Want to daydream for a bit (and in the process, help me choose my 40th birthday dive destination)?
List your fantasy ten week, ten stop scuba trip around the world. Only two rules –
- You must always be moving east from your point of departure.
- This is not a Top 10 scuba destinations list, so let’s please hold back on the negative comments. It’s SUPPOSED to be a very subjective and fun way to learn about some new places.
So to kick things off, here’s my trip. My lovely wife is with me on the trip, but since it’s my list she has no say. On her trip, I’ll tag along very happily and quietly.
Choiahoy’s dream trip departing from New York City -
1 - Bonaire – It is just a tiny bit east of NYC, so it’s fair game. We’ve been there twice in two years and love everything about that island.
2 - Malta – It’s on the list mainly because I just couldn’t justify passing over the entire continent of Europe. And I’m a sucker for ancient ruins. But I could see this stop getting bumped.
3 - Red Sea – Considering Sharm El Sheikh or maybe Dahab. Open to suggestions.
4 - Maldives – has been a long time dream.
5 - Indonesia – maybe Bali? Or a liveaboard? We haven’t done a liveaboard before and this might be a good place for our first.
6 – Phillipines – considering Cebu Island or perhaps a liveaboard?
7 – Palau – the pictures I see are jaw dropping. No way this one gets bumped.
8 - Hawaii – I have to visit my mom on this trip or she’d kick my ass. And we love every one of the islands, above and below water. It was a trip to Hawaii that made us decide to become divers.
9 - Galapagos – see number 4
10 - Mexico – I’m kind of cheating by lumping Cozumel and the Riviera Maya into one, but you possibly could do both in a week. We fell in love with diving the cenotes the last time we were there.
Maybe Malta gets bumped for Chuuk, the Great Barrier Reef, or Cocos Islands. Or Thailand or Fiji. Truly too many places.
Looking forward to reading your lists.
Rather than list my top 10, I'm going to make some comments on yours ... based on my personal experiences ...
1. Bonaire - can't go wrong. Been there five times ... plan to go back again someday. My last time there was pre-lionfish, so I hope it's still as good as it used to be.
3. Red Sea - Sharm will be fine if you like crowds ... expect to share the best dive sites with 30-50 other boats. Dahab was very nice, but the reef life doesn't compare favorably to sites further south. I'd recommend instead going south ... take a liveaboard to Brothers/Daedalus/Elphinstone for better reefs, less crowded conditions and some opportunities at pelagics. The conditions there can be more challenging, but if you're up for it the payoff is incredible.
4. Maldives - I spent 10 days doing the southern route on the Carpe Vita ... one of the newer and supposedly higher-end liveaboards in the area. While it was nice, I found the reef life to be a bit underwhelming. I did appreciate the interaction with whale sharks ... my first. But other than that, if I had it to do over again I'd rather spend the time and money in someplace like Indonesia ... way more bang for the buck, and the Maldives generally costs more for what you get than pretty much anyplace in the south Pacific.
5. Indonesia - love the place ... been there several times. I'd opt to spent more time there, because there's so much variety to be found. Bali's a nice kick-off ... I particularly love Tulamben because the diving's good, it's real convenient shore diving, and it's relatively cheap. But a tour of the island that takes you to places like Secret Bay, Menjangen Island and Nusa Penida will give you a more well-rounded experience of what Bali has to offer. When you get your fill of Bali, book a liveaboard in Komodo ... it'll blow your mind. The best dive sites are current-sensitive, so you'll want to be comfortable with drift dives. After you're done there, fly up to Lembeh Straits for some muck diving ... you'll encounter some of the strangest critters on the planet. Plan to spend at least a week ... my first time there was only four days, and it left me wishing I'd booked a longer stay. After Lembeh, head off to Raja Ampat. I stayed at a resort (Raja4Divers), and it was incredible ... but when I go again (and I will) it'll probably be on a liveaboard, just to see what else there is to offer. It's remote ... the most remote place I've been yet ... and the reefs are as pristine as you're likely to find anywhere. Life is abundant ... mind-blowingly so at times. Those four spots alone will give you a good taste of Indonesia ... and there are hundreds I haven't even touched on yet. I'd spend a whole month just in Indonesia.
Can't really comment on the other places just yet. Will be going to Fiji for the first time in three months ... and a year later will be hitting the Philippines with the ScubaBoard crew ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
---------- Post added February 17th, 2015 at 08:48 AM ----------
Emily and I are planning a different tactic -- move to Bali for a year or so, and use it as a (very pleasant) base to dive the Indo-Pacific area.
And visit other cultures, see topside wildlife, and be tourists as well.
Target date: June 2016. We may never return!
- Bill
... I'll be about 2 years behind you ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
