Where to do 10 days in Asia in July/August?

[andydob27]

I'm living near Tokyo and can get to most places in S.E. Asia pretty easily. My wife doesn't dive, so I will be going solo. Singapore is by far the cheapest big city to get to. But while I don't want to waste money, having a great time is more important than sticking to a budget. Also convenience is also a factor, if it takes too long or multiple flights to get there, I'm probably out.

I had decided on Puerto Galera. It's not too far from Manila and I had heard pretty good things. But the more I have read, I'm starting to waver on my decision. I like different types of diving and love the macro stuff. But I hear the vis is pretty lousy in PG most of the time?

So now I'm thinking of paying a little extra and spending the whole trip on Malapascua. I went to Moalboal/Bohol/Apo a few years ago and loved it. Cebu was great, but everyone said I need to get to Malapacua as well. Malapascua is definitely better than P.G. right?

I would like to do Sipidan again and stay on the oil rig this time. That is supposed to be great right? This might be a little too expensive though.

And I'm also kicking around places on the east coast of Malaysia. Tioman/Perhentian/Redang.

If anyone has any advice or strong opinions either way about Puerto Galera/Malapascua/etc...I would love to hear about it.

Thanks.

Andy

 

[Centrals]

Can't go wrong with Malapascua which is so much better than PG and those places along the East coast of Malaysia.
Vis had really gone from good to bad in PG over last several yrs.

 

[kathydee]

I'd pass on PG. Loved Apo too. How about Bali Indonesia. The north shore is nice.

 

[rovanpera]

just skip the "house reef" dives in Malapascua, the best sites are further away from the island...

 

[Dreamdivegirl]

Hi Andy,

The oil platform resort near Sipadan is called Seaventures Mabul Resort.

I have stayed there personally for a diving holiday. Seaventures is deal if you just want to dive, dive and dive and you're happy as long as your room is clean and functional.

The macro life and muck diving around Mabul and Kapalai can be fantastic. The 'house reef' below the platform also has some interesting finds too.

Diving from Resorts near Sipadan is not cheap (as there is massive demand for having the chance to dive at Sipadan). However, Seaventures is one of the cheaper, 'decent' Resorts to go to. You just need to be aware that if you book to go there on your own there is a 50% single supplement. During quieter periods at the Resort you might be lucky and get this waived but July / August are peak periods in Sabah so that's unlikely.

If you want to come diving at Sipadan / Mabul again I'd suggest coming back during a quieter period (when there are no public holidays in surrounding countries and no school holidays) and coming with another person. This both increases your chance of getting permits to dive at Sipadan and helps you avoid the single supplement.

Hope this helps you make the best decision for yourself for your diving holiday location .

Thanks,

DG

 

[andydob27]

Thanks for the push in the right direction. I'm booked into Cebu as opposed to Manila. It's a few hundred extra bucks, but I'm thinking it will be worth it. I have 10 days diving and I think I'll do 6 on Malapascua and then shoot down to Moalboal for a few days. I was there a few years ago and loved Pescador and the laid back Panagsama beach.

@Kathy-Yeah, Bali is great. I did Tulamben last year and was amazed by how good it was. I was just fooling around online today and found a flight from Tokyo-Denpasar for $602! That is much cheaper than what I paid last year and with the yen being strong now, that would be more like 500 bucks for me. I stared at it a long time and thought about going back.

@DreamDiveGirl-Thanks for the info. I think spring '12 I can get down to Sabah/the rig. I'll definitely bring a friend, or maybe even my wife. I'm thinking one of these days she will give into the pressure and give diving a try. And if she does the Open Water course from the rig...She'll be hooked for life. I did my Open Water with Scuba Junkies a few years ago and have been addicted ever since. Too bad I am now immune to the beautiful turtles. They are now wasted on me. So many turtles down there.

 

[Bubbledup]

If you want something off the beaten path, consider Sabang (aka Pulau Wei), the Indonesian island just offshore of Banda Aceh, Sumatra. The diving is quite different than other parts of Indonesia, with sea life more resembling that in the Indian Ocean. We did 10 days at the Lumba Lumba dive resort there and can recommend it highly -- if you don't mind sort of primitive living conditions.

 

[Zippsy]

And I'm also kicking around places on the east coast of Malaysia. Tioman/Perhentian/Redang.

What's up with everyone wanting to fly so far to visit these places? Serious, they are very, very nice for weekend getaways and there are outstanding tech/wreck dives in the area as well as manta/whale shark encounters in the late season but I still don't see it as a challenge to most other incredible places in Indonesia, Borneo, Philippines, Thailand, etc.

just skip the "house reef" dives in Malapascua, the best sites are further away from the island...

I loved the house reef dives there!

 

[Nudie Dreamer]

Thanks for the push in the right direction. I'm booked into Cebu as opposed to Manila. It's a few hundred extra bucks, but I'm thinking it will be worth it. I have 10 days diving and I think I'll do 6 on Malapascua and then shoot down to Moalboal for a few days. I was there a few years ago and loved Pescador and the laid back Panagsama beach.

@Kathy-Yeah, Bali is great. I did Tulamben last year and was amazed by how good it was. I was just fooling around online today and found a flight from Tokyo-Denpasar for $602! That is much cheaper than what I paid last year and with the yen being strong now, that would be more like 500 bucks for me. I stared at it a long time and thought about going back.

@DreamDiveGirl-Thanks for the info. I think spring '12 I can get down to Sabah/the rig. I'll definitely bring a friend, or maybe even my wife. I'm thinking one of these days she will give into the pressure and give diving a try. And if she does the Open Water course from the rig...She'll be hooked for life. I did my Open Water with Scuba Junkies a few years ago and have been addicted ever since. Too bad I am now immune to the beautiful turtles. They are now wasted on me. So many turtles down there.

Hi Andydob27,

I wouldn't suggest the rig if you are taking a non-diving partner/wife with you. Opt for island instead the resorts on Mabul island. Mabul Water Bunggalow is very nice but also expensive. Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) is another cheaper option. You can also choose Kapalai Resort.

Hint: Your wife gets to enjoy the beach and some snorkeling/swimming from shore. Something the rig cannot really offer.

 

[Luko]

Opt for island instead the resorts on Mabul island. Mabul Water Bunggalow is very nice but also expensive. Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) is another cheaper option. You can also choose Kapalai Resort.

Forgot Borneo divers again ...

Borneo Divers is more expensive than Seaventures but definitely less expensive than the 3 options listed above, while comfortable enough, with a swimming pool and a great snorkeling/diving oppotunity with one of the best house reefs in Asia.