I'm taking a year off life to travel and dive

[dumpsterpurrs]

Objectives:
- Dive all of the best places in the world
- Warm tropical water >25*C
- Easily accessible, long transits make me very sick. my base airport is SGN, I don't fly more than two legs at a time. night bus and train are ok though.
- Budget friendly, <$2000/week, preferably <$1000/week, can stretch to $2500/week if it's really worth it. flights also shouldn't cost too much.
- Doesn't require an in-person visa application. Visa-free, e-visa, or VOA only for Vietnamese passport holders.

The plan:
- April-May: Similan+Richelieu Rock (first two weeks of April with my junior buddy), Dauin, Siquijor, Panglao, Anilao+Puerto Galera (two weeks mid May), Brunei
- August: Bali (one week in early August with my junior buddy)
- September-Oct: Kota Belud, Lahad Datu, Sipadan, Lyudao (Green Island)
- Nov-Dec: Bangka Island, Lembeh, Raja Ampat, Komodo (South), Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, SS Yongala
- April 2023: Tulum, La Paz, Cabo Pulmo, Socorro
- early August: Yucatan Northern cenotes, Isla Mujeres (with junior buddy)

Together with the dry traveling portion, the whole thing would look like this on a map. All the blue-ish dots are diving related. Green-ish are camping/roadtripping. Warm colors are sightseeing.

Palliative Trippin' – Google My Maps

Palliative Trippin'

www.google.com

Exclusions: couldn't fit Coron in this plan, I'll save it for a single trip in the future. I'd also like to dive the deep South of the Red Sea and maybe also Malta when/if we move to Europe. I'm quite curious about the Bay of Pigs too but run out of time on this trip, and I'm not too keen on supporting their current regime. I'd jump at the opportunity if it ever gets cheaper to get to Palau and Chuuk/Yap.

Questions:
1. Any of the above places not worth the effort and money to get there?
2. Am I missing somewhere amazing? In particular lesser known places like the Forgotten Sea, Bandaneira, Kei island, etc. Other famous places not mentioned such as Tubbataha Reef and Wakatobi seem to either cost a lot or it's a huge pain in the bum to get there.

TIA! x

 

[Centrals]

Objectives:
- Dive all of the best places in the world
- Warm tropical water >25*C
- Easily accessible, long transits make me very sick. my base airport is SGN, I don't fly more than two legs at a time. night

1. All the best places?
Forget about this one, just be practical.
2. Warm tropical water >25C
3. No more than two legs at a time from Singapore.
You can save a lot of money and time if you just concentrate on the Coral Triangle (2 & 3) before venturing far afield.
Water in Bali eg Crystal Bay can easily drop below 20C.

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[txdamselfish]

This looks like a great adventure, be sure to document it for us and share the link.

 

[CanadaDan]

That's one heck of a trip. Good on ya!!

Mt only thought... stretch a bit and dive cold Pacific when you transit through British Columbia. Bucket list stuff there.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Objectives:
- Dive all of the best places in the world
- Warm tropical water >25*C
- Easily accessible, long transits make me very sick. my base airport is SGN, I don't fly more than two legs at a time. night bus and train are ok though.
- Budget friendly, <$2000/week, preferably <$1000/week, can stretch to $2500/week if it's really worth it. flights also shouldn't cost too much.
- Doesn't require an in-person visa application. Visa-free, e-visa, or VOA only for Vietnamese passport holders.

The plan:
- April-May: Similan+Richelieu Rock (first two weeks of April with my junior buddy), Dauin, Siquijor, Panglao, Anilao+Puerto Galera (two weeks mid May), Brunei
- August: Bali (one week in early August with my junior buddy)
- September-Oct: Kota Belud, Lahad Datu, Sipadan, Lyudao (Green Island)
- Nov-Dec: Bangka Island, Lembeh, Raja Ampat, Komodo (South), Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, SS Yongala
- April 2023: Tulum, La Paz, Cabo Pulmo, Socorro
- early August: Yucatan Northern cenotes, Isla Mujeres (with junior buddy)

Together with the dry traveling portion, the whole thing would look like this on a map. All the blue-ish dots are diving related. Green-ish are camping/roadtripping. Warm colors are sightseeing.

Palliative Trippin' – Google My Maps

Palliative Trippin'

www.google.com

Exclusions: couldn't fit Coron in this plan, I'll save it for a single trip in the future. I'd also like to dive the deep South of the Red Sea and maybe also Malta when/if we move to Europe. I'm quite curious about the Bay of Pigs too but run out of time on this trip, and I'm not too keen on supporting their current regime. I'd jump at the opportunity if it ever gets cheaper to get to Palau and Chuuk/Yap.

Questions:
1. Any of the above places not worth the effort and money to get there?
2. Am I missing somewhere amazing? In particular lesser known places like the Forgotten Sea, Bandaneira, Kei island, etc. Other famous places not mentioned such as Tubbataha Reef and Wakatobi seem to either cost a lot or it's a huge pain in the bum to get there.

TIA! x

There's a relatively inexpensive quarry to dive around my neck of the woods... just sayin

Good luck, looks like a great trip.

 

[Still Kicking]

Galapagos. Wolf and Darwin in the fall. Dont think just do it.

 

[Doc]

Chuuk.

 

[Tippytoes12]

As wonderful as Thailand is, personally I would probably skip Thailand and go to Southern Leyte instead. I also would not go to Brunei and would spend the time in the Philippines.

But otherwise, wow, what an adventure, enjoy every minute !

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Will you marry me?

 

[Manuel Sam]

All the best places in the world, and under $2500/week.......tall order. Unfortunately, a few world-class places drop out: Cocos, Galapagos (liveaboard), Malpelo. Even Socorro is doubtful at under $2500/week. Fiji and French Polynesia, land-based, maybe.

At under $2500/week, you might be able to do Bahamas (Tiger Beach) and Bimini (Great Hammers).

If you push Baja (Mexico) into late April and early May, you might be able to do mobulas and, with a lot of luck, maybe orcas out of La Paz. Otherwise, La Paz and Cabo Pulmo in April is not the most ideal time: I prefer November because it gives you warmer water temps and better viz, and you could also include Magdalena Bay for the Mexican Sardine Run (late October to early December) to see striped marlins and other pelagics. November also has the warmest water temps in Socorro.

You have Tulum with Baja California in April 2023. Makes more sense to do it when you do cenotes and Isla Mujeres in August 2023, unless there is something special about Tulum in April.

To me, Dauin, Anilao and Puerto Galera is a bit of an overlap - ie, you'll be seeing a lot of the same stuff. I would do Malapascua for threshers, and it is also quite good for macro. And I would consider Romblon in lieu of Dauin or PG even tho it is supposed to be a bit of a pain to get to because it is one of the few places where Melibe Colemani and a few other unusual nudibranchs have been reported.