I don't travel well.

[spectrum]

I'm seeing a lit of really good stuff up above and will add 2 thoughts.

1) Crystallized Ginger alone or with other remedies has been very promising for my wife and I. Eat it like candy before and during motion. I found byself comfortably reading while riding in the back of a bus and on boats this summer! The stuff is actually "dried", sort of like that dried pineapple.

2) Embrace local shore diving

Pete

 

[farsidefan1]

If you went to Fiji and thought the diving was about the same as the caribbean the first thing I would suggest is getting your eyes checked or at the very least look into (pun intended) some prescription lenses for your mask. Honestly??? Are you sure you didn't decide it was = to or less than caribbean diving to justify not traveling in the future? If you really thought those experiences were comparable you should just dive in a local quarry - you won't notice the difference. OK, sorrry, I let sarcasm get into the way of my post. Let me shake it off a moment, ahh, much better. OK, if you didn't notice a marked difference in diving as a payoff for the long trip I suggest no long trips. Be happy, enjoy diving, when it isn't fun it isn't diving.

 

[rob1967]

Hey Daniel, you are quite right, YVR to MNL is 14.5 hours, about 12ish coming back. I was just going by memory alone, which I guess was a bit foggy!(Must have been those sleeping pills, hahaha!) It is a direct flight, that much I remember!

I've done the trip 8 times (16 back and forth), always with Philippine Airlines. My experience with them has been very good. Almost always on time, I think they were late only once in 16 legs for me. Their Boeings are a bit old, but I think they are starting to use some newer Airbuses too. First class is awesome! Lots of room and great food. They still have that old fashioned service attitude which is great. From Vancouver, it is definitely the best option (always fly direct whenever possible!), but from Seattle, it might be cheaper (and roughly same time in transit) to go through Tapei or Korea instead of going through Vancouver. But IMHO, PAL is just as good (if not better) as EVA or any other airline. I don't care about their TV system, I can use my laptop or iPad if I want to watch a movie, but I just snooze most of the flight.

Since you have lots of time, and maybe a few extra $$, you could look into stopping in Hawaii for a few days! That would be nice, and would break up the trip quite nicely! Philippine Airlines does have a direct flight Honolulu to MNL, and the jet lag would be a lot less after a few days to acclimatize to the time change and climate in Hawaii.

 

[Centrals]

1. Visit the Walled city of Intramuros.
2. Corregidor Island: the defense of Manila in WW II.

 

[daniel1948]

Spectrum: Thanks, but ginger doesn't do it for me. As for shore diving, my bad back limits me to boat diving.

Farsidefan: You probably dived somewhere other than where I dived. I did see soft corals in Fiji, which was cool, and a few kinds of fishes I hadn't before, but no big pelagics. Really, where I dived was nice, but didn't compare with, for example, Long Caye Wall. I went with the LDS, which chose the resort because they liked the people (who were wonderful). I've dived places in the Caribbean that were not as good, and other places that were better. And it was not just me: Several others of the group felt the same. Some of the group went off to a different dive site every day for the last half week, but those of us who were just OW were not allowed to go along. Maybe that's where the diving you're talking about was.

 

[paolov]

two weeks stay in the philippines

Galera is pretty much a strenous activity if done with a group of young divers.


though the dives in galera are wonderfull (age makes a lot of difference in point of view and comfort level)

with your stated condition 63 yrs old, not doing well in the airplane for long hours. you have to consider the travel and WAITING TIME at airports. Galera means a travel from manila airport to batangas port (3hours by land) and 45mins to an hour to galera, not withstanding waiting for others.

My opinion, NOT WORTH THE TWO WEEKS.

now if you are staying for a longer term, say retiring in the Philippines, then GO FOR IT.

consider also, the boat used here in the philippines. the bangka,

 

[h2odragon1]

You were worried that no-one would care!
We all have different travel experiences, and different ways to cope. I generally get up every now and then and do some stretching near the galley, which is wider than the isles. Staying hydrated is important also, not to the point of frequent BR trips, but enough to stave off some motion sickness.
As far as your arrival, rest on the trip to Puerto Galera, (2 hour drive 45 min boat ride). and think about postponing diving until you fel up to it! Don't loose out on any dives included in your package, but always be safe!
Puerto Galera is a treat!, I always say it has the most varied diving you can find in one stop! There are side trips in both places to catch up on rest but still get value for your time!

 

[daniel1948]

[...]
Galera is pretty much a strenous activity if done with a group of young divers.

though the dives in galera are wonderfull (age makes a lot of difference in point of view and comfort level)

with your stated condition 63 yrs old, not doing well in the airplane for long hours. you have to consider the travel and WAITING TIME at airports. Galera means a travel from manila airport to batangas port (3hours by land) and 45mins to an hour to galera, not withstanding waiting for others.

[...]

consider also, the boat used here in the philippines. the bangka,

I expect the group to include a range of ages, from young to my age. But would you enlarge on what you said about Galera being strenuous? Strong currents??? I am healthy and active, but I prefer relaxed diving. The strong current was the one thing I didn't like about Cozumel, and is the main reason I have not been back there.

As for travel, I was less concerned about the shorter trips between the resorts and Manila, than about the long trip to Manila: about 24 hours from Spokane, unless I extend it several days with overnight layovers. One of the things that concerns me is how short the layover is in Seoul: just one hour. Of course, if I stay the night there that would not be an issue.

Would you expect a resort like Atlantis to be using bangkas, rather than something more modern?

(In Fiji we were at an extremely primitive resort. There was no dock. We waded to and from the boats, both for diving, and for arrival/departure. I didn't mind that, but the boats were not proper dive boats. Tanks were just laid down in the bottom of the boat, and there were no proper transoms for getting into the water. We mostly just stepped onto the gunwale with all our gear on and stepped in. The LDS owner/group-leader dove in head first from the gunwale with all his gear on. It was a very poorly-equipped operation. Not to mention several engine break-downs.)

 

[katherineaw]

Your description of the primitive resort in Fiji sounds like most of the places I've dived in South East Asia. I think you're probably asking a lot to get the large boats that you might get in the Caribbean in most of Asia. That being said, given the number of people who dive throughout SEA every day, I'd be surprised if you weren't diving off a purpose-built, or specially modified, boat the majority of the time. However, it's probably going to be based on the local model - so Bangkas in the philippines - because they're cheaper and more readily available (as are parts when the engine inevitably has an issue).

There are some photos on the Atlantis Website which suggest that they have a bangka which has been modified/purpose built for diving - i.e. tanks have specific tank stands up the back and there are seats on the side of the boats.

I highly recommend emailing the resort and asking them to send you photos of the dive boat, and explaining your situation and what you need in terms of diving support. They will let you know - I'm sure you won't be the only person who has been concerned about the boats. I know I often ask whether there's a ladder and how many rungs it has - if it's less than 3, I usually go looking for another boat!

If the entry is a problem, you could always get in the water with your fins, mask and snorkel and have your gear passed down to you so you can gear up in the water. With the water to help support you it might be lower strain on your back - just remember to put the BCD on first, and then the weightbelt!

In relation to shore dives, I know in Indonesia there were always people who were prepared to carry tanks to the water for a dollar, and then you could just float them out until you were deep enough to gear up easily. Would that be an option for you as well? I'm sure if shore-diving is an option, most dive operators will help make the diving fit your needs.

As another alternative, if time is not an issue, why not find a direct flight to somewhere else in South East Asia that you'd like to see (Hong Kong is probably a good choice because ), spend a couple of days there enjoying non-diving sites, and then take a short shuttle flight to the Philippines (Hong Kong to Manila is maybe 2 hours?).

Also, forgive me, I had to go look up a transom and couldn't find a satisfactory answer - I assume you are talking of a dive platform?

Anyway, I really hope your trip is starting to look more do-able.

 

[fisheater]

You'll be wade to board and exit the boats at the Atlantis resorts. The boats will be either bacnqas or "speed boats." Most of the time, you'll have your gear lying on the center of the deck and you'll be sitting on the gunwales. The DM or the boat guy will lift your gear and help you get geared up. Then, the entry is almost always via a backroll.

Exits are by doffing your gear in water and handing up. Then, you climb out via ladder.

In any case, you'll never have to lift or carry your gear.


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