo liveaboard.

5. Ten days in the Galapagos.

 

[mjh]

1st big fan of live-aboards and some of these trips would be hard combine with other destinations. We have trip reports for PNG, Cocos and some others mentioned at our site.

1. 10 days in PNG and then maybe over to Lembeh
2. 10 Days Cocos (if you like sharks)
3. Palau & Yap
4. Coral Sea, GBR and another South Pacific destination
Have not been but Solomon and Maldives are on the list

 

[buff]

No one recommending the Red Sea?????

I like the Galapagos idea.

 

[vladimir]

No one recommending the Red Sea?????

I like the Galapagos idea.

Most of the brand name liveaboards in the Galapagos are close to fully booked for '07. As of two weeks ago, when I was calling around, Peter Hughes had some spots in December, but only 7-day trips.

 

[Ex-Aquanaut]

If you're thinking of Thailand, you can start with the 3 wrecks in Pattaya, fly from here to Samui do there and Koh Tao, then head over to the Andaman side for Phuket and Phi Phi, maybe even the Similans depending upon conditions.

 

[robint]

#1 choice...I would do the Palau liveaboard trip with either Big Blue Explorer (we're doing it in Dec, woo hoo!) or Palau Agressor. Then you could add on a week in Yap or just do a week landbased there in Palau after the liveaboard. I think that would be an awesome adventure.
www.palauscuba.com
www.aggressor.com

#2 choice....I would do 2 weeks in Fiji or 2 weeks in Indonesia.

--A friend did the Red Sea thing for 2 weeks a couple of years ago and said the diving was good but all the turmoil and hostile topside atmosphere were very unpleasant and he wouldn't do it again. I haven't been, just relating what he told us.

robint