Where to dive far away from the US?

[heehee62]

5 of us would like to go diving someplace far away from Portland, Oregon our home town. Mixed group, some beginners some advanced. Can go any time of the year.

Flight costs are not an issue as we've got enough United miles to fly for free. Would like to spend 2 weeks (discluding flight time) somewhere, and spend about $2000 or less. We don't need fancy hotel rooms but we need activities every day cause we get bored easily (not necessarily all diving, though around 1/2 to 2/3 of the time).

I was thinking Phillipines originally, but the places I wanted to go to like Malascapua were hardest hit by the typhoon. I wanted Sipidan and then onto Borneo but I believe terrorism is making entry there dangerous (typhoons and terrorism are ruining all the vacation spots I want to go to).

No Caribbean, south/central America as those are too close to the US and my flight miles are better spent elsewhere.

Thanks.

 

[Doc]

"Where to dive far away from the US?"


The opposite side of the world from Portland, Oregon is Madagascar, something to think about, that's about as far away as you can do.

If you plan on diving 1/2 to 2/3 of the time, well, that's a lot of diving what with it being 12 to 16 hours a day. How many dives a day, really?

The Philippines is a really big place. Consider Batangas?

And I understand your concern about the terrorists, you oughtta see them Gorillas.

Truk, Chuuk?

 

[pocky21]

If you want to get as FAR AWAY from Portland as possible, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands are almost, literally, under your feet. Specifically the Ile de la Possession

Both Antarctic and Subantarctic Fur Seals, as well as Southern Elephant Seals, breed on the island. A pod of about 80 Killer Whales inhabits the surrounding waters.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

My buddy Kevin has dived all seven continents. Check out his pics to get an idea of what you want to see.
Kevin Lee's Photos

 

[Kevrumbo]

Using USA Territory of Guam as your hub, island hop across tropical Micronesia/Oceania/Australia/SE Asia.


Easy "Beginner Itinerary" to start: The incredible walls, corals, schooling big fish/pelagics/sharks & drift dives of Palau, then Guam hub, and finally to the beautiful soft coral adorned Truk Lagoon WWII Wrecks in Chuuk. No currency exchange needed -all use US dollars. Flights are easy to book online with United Airlines out of mainland Pacific Gateways such as San Francisco/Los Angeles -or even Denver to Tokyo whenever they get that Dreamliner 787 fixed. Whatever is left in the travel budget, add a couple days stopover in Oahu/Pearl Harbor/Honolulu-Waikiki Beach on the way back to the mainland to gradually "re-acclimatize" back to hectic urban life. . .


Spa stuff for the female dive buddy in Palau:
Palau Pacific Resort Villas | Palau Spa and Massage | Palau Packages


Sam's Tours: Palau Diving Micronesia, Island Hopping and dive travels

Ocean Hunter I & III - Palau's most luxurious liveaboards

Truk Stop Hotel

Scuba Diving Truk Lagoon Aboard Odyssey. The best way to explore Truk Lagoon in Micronesia

 

[Drin]

+1 on kevrumbo's post.

 

[tajkd]

Truk lagoon is my choice. World class wrecks, life and great ops...

 

[willknock]

How about South Africa? We booked with an outfit over there for diving/transport/accommodation, then flew to Cape Town, hopped on an internal flight to Durban and dived all around there; Aliwal Shoals and Protea Banks being two main places. Ended the two weeks by heading back to Cape Town and then to Gansbaai for a couple if days cage diving with great whites (same company organised that for us too). Could do a couple of days safari for the non diving time?

 

[heehee62]

I'm really liking your itinerary Kevrumbo. Can that really be done in 2 weeks time and under $2K?

I've got enough United miles for one free flight to Palau. I have a bad feeling they don't let you stop off on layovers for long stays with free flights.

Would I be missing out terribly without Guam?

Love the photosmaxbottomtime. They make me want to go everywhere!

I've been to South Africa before and it's a great idea but most don't want to return there until they are good enough to do that sardine run.

I'm not much a cold water diver so Antartica is out (plus I'm sure it's super expensive).

---------- Post added December 31st, 2013 at 01:09 PM ----------

Woah! Just looked at flight costs from Palau to Truk. Not cheap and I can only get one free flight (the one to Palau). Liveaboards that go between the 2 places are expensive too.

Any way to make both Palau and Truk affordable under my budget? I might be able to convince others to $3K though that's really pushing it.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I'm really liking your itinerary Kevrumbo. Can that really be done in 2 weeks time and under $2K?

I've got enough United miles for one free flight to Palau. They don't let you stop off on layovers for long stays with free flights so I'd have to cut Guam out. But I could still go to Truk if I paid for a separate flight there and then back to Palau to catch my main flight.

Would I be missing out terribly without Guam?

For only two weeks total, I would recommend either one but not both Palau & Truk/Chuuk (especially if you want to keep the travel budget under $3k, and enjoy a nice long easy stay). Flying United frequent flier miles, Guam is usually only a short one to three hour stopover hub from Honolulu or Palau & Truk, but a long 8 to 12 hours if coming from Tokyo -you really don't have to overnight in Guam if you don't need to and you wouldn't be missing anything. They have a good United Club waiting room in Guam's Won Pat Int'l Airport.

Shop around though, and see if you can find a great dive-ops/hotel package deal for a combined Palau & Truk/Chuuk two week trip:

MDA Aquaquest Pacific Travel

World of Diving & Adventure Vacations - Scuba Diving, Island Vacations, Diving Packages, Live-Aboards, Adventure Travel