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Try to add a couple of days. That way you can cover both North and South Fakarava. July is a fine time to travel. July is also time for the grouper spawn in South Fakarava which is well worth the travel time.

I have had pretty good luck with Trip Advisor. Like any large enterprise with the possibility for shenanigans, corruption and fraud, these are bound to exist. But really where/what else are you going to reference? I wouldn't take it as gospel. But given just covering your eyes and throwing a...

My wife and I did a week long trip aboard the Seahorse to RA in 2011. I had no complaints. It was a great trip. A very comfortable boat at what is these days a reasonable live aboard price. Guides were good, a little too much baby sitting. Very good food.

I am going to add on to my above post. Most of these non diver people I mention above are repeat visitors. It is evidently an annual excursion for many people who just come to chill out.

I would add Menjangan as a good beginner spot. My wife got her OW certification there and it was a life transforming experience as she went on to eventually get her DM Cert.

I have three trips to Fakarava and Rangiroa. I usually stay in meal inclusive mid-range pensions. What amazes me are the amount of people who I share breakfast and dinner with daily who are not there to dive. They are generally European, mostly French who just want to chill in unspoiled...

In my personal experience you can dive all passes regardless of certification level, tidal action being the major determinate. Deeper dives are prohibited without proper certification. If deeper dives are what you want get certified to at least PADI Rescue. ---------- Post added May 18th, 2015...

Several times a year there is a LAX-Tahiti special for $999. Most of us have a few air miles at any given time so that can take some of the pain away. Regarding comparing Komodo to FP, I tilt to Komodo. I haven't been to Palau so will not offer an opinion.

There are quite a few dive operations/locations around the world that require that each diver carry a SMB. I think that it is assumed that carrying a SMB would imply proficiency of use. There is no qualifier to this protocol regarding certification level or agency. For safety concerns I have had...

Over the past 18 months I have made 3 trips to the Tuamotus Islands. The first was a combination of Fakarava and Rangiroa. Then just Fakarava and the third trip just Rangiroa. The diving is really spectacular on both islands, but there are also some "samey samey" dives. Such as, South Pass in...

I have never witnessed shark feeding in Tiputu Pass in Rangiroa. It seems completely unwarranted as there hundreds of sharks around already. I did witness a "one fish left under a rock" as inducement for the silver tip sharks at Avatoru Pass a few years ago. That practice is done no longer. Not...

I have written 2 trip reports on North Fakarava I believe this is the link to the most recent http://2sb.us/491826 This might be helpful. Keep your wife happy with your selection, as I did not. She compared one of our bungalows to her experience as a medical mission worker in Sierra Leon. I...

I have not been to Palau, reason being the very expensive ticket. I have been to both Tahiti and Fiji twice. I am going again to Tahiti in a month. The above comments on Fiji are right on. If you can dive the Bligh Waters and Rainbow Reef the trip is great. Diving Tahiti is for me diving either...

Definitely Rangiroa and Fakarava. I have heard only complaints regarding Moorea and Bora Bora, specifically regarding coral bleaching and Crown of Thorns infestation. I have not personally seen this but take it from a good source. I have been to both Fakarava and Rangiroa a couple of times and...

Thanks much for the explanation, regarding the differences between these agencies. My first dive course (NAUI/YMCA) in the 60s taught decompression as part of the course. I can see the pros and cons as to why decompression diving is left as a separate certification. My personal experience with...

I have been diving in French Polynesia the past two summers and I have run up against a distinct disdain for American divers based on our predominant certification agency; PADI. You get no respect. Dive operators sneer at the mention of PADI. Fortunately, I also have various certifications from...

I posted a trip report a few weeks back regarding my experience in North Fakarava, this is the bookend to that first piece. We were picked up at our pension in North Fakrava and taken by van to the boat dock and our further trip by boat to Tetamanu Village in the South. The ride covers around 30...

This is our second trip to Fakarava in the last two years. Last year with more time we did both Rangiroa and Fakarava. This year with only 9 days of travel and 6 dive days we did just Fakarava. Fakarava is a UNESCO World Heritage site, an atoll encircling a 35 mile long lagoon. There are two...

We dove both Rangiroa and Fakarava north and south last spring, each for 5 days. They were both superb.The north pass in Fakarava has the best hard coral anywhere I've seen and plenty of fish of every type. The south pass has the resident population of 300 white tips you will see every dive...

Tulamben and Nusa Penida are both great dive sights. Besides the Liberty wreck at Tulamben there is some very good muck/critter diving. I would also recommend Menjangan Island. I have dived there several times and there is plenty to see. I prefer the outside sloping wall to the shoreside wall. I...