or you could just contact south siam divers direct as most (not all) use south siam boats 3,4 boat 3 covers the similan and koh boh and boat four goes to richy rock.
Suggestions on dive resorts in SE Asia
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stevenl
Contributor
For a relaxing liveaboard on a quality boat, I really think the SSD 3 and 4 boats are not a good advice.
For my 25th anniversary I would choose something else.
For my 25th anniversary I would choose something else.
Kevrumbo
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Andaman Thailand:
Novotel Phuket Resort; and then the M/V Mermaid II to the Similans/Richelieu Rock.
Philippines (Palawan):
El Nido Resort; and then Tubbataha Reefs.
Expensive Itineraries, but still a great value for the US Dollar.
Happy 25th Anniversary!
stevenl
Contributor
Yes, and that is getting easier and easier
. I would not be surpirsed though when some of the boats increase their prices with the US$ getting worth less and less.
Yeah if i was celebrating 25 years of marriage i would want a little better than South Siam maybe that was a silly suggestion.. but hey i was trying!!!
Tassie_Rohan
Contributor
For a 25th -
Sipdadan has a nice mix of big walls and macro. I've stayed at Mabul water bungalows more than once
Palau has better big fish and walls but is remote: look at accomodation at sams diving
Truk is fantastic wreak diving, but not much to do on land. If your wallet is big enough then go for the odessy live aboard - but you will have to book a year ahead.
Thailand has many excellent live aboards, and good shopping on shore, but has lots of tourists - best get on a liveaboard to the similians (if in season). A search in the Thailand forum will return dozens of live aboards to suit all budgets. The last one I dived on was the Black Manta - which was fine. Many of the liveaboards go to Komodo in Indonesia during the off season.
Bali has some nice macro dive sites on its northern sites and lots of temples and a interesting culture on land.
Lembeh has excellent black sand macro and I've enjoyed staing at KBR, but the walls at nearby Bunaken didn't have much fish life. Gagga island has a very nice resort to the north.
Then of course theres doing a liveaboard on Australias Great Barrier Reef: again several different boats to suit various tastes. Best to get a 5-7 day trip out to the outer coral sea. Mike Ball seems to be well liked by americain divers. Spirt of Freedom is also good. Undersea Explorer provides good value for money. Or Ningaloo for whalesharks depending on timing (march-may).
What time of year are you planning?
Sipdadan has a nice mix of big walls and macro. I've stayed at Mabul water bungalows more than once
Palau has better big fish and walls but is remote: look at accomodation at sams diving
Truk is fantastic wreak diving, but not much to do on land. If your wallet is big enough then go for the odessy live aboard - but you will have to book a year ahead.
Thailand has many excellent live aboards, and good shopping on shore, but has lots of tourists - best get on a liveaboard to the similians (if in season). A search in the Thailand forum will return dozens of live aboards to suit all budgets. The last one I dived on was the Black Manta - which was fine. Many of the liveaboards go to Komodo in Indonesia during the off season.
Bali has some nice macro dive sites on its northern sites and lots of temples and a interesting culture on land.
Lembeh has excellent black sand macro and I've enjoyed staing at KBR, but the walls at nearby Bunaken didn't have much fish life. Gagga island has a very nice resort to the north.
Then of course theres doing a liveaboard on Australias Great Barrier Reef: again several different boats to suit various tastes. Best to get a 5-7 day trip out to the outer coral sea. Mike Ball seems to be well liked by americain divers. Spirt of Freedom is also good. Undersea Explorer provides good value for money. Or Ningaloo for whalesharks depending on timing (march-may).
What time of year are you planning?
leeaf
Contributor
I don't know anyone who has been to Palau who has not come back raving and you have the option of land based or live aboard.
Wakitobi is high end (but mostly macro diving) and they also have their own up market live aboard so a combo land and live aboard trip is a potential option.
Maldives offers everything - absolute luxury in 5 star resorts if you want it (eg check out the Hilton and there are many others) or less expensive and there are also plenty of live aboard options. Again the diving is excellent and you would certainly be able to make it a memorable trip.
Layang Layang and Sipadan are great land based options where you get fantastic wall diving plus some macro options (Mabul & Kapalai in particular).
I would forget the Great Barrier Reef, it is not in the same league as any of the above.
Ultimately it is hard to go wrong, it just depends what your main focus is.
Wakitobi is high end (but mostly macro diving) and they also have their own up market live aboard so a combo land and live aboard trip is a potential option.
Maldives offers everything - absolute luxury in 5 star resorts if you want it (eg check out the Hilton and there are many others) or less expensive and there are also plenty of live aboard options. Again the diving is excellent and you would certainly be able to make it a memorable trip.
Layang Layang and Sipadan are great land based options where you get fantastic wall diving plus some macro options (Mabul & Kapalai in particular).
I would forget the Great Barrier Reef, it is not in the same league as any of the above.
Ultimately it is hard to go wrong, it just depends what your main focus is.
Travelnsj
Contributor
I just got back from Bali and Wakatobi a couple of weeks ago....Wakatobi has the finest dive operation I have ever seen....Wonderful.....my trip report is in the Indonesia....but it is small stuff and vis was about 30'....really did not excite me much.....I have been to Palau 8 times...always go in March...next year probably going to go next November....my friend/instructor says I may see some different things. This April doing Layang Layang....during the Hammerhead migration....I hope they are right.....Have been to Sipadan a couple of years ago.....and vis was about 30' for the 10 days I was there....not much to see.
Do not what live-aboards you looked but some of the best here are Komodo Diving & Liveaboard Cruises - Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, Wakatobi & Fakfak SCUBA Adventures with Seven Seas Bali (cabins are nice and roomy) Liveaboards Indonesia, Indonesia Liveaboards adventurer II has a few nice & roomy cabins deepening on which ones you stay in. or the Pelagian 4 of the 6 were nice and roomy the last time I saw her, I have not seen her in few years but apparently has a bit of face lift and run is operated Wakatobi.
Wakatobi has a great resort unfortunately the diving is not to my liking too much wall diving. Unfortunately that is not all boats have a lot space in the cabins but then it is only sleeping right so long as there is a lot of deck space or open areas to enjoy and relax in between diving.
Always will get insects in the tropics quantity depends on the season, if it is mosquitoes you are worried about only need to really worry about the malaria mosquitoes around dawn and dusk (that when the female bites and shes the one to worry about), generally not a problem on a live-aboard but as look as you use repellent and dress sensibly not a problem
You also might want to look at Walindi Plantation scuba resort - Papua New Guinea or Peter Hughes Diving Inc. some really excellent diving to be had in Kimbe Bay or Fathers reef area gives a little of everything and bio-diversity is outstanding as well. All cabins on the stardancer were roomy enough for I really like cabins 2 and 3 nice big picture windows and can sea the ocean/world pass by.
hope this helps
This is a thread I could have started eight months ago; we just returned from our 25th anniversary blowout trip to Wakatobi, bookended by stays in Bali, a very romantic and beautiful place with great people. Our dive history is also very similar to yours.
Get a beach bungalow at Wakatobi, one of the ones numbered 16 or higher, to the south end of the resort. Beautiful view, great food, fantastic dive operation, happy hour watching the sunset at the end of the pier, and so on.
Viz in October was 40-100', depending on the dive site and tides. Viz was "embarrassing" in September according to one DM. No bugs, nice temperature, water about 80-82 degrees. Lots of wall diving, sometimes a raging drifter, sometimes not, house reef as good as they claim. Definite macro country, also healthiest coral I have ever seen.
Do some time in Bali prior to the dive resort, and you'll be past your jet lag and ready to dive. We would go back to Bali again in a minute, and stay for a month. The people are wonderful, the women are beautiful (even my wife agreed, on our 25th anniversary trip!), and it's cheap to boot.
PM me if you want any details. Enjoy!
PS - You will definitely satisfy your photo jollies on Bali and at Wakatobi. The resort caters to the UW photo crowd.
Get a beach bungalow at Wakatobi, one of the ones numbered 16 or higher, to the south end of the resort. Beautiful view, great food, fantastic dive operation, happy hour watching the sunset at the end of the pier, and so on.
Viz in October was 40-100', depending on the dive site and tides. Viz was "embarrassing" in September according to one DM. No bugs, nice temperature, water about 80-82 degrees. Lots of wall diving, sometimes a raging drifter, sometimes not, house reef as good as they claim. Definite macro country, also healthiest coral I have ever seen.
Do some time in Bali prior to the dive resort, and you'll be past your jet lag and ready to dive. We would go back to Bali again in a minute, and stay for a month. The people are wonderful, the women are beautiful (even my wife agreed, on our 25th anniversary trip!), and it's cheap to boot.
PM me if you want any details. Enjoy!
PS - You will definitely satisfy your photo jollies on Bali and at Wakatobi. The resort caters to the UW photo crowd.
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