Bali or Great Barrier Reef liveaboard (or other)

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vandal138

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Hi all. I will be in the Australia area around Feburary and am planning on joining a liveaboard while I'm there. A 7 +/- day liveaboard.
My question to you is, where will I have the best diving experience on a liveaboard? I have already dove in the inner reef on a 3 day liveaboard full of backpackers. I feel as if I didn't see the REAL Great Barrier Reef, which is why I would consider going back there again to do it properly. I am also considering going to Bali because its a new location and also sounds really nice.
If anyone has any experience or insight, please share it with me. I am also open to other suggestions. (I recently did a liveaboard in Palau, now I'm spoiled when it comes to great diving trips.)
 
I have dived in both places.

GBR was my first liveaboard trip and it was an overcrowded 4-day trip back in 2006 and from what I recall was OK to good at best. They only had a few dives in the outer reefs and it was perhaps not the 'real' GBR as you say. Currently, Spirit of Freedom and Spoilsport do some 7-day trips in the Coral Sea area but they are too expensive to interest me. You can get better dive trips for that price.

While there is fantastic diving in and around Bali - Tulamben, Padang Bai, Nusa Penida, Candidasa etc, there is no dedicated Bali liveaboard boat as such. The Mermaids Liveaboards start out of Benoa Harbour for their Komodo trips and I did a 9-day 28-dive cruise in June this year. It was one of the best dive trips with superb diving through and through, way better than anything that GBR can offer. But I am not sure that February is the best time to go there because of the Monsoon season.

If you are looking at February and the Indo-Pacific, the liveaboard boats based around Phuket are a great option. There are several 4 to 7 day itineraries covering Similans, Surin, Phi Phi etc. There are plenty of boats and itineraries to shop around and most are good value. You also get the chance to dive some sites not covered by the cruise by doing a few days of land-based diving before or after. Finally, there is plenty of non-diving activities and night life in Phuket.

Although I have not been there myself, I have heard that Palau in the West Pacific is a great place to dive in February. There are several liveaboard boats and while they are expensive, no more so than those Coral Sea Boats. Palau trips are also longer and with better diving I am sure.

Further in the Indian Ocean, Maldives offer the choice of 10 or more liveaboard boats and February is an ideal time to go. I have been there twice at that time of the year and both trips were memorable with some of world's best diving.
 
I concur to what Hinterman is saying: choices are inexistant or at best very limited for LOB on Bali.
Why?
Well, what would be the point? Dive sites are fairly close to shore and to each other. No need for long commutes if you stay in one or two places that are close to the dive spots (ie not the South).
On top of that, staying on a liveaboard would mean missing out on a unique culture, that is both warm and welcoming to foreigners. I like to think that even the least culturally inclined travelers would enjoy this.
Even if you are a liveaboard addict, you shouldn't miss out on diving in Bali. The diversity of dive sites is truly breathtaking. After 5 years of being here, I am far from getting bored of the diving especially since dive sites keep on evolving (and not all for the worst!).

Now, if you can't dive outside a liveaboard, I would recommend Raja Ampat. Much mor bang for your bucks than even GBR's outer reefs. Do book early as you'll be surprised at how quickly the good boats get filled...
 
Everything that gekodivebali said. Biodiversity is higher in the Indo/Malaysia/Philippines corner, while the outer GBR probably has better visibility in general. Australia is really expensive at the moment, I have met many Australians diving in Borneo because it was cheaper for them than doing a dive holiday at home.
 
Thank you all for the great input. I will be looking into NON liveaboards from Bali and Thailand, I just have to decide which one. I am not to interested in spending time on the land though, I would like to be underwater as much as possible, which is why I enjoyed liveaboards. Also, money saved will be a factor.
 

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