looking for a quiet and cheap place

[Bilbo]

Hi everybody...

I'm new here and a new diver. My name is Chris, 21 years old, I'm from Switzerland (French part) and I'm actually in Australia to learn English. I just had my PADI OW and have only four dives, but all my family dive so, for sure, I gonna dive more.

However, I need to do some other licences and I want to do a CMAS, not a PADI, even if I have an OW... Why? Cause everybody from my family have a CMAS... Stupid, maybe... I don't really know the differencies...

Anyway, I want to do all my licences, if possible CMAS P* to CMAS P*** in a quiet and beautiful place, but I'm not a millionaire so if it could be cheap it would help...
(and if the CMAS is not possible it will be -> PADI DM)

I'm in Australia until April, so the dive trip will be for middle of April, beginning of May. I have until end of August to do that...

I've already heard about Koh Tao, but also Coron Island in Philippines and want to find a place in Oceania or Asia...

Could you give me some advices?

Thank you very much...

Chris

 

[Nut Bubblefish]

You can check some places in Indonesia.

Gili island (Gili trawangan), near Lombok/ Bali is a nice island. The dives might not be the best of the area (the coral is damaged, but sharks and turles are still there), but there is a good 5* PADI center in Villa Ombak resort (and others aroud), and several cheap accomodations on this tiny little island. Quiet it is: no cars, 1 h30 to travel all around the island. Loads of restaurants and bars on the main strip (only few hundred meters long however), but few tourists coming in.

Another quiet area? Donggala, in Central Sulawesi. Prince John Dive Resort. In the middle of nowhere (you said quiet), a superb dive spot (one of my favorites actually. There is everything there, big and small). Basic accomodation. White sand beach, very firendly and laid back though professional staff. The area (Palu and Poso) had a little bit of unrest recently, but the dive center is far away from town. Alex can bring you to PADI DM. I do not recall whether he is CMAS as well....

There must be others.... good luck in your chase.

Cheers.

 

[Bilbo]

Thank you Nuts Bubblefish for your massage...

Donggala looks interesting like that, I'll try to find some info on internet as well.