Question Liveaboard in Philippines or Indonesia

[Splashette]

Hi, first time posting on ScubaBoard so apologies if I'm using the wrong forum.

I am planning a trip to either the Philippines or Indonesia, end of 2025 or early 2026, and would like to do a Liveaboard. I am considering Tubbataha in the Philippines because it sounds like really spectacular diving. Although in 2007, I did a Liveaboard in Palua, which was spectacular, and thinking that Tubbataha might be a similar experience. I know you can't get enough great diving but I am also considering other parts of the Philippines like Visayas or Indonesia's forbidden islands. There is so much out there to explore and the info is overwhelming. Other factors - I am a single female and might be traveling alone so safety is an issue. I have advance certification but wouldn't consider myself pro or highly technical. I would love to see Thresher, Hammerhead and Whale sharks plus muck diving for the first time. I would also love explore small unpopulated islands from a skiff boat as I did in Palua. If you were going to this part of Asia to dive, where would you recommend I do my Liveaboard if given my first opportunity to dive this part of the world? Overwhelmed. Thank you.

 

[SpaceX Aquanaut]

Hello I’ll post my own thread but wanted to thank this post as I’m also a female solo traveler, advanced diver who has been on several liveaboards in the Caribbean and the Red Sea. I’ll be in Singapore for a business trip at the end of March. I was considering Tubbataha, but worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype (sounds like that’s valid). I’m interested in similar things - mantas, pelagic, and I’m a sucker for turtles. Despite my experience, I’m not a photographer and the macro stuff hasn’t grabbed me as much as pretty reefs, swim throughs and bigger animals. Was considering land based diving in Raja Ampat but now I’m worried about the trash! I’m open to a liveaboard if it’ll be well worth it with a few resort days on the front or back either mid March before my Singapore trip or right after late March/early April. Would love recommendations and found this thread so helpful. Thank you all!!

Sipadan Malaysia was my most enjoyable trip --I like Sea Turtles too!

Spent five glorious days there on Sipadan Island itself (Borneo Divers Lodge) my first ever overseas SE Asia dive trip, doing 3 to 4 spectacular wall dives a day including a night dive, the week before the "Paradise" was lost. I left for home on the mid-morning boat Easter Sunday 23 April 2000 . . .and the Abu Sayyaf Terrorists came later that evening for the raid and kidnapping/hostage-taking of Western Tourists. The rest is history (Politics, Island Eco-pressure & removal of all dive-ops/lodging etc).

Things have never been the same since, and unfortunately I haven't made a return visit to the area in nearly 25 years now. To have the equivalent number of dives and the same experiences I had back then would probably take nearly a month-long stay now. But boy-oh-boy if I had a month off paid vacation from work right now!

Turtle Love - Sipadan Malaysia - WWF Coral Triangle Blog

By Alya B. Honsasan 23 – 25 June 2009 N4 07.051 E118 37.655 I SHOULD have gotten the hint when I did my check-out dive the afternoon I arrived at the Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) on Mabul Island, one of the two islands within view of Sipadan. On that relaxed 40-minute dive in Paradise 2 …

coraltriangle.blogs.panda.org

 

[CaliDiver14]

Sipadan Malaysia was my most enjoyable trip --I like Sea Turtles too!

Spent five glorious days there on Sipadan Island itself (Borneo Divers Lodge) my first ever overseas SE Asia dive trip, doing 3 to 4 spectacular wall dives a day including a night dive, the week before the "Paradise" was lost. I left for home on the mid-morning boat Easter Sunday 23 April 2000 . . .and the Abu Sayyaf Terrorists came later that evening for the raid and kidnapping/hostage-taking of Western Tourists. The rest is history (Politics, Island Eco-pressure & removal of all dive-ops/lodging etc).

Things have never been the same since, and unfortunately I haven't made a return visit to the area in nearly 25 years now. To have the equivalent number of dives and the same experiences I had back then would probably take nearly a month-long stay now. But boy-oh-boy if I had a month off paid vacation from work right now!

Turtle Love - Sipadan Malaysia - WWF Coral Triangle Blog

By Alya B. Honsasan 23 – 25 June 2009 N4 07.051 E118 37.655 I SHOULD have gotten the hint when I did my check-out dive the afternoon I arrived at the Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) on Mabul Island, one of the two islands within view of Sipadan. On that relaxed 40-minute dive in Paradise 2 …

coraltriangle.blogs.panda.org

Thank you! That sounds super scary! Also for this thread I got a reply on another post saying there’s significant bleaching in the Dampier Strait and to consider that when planning a trip… just when I thought I’d narrowed down options!