Your Favourite Dive Destination?

[four_engines]

Some Top Dive Sites lists are skewed because they're largely compiled by Australians, Americans or Europeans or residents in those regions. I'm wondering, as an Asian, or someone living in Asia, what's your favourite dive destination? Don't limit your favourites to places in Asia. It can be anywhere around the world.

Just to point out the obvious - several factors that make a favourite: marine life, travelling time/cost, accomodation, dive cost, dive op professionalism, destination's security, water temp, area's eco-consciousness (eg. No gloves in the Red Sea, this may be a pro or con for you), fringe benefits (eg. food, nightlife, culture etc).

I'll start the ball rolling, with where and why:

1. Sipadan - For the obvious, marine life. And if you were to work it out, per dive cost is actually not high. It's really value for money!

2. Bali - For Mantas, culture - Balinese are such nice people and for the Babi Guling, and of course, nightlife.

3. Maldives - Amazing variety marine life and impressive dives. Downside - It's probably one of the most expensive places to dive.

4. And since I'm from Singapore - Tioman and Aur - cheap and good and quick too!

Anyone?

F/E

 

[Bowmouth]

Thailand: Friendly people, great food, warm clear water, great marinelife, cheap accomodation, very good shopping.

 

[Liangness]

Sipadan
Layang Layang
Manado & Lembeh Straits
Bali
Sangalaki
Maldives

Not in order of preferences. They all have their own characteristic that is unique.

 

[Cacia]

hey...you can't omit the mighty whiteys ...can you?...I want to say..Micronesia.

 

[scottfiji]

i've dove in fiji, bali, costa rica, so-cal, ensenda-mexico, cozumel-mexico, phuket, and similan islands.

I'd put Bali first (best marine life, cheapest dives & accomodations, easiest access to divesites)

tied for 2nd place is southern california, ensenada (mexico), and cozumel (mexico)

Scott

oops, I'm not an asian, and I don't live in asia. Oh well.

 

[frogfish]

1. Bali: convenient, beautiful dives, non diving activities
2. Komodo: remote and pristine, although not to difficult to get to
3. Maldives: rasonable price if by liveabard, big fish

 

[Jason Ooi]

Sipadan
Mabul
Kapalai
Martaking
Layang Layang
Pulau Redang
Pulau Tioman
Pulau Aur
Sangkalaki
Komodo
Bali
Maldives
Hin Muang
Hin Daeng
My best dived destinations

 

[dawhale]

Four Engines, I have no desire to start a war of words but did find your statement below confusing. How is it none Asian divers skew the data?

"Some Top Dive Sites lists are skewed because they're largely compiled by Australians, Americans or Europeans or residents in those regions."

What most influences your decision to dive a particular location? Cost, food, critters , macro, pelagic, night life? I love to dive Indonesia. My income allows me to visit every other year. I try to get the most bang for my dollar. The opportunity to see and video new things is paramount. I personally base my diving on where the photo pro's go. I then look at their photo portfolios. If I see enough things I have not seen in other locations than I look into making a trip to the area. This has served me well to date.

Where I have been:

Cozumel Mexico
Roatan Honduras
Sipadan Malaysia
Sangalaki Dive Lodge
Lembeh strait, Kungkungan Resort
Bunikan, Santika Resort
Komodo, live-aboard
Alor, live-aboard
Flores, live-aboard

How I would rate my trips:

#1 Komodo, pelagic's / Cannibal rock ( Sea Apples ), world class dive site
#2 Lembeh Strait, awesome macro
#4 Alor, remote drift diving / pelagic action
#5 Sipadan, Borneo Divers 1999.
#6 Sangalaki Island, was excellent when I was their, 1999. From recent reports sounds like it has gone down hill.

I am headed this fall to dive Raja Ampat. I think what really skews the data is the divers personal needs. Can you tolerate living without air conditioning? Does the food have to be gourmet? I am willing, with-in reason, to forgo some of these things for the quality of the diving. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake. dawhale

http://www.komodoalordive.com/

 

[four_engines]

Dawhale, I won't start a war of words too. In fact, I'm going to thank you on 2 counts. Firstly, for your very comprehensive list. It does add another dimension to this thread - I will take time to read through it. Secondly, for you throwing up the scepticism on my statement - I knew this would come up. So please allow me to explain why I said that some lists are skewed.

I recently returned from diving in the Red Sea in Sharm el-Sheikh. I've read a fair bit about diving in the Red Sea from books and from the internet. Before my trip, I had high expectations. Don't get me wrong, I think the Red Sea's diving is spectacular. But to put it into perspective, against my limited big picture, I think diving in many parts of Asia are comparable, if not superior.

An example, this web lists the Top 100 Dive Sites around the world - www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveslong.html. I would assume that this web has many contributors from Europe and probably UK. And this is verified by the fact that many of the dive centres near the Red Sea cater to Europeans. Of course, the proximity to Europe explains it. So, with so many people from Europe diving in the Red Sea (than probably Asia), many would recommend the Red Sea's Dive Sites. As you can see, many comparable Dive Sites in Asia are not listed near the Top 20.

So, if I want to decide on where to dive for my next holiday, I would want to base my decision on opinions of people living close to me. Simply because I should think twice about travelling 10 times the distance, pay 3 times the price, to do comparable diving.

That's why, Dawhale, I posted this thread in this forum, and not anywhere else.

F/E

Four Engines, I have no desire to start a war of words but did find your statement below confusing. How is it none Asian divers skew the data?

"Some Top Dive Sites lists are skewed because they're largely compiled by Australians, Americans or Europeans or residents in those regions."

What most influences your decision to dive a particular location? Cost, food, critters , macro, pelagic, night life? I love to dive Indonesia. My income allows me to visit every other year. I try to get the most bang for my dollar. The opportunity to see and video new things is paramount. I personally base my diving on where the photo pro's go. I then look at their photo portfolios. If I see enough things I have not seen in other locations than I look into making a trip to the area. This has served me well to date.

Where I have been:

Cozumel Mexico
Roatan Honduras
Sipadan Malaysia
Sangalaki Dive Lodge
Lembeh strait, Kungkungan Resort
Bunikan, Santika Resort
Komodo, live-aboard
Alor, live-aboard
Flores, live-aboard

How I would rate my trips:

#1 Komodo, pelagic's / Cannibal rock ( Sea Apples ), world class dive site
#2 Lembeh Strait, awesome macro
#4 Alor, remote drift diving / pelagic action
#5 Sipadan, Borneo Divers 1999.
#6 Sangalaki Island, was excellent when I was their, 1999. From recent reports sounds like it has gone down hill.

I am headed this fall to dive Raja Ampat. I think what really skews the data is the divers personal needs. Can you tolerate living without air conditioning? Does the food have to be gourmet? I am willing, with-in reason, to forgo some of these things for the quality of the diving. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake. dawhale

http://www.komodoalordive.com/

 

[dawhale]

I understand where your coming from . My apologies as I read more into your statements then was stated. Dive safe. dawhale