Staff Food

[ScubaTron]

Hi Everyone,

I am curious to know your thoughts and feedback about the food and accommodation you have at the dive shops you work at around South East Asia.

Please tell me about things like:

* What food is free for you and how often do you get free food?
* What is the quality of the food like you get from your dive shop?
* What are the portion sizes like at your dive shop?
* Do you even get free food? If so, how often?
* What is the local food like if you have to pay for it? and how much does it cost?
* Do you have to pay for accommodation and food? or is it included?
* If accommodation is included, what is it like?

Thank you very much for your input and letting everyone else around South East Asia know what food and accommodation around the region is truly like.

 

[Bubble Junky]

In Thailand, staff tend to get a meal when out on the boat. In most cases this is local Thai food, and is IMO, the best food in Asia. The food on the boat is usually not too spicy, as Thai food can be. There's always enough to eat between dives. Portions are fine, enough to full the gap. It's not a good idea to 'stuff yourself silly' between dives. If you're on land, then it's normally up to you to feed yourself.

Accommodation is usually up to the individual. And you can spend as much as you like, depending on how you want to live - from simple beach huts to villas with pools...

 

[scoobydrew]

In most places I have worked meals have been sporadic and only really provided when out on an all day trip so you eat food that is laid out for the customers. I have only worked in one place which was a full resort with a restaurant so the deal included accommodation and meals. Accommodation was good, it was actually one of the rooms that was normally rented out to customers (though I did get kicked out a couple of times to sleep on the dive centre floor when the reception crew over booked the rooms which was a bummer).

The food at that place started off really good, we could order anything off the menu for breakfast lunch and dinner which really was awesome, we were living good but then the dynamic changed and the instructor team fell out with the manager and from there on our food was terrible. We were fed noodles each night and slim potions at that. For the staff a big meal of fried meat and noodles was made but the manager would have the cook pick out all the vegetables and meat and put that on their plates leaving us with just crappy noodles. It was a silly way of getting one up on us but fortunately nearby there were very good local food options. This was in the Philippines but I am fairy sure that the general rule is that if you eat western food in the dive centres and foreign restaurants then you'll pay considerably more than finding where the locals eat and getting involved with that.

if you work somewhere with food as part of the deal then make sure you are friendly with the cook, the waitresses and the bar staff. I guess you'll find it varies from place to place. I heard liveaboard crew eat well and know that cruise ship crew eat very well.

 

[supergaijin]

SE Asia is a pretty big place. If you're working in secluded resorts, food and accom should be provided- the quality of both is usually 'plain' IME of working in resorts. Some larger resorts have a canteen- and that is usually pretty dull.

Most instructors work in diving 'areas' and get their own apartment and food. Thailand and Malaysia have great low-cost streetfood IMO- the Philippines can get boring really quick.

Your profile says you're in the Perhentians. I would say your experiences there are indicative of SE Asia in general... however it is a big region so take that with a grain of salt.

 

[ScubaTron]

Hi guys,

Thank you for replying to my thread. It is much appreciated on the info you have provided and very detailed. Yes. I am based and managing a diver shop at a resort in the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia. Here we provide our staff with food and accommodation. Our staff get a variety of food for all meals. Breakfast tends to be either cereal, pancakes or eggs or beans. Lunch varies from rice with curry chicken or seafood and more or less the same for dinner. Occasionally we get chicken pot pie or shepherds pie for meals and then sometimes cake and fruit salads. We also have BBQ's sometimes at a small extra charge of about RM15 per person. And yet sometimes I still get complaints from my staff that the vegetables are not steamed!!

Anyway. I appreciate your info and wish you all the best in your travels and work.

Kind regards,