July 2008- Fiji, Raja Ampat OR ??

[krej27]

Hello fellow enthusiasts!

I am trying to figure out where to go in JULY 08! I am considering Fiji, Raja Ampat and Sipidan at this point. I am somewhat limited to areas in Malaysia, Indonesia OR Fiji, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa.

Please help me decide or make some suggestions for areas i am overlooking.

 

[robint]

Hello fellow enthusiasts!

I am trying to figure out where to go in JULY 08! I am considering Fiji, Raja Ampat and Sipidan at this point. I am somewhat limited to areas in Malaysia, Indonesia OR Fiji, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa.

Please help me decide or make some suggestions for areas i am overlooking.

Okay, you need to provide some information if you expect honest help. Fill out your profile.
Where are you?
Where are you flying out from?
How many dives do you have? Where have you been before? What do you want to see?
The places you have listed are all different - what is the goal of this trip?
How much is your $$$ budget?
How much time do you have?
Are you traveling alone? With divers or non-divers?
How many dives do you want to do per day? Topside activities?

 

[krej27]

Hi,

I will be flying from San Francisco. The goal of this trip is to experience the best diving possible with about 5-7 days. I have only dived in Thailand (Similans, Ko Lipe and around Phuket). I want to see both big and small sea creatures of all shapes and sizes. I will be with another diver and would like to do around 3 dives a day. I would like to stay at a land based operation. I would like to spend around $1200US for 5 days of actual diving. Topside is not so important ( nice beaches are a plus).

 

[robint]

Hi,

I will be flying from San Francisco. The goal of this trip is to experience the best diving possible with about 5-7 days. I have only dived in Thailand (Similans, Ko Lipe and around Phuket). I want to see both big and small sea creatures of all shapes and sizes. I will be with another diver and would like to do around 3 dives a day. I would like to stay at a land based operation. I would like to spend around $1200US for 5 days of actual diving. Topside is not so important ( nice beaches are a plus).

from that I would say that Fiji or Sipidan, Malaysia...... large and small animals, land-based, 2-3 dives per day available. For $1200, are you saying that for the hotel, diving, & food? Airfare?
I think you can do it all to Wananvu resort in Fiji for $2300pp including all meals and airfare from specials I have seen on Caradonna.com. Sipidan is in the same price range I think.

I haven't been to either place but have friends who have recently- both come highly recommended for fishlife of all sizes. In fact, I just returned from Palau and a couple and another guy both on the boat with us raved about Sipidan saying it is the best place they have ever been (the couple was from Thailand, the guy from Australia). They have been all over the Pacific, and although they thought Palau was fantastic, they said Sipidan was better. The other group I know went to Wananavu in Fiji this past November raved about the colors and coral of Bligh Waters, lots of big fish and little fish, and said the resort was fantastic (no beach at resort though).
Other friends of ours were just in Indonesia in 2007(Lembeh and Wakatobi) and loved it but said it is only little critters and purely a photographer's dream destination - if you aren't into photo, then you would be bored after second day. I have heard from others that Raja Ampat is similar, but don't know for sure.

robin

 

[kenworthg]

Maybe also consider vava'u in Tonga if you are going late July. That's the start of the humpback whale season and creatures don't get much bigger than these. This is the last place you can snorkel with the giants. The general diving is good, maybe not as colorful as Fiji, but certainly way better than Thailand. Out of the water costs are good as well.

 

[Heg]

This is the last place you can snorkel with the giants.

Not true.You can also do this in Niue. We just got back from our second trip and we snorkelled with humpback and her calf. AMAZING!!! And the diving is good too. Not much coral but lots of caves and LOTS of sea snakes.