South Pacific Live-Aboard

I am planning a dive trip to the South Pacific on a live-aboard next year. I am looking at either Palau, Solomon Islands, PNG, or Fiji. I want to find a live-aboard that has a 10 day trip, or if I did a 7 day, then I would have to do another week somewhere else (I will have at least 2 weeks vacation). Which of these places has the best diving? When is the best time of year to go (I am thinking May timeframe)? There is so much to choose from, its overwhelming and I need some advise!

I did find some interesting ones for PNG, but I have heard its unsave in that country, any thoughts?

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!!

Unsafe in PNG?? No. If you are on a liveaboard, you are quite safe. You will find that on shore, things are quite different. Crime is bad. Resorts are little more that fortresses with guards. In New Britain Island, all the shops have uniformed guards and it is not a good idea to walk around alone. Boats....no problem.
I spend a fair amount of my diving there. I HIGHLY recommend two liveaboards that I have good personal knowledge of.
The FeBrina-Captain Alan Raabe (has forgotten more about PNG diving than most people will ever know)-EXCELLENT crew! Smaller than the 'Dancer but more "intimate"
The Star Dancer-Captain Brad-newish to the area but excellent captain-again, EXCELLENT crew! Big, comfortable boat.

You will love the diving there as it is, probably, the least "touched" diving in the world.

Agree with A Finch.

May timeframe will suit Palau. You don't indicate where you are based, so not poss. to advise as to second week's diving.

Also, some places are more suited to diff. grades of divers than others. What's your experience/how long diving etc.?

Seadeuce

Allison Finch:

Unsafe in PNG?? No. If you are on a liveaboard, you are quite safe. You will find that on shore, things are quite different. Crime is bad. Resorts are little more that fortresses with guards. In New Britain Island, all the shops have uniformed guards and it is not a good idea to walk around alone. Boats....no problem.
I spend a fair amount of my diving there. I HIGHLY recommend two liveaboards that I have good personal knowledge of.
The FeBrina-Captain Alan Raabe (has forgotten more about PNG diving than most people will ever know)-EXCELLENT crew! Smaller than the 'Dancer but more "intimate"
The Star Dancer-Captain Brad-newish to the area but excellent captain-again, EXCELLENT crew! Big, comfortable boat.

You will love the diving there as it is, probably, the least "touched" diving in the world.

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With the part about New Britain, My wife and I went out with a member of staff to a big sing sing we left the member of staff once we got there and arranged to meet back at the car. Went to the store (twice) to get more film and had a great time.

cdiver2:

With the part about New Britain, My wife and I went out with a member of staff to a big sing sing we left the member of staff once we got there and arranged to meet back at the car. Went to the store (twice) to get more film and had a great time.

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How many trips have you made and how many times did you go alone into town (Kimbe?). Have I walked alone? Yes. Did I feel overly safe? no. At one time, while shopping, I had a crowd gather around me to the point that a hotel driver felt he needed to extricate me for safety reasons. I totally agreed. Did you not see the guards everywhere? I've seen them pat down the locals as they leave the stores due to heavy shoplifting. When I lifted my arms for my turn, they just nodded me through.
By the way, did you go to the K-mart (Kimbe mart?) Too funny.

Allison Finch:

How many trips have you made and how many times did you go alone into town (Kimbe?). Have I walked alone? Yes. Did I feel overly safe? no. At one time, while shopping, I had a crowd gather around me to the point that a hotel driver felt he needed to extricate me for safety reasons. I totally agreed. Did you not see the guards everywhere? I've seen them pat down the locals as they leave the stores due to heavy shoplifting. When I lifted my arms for my turn, they just nodded me through.
By the way, did you go to the K-mart (Kimbe mart?) Too funny.

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we did K Mart in fact we did a couple of stores and found that when we went in the crowds parted and we could just walk right up to the counter no search on the way out. I would say if you go in with one of the men from Walindi you are safe but I don't Know why you would want to go in. We only went to see the sing sing, two white faces in over a thousand. I felt less safe on arriving at POM and having to walk from the international terminal to the domestic. There were hundreds of people there ( to see the new bishop unbeknown to us ). Told my wife hold your head up high and walk like you own the place, we got there and after numerous flight delays came back out and sat in the little food court 1/2 way between the terminals no problems. I bet had we done that in a major US city we would have been approached by at least one unsavory.

Seadeuce:

Agree with A Finch.

May timeframe will suit Palau. You don't indicate where you are based, so not poss. to advise as to second week's diving.

Also, some places are more suited to diff. grades of divers than others. What's your experience/how long diving etc.?

Seadeuce

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I will be comming from the US.

I am a very experienced diver, diving 20 years, divemaster, 1000+ dives.

I will be comming from the US.

I am a very experienced diver, diving 20 years, divemaster, 1000+ dives.

________________________________________________

You'll have no problems with different conditions with your experience.
From the US, with two weeks at your mercy, you could take in a three-night stopover in Hawaii - with two day's diving - on your way to a week's liveaboard in Micronesia (Truk or Palau). On the return leg, a day or two in Catalina.

All by Continental Airlines for maximum air miles.

Alternatively, Miami - Quito, two days there - then onwards to the Galapagos for a ten-day liveaboard (Darwin and Wolf incl.). Back to Quito for more sightseeing on the way home.

PNG/Solomons - fly again through HI, or try Fiji for a stopover.

Wherever you decide to go, two weeks should allow you to do a two-center trip with diving at both, or land excursions at one. It certainly adds more variety, and does not cost a whole lot more.

That's how I've done my trips away, and was always pleased with the results. If your liveaboard week does not live up to all your expectations, at least the second bite at the cherry can offer some redemption.


Enjoy!!!!


Seadeuce

Seadeuce[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info Seadeuce.

Did the Galapagos a few years ago on the Lammer Law, included Wolf and Darwin. Outstounding! In fact a couple that was on that trip, just got back from a return trip....they saw 11 whale sharks while diving at Wolf!! What an amazing place.

acj:

I am planning a dive trip to the South Pacific on a live-aboard next year. I am looking at either Palau, Solomon Islands, PNG, or Fiji. I want to find a live-aboard that has a 10 day trip, or if I did a 7 day, then I would have to do another week somewhere else (I will have at least 2 weeks vacation). Which of these places has the best diving? When is the best time of year to go (I am thinking May timeframe)? There is so much to choose from, its overwhelming and I need some advise!

I did find some interesting ones for PNG, but I have heard its unsave in that country, any thoughts?

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!!

Click to expand...

All of your choices for the South Pacific are good ones. The Na'ia in Fiji does some 10 nighters, most of the PNG boats are fabulous and do 10 nighters...the ones mentioned are good, the Mike Ball Paradise Sport does some 10-nighters also. The Bilikikki in the Solomons has been there for years and if you like WW II history, it's the place to go!

I took a group of 20 all over PNG, POM, the Highlands with the Huli Warriors, ALotau, Mt. Hagen. The only place we felt like we didn't want to go anywhere unescorted was POM. The locals in Tari waved at us everywhere we went and called out to us "Thank you for coming to Papua New Guinea".....we spent one week land-based prior to our liveaboard so we got a good taste of the local cultures. The diving was fantastic also.