Where to go in September/October

[heehee62]

Where's a good diving spot to go to in Sept/Oct? We're open to anywhere in the world. I want some place that will leave my traveling companions in awe so we can convince them to go traveling and diving more. Cannot be for advance divers though.

thanks.

 

[herbdb]

My diving experience is limited to the US and the Carribean. My only advise is to stay away from the Atlantic Hurricane belt. That time of year the only places in the Carribean, Southern US and Bermuda that are unlikely to be affected are very far south, like the Dutch Antillies. Other places are OK for short term planning. The divers in my family are heading for Bonaire in Sept.

It would be helpful if you gave us an idea of what you are looking for other than the diving in the way of accomodations, meals and other activities. Many of the Dive Resorts are rustic compared to a five star resort, but great diving. Live aboards also vary greatly in the quality of the accomodations.

This will be an interesting thread.

 

[heehee62]

It would be helpful if you gave us an idea of what you are looking for other than the diving in the way of accomodations, meals and other activities. .

We are fine with rustic accommodations. We are willing to spend a fortune on activities and actually prefer to go cheap on accommodations this time (some frugal companions with us who can skip on activities). So with a cheap accommodation budget, assume will have to rule out liveaboard .

Cancun/Cozumel, Phillipines, Hawaii, anything within the hurricane belt, and Africa have all been ruled out for one reason or another.

We are extremely active, adventurous, love variety in diving, and enjoy trying new things. But this time, we don't care about other activities.

We only have one goal this time. That's to leave my sister's boyfriend in awe so that he becomes addicted to both diving and vacation so he'll go again in the future.

Cancun was actually perfect but cannot go there and risk hurricane this time (if bad weather ruins vacation, boyfriend may never go again). We did not have to travel far to do things and we loved Cancun cause we were sure the whale sharks were exactly the kind of "awe" that would convince her boyfriend to keep going on vacation. Sipadan was another place we heard would leave him in "awe" but again, ruled out for other reasons.

 

[cbm32]

Try going to Fiji. My wife and I are headed there IN early Sept and will probably be there 45 to 60 days.

 

[robint]

Sept/Oct can be risky in the Caribbean due to hurricane season.... but it can be a great time, too. You just never know if a storm will blow thru. It can be rainy though.

The Fiji suggestion is nice, but diving there is drift diving and most dives are more advanced for that reason. You had said that you didn't want advanced.

If money is no object, as well as time traveling, I would think about Palau and Yap. The dives in Palau are drift diving also, but the boats pick you up when you surface, like in Cozumel. Many are considered advanced, due to the drift and the sharks.... but for me, it is worth the adventure. Sept-Oct is the rainy season there, but then it rains almost daily there year-round, it just rains a bit more during that timeframe.

As far as the WOW factor.... Palau is it. Every dive is a wow experience!
[vimeo]3506378[/vimeo]
sorry it is not HD, we were there in 2007.

Of course.... once you have been to Palau, no other place will be quite so exciting!

robin

 

[cbm32]

Sorry robint but that is a little bit of a mis-characterization. Not all diving in Fiji is drift diving. There are many dive sites in Fiji at are not only not drift dives, but that are well suited for beginners. Where I am going there are both...actually more easy dives than drift and yet very very good dives. Not all diving in Fiji is Great White Wall diving.

 

[charlier]

One suggestion is a Bali. November is off-season and the island has many beautiful dive sites that are accessible to all level of divers. Heathly coral reefs, lots of fish, etc. You might be able arrange a super saver flight to Singapore - then itsnonly a short hop over to Bali. There are many non-touristy areas for divers with nice and affordable accomodations. It is a long trip from the USA...

 

[heehee62]

Bonaire and Bali are my top two picks right now. I LOVE the other places more actually (fantastic video robint) but some of us are actually beginners who are already pushing it with intermediate sites (decided it was worth it and they are good for beginners). We can only go to a place once with such a big world so don't want to pick a place where we'd miss out on too many must not miss dive sites cause we're not experienced enough yet.

Does Bonaire have a WOW factor animal/fish life? I don't think sister's boyfriend would be impressed as much by beautiful coral.

Bali is a great choice and definitely under consideration. Only hesitation is one of us has been there before and wants to see a new place.

 

[searider]

Sabang Beach, Puerto Galera, oriental mindoro, Phlippines.
About Puerto Galera: This coastal town is well known among tourists for its numerous pocket beaches and many snorkeling and Scuba diving spots. The area was designated a Man and Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO in 1973 and has some of the most diverse coral reef diving in Asia. The marine environment has benefited in recent years from the influx of tourist dollars. This has seen a huge reduction in the number of fishermen in the area, as they gain higher revenue from tourists.

Nautical chart of Puerto Galera's harbor (1917)​

Puerto Galera is a listed by the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World, and is the only bay in the Philippines to be listed there.^[4]
Among the famous beaches in Puerto Galera are Sabang Beach and White Beach, which have an active nightlife with numerous bars and restaurants. Both beaches also have an array of first-class and economy-class accommodations.
Sabang beach is the main destination for foreign tourists, while White Beach remains popular with local travelers. Big La Laguna Beach and Small La Laguna Beach are considered part of Sabang with resorts lining the beaches. Big La Laguna Beach is popular for local swimmers and snorkelers. Since 2001 White beach has seen uncontrolled development. New restaurants and places to stay are rapidly encroaching on the beach itself and little remains of the once charming beach. Puerto Galera town is a pleasant but sleepy Philippine town with few attractions. It has a large central catholic church and a Pier area, with a selection of bistros and cafes.
Behind the beaches are the huge and generally unexplored mountain ranges of central Mindoro. A particular local attraction is the nine hole golf course perched on the hillside above White Beach which commands spectacular views over Puerto Galera's natural harbor and the Verde Island Passage.Mangyan tribes are scattered over the mountain sides - some of the more remote tribes have virtually no contact with the outside world. Of the eight tribes on Mindoro, the Iraya are the largest. They are based in the Puerto Galera area.
Puerto Galera is among the top diving destination in the Philippines. Excellent diving is found less than 5 minutes from Sabang Beach. The diving generally focuses around the areas either side of Escarceo Point, which is famous for its current rips. Strong currents are a feature of the diving in Puerto Galera and it is good advice to employ the services of an experienced local guide or dive centre. There are more than thirty dive sites all within a 5-10 minute banca ride from Sabang Beach. Marine life is highly diverse. 180+ species of nudibranchs are found in the area and many species of fish can be seen. A variety of wrecks have been sunk over the years in addition to the one wreck of an engine of a WWII Japanese patrol boat. ---credits for wikipedia.org

 

[lamarpaulski]

Where's a good diving spot to go to in Sept/Oct? We're open to anywhere in the world. I want some place that will leave my traveling companions in awe so we can convince them to go traveling and diving more. Cannot be for advance divers though.

thanks.

Last Sept/October my wife and I traveled to Bali (by way of Singapore) then on to Komodo. One of the best trips if not the best trip ever. Bali was fascinating and had very good diving too. Komodo was the best diving I had ever done and was also a fascinating and different place topside. Weather was superb the whole trip and temps were warm but not killer hot. There are mosquitoes in both places, esp tropical Bali. We loved Ubud and the diving on the Liberty. People were friendly and helpful. Traffic/roads on Bali are a bit chaotic but we had a driver/guide (very reasonable) which took the stress and much of the danger out of it.

Not related to diving but we had an extended lay-over in Singapore and really enjoyed that city too. It gets a bad rep as boring but I found it clean and beautiful and a nice first world break from the wilds of Komodo. They have a beautiful Buddhist museum and many cool parks and sights. One caveat...its a long trip so devote enough time to make the long flights worthwhile. I found using a Bali travel agent helped...internet travel arrangements, esp for flights to Komodo, are iffy from USA.

PaulG.