Help me plan my bucket list trip...

[cubbiegirlem]

Hi, all. I haven't been on this board for awhile sadly, but I'm planning the trip of a lifetime and could use your help. I am planning a career change and as part of that, I am going to take a year traveling around Asia and Africa, getting my instructor certification (I will hopefully have completed DM before I leave), diving, and volunteering (preferably in marine conservation). It's been making me so excited to come back here and read all your trip reports but it also makes it hard to decide so I thought I'd just reach out to you helpful people for advice. I think I could travel for 10 years and still not see it all.

The must dos for sentimental reasons are Saipan and Mozambique. Other than that I've sketched out some ideas of roughly where I might be when. I'm planning to leave room for spontaneity, but I also have some things I want to do that book quickly, and some friends and family who want to meet me places, so I need to have at least an outline of a plan. (My friends and family aren't taking a gap year so they'll actually need to plan ahead when and where they'll meet me!)

Any and all advice is welcome! Anywhere I cannot miss? Anywhere on my list you'd skip? Anywhere that I'm planning to go at absolutely the wrong time of year? (I don't need perfect weather but would prefer not to have all rain all day every day. Your typical tropical afternoon rains are fine. I've never really been anywhere that was that bad even during the rainy seasons but maybe I've been lucky.). Any good marine conservation volunteer programs you know about? (I know many are basically Eco tourism. Which is ok as long as they're doing some good and it's a good experience.). And any great value locations that are still worthwhile? In between my big bucket list items (live aboards, etc.) I'm going to try to get by pretty cheap in terms of housing and food so while I'm willing to spend on the must-dos I'm going to try to get by on the cheap elsewhere!

Here's my initial brainstorm of my plan along with a few specific questions I have for you helpful people. I am also planning to blog my adventures so I will post that here so you all can follow when the time comes!!

July-August: Indonesia (Bali)--considering IDC/MSDT internship with Bali scuba as I read good reviews. If anyone has experience with their instructor training I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Sept-oct: Philippines--traveling and hopefully volunteering. I've looked at Marine Conservation Philippines. Any experience with them? I may head back to Indonesia for part of this as I will need to go through Jakarta to get to...

Nov 1-13: Raja Ampat/Banda sea with La Galigo--this is the only thing I'm close to booking. It's a bucket list destination and I've read this is the time with the best chance of seeing the hammerheads. Looks like they book crazy far in advance. Some other boats are already booked up! Anyway this is one of the few boats I've found that does both raja Ampat and Banda sea in this time period, and I really think it's the perfect itinerary. I've read great things about it and they've confirmed they have availability.

Mid-late Nov: a week in Palau. I was originally thinking live aboard but that seems like a LOT after RA. How is the land based diving in Palau? Is there interesting stuff to do topside as well? Any recommended ops? (I figure if I don't do a live aboard I can probably work this out later.)

Late Nov.-mid Dec. Guam/Saipan/Chuuk: this is a big one for me because my grandpa was stationed in Saipan and told us about his old "swimming hole" we learned was the grotto. I have to dive the grotto but I also really want to go to Chuuk to see the WWII ships for that reason as well. Anything worthwhile in Guam or is it just a jumping off point? Is Chuuk best done by live aboard or is land based good as well? Do I need to try to get any tec training before Chuuk if I want to see the good stuff? Anything interesting topside (particularly WWII related)?

Dec-January: Back to USA

Late January-February: FP/Tahiti to Cook Islands to Fiji. Maybe some volunteering in Fiji? Maybe a live aboard? (Fiji is thus far my favorite place I've ever been. I dove with Wananavu and loved it but we didn't get much time out at the next sites due to conditions.). Maybe New Zealand?

March-April: travel Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, wherever the wind takes me?)

May-July: travel via India to SE africa (Tanzania/zanzibar, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana... Thinking about volunteering with blue ventures in Madagascar?)

HOME.

Sorry this is so long. It's too far away but I am just so excited! And I don't want to be disappointed and miss out on any of the things that tend to book way in advance (like the live aboards...)
Thanks in advance for any advice!!!!

 

[Wingy]

May July in Madagascar is super high season....dive shops will be open (they close during cyclone season) - If you dont speak fluent french you will likely have quite a few difficulties. Be prepared for base rate hotel rooms of $300 - $500 on the islands like Isle St Marie and Nosy Be and her cluster of smaller islands.

Id also suggest if you are going to FP add in Rangiroa if your real love is diving...The Societies have the poorest diving in FP but the Tuomotos are the best diving - look into buying an Air Tahiti Island Pass (not Air Tahiti Nui)

SEA...You will find places that suit you and you love that others dont and vise versa. I do not like Vietnam. Ive been there a few times and every time I step off a plane the country makes me angry for some reason - the upside is you can fly to Laos or Cambodia for dinner. Downside is your passport looks like a drug smugglers when you have been in three countries in one day. SEA Diving - I like to get wet even though a lot of places in SEA have great diving there is also a lot of places where the water is so polluted and the fish are all gone you may wonder why you bothered. For example Cambodia and Vietnam. Dive them anyway, I did, add it to the list. Phils, Indo, good diving, Laos unless your brave enough to go for a drift dive down the Nam Song no diving but awesome country. If you want to do any volunteering to help people, do it in Laos or Cambodia. Thailand head down to Krabi and jump on the project aware gig and do some ocean conservation work. Head up to Chang Mai and Kanchanburi for history, Loy Kratong & SongKran - depending on your exact timing.

Banda Sea LOBs - you are limited to the timeframe - Im about to head to Banda on another Boat i love and have used three times so shop around there are a few boats who do some really interesting routes.

While you are in Indo try and make it up to N. Sulawesi.

Hit NZ up and dive Poor Knights before heading to Fiji (Air Fiji have direct flights) where you may pick up some volunteer work out of NZs project abroads programs. If I were you at the moment with air connections opening up Id island hop NZ > Fiji > Noumea > Vanuatu (interesting culture) > PNG > Micronenesia.

Hope this helps if I think of more when Im properly awake will add.

 

[cubbiegirlem]

This is TREMENDOUSLY helpful! Thank you so much. I have been to Cambodia and honestly have no real desire to go back but I'm on the fence about Vietnam. My friend who traveled the world said Laos was unexpectedly his favorite country so I'm thinking that would be a good couple of days to not dive and degas.

 

[cubbiegirlem]

Also I will definitely look into the rest of your suggestions so thank you so much. I have a family friend who is living in NZ so it seems like a waste not to go there. I feel super weird that the GBR/Australia is not high on my list but my friend who just went there said even on the liveaboard the corals are totally bleached and not impressive. (SO SAD!!! We've totally broken the planet. But that's a topic for another day.)

Will look into the volunteer ops you mention as well. Thanks again!!

 

[Cali_diver]

Laos was amazing and without the crowds of Cambodia (but I loved Cambodia as well). Perhaps you should try to fit in a visit to Myanmar.

 

[cubbiegirlem]

Laos was amazing and without the crowds of Cambodia (but I loved Cambodia as well). Perhaps you should try to fit in a visit to Myanmar.

Oh yeah. Myanmar is one I've thought about too. (Although it will always be Burma to me... Sorry for the non-Seinfeld fans.) I think I have to at least make a visit to Laos. Sounds like the kind of off the beaten path place I'd love. May skip Vietnam...

You would think that a year would be enough to see everything! As lucky as I am to have this opportunity I still feel overwhelmed and like there's too much! I love this embarrassment of riches that is our world and our oceans.

 

[Wingy]

Your friend probably did a inner reef overnighter or short LOB showing GBR inner reef rather than the outter reef where you find dedicated divers and a healthy (healthier) reef ecosystem. Cod Hole, Ribbon,Pixie etc are certainly far from dead and bleached. FYI we keep the better reef than the GBR secret on the opposite side of the country

Laos actually is a fantastic place. Very cheap to travel in too. Best start brushing up on French too so you dont ask for a glass of ocean LOL. (I smile even typing that remembering my buddy in Reunion trying to ask for a glass of water and doing the most amazing pantomime to get her point across..except it didnt LOL)

Best advice I could give anyone setting out on a big trip...write down your plans, work out what is and what is not logistically possible (you are not going to pick up work in FP doing anything so budget accordingly) and be flexible.

Plan around the MUST do places you mentioned like Saipan and Guam and let the rest be hopeful but not essential.

 

[billt4sf]

Marry me Cubbygirl!

Hi, all. I haven't been on this board for awhile sadly, but I'm planning the trip of a lifetime and could use your help. I am planning a career change and as part of that, I am going to take a year traveling around Asia and Africa, getting my instructor certification (I will hopefully have completed DM before I leave), diving, and volunteering (preferably in marine conservation). It's been making me so excited to come back here and read all your trip reports but it also makes it hard to decide so I thought I'd just reach out to you helpful people for advice. I think I could travel for 10 years and still not see it all.

The must dos for sentimental reasons are Saipan and Mozambique. Other than that I've sketched out some ideas of roughly where I might be when. I'm planning to leave room for spontaneity, but I also have some things I want to do that book quickly, and some friends and family who want to meet me places, so I need to have at least an outline of a plan. (My friends and family aren't taking a gap year so they'll actually need to plan ahead when and where they'll meet me!)

Any and all advice is welcome! Anywhere I cannot miss? Anywhere on my list you'd skip? Anywhere that I'm planning to go at absolutely the wrong time of year? (I don't need perfect weather but would prefer not to have all rain all day every day. Your typical tropical afternoon rains are fine. I've never really been anywhere that was that bad even during the rainy seasons but maybe I've been lucky.). Any good marine conservation volunteer programs you know about? (I know many are basically Eco tourism. Which is ok as long as they're doing some good and it's a good experience.). And any great value locations that are still worthwhile? In between my big bucket list items (live aboards, etc.) I'm going to try to get by pretty cheap in terms of housing and food so while I'm willing to spend on the must-dos I'm going to try to get by on the cheap elsewhere!

Here's my initial brainstorm of my plan along with a few specific questions I have for you helpful people. I am also planning to blog my adventures so I will post that here so you all can follow when the time comes!!

July-August: Indonesia (Bali)--considering IDC/MSDT internship with Bali scuba as I read good reviews. If anyone has experience with their instructor training I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Sept-oct: Philippines--traveling and hopefully volunteering. I've looked at Marine Conservation Philippines. Any experience with them? I may head back to Indonesia for part of this as I will need to go through Jakarta to get to...

Nov 1-13: Raja Ampat/Banda sea with La Galigo--this is the only thing I'm close to booking. It's a bucket list destination and I've read this is the time with the best chance of seeing the hammerheads. Looks like they book crazy far in advance. Some other boats are already booked up! Anyway this is one of the few boats I've found that does both raja Ampat and Banda sea in this time period, and I really think it's the perfect itinerary. I've read great things about it and they've confirmed they have availability.

Mid-late Nov: a week in Palau. I was originally thinking live aboard but that seems like a LOT after RA. How is the land based diving in Palau? Is there interesting stuff to do topside as well? Any recommended ops? (I figure if I don't do a live aboard I can probably work this out later.)

Late Nov.-mid Dec. Guam/Saipan/Chuuk: this is a big one for me because my grandpa was stationed in Saipan and told us about his old "swimming hole" we learned was the grotto. I have to dive the grotto but I also really want to go to Chuuk to see the WWII ships for that reason as well. Anything worthwhile in Guam or is it just a jumping off point? Is Chuuk best done by live aboard or is land based good as well? Do I need to try to get any tec training before Chuuk if I want to see the good stuff? Anything interesting topside (particularly WWII related)?

Dec-January: Back to USA

Late January-February: FP/Tahiti to Cook Islands to Fiji. Maybe some volunteering in Fiji? Maybe a live aboard? (Fiji is thus far my favorite place I've ever been. I dove with Wananavu and loved it but we didn't get much time out at the next sites due to conditions.). Maybe New Zealand?

March-April: travel Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, wherever the wind takes me?)

May-July: travel via India to SE africa (Tanzania/zanzibar, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana... Thinking about volunteering with blue ventures in Madagascar?)

HOME.

Sorry this is so long. It's too far away but I am just so excited! And I don't want to be disappointed and miss out on any of the things that tend to book way in advance (like the live aboards...)
Thanks in advance for any advice!!!!

 

[billt4sf]

When I did my research for where to dive in my year in Indo, I came up with:

Komodo (but currents)
RA
PNG (including a land trip for the tribal meets)
N. Sulawesi
Banda
Crossing trip Banda to RA
Angkor Wat in Cambodia (land trip)

as must-dos. Bali is very good too. But we have only just begun.

- Bill

 

[cubbiegirlem]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Let the planning and daydreaming begin....

Definitely will plan a few hot ticket items but will probably have flexibility with the rest. I think I have more items on my "nice to see" list than I could see even in a year!