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We finished our trip on the Indo Siren this morning. Will post a full report when I get home (I'm writing this on an iPhone in the Manado Novotel), but in brief, the boat was the most spacious I've been on - both cabins and Dive Deck, and the crew and dive guides were very good. I would go...

Looking forward to your trip reports - and to my own trip in January. I've also decided to stop for a few days in Lembeh (at Divers Lodge Lembeh) - where are you staying? Neil.

It really amuses me that all you Divers in the USA are whining about excess baggage charges, when you already get far more generous baggage allowances than the rest of the world! In Europe, we have had a checked baggage allowance of between 20 and 23 Kilos (that's 44 - 50 pounds, depending on...

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Unfortunately, I've just discovered that there's an ASEAN Tourism Forum conference on in Manado on the day we're there - so pretty much all of the hotels mentioned are already booked out. I've discovered two that still have rooms available: The...

Hi there, I'll be going on a trip to Raja Ampat in Jan 2012, and will need a 1-night stopover in Manado on the way back. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good, mid-range hotel? Ideally one with a pool, since I'll be there for almost 24 hours. Thanks in advance, Neil.

The WWDS website suggests that the S/Y Siren takes 16 guests, and actually can take 18, on special charters. It also says that the Mandarin Siren takes 8 guests. It's possible that they've recently changed things, particularly on the Mandarin Siren - recent emails from them to me have...

Misool is actually part of Raja Ampat - the name means "Four Kings", and refers to the four main islands in the area: Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta, and Misool. Kri and Sorido resorts are on the North side of Batanta, so staying there you will dive mainly the area between Batanta and Waigeo...

Have a look at S/Y Siren Liveaboard Review | Dive Happy I've done a fair bit of research on these boats, since I'm organising a group trip to Raja Ampat in Jan 2012 on the Indo Siren. I've yet to find anything bad about them.

One of the UK's best-known Underwater Photography Shops, Ocean Optics has put together an "Underwater Photography Stage" at their base near Basildon, about 30mins from London. The stage is built in the filming tank of Action Underwater Studios, and is around six meters deep. The Water...

OK, So I've had a Buddy Ranger BC for years, and love it, but... It weighs in at over 5Kg. With most airlines doing away with extra allowances for divers, trying to keep the weight for a 2-week trip to under 20Kg is next to impossible. My Dive Bag weighs 17.5Kg before I've even packed any...

Sea Explorers (at the Pura Vida resort) do island-hopping trips, including transfers between Dauin and Siquijor. Might be worth asking them whether they could transfer you. Philippine Scuba Diving - PADI Dive Centers - Sea Explorers Philippines

We're not flying out until two days later, on the 26th. Corrine's fine - still an active member of the club (but not coming on this trip). Enjoy Chuuk ! Neil.

@skuba dude: As someone who travelled extensively in the Philippines, and worked as a Dive Guide on Apo in the late 1990's, I know that Apo Island is a genuine Marine reserve. As with many Marine Reserves, it is split into two areas: A "Sanctuary" on the East side of the Island...

Hi, I'm organising a 2-week trip through my Scuba Club, GLUG, to the Visayas from Feb 27th - Mar 13th 2010. We'll be visiting three resorts, and all transfers are via Dive boat (weather permitting), or ferry, so we won't lose any diving days. Cost is £1200 including Deluxe Accommodation...

Does it have to be a Liveaboard? I'm running a 2-week Island-hopping trip to the Philippines at the end of February, through my Scuba Club, GLUG. Yes, we're a Gay & Lesbian Club, but we're more than happy to have Straight Divers along on our trips - as long as you're Gay-friendly and don't...

I'm organising a trip through my UK Scuba Club, GLUG, to the Visayas region of the Philippines. We'll be spending 5 nights at Pura Vida Resort, Dauin, followed by 4 nights at Coco Beach Resort on Siquijor, finishing with 5 nights at the Alona Vida Beach Resort on Panglao Island. Cost is...

I'm flying London to Manila or Cebu (via Abu Dhabi if I go with Ethiad).

Has anyone flown with Etihad Airways? I wanted to know whether they give any extra baggage allowance to Divers, so I phoned to ask. After being put on hold for a couple of minutes, I was told that Scuba Gear has to go Freight !! I thought this was rather strange, so I phoned back a while...

Canukdiver, Thanks for your reply. I've been corresponding with Sea Explorers via email, and found them to be very helpful. One sticking point for us was that their "unlimited diving" package is actually only two boat dives per day, however after a few emails, they've agreed to give us a...

Has anyone been on one of the Island Hopping trips that Sea Explorers advertise? I'm thinking of organising a group trip to the Philippines, and would like to go to two or three places, including Dumaguete (I worked as a Dive Guide on Apo Island for a month or so about 15 years ago, and would...