South East Asia in Sept

[chocolate]

hi all,

I'm planning a trip for around end Sept...
I'm on quite a tight budget and time ~ so, would prefer easy-to-get-to areas

I thought about philippines (PG, Anilao, etc), but heard that it would be the typhoon season...

Is Thailand (pattaya, koh tao) much cheaper than places like Bali?
Anyone got any other suggestions?

 

[Quero]

Bali is easy to get to, and so is Thailand. I don't think one is really cheaper than the other in terms of travel expenses--it would be more a question of which transit city you'd need to go to. For Thailand dive destinations, most people come in through Bangkok, and for Bali, it would probably be Singapore. So the travel expense would more likely have to do with the cost of travel to your gateway (BKK, SIN, KUL) than how much it costs to get to the final destination from the gateway.

Personally, in September, I like Lembeh and Nusa Lembongan. But as I live in Thailand, I'm always wanting to go someplace else when I can afford a dive trip. BTW, Lembeh is also reachable from Singapore.

 

[Big fish63]

i'd go with indonesia over thailand every time, the diving is much better. especially as the similans is closed in september.

 

[jake11]

There is absolutely no comparison to the diving in Thailand and the diving in Indonesia!
I have been to Thailand 1x and it was just okay. We have been to Indonesia 6x and are going again 2 more times this year! We have LOVED it every time! The diving is fantastic. We dove with Gangga divers and stayed at Lotus Bungalows Resort last September and were able to see mola molas up close and personal! It was awesome!
There are so many deals and so many options for Indonesia! Check out some of the specials on World of Diving's website. They are based in California! Have fun!

 

[Quero]

Jake, you paint with a pretty broad brush there. I live and work in the region, and while I would agree that Indonesia, as a country comprised of 14,000 islands, has more great diving areas than Thailand does, I would disagree that all Indonesia diving is great (some is really forgettable) and that all Thailand diving is "just okay" (some is really outstanding). A lot depends on the kind of experience the diver is looking for--for example, I've had clients who dislike Lembeh. I personally don't get it, but have to accept the old adage "Different Strokes for Different Folks." The time of year, however, is critical, and I do recommend Indonesia over Thailand in September/October.

 

[Bubble Junky]

I was in the Philippines last September and the weather was fine..... Check out Thresher Shark Divers on Malapascua.

If you're thinking Indonesia, check out Lumba Lumba on Pulau Weh......

 

[lumba-lumba]

Regarding flight tickets, there are now many cheap flights to Bali. One strong point of Bali is that it has huge variety for any kinds of diving, you can have deep coral wall dive, wreck dive, pelagic dive (mantas and molas!), and fantastic muck dive. But the diving itself is not the cheapest in the world. It would be smart if you stay close to where you want to dive so you don't have to pay for transportation. There are also options of accommodation, from luxurious resorts to a clean homestay of 150,000 Rupiahs. Food is also cheap, as long as you eat rice. ;-) only alcohol is so expensive, but you're diving anyway.