Help me decide on Philippines, Fiji or Bora Bora/Moorea

[Cavs42]

I've only been to Fiji, but I can tell you that I can't wait to get back there. The diving was unbelievable, like diving in a huge heated fishtank, and the people are incredible. The resort we stayed at (Octopus Resort) was beyond belief, and the relationship they had with the local village was very cool...

If you want a party resort, this may not be the one for you, because the bar closes at about 1030ish, but the staff is great and there are activities almost every night. I would (an have) recommended Fiji and Octopus in particular to anyone and everyone who will listen to me.

and as a side note, depending on the accomodations you want, it really wasn't that expensive... the most costly part of the trip was the airfare by far.

 

[h2odragon1]

PHILIPPINES!!!
You can get any type of diving you want!
Wreck diving: Subic bay; USS Nwe York built 1898 scuttled Dec. 1941, the 'Hell Ship'.
Prisoner's from the Battle of Bataan Died tragically when this ship was sunk 1944 ; Japanese patrol boat; F-4 Phantom,(205 fsw), and more.
Puerto Galera: The most varied diving you can find in one stop. 2 hours south of Manila
Wreck; tech; rec.; nature, (Verde Is. Passage has more than 600 spc. of
nudibranch's); drift; etc.
Anilao: also 2 hours south of Manila. great macro!
Anywhere in the Visayas; Mactan Is.; Panglao Is.; Moalboa; Malapascua Is.
(thresher sharks!!); Dumagete, Great Muck diving, Ducomi pier, Apo Is..

You can't go wrong diving in the Philippines.
WARNING: DIVING IN THE PHILIPINES IS THE MOST ADDICTIVE FORM OF DIVING!!!

 

[steffi]

My fiance and I are taking our honeymoon in Tahiti this late July/early Aug. Looks like we'll be able to dive 2 days in Moorea, 3 in Bora Bora. Could someone suggest
1) dive shops to use on both islands
2) MUST DIVE sites

It seems to me (am I correct here?) that better sites are near Moorea. Would that mean, once on Bora Bora, we'll miss the chance to dive near Moorea?

Thanks so much for suggestions, in advance!!!!

 

[Cerberussss]

Steffi,

I would highly recommend Bathy's @ the Intercontinental on Moorea. We dove with them last year and it was top notch op. Since then the owner has expanded to Tahiti and Bora Bora. (I believe they are in the intercontinentals on both those islands) The diving on Moorea was better than on Bora Bora in my opinion.

Have a great trip!!

 

[Tortugar]

I agree completely - I dove with Bathy's for a week and had a wonderful time. I was staying in a timeshare over 15 minutes away and they came and picked me up every day. The service and friendly staff are great. David and Guillaume are awesome tour guides. If memory serves me correctly, there was no difference in price for using Nitrox. (This may have changed by now) Depending on your skill level, the Rose Garden is a pretty spot. Very deep, but it's so cool to decend on the "bed of roses" as far as you can see in all directions. Bigger lemon sharks hang out down there too.

TSandM is right - the crown of thorns infestation around Moorea is horrible and very sad. They're EVERYWHERE...

Congratulations! Have fun on your honeymoon!!

 

[evilclown]

great thread. thanks.

 

[steffi]

Thanks for recommending Bathy's. I couldn't find a website for them. Do you have a contact info? Email address preferably...

Many thanks!!

 

[Tortugar]

Here's the link to Bathys:
Bathys Diving – Dive center in French Polynesia – Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora

email is: bathys@mail.pf

When I was making arrangements, I mainly dealt with Isabelle and occasionally Francois.
The whole staff is very friendly and accommodating.

One thing I didn't mention before... If you're doing multiple days of diving with them, you can safely leave all your gear with them after rinsing. No need to lug it back & forth every day.