Diving in south east asia

[SEA-fan]

Hello everybody,

I am new to this forum as well as I am pretty new to scuba diving. I did my padi open water diver last year in Thailand and was totally stoked about all the new impressions i got under water!
So i have decided to go back to SEA to do more diving, probably get my advanced open water certificate.
I will travel with a friend of mine who has only done the open water diver as well, we both have about 10-15 dives only and we are looking for a cool place to go in July.
I was thinking maybe malaysia (borneo?)? but i am open for suggestions...i have not booked a flight yet so indonesia, philippines, i am open for it all. We will have about 2 weeks time and want to dive as much as we can.
We would prefer less luxurious hotels and so on to untouched nature and not too crowded diving sites.

Thanks in advance for all your tips, i appreciate it!

 

[Tippytoes12]

The Philippines has amazing diving but it may be the rainy season then . Save it for another time.
If you can get Sipadan permits then Borneo is fantastic , we stayed with Scuba Junkies on Mabul who were fantastic. Another area which should have good weather then is Indonesia. Would recommend 5 days on the Gili Islands and the same on Nusa Lembongan.


Best wishes

 

[SEA-fan]

Thx a lot Tippy! I have just booked a flight to Tawau actually! Looking forward to diving there very much! I also have read that for diving at sipadan island i need to have an advanced open water diver or at least 20 logged dives. Is that true? does anybody know how serious they are about that?
And moreover can anybody recommend accomodation in Semporna? or is it better to stay at an island? The tours usually start from semporna anyway right?

Thx!

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check out Scuba Junkie - they have accommodation in Semporna and Mabul. For Sipadan you need a permit for each day you dive there - you should book these in advance to avoid disappointment...

 

[NFacey]

Hi there, my partner & I are in the same boat (ha) as SEA-fan, except we just spent a week in the Gili Islands and now looking to do our AOW in Malaysia or Thailand. Really wanted to do this in around Mabul / Sipadan, but sadly the recent kidnapping in the area means the FCO is advising against travel there. Ignoring this advice would invalidate our travel insurance
So now thinking along the lines of Tioman, Perhentian, or any of the Thai islands... any broad advice on how these destinations compare (during May)?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Wingy]

Tioman is pretty well used by new divers and very crowded on weekends....read some of the other threads on Tioman here. Perhentians underwater looked ok to me from pics a friend took there yesterday.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check Pulau Weh out too... Great diving, super chilled out island...

 

[victor]

I can recommend Perhentian having been there 5 or 6 times now. Long beach small (kechil) island is more a party location but nowhere is very busy.
If you can dive with Ricky at Steffen Sea Sports. The other DM's are Ok but Ricky is excellent.

Tioman is pretty well used by new divers and very crowded on weekends....read some of the other threads on Tioman here. Perhentians underwater looked ok to me from pics a friend took there yesterday.

 

[DiverDiverRUOK]

When is diving best in the Philippines? Any suggestions for where else to go in July-September?

 

[DownbelowDiver]

Hello everybody,

I am new to this forum as well as I am pretty new to scuba diving. I did my padi open water diver last year in Thailand and was totally stoked about all the new impressions i got under water!
So i have decided to go back to SEA to do more diving, probably get my advanced open water certificate.
I will travel with a friend of mine who has only done the open water diver as well, we both have about 10-15 dives only and we are looking for a cool place to go in July.
I was thinking maybe malaysia (borneo?)? but i am open for suggestions...i have not booked a flight yet so indonesia, philippines, i am open for it all. We will have about 2 weeks time and want to dive as much as we can.
We would prefer less luxurious hotels and so on to untouched nature and not too crowded diving sites.

Thanks in advance for all your tips, i appreciate it!

Hi SEA-fan ,

It’s lovely to hear the tropical waters of South East Asia have made such a positive impression on you!

Malaysian Borneo, particularly the state of Sabah, offers world class diving with the productive biological diversity of its tropical reefs!

I’m one of the PADI Instructors at Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures Tours and Travel Company and our premier PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre is based Gaya Island in the protected Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

Learn to Dive - PADI 5 Star Dive & Adventure Centre on Gaya Island | Diving Sabah? Dive Downbelow!

The marine park is a 7-minute fast speedboat ride from Kota Kinabalu City Centre, the capital of Sabah and there are a recorded 49 dive sites, so there’s a lot to explore!

TAR Park - Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah | Diving Sabah? Dive Downbelow!

We offer daily dive packages for as many days as you would like to experience and every day of the year we conduct 3 boat dives, however we can offer jetty or shore dives if you so wish.

Leisure & Fun Diving in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo | Diving Sabah? Dive Downbelow!

If you would like to have a private guide we are able to arrange this, no problem!
Our dive guides are incredibly helpful and will assist in any way to improve your buoyancy (E.g. Providing you with the proper weight and its distribution), they don’t treat divers differently based on the number of their logged dives! If you and your friend felt that you might like to refresh your memory, you might like to opt for a PADI Scuba Review program. In the morning, instead of a boat dive, a PADI Instructor will demonstrate and/or assess particular skills (you may choose other skills too) in the shallow training lagoon in front our Gaya Island beach house and then directly lead you into an open water dive, when you’re ready, for a shore dive.

PADI Review & Refresh Diving Course in Kota Kinabalu | Diving Sabah? Dive Downbelow!

Our daily dive packages are fully inclusive, with a buffet-style lunch and free flow refreshments (tea/coffee, biscuits, fresh fruits).
Transport logistics are provided by ourselves, which include transfer from your Kota Kinabalu City Centre accommodation to the Marina, and boat transfer to Gaya Island, as well as the transportation back to your hotel.
Our travel centre based in KK Times Square can also book your accommodation for you and according to your needs, such as if you would prefer backpacker or dormitory-style or luxury, boutique-hotels.

Discover Borneo through our Sabah Travel Centre | Diving Sabah? Dive Downbelow!

Contact us at anytime, our helpful and experienced Head Office members of staff will respond immediately to your enquiry and organize an itinerary for your awesome Borneo adventure!

Look forward to diving with you one day, SEA-fan!