~What you are about to read could save you a ton of cash on booking your dive trips~

[Kharon]

I took them up on a trip to Curacao. The price they quoted was a good bit higher than what I could do on my own with a couple hours on the computer. When I said they were a bit high I never heard from them again.

 

[Wingy]

I have never used travel agents - I actually enjoy the process of putting all the pieces together and some of my trips have been multiple country month long trips that I have never had a travel agent fully able to book every component of every trip (flights, accom, inter island flights and ferrys, dives etc). The only thing I know for sure is I would be paying a commission to someone when given a bit of research I have always been able to do myself. Heaps of information around for the independant traveller, but I also appreciate some people prefer the feeling of security in having an agent act on their behalf.

 

[Heg]

I have never used travel agents - I actually enjoy the process of putting all the pieces together and some of my trips have been multiple country month long trips that I have never had a travel agent fully able to book every component of every trip (flights, accom, inter island flights and ferrys, dives etc). The only thing I know for sure is I would be paying a commission to someone when given a bit of research I have always been able to do myself. Heaps of information around for the independant traveller, but I also appreciate some people prefer the feeling of security in having an agent act on their behalf.

I second that. I have always booked my own trips. I did use an agent once to book a liveaboard trip and she got me a slightly better deal than I could have got on my own, but that seems to have been a one off:depressed:
Every recent enquiry I have made , the agents seem to offer the same prices as booking direct with the actual liveaboards. I also saved $500 last week by booking my own flights to Savusavu rather than using an agent. They looked at the 'easiest' option rather than thinking outside of the square.
Still, I'm happy to run any trip by an agent if it saves me cash. Can you get deals for folks based in Oz?

 

[Wingy]

My current trip im planning (quite willing to see if you can organise this for me and compare what I can organise it myself for) Perth > Krabi 7 days > Bkk > Seychelles - 4 days Mahe, 6 days Praslin, 6 days La Digue (couple of days diving each island) > Nairobi > Tanzania overland including the Serenghetti and Ngorongoro to Zanzibar (Ive allowed ten days for that) > 5 days Pemba diving > Nairobi > Madagascar 6 days diving Nosy Be and Nosy Komba > Reunion 6 days diving > Mauritius 7 days diving 4 of the 7. Then I assume I should go home

If any agent can pull that together for me including contacting dive centres in all places and overland africa safari then id be happy to get a quote.

 

[Heg]

My current trip im planning (quite willing to see if you can organise this for me and compare what I can organise it myself for) Perth > Krabi 7 days > Bkk > Seychelles - 4 days Mahe, 6 days Praslin, 6 days La Digue (couple of days diving each island) > Nairobi > Tanzania overland including the Serenghetti and Ngorongoro to Zanzibar (Ive allowed ten days for that) > 5 days Pemba diving > Nairobi > Madagascar 6 days diving Nosy Be and Nosy Komba > Reunion 6 days diving > Mauritius 7 days diving 4 of the 7. Then I assume I should go home

If any agent can pull that together for me including contacting dive centres in all places and overland africa safari then id be happy to get a quote.

Can I come ?

 

[Wingy]

Now you see why Im a travel site moderator......travel agents just shake their heads and start hyperventilating when they look at my itineraries - sure the more the merrier!

 

[Heg]

I've started packing . Let me know the dates.

 

[namnam123]

For the diving in Pemba, get in touch with Raf at Swahili Divers (raf@kayakpemba.com) and tell him Richard directed you towards him.
I am based on Unguja (the "main" island usually referred to as Zanzibar), and have dived with him before at his place - great diving up there!

He might also have some knowledge of overland Africa safaris...

 

[nimoh]

Not sure on trips from the States, but when pricing my trips against dive shop group trips here in Canada, I always come out cheaper. Sometimes by up to $400pp on a weeks all inclusive trip when you take flights,diving, hotel and food into consideration.

commonly dive shop organized trips have the organizer going for free with the cost spread out evenly over the other people going. So, comparing what you can do to what a dive shop does is very different than comparing what you can do to what I can do for myself (or myself and a few friends).

 

[Julieofthesea]

Wingy, We should talk. You look like our ideal customer! I have a question on a different topic. What do you think about traveling to Egypt right now? The US government is warning us not to go there. Do you think it's hype? -Thanks, Julie