Sea Passion Hotel Palau Lately Anyone
- Thread starter bubba105
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
OP
bubba105
Contributor
The convenience of Bottom Time is unsurpassed. Was in Palau for 10 nights last year & only ate one night at Kraemer's, the rest of my dinners were a hard right from the ramp. We started taking showers at Sam's. Love the wahoo sashimi, although yellow fin is a very close second. 10 maybe one or two nights but I'm afraid I must be getting old because ZZZZZ by then most nights.
ellencarroll
Registered
I stayed at the Sea Passion in July this year for several days of diving with Neco before boarding the Aggressor. It is a great value, clean, and Neco is right across the street. Also across the street from the hotel is a modest local store selling sodas, beer, snacks, etc. Neco picked me up in the mornings, but I ended up walking back to the hotel after my dives. After two trips with Neco, I am completely loyal to them. Every dive I've done with them has been wonderful! They arranged my entire hotel/diving/airport transfers before and after I boarded the Aggressor. It made my trip so much easier. But back to the Sea Passion. After diving all day, I just don't need all the hoopla of the PPR where I stayed in April. The Sea Passion has very reasonable internet in the lobby, too. Since the ten-day PH cruise is full for February, I may do several days again with Neco, before doing the 7 day trip with Aggressor again. I am so hooked on Palau!!
Travelnsj
Contributor
Guamrider, thanks for sharing the video--as a matter of fact, I've just spent about an hour watching a whole bunch of your videos--truly addicting!
We are staying there in December (already requested the good rooms!) diving with Sam's, and I promise to write a full report when we get back!
We are staying there in December (already requested the good rooms!) diving with Sam's, and I promise to write a full report when we get back!
OP
bubba105
Contributor
Got home Sunday from an amazing trip, Sea Passion was everything we expected & more. I ended up getting room 503, a suite, with a very large, private deck with extreme views & really great bathroom, highly recommended. On their website is a photo of the front of the hotel, 503 is on the top floor, to the extreme right. The suite is a large room with a divider between the bedroom & living room spaces. The place is new, everything in the public & private areas is spotless. There are 2 very fast elevators so no waiting. The FREE daily breakfast was all you can eat, good selection, American & Japanese, plus some. Omelet station, cooked to order. The bar is nice, handled our 30 plus crew easily, although the bartender may need a vacation. Although I didn't get the opportunity to snorkel, those who did said it was good once you got out of the shallow water at the beach.
Dove with Sam as usual & as usual it was mind-blowing. Water temp was mid 80's, my computer read 83 but some read 87, take your pick. Although Sept is rainy season it didn't, except at night but when it rains it really rains. If it were a few degrees warmer we'd have been making soup. Loads of sharks at all the hook-in spots, mantas on every dive at German Channel, the most on 1 dive was 6, feeding in squadron formation & tons of healthy coral on all the wall dives. The place is amazing. Had JC & Alex on our boat & anything we requested (except the whale shark) was found for us. Oh, to be young with good eyes again. Every day our 3 boats would tie up for the daily party after diving, in a different little cove so we could hang out in the water, these guys treat us like family.
The Bottom Time Bar & Grill is alive & kicking. By day 3, I didn't have to order, the crew had the sashimi waiting as we walked up the ramp. Never ate dinner at Sea Passion except a BBQ at the bar for our group.
Spent 4 days in Hawaii to extend the vacation & to do battle against jet lag, which kicked my butt last Palau trip. We flew to the “Big Island” & did the night manta dive with Big Island Divers, a good, safety oriented shop. All I can say is WOW. We had 17 different mantas in the 45 minute dive. There are snorkelers on top hanging onto a lighted float shaped like a surf board & all divers have a hand light to attract the plankton who bring in the mantas. It was like the movie Close Encounters. Absolutely a must do dive, as well as a nice addition to any long distance trip with Hawaii as a mid point. Round trip air from Oahu to Kona on Hawaii Airlines was $150. I will be back to do this whole trip again.
Dove with Sam as usual & as usual it was mind-blowing. Water temp was mid 80's, my computer read 83 but some read 87, take your pick. Although Sept is rainy season it didn't, except at night but when it rains it really rains. If it were a few degrees warmer we'd have been making soup. Loads of sharks at all the hook-in spots, mantas on every dive at German Channel, the most on 1 dive was 6, feeding in squadron formation & tons of healthy coral on all the wall dives. The place is amazing. Had JC & Alex on our boat & anything we requested (except the whale shark) was found for us. Oh, to be young with good eyes again. Every day our 3 boats would tie up for the daily party after diving, in a different little cove so we could hang out in the water, these guys treat us like family.
The Bottom Time Bar & Grill is alive & kicking. By day 3, I didn't have to order, the crew had the sashimi waiting as we walked up the ramp. Never ate dinner at Sea Passion except a BBQ at the bar for our group.
Spent 4 days in Hawaii to extend the vacation & to do battle against jet lag, which kicked my butt last Palau trip. We flew to the “Big Island” & did the night manta dive with Big Island Divers, a good, safety oriented shop. All I can say is WOW. We had 17 different mantas in the 45 minute dive. There are snorkelers on top hanging onto a lighted float shaped like a surf board & all divers have a hand light to attract the plankton who bring in the mantas. It was like the movie Close Encounters. Absolutely a must do dive, as well as a nice addition to any long distance trip with Hawaii as a mid point. Round trip air from Oahu to Kona on Hawaii Airlines was $150. I will be back to do this whole trip again.
Travelnsj
Contributor
Sounds like you had such a boring trip...LOL....first time I have dove with JC was last March he was excellent! I have to wait till Feb before I'll be back to Palau:depressed:...Oh well I'll be in Lembeh within a Month
...glad you had a great trip!
...glad you had a great trip!Thanks, Bubba, for such a great review! we're about two months away from making the (more or less) same trip, so it is nice to hear such good things about the hotel and dive op. And the diving, of course!
You mentioned jet lag, and I admit that I'm worried about how we will handle such a long flight. We stop in Yap on the way to Palau, but go home without any stops (well, any stops that necessitate leaving the airport!) I wonder if stopping in Hawaii worked for you? I mean, did it really help with the jet lag? (obviously it was a fabulous side-trip!)
Right now I'm thinking about drugs to get through it--a friend of mine who frequently travels to Australia told me to take something on the Houston-Honolulu portion (more than a 6 hour stretch)and sleep through it. I've never tried that before, but the last time I was on such a long flight(s) I was only 9 years old.
You mentioned jet lag, and I admit that I'm worried about how we will handle such a long flight. We stop in Yap on the way to Palau, but go home without any stops (well, any stops that necessitate leaving the airport!) I wonder if stopping in Hawaii worked for you? I mean, did it really help with the jet lag? (obviously it was a fabulous side-trip!)
Right now I'm thinking about drugs to get through it--a friend of mine who frequently travels to Australia told me to take something on the Houston-Honolulu portion (more than a 6 hour stretch)and sleep through it. I've never tried that before, but the last time I was on such a long flight(s) I was only 9 years old.
OP
bubba105
Contributor
One word - Ambien.
It's funny, going there is no problem, I fall right into the swing of things. I guess it’s gaining hours, by the time you get to Palau at 10 PM, it'll be 8 AM at home, you'll be ready to sleep. I dove the next morning, it is after all Palau. On the way home you’ll lose 10 hours & when you get home you'll still be on Palau time. Leaving Palau at 2:30 AM is no picnic but not having to do the bazaaro world Yap TSA thing going home is a big plus. Just so you know, in Yap, on the way there, half the plane (either left or right side) has to de-plane with all carry-ons. Those left on the plane get to watch while Yap TSA check the seats for whatever it is they’re looking for, then, the passengers get to move themselves, with all their carry-ons, to the other side of the plane so TSA can check the seats on the vacated side. If I were trying to hide anything seems like I’d just keep it in my carry-on, which they don’t check & move it from side to side with me. After traveling for so long it’s tough when you just want the trip to be over. They turn a 2 hour flight into a four hour plus trilogy. It’s just bazaar.
You’ll need to get some sleep on the way home so go see your doctor to get a script for ambien. Just don’t pop the pill until you get on the plane to Hawaii, Palau to Guam is only 2 hours & you’ll be stumbling around the airport.
Usually when I get home it's a PITA. Last year it took 8 days before I slept right & I'm a fireman, I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Not this time though. Ambien from Guam to Oahu, 7 hour flight, 5 hour time difference (actually 1 hour difference from Palau to Guam), where we stayed overnight, then to Kona. The first night in Kona we did the manta dive which tired me out so I needed to sleep. By the 4th day I got up at 7 AM & I was ready to go, we drove to the volcano that last day. From Hawaii to Newark was a blur. Ambien strikes again. 8 PM to about noon the next day, 6 hours time difference, is not fun. When I got home the bride kept me awake until about 9 PM, she gave me my last ambien & I was done with jet lag. From now on I will always stay overnight, both ways, in Hawaii, with a minimum of 4 days layover, with diving of course.
It's funny, going there is no problem, I fall right into the swing of things. I guess it’s gaining hours, by the time you get to Palau at 10 PM, it'll be 8 AM at home, you'll be ready to sleep. I dove the next morning, it is after all Palau. On the way home you’ll lose 10 hours & when you get home you'll still be on Palau time. Leaving Palau at 2:30 AM is no picnic but not having to do the bazaaro world Yap TSA thing going home is a big plus. Just so you know, in Yap, on the way there, half the plane (either left or right side) has to de-plane with all carry-ons. Those left on the plane get to watch while Yap TSA check the seats for whatever it is they’re looking for, then, the passengers get to move themselves, with all their carry-ons, to the other side of the plane so TSA can check the seats on the vacated side. If I were trying to hide anything seems like I’d just keep it in my carry-on, which they don’t check & move it from side to side with me. After traveling for so long it’s tough when you just want the trip to be over. They turn a 2 hour flight into a four hour plus trilogy. It’s just bazaar.
You’ll need to get some sleep on the way home so go see your doctor to get a script for ambien. Just don’t pop the pill until you get on the plane to Hawaii, Palau to Guam is only 2 hours & you’ll be stumbling around the airport.
Usually when I get home it's a PITA. Last year it took 8 days before I slept right & I'm a fireman, I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Not this time though. Ambien from Guam to Oahu, 7 hour flight, 5 hour time difference (actually 1 hour difference from Palau to Guam), where we stayed overnight, then to Kona. The first night in Kona we did the manta dive which tired me out so I needed to sleep. By the 4th day I got up at 7 AM & I was ready to go, we drove to the volcano that last day. From Hawaii to Newark was a blur. Ambien strikes again. 8 PM to about noon the next day, 6 hours time difference, is not fun. When I got home the bride kept me awake until about 9 PM, she gave me my last ambien & I was done with jet lag. From now on I will always stay overnight, both ways, in Hawaii, with a minimum of 4 days layover, with diving of course.
Ambien it is. Unfortunately, we are unable to make an overnight stop, so it's straight through. In coach. Perhaps I should see about taking ambien for both the Houston-Honolulu and Honolulu-Guam trips. Really not looking forward to that part. I can barely stand the measly two hours it takes to get to Florida.
Re your experience in Yap--I witnessed something similar after 9/11 at Ft Lauderdale Airport. We were waiting to embark. We were told to take all our carry-on and go into another waiting area. Then an old security guard came and poked around, looking under the seats. If I had some kind of weapon, wouldn't I have taken it with me? Wish I knew what that was all about--sadly, I don't think they did, either.
Re your experience in Yap--I witnessed something similar after 9/11 at Ft Lauderdale Airport. We were waiting to embark. We were told to take all our carry-on and go into another waiting area. Then an old security guard came and poked around, looking under the seats. If I had some kind of weapon, wouldn't I have taken it with me? Wish I knew what that was all about--sadly, I don't think they did, either.
Similar threads
