Dive destination suggestions, beginner diver, 3 weeks in october

[snowboard]

Hello, I am about to be fresh off my OW course and want more!


I am looking at a 2-4 week trip somewhere in Asia starting in early October, hopefully get in 20 dives or so. There is a ton of information on this forum (and on travelfish). I'm trying to read up as much as possible but some direction or suggestions would be helpful as I'm limited with my computer time.


What I'm looking for-


1-Price, somewhere cheap. $30/dive or less, cheap accommodation, preferably a hostel backpacker dorm type set up. I have time, but not money

2-Other activities, interesting cities I'd pass through on the way there, or nearby. I've never been to Asia and am excited about seeing a totally new culture. China particularly interests me but it might be out my my budget.

3-Dive culture, somewhere with a good PADI school and a bunch of active enthusiastic divers. I'd like to take an AOW course






A few places I've come across:


Bali-
Tulamben - Two dive ops, maybe a bit isolated


Thailand-
Pulau Weh - Cheap dives/lodging, maybe not the highest quality dives (but I have no comparison)
Koh Tao - Buddha View, cheap dives and AOW. Might be too much of a party scene


Philippines
Coron - Very cheap lodging, seems like the bigger town of the 3 places, good dive school




I am in NZ at the moment and will be flying back to the US after my dive trip, I haven't started pricing out costs to get to these places yet, so maybe the cheap lodging in Coron doesn't matter if I pay way more to get there.


Thanks for any advice!

 

[TorsteinH]

Have a look at Sabang, Philippines. Lodgings in all price categories and I'm not sure anyone knows how many dive ops.. Some 30-35 I presume. Dive sites are mostly 5-10 minutes boat ride away. Dive prices are in the area of 27-30 usd pr dive. Access: in Manila stay over at city state tower hotel. In the lobby the sell tickets to combined bus/ferry. About 3.5 hour trip from Manila.

Anilao in the same area could be interesting as well, but every resort is apparently pretty isolated, so might be a bit boring when travelling alone.

 

[DiveExploreIndonesia]

Hi snowboard. I probably would go for Bali! For Tulamben area you can stay in Amed where you'll find decent accommodation for less than 100$ a week. There's also a package with Puri Wirata (5* Padi resort) for AOW+Nitrox, including accommodation during your course for around 450$.....

You can do a bit of sight-seeing on your way there (i.e. stop in Ubud for few nights) and after I would consider Nusa Lembongan, easy to reach, reasonably priced and good access to beautiful dive sites over in Nusa Penida...

Hope this helps!!

 

[elZub]

1-Price, somewhere cheap. $30/dive or less, cheap accommodation, preferably a hostel backpacker dorm type set up. I have time, but not money

2-Other activities, interesting cities I'd pass through on the way there, or nearby. I've never been to Asia and am excited about seeing a totally new culture. China particularly interests me but it might be out my my budget.

3-Dive culture, somewhere with a good PADI school and a bunch of active enthusiastic divers. I'd like to take an AOW course

i've been to pulau weh (btw it's in indonesia), kho tao and coron.

weh:
just snorkeling in weh, and i saw sea snake, turtles and many fishes, just putting a mask and snorkel. i didn't see people diving during my stay, but if you can see such creatures from the surface i cannot imagine diving there.
1 i shared my room with other people met on the ferry, and i can say is a bit expensive for a backpacker style.

2 you have to land in sumatra that is an amazing island with wild nature, and genuine people. so it's worth the journey if you spend time traveling around.

3dive culture? i didn't see. but i bet there is!

koh tao
if you go there don't miss sail rock.
1 is the cheapest place between the three. you can find accomodation for 5 euro (no a/c). maybe less fun dives are cheap too, food 1-2 euro for dish
2 in the island not much to do, just dive dive dive! you can do yoga or snorkeling. but you are really close to kho samui more touristic island and kho phangan (full moon party and a lot of yoga and detox)
3 dive community is huge!most of the people there are divers, or they will be in few days.

coron
if you like wreck diving..you have to go there.
and don't forget the barracuda lake.
open water licence maybe is not enought for most of the wreck site.
1 a bit expensive if compare to kho tao but still cheap. the problem there is to find a cheap accomodation, cause there are only few hostel style in the island. otherwise you can find a single room fro 10 euro.
2 i've been just diving, i didn't explore the island, but i think there is not too much to see.
the best way to reach coron is by fly, so if you come from manila i suggest to explore the north for the rice terrace. (amazing)
3 there is a dive community but during my stay i met just few divers, but i've been there 2 days. the time to fill my hunger for wreck diving

i've been to bali, but didn't dive there.
i think bali could be the best option, you can find cheap accomodations and all sort of activities and things to do and see. is a big island. rent a motorbike and try to discover it.
there are party scene but you can even stay away from it, and settle in a more "spiritual" place.



[what i wrote is based on 2012/2013 trips]

 

[pughio83]

Highly recommend bali. Tulumben has loads of dive ops and many cheap with good packages. Amed also. Diving can be a mixture of coral and muck and yes u can explore rest of Bali including ubud which is great, especially for travellers. You can hire a driver for the day to drive u all over Bali for next to nothing. After that then head over to Nusa lembongan, again which has cheap dive options. Here u can do aow course or simply go see mantas and great coral dives, in oct good chance mola mola still there. That combo would give u a good mix and can be low cost if u wish. U could even finish diving in the gilli islands of want to add a bit of party into the mix. Beautiful islands and can explore Lombok a bit.

Coron I would go if u want wreck diving but otherwise isolated, ko Tao diving not on a standard as Indonesia full stop. However the party traveller atmosphere there is nice and chilled.


Philippines would be the other option. It's easy and cheap to travel around, you am visit different places to see different things and some land stuff. Eg Peurta galera, Bohol, Sogod bay in Southern Leyte, Cebu/oslob. Weather in oct may be more unreliable than Bali at this time.

Enioy

 

[Mucksavage]

Another vote for Philippines as a place that has it all. If you base yourself in Cebu (or more specifically fly in there) you are in easy reach of Malapascua (Thresher Sharks, wrecks and reef), Dauin (great muck diving, Apo Island), Moalboal (schools of Sardines, walls), Balicassag (turtles, walls, schools) and lots of beaches all the way. All locations will have Five Star resorts like ours here in Malapascua. Let me know if you need more info. I dived all around SE Asia and then finally came to the Philippines on holiday 6 years ago. I never left!

Of course suggestions above like Nth Sulawesi, Bali etc are top class also. You won't be disappointed by any.

 

[victor]

Malaysia
Tioman, Redang
Both have dive sites that are within your skill level and are very good value for money and a wide variety dive shops and accommodation.
Be honest with the diveshop on your experience level and remember you can refuse to do any dive that is outside your comfort zone. That includes thumbing the dive at any time you feel is too dangerous.
I have seen very inexperienced divers being taken on dives that they were not qualified or capable to do. It does not always end well.

 

[Luko]

Tulamben : you'll probably get some of the cheapest diving there because it's mainly shore diving. LOTS of dive centres, less expensive than Amed which I find less dive oriented with less interesting spots too... and, you're in Bali, so everything is possible, one or two hours drive away.

Weh : if you think Tulamben is isolated you have no idea how Weh is isolated!!!.. and also conservative. Few dive spots, few dive shops, went once, will never go back for sure.

Philippines are good but why Coron, which is isolated too? Puerto Galera is more of a party place with lots and lots of excellent dive shops. Alona/Panglao is better looking, Moalboal is cheap and small.

 

[Oldbear]

about 3 years ago, my brother did his OW Referral and AOW with Scuba Cat in Phuket; I took specialty dives and completed the Master Diver Challenge...not for the cert but for the bundle price. Scuba Cat took us out on a "training" live aboard and we got 4-5 dives per day. I do not remember the total price but I know it was very cheap. When in Phuket we stayed at the Sawadee Hotel (I think there are about 20 Sawadee hotels in Phuket - Patong Beach area so look around) for about $24 USD per night. Simple room with two beds, a TV and a bathroom with facilities and shower. We stayed in Phuket for about $50 a day with meals, lodging, taxis...and beer.

Liveaboards Phuket |Thailand Diving : Scuba cat diving ? phuket

 

[Bubble Junky]

Pulau Weh offers fantastic diving, but it is not in Thailand - it's Indonesia. Check out Lumba Lumba dive centre, as they have an amazing house reef - I have seen mimics, rhinopias, mantas, eagle rays, frogfish etc on this house reef... There's not much else to do there, but it is perfect for a few days diving. It's easily reached with a flight to Banda Aceh from KL or Penang.

For Thailand, have a look at Koh Lanta and Hidden Depths or Lanta Diver. Most people would agree that the diving on the west coast of Thailand is better than that on the east coast. Lanta had a great season with lots of mantas and whale sharks last season...