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jow

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Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Location
Perth, Australia
# of dives
200 - 499
Help!

My husband and I are trying to book a dive holiday for early May. We're feeling rather overwhelmed with all the choices and options available (and prices!) and need your advice.

Diving will be the no. 1 priority for us, but somewhere to chill out would also be nice. We'd like to go somewhere with good reefs and an opportunity to see some big pelagics. We havent done much dive travel and do most of our diving in Sydney.

Currently our options are:-

1. I weeks diving in Palau (Sam's) and a few days on beach at pan pacific
2. I week at Uepi in Solomons
3. 10 days in Fiji (2 places from either Taneui, garden island resort, matava or Beqa lagoon)
4. 5 days at Jais Aben and 3 days at Walindi in PNG.

What would you do?

Thanks!

Jo
 
So you are apparently from Austrailia, one of the best diving locations in the world, and you are looking for a foreign dive spot this time.

On your list, Palau is probably the best.

I would have said Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, but you have probably already been there an done that.

You won't see any pelagics at Fiji. And Fiji's reefs are relatively small, requiring the boats to tie up, and that means fighting the current all through your dives there.
 
Skip Jais Aben. I was there for two days after a trip on the GD and didn't think much of it. Wananvu Resort on the north coast of Viti Levu is very relaxing with wonderful diving in the Bligh Waters. I was there two years ago and loved it. The diving on Taveuni is nowhere near as good. I've never been to Uepi, but if you do a search and read what those who have been there say about it, it sounds like heaven on earth. Walindi is also supposed to be very good and since you're an Aussie, they charge you far less than they do Americans. Finally, I would not do Palau land-based because of the long boat rides.
 
An avid diver friend did Fiji last year and wants to return soon. Loved the colours and the fish life. Said not so much big stuff more than enough tiny and mid sized critters and the soft corals were outstanding. FWIW
 
If you want somewhere to relax with great diving I would combine Lissenung island and Walindi in Papua New Guinea. Both resorts offer some of the best diving in the world and are very relaxing.
 
if i was stuck with that choice i would buy a lotto ticket and pray. I havent been to any of those places but pictures of Palau look so inviting on TV
 
Jo, go to Uepi, it's simply the best. Great diving and I promise you'll see enough big fish to keep you very happy - stacks of very friendly sharks, barras, trevally etc. Uepi Point is 1 minute from the dive shop and must be one of the best action dives there is. We go twice a year - having dived throughout the solomons over many years, we've chosen Uepi as the best. Last July I saw the biggest fish I've ever seen in my 25 years+ of diving. I was photographing sharks next to the jetty and this huge monster of a queensland grouper slowly swam past about 20 feet below me & checked out the action. It was easily the size of a small car - people on the jetty could even seen this huge dark mass some 30 feet below them.

You can also manage to get to Uepi, ex Brisbane, in the same day, which saves your holiday dollars as you're not paying transfers and meals to overnight. Uepi is not the cheapest place, but their package is all inclusive, so you only have to spend extra on your drinks and maybe a small custom fee if you choose to dive on a reef belonging to another island. Food is amazing and includes lots of fish and huge platters of mud crab. Exchange rate is good too, in January we got about 5.6 solomon $ for our aussie $1

A word or warning......once you go to Uepi, you'll be hooked! Every time we go back, we run into someone that we've met there before.....it's like that, kind of addictive! I contacted my dive travel agent last Friday to rebook us for September.....and she laughed and bragged she'll be there in July! What does it tell you if dive travel agents choose to take their holidays at Uepi?

Oh yes, at Uepi you can forget your wetsuit, unless you really feel the cold, a lycra suit is fine.

If you'd like more info on this special place, please feel free to contact me offlist: cbimages@ceinternet.com.au

cheers

Carol
 
Only consider Palau on a liveaboard. THe rides out to the dive sites were 1.5 hours and not fun coming back. Off the Big Blue Explorer, sites were 5 minutes away. Put your suit on, get on the boat, ten minutes later you're in the water. Then out of the water, back to the ship, pick up your camera and get on the ship. That's the extent of your responsibility for the trip.

The Palau Pacific Resort was nice, but it's just the nice landing spot after the diving.

However, I would check carefully for weather in the places you mentioned. That really makes the trip.




jow:
Help!

My husband and I are trying to book a dive holiday for early May. We're feeling rather overwhelmed with all the choices and options available (and prices!) and need your advice.

Diving will be the no. 1 priority for us, but somewhere to chill out would also be nice. We'd like to go somewhere with good reefs and an opportunity to see some big pelagics. We havent done much dive travel and do most of our diving in Sydney.

Currently our options are:-

1. I weeks diving in Palau (Sam's) and a few days on beach at pan pacific
2. I week at Uepi in Solomons
3. 10 days in Fiji (2 places from either Taneui, garden island resort, matava or Beqa lagoon)
4. 5 days at Jais Aben and 3 days at Walindi in PNG.

What would you do?

Thanks!

Jo
 
jow:
Help!

My husband and I are trying to book a dive holiday for early May. We're feeling rather overwhelmed with all the choices and options available (and prices!) and need your advice.

Diving will be the no. 1 priority for us, but somewhere to chill out would also be nice. We'd like to go somewhere with good reefs and an opportunity to see some big pelagics. We havent done much dive travel and do most of our diving in Sydney.

Currently our options are:-

1. I weeks diving in Palau (Sam's) and a few days on beach at pan pacific
2. I week at Uepi in Solomons
3. 10 days in Fiji (2 places from either Taneui, garden island resort, matava or Beqa lagoon)
4. 5 days at Jais Aben and 3 days at Walindi in PNG.

What would you do?

Thanks!

Jo

Hi Jo,

If you are in Australia have you ever dove Heron Island (off of Gladstone)? You will see a few Pelagics but it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and the diving is good to very good.

But the Best is on your list.....Palau and the Pan Pacific!
 
jow:
Help!

My husband and I are trying to book a dive holiday for early May. We're feeling rather overwhelmed with all the choices and options available (and prices!) and need your advice.

Diving will be the no. 1 priority for us, but somewhere to chill out would also be nice. We'd like to go somewhere with good reefs and an opportunity to see some big pelagics. We havent done much dive travel and do most of our diving in Sydney.

Currently our options are:-

1. I weeks diving in Palau (Sam's) and a few days on beach at pan pacific
2. I week at Uepi in Solomons
3. 10 days in Fiji (2 places from either Taneui, garden island resort, matava or Beqa lagoon)
4. 5 days at Jais Aben and 3 days at Walindi in PNG.

What would you do?

Thanks!

Jo

Any of those choices are in the top ten of the diving world. For pelagics, your best choice would be Palau, then Walindi, then Solomons, and last Fiji.
 

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