So easy yet so difficult

[cavemanxxx]

Went looking for a very good dive site for mainly Macro stuff in South East Asia, and at the same time wanted a decent resort so non diving friends can hang out at the pool.

Bali - Good resorts, moderate diving (?)
Manado - Good diving, moderate resorts (?)
Komodo - too difficult to get to, I dont have alot of leave


Only place so far still looking like win win is Puerto Galera in Philippines

Any tips ?

 

[AliKat]

It's been years, but I remember the diving as being pretty decent in Bali...plus so much else to do there.

 

[diverkim]

Porto Galera is great but so is Anilao in Batangas province just three hrs south of Manila.
They have many low-priced and higher-priced resorts there and good macro diving.

 

[Zept]

...at and around Tulamben in Bali. And Tauch Terminal resort has a very nice pool with a view of the ocean. Downside is that the beach is rocky and unattractive to non divers.

Zept

 

[frogfish]

Caveman - Agree with your comment on Manado; Komodo is only really enjoyable from a live aboard which is not the best option for your non diving friends. Bali is definitely a good choice for you, and the diving is very good; if you are really into Macro, you can try Secret Bay in West Bali (great muck diving), or as stated previously Tulamben and Amed; dive sites around Padangbai and Candidasa are also very good.

 

[Peter Lim]

Caveman, I am not too sure of your standard of a resort.

In Manado, you could stay at the Tasik Ria Resort, nice and comfortable, come with swimming pool and the best diving boats in town from Eco Divers; hang out in the town during night fall. Same apply to Bali but not so nice diving as compare to Manado.

You could go to Pulau Redang, good diving sites in the east coast of West Malaysia, Berjaya Beach Resort, and your non-diver friends could do their spa, snorkeling or play golf in the day, but nothing much in the night. You could also try Langkawi in the west coast.

Layang Layang in Sabah, Borneo; 5 stars resort, nice pool, great diving but boring at night. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Sabah; there are some good Hotel. Non-divers could do shopping, snorkeling or golfing and party at night but ok diving. Forget about Sipadan or Lankayan, your non-divers friends will bore to death.

Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Phuket, ok diving and ok resort but you could party every night.

Just got to give and take.

 

[annie]

Bali is great diving. And it's only a small little island so if you get bored in one place you can go onto the next and travel around a bit. The north is supposed to be lovely.

BTW the snorkelling in Tulumben is pretty good if your friends snorkel, but I found it very quiet there for non divers. Padangbai has a lovely beach and a bit more to it, but I didn't dive there.

Avoid Kuta - it's all resort and no diving.