billt4sf
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,561
- Reaction score
- 1,151
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Are the top dive spots really worth it?
My wife and I plan to live in Bali for a year (lucky us!) and we're looking at traveling to other sites in "Greater Bali" like Raja Ampat, PNG, N. Sulawesi and the like. We've started looking at prices, and Oh, by the way, these places are *really* expensive! (some of them, anyway).
All prices are for two people including two nitrox dives / day (though we might do more and pay more), and accommodations including food. Not including transportation. BTW I have done all of them except Misool resort (diving in the Misool area was just GREAT!!!) and Tawali. The Mermaid trip was with my dive club so I did pay somewhat less.
Baseline: We can spend a week in Cozumel for about $2,200.
Bali baseline: we can spend a week in Amed for about $1,700 -- the diving is much better than in Coz, but not as good as RA, IMHO.
Murex Manado or Murex Bangka: they quoted $2,500 for a week
Tawali resort in PNG: $4,000 for a week
Mermaid liveaboard: About $8,000 for 10 days (four dives / day, four star liveaboard)
Misool resort in RA: $7,000 for 8 nights (unlimited diving)
So....help me decide! We want to dive as much of the "greater Bali area" as we can, sure! And there are more alternatives than what I have listed: e.g. Lembeh, Banda, Ambon, Andaman Is / India, ... That's why we are moving here for a year! At the same time, although we have some financial flexibility, we are not rich (which I define as we can't do whatever we want whenever we want). We will have a budget. If we spend money in one area, that means we can't go somewhere else. Is a trip to RA (which I loved but my wife didn't get to do) worth more than two trips to Manado and Bangka? Is the trip to Misool worth more than Ambon and Banda put together? Clearly the travel from Bali to Tawali is going to be pricey, if we go there we also want to go to one of the cultural experiences, so we're looking at $10K for a several week trip.
I know in some sense I am asking an impossible question -- at the end of the day, no one can decide for us. But I also know we are not the only ones who have dealt with these alternatives.
I would like to hear what others have to say.
Thanks,
Bill & Emily
My wife and I plan to live in Bali for a year (lucky us!) and we're looking at traveling to other sites in "Greater Bali" like Raja Ampat, PNG, N. Sulawesi and the like. We've started looking at prices, and Oh, by the way, these places are *really* expensive! (some of them, anyway).
All prices are for two people including two nitrox dives / day (though we might do more and pay more), and accommodations including food. Not including transportation. BTW I have done all of them except Misool resort (diving in the Misool area was just GREAT!!!) and Tawali. The Mermaid trip was with my dive club so I did pay somewhat less.
Baseline: We can spend a week in Cozumel for about $2,200.
Bali baseline: we can spend a week in Amed for about $1,700 -- the diving is much better than in Coz, but not as good as RA, IMHO.
Murex Manado or Murex Bangka: they quoted $2,500 for a week
Tawali resort in PNG: $4,000 for a week
Mermaid liveaboard: About $8,000 for 10 days (four dives / day, four star liveaboard)
Misool resort in RA: $7,000 for 8 nights (unlimited diving)
So....help me decide! We want to dive as much of the "greater Bali area" as we can, sure! And there are more alternatives than what I have listed: e.g. Lembeh, Banda, Ambon, Andaman Is / India, ... That's why we are moving here for a year! At the same time, although we have some financial flexibility, we are not rich (which I define as we can't do whatever we want whenever we want). We will have a budget. If we spend money in one area, that means we can't go somewhere else. Is a trip to RA (which I loved but my wife didn't get to do) worth more than two trips to Manado and Bangka? Is the trip to Misool worth more than Ambon and Banda put together? Clearly the travel from Bali to Tawali is going to be pricey, if we go there we also want to go to one of the cultural experiences, so we're looking at $10K for a several week trip.
I know in some sense I am asking an impossible question -- at the end of the day, no one can decide for us. But I also know we are not the only ones who have dealt with these alternatives.
I would like to hear what others have to say.
Thanks,
Bill & Emily