Honeymoon destination June with beginner diver

[speedof1]

Hi all!

First of all, this forum is a huge inspiration for even a (yet) non-diver like me. Many thanks for that.

My future wife and I are planning a honeymoon in June for about 30-40 days. We both aren't divers, but I'd love to get my PADI open water license during this trip. I don't want to abandon my partner though, or go to a location that is not so interesting as a non-diver (she doesn't have the ambition to dive).

My girlfriend wants to start in Bali. We then plan to go to Labuan Bajo for a few days. Would this be a good fit to get my PADI? The rest of the trip still needs to be filled, so that's where I hope you guys could give us some inspiration . What we are looking for:

• Pristine beaches / paradise Maladives-kinda vibe.
• Nice weather. Not looking to be in monsoon / rainy season
• A bit of conform (no live-aboard). Doesn't need to be a 1000$-day resort though.
• Some adventure (mountains, waterfalls etc), but this doesn't need to be all at the same place of course.

A few places we have considered:

• Raja Ampat. Seems absolutely beautiful. But: is June a good time (seems rainy season)? And would this be fun for a non-diver?
• Maybe some other places in Indonesia?
• Fiji. But maybe a bit of a hassle to get there from Indonesia?
• Making the cross to Australia for the east coast.

Hope you can help us out!

 

[Nausica]

I wouldn't recommend Labuan Bajo for a beginner, there are some strong currents. There is many interesting places to dive in Bali, where you could get your certification. If you want the beautiful paradise style beach you can easily hop to the Gili islands from Bali by ferry.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Bali sounds like a great idea. Bali is a big island. You could take a trip around the island, diving and sightseeing/adventuring in different places. There are opportunities for beginner divers, and of course, plenty of things to do and see topside when you're not diving. I agree with @Nausica that diving elsewhere in Indonesia may offer more limited opportunities for a beginner, and that if you want to have some quality beach time on Instagrammable beaches, leave the diving behind and go do the rest of the things you mentioned.

Have you considered the Caribbean? Curacao, maybe? Then hop over to Aruba for the beaches?