For the opinionated among you..

OK, I'm hoping to pick the collective brain of the legions here, and hopefully get a few suggestions. I'm looking for ideas on my grand foray into the South Pacific in 2003 (7-10 days diving $4000 dollars limit). I did Fiji a couple of years ago (Cousteau resort, which was excellent, but the diving could have been a tiny bit better), and am looking for something along vaguely similar lines..

1) Big, exciting marine life.
2) Good coral, and other assorted reef-based entertainment.
3) Absolutely no-one that thinks that Ibiza is a good idea within a 1000 mile radius (you'll probably understand if you're English), unless they are being eaten by big exciting marine life (or being fed to - I'm easy).
4) Remote is good, and if I want entertainment I'll read a book.

I'm currently looking at sites / liveaboards in Palau (always wanted to go) and Yap (possibly Mantafest). A subsequent question to anyone who recommends either of these - what's the cheapest way to get there? Is it possible to get to Yap for less than $2000 from the east coast of the US?

Your comments / humour-filled quotes / random abuse will be warmly received.

Dave

Hi Dave --

I thought I'd start you off with my recent trip.

I went to Fiji and stayed at Lagoon Resort in Pacific Harbor -- It's a nice place -- used to be a (ahem) 'gentlemen's club' -- quite remote... the people are very friendly.
http://www.lagoonresort.com/

Their dive operator is on site and called Aquacadabra-- very professional, very safety conscious, they have a great boat and dive over 40 different sites in the Beqa Lagoon. Lots of reef... several different wrecks, also have access to a pretty intense shark feed -- lots of soft corals; on one dive alone I saw more than six lion fish. They also arranged a day of diving with a surface interval on a remote beach and served us a BBQ lunch. We napped in hammocks before submerging for the third tank of the day.
http://www.aquacadabradiving.com/


Good luck!

Looks good, and I absolutely love Fiji, but I was hoping to try somwhere new this year (although the more pictures of Fiji I see the more I'm tempted to go back, and many of the people I met last time are worth the trip alone).

As for Lion fish - I love them and I hate them. When I was in dahab last they were everywhere (i would see three or more every time I went snorkelling off the shore), and there's nothing quite like the feeling of fear as you spot one a few feet from the tip of your nose (i'm such a coward).

Dave

You have also just reminded me of point number five too - hammocks. Should have 1 x a comfortable hammock for me + book during non-diving times. You can't be too careful - some of these places will actually try to distract you from such with silly things like physical activities or comfy chairs - damn them all I say,

Dave

I appear to have posted my reply twice, so now I have to edit this one so that:
a) I look like I meant it and..
b) I have something funny to say.

Ah well - what's orange and sounds like a parrot?
.
.
.
.
A carrot.

Dave (who genuinely thinks that is the funniest joke ever).

Well, I was going to recommed Palau and Yap. I dove Palau about 10 years ago. I don't remember a lot of "large" sea life except for the reef sharks, but tons of colorful coral. I've never been to Yap, but would love to get there some day. I hear the Manta's are great there.

Can't help you with cost, but try some of the travel WEB sites. Most will give prices for international flights now. For Yap (and possibly Palau) you will probably fly via Guam, so consider giving your self a day or two to dive there as well. I recommend MDA there.

Ruu,

Have you decided on going to Palau?
I was thinking on going there in the Easter, and i would love some company.

PNG or the Solomons.
The best reef Wreck and Bog Fish Action I have ever dived with, I use a travel agent in Queensland. good for you as your $4000 becomes $8000 in Aussie dollars

http://www.diversionoz.com

Hey Guys,

My situation has changed somewhat, so I'm not going to travel that far just yet. My job has become a little shaky of late, and I am waiting to see if I get laid off - in the meantime I'm taking a cheap trip out to Egypt next month (discussed at some length in the Africa section of this forum), and thinking about doing PADI rescue diver while I'm out there.

If I do get laid off (maybe around August, maybe not), then I'm going to fly out to Australia and then spend two or three months hopping around the best dive sites that I can find (GBR / PNG / Micronesia / Fiji / Solomons / wherever). I'm open to suggestions at the moment - the cheaper and more single-traveller friendly the better, since I haven't met many divers since I moved to the US.

Dave

What's a bog fish by the way? Is it related to the mud shark or the mangrove whale?

Dave