timyeo - Bluewater Dive Travel

timyeo

timyeo

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Reviews (33)

Scuba Diving in the Maldives

5
5
5
5

This is my 2nd trip to the Maldives doing the central atolls itinerary and the diving blew my mind this time (I just did Raja 2 months before this trip). The soft coral gardens were so colorful with reds, oranges, yellows and blue colors. There were also dives with table coral gardens stretching as far as the eye can see.
For marine life, we saw lots of sharks (blacktip, whitetip, grey reef, guitarfish, nurse, tiger), mantas, whaleshark, massive rays, dogtooth tuna, big schools of blue-striped snappers, bannerfish and red toothed triggerfish. There were lots of batfish, sweetlips, soldierfish, giant travellys, morays, and anemonefish.
The water was a very comfortable 82-85F and no one complained about feeling cold.
The Maldives covers a big area and you can cover a larger area with more varied dives from a liveaboard versus resort based. Liveaboard diving here is also very affordable and most of them are very nice. If you have not done a liveaboard before, the Maldives is the perfect place to do your first.

Visited on 03/2024 - Submitted on 03/30/2024
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Puerto Galera

5
5
5
4

The nice thing I like about PG's diving is the accessibility of nice easy diving right off the shore. For my first dive in PG, the boat brought me out maybe 100 yards just beyond where a lot of boats are anchored and there were nice beautiful coral heads with lots of fish. After that, I told my divemaster that I'd rather just swim from the shop out to the reef and back so I can look for critters. Around one of the big concrete blocks that act as anchors for the boats, we found 2 harlequin ghost pipefish and 2 baby frogfish.
By far the best diving in PG is on Verde Island. A group of us got the dive shop to rent a larger boat to make the long 45minute choppy trip out to Verde Island a comfortable smooth 30minute ride. Verde Island is a pinnacle that breaks the surface just a little. You can go as deep as you want and constant strong currents make it an awesome drift dive. We started at just about 100ft and slowly made our way up to our safety stop. The largest schools of fish, colorful soft corals and huge barrel sponges make this trip out to Verde Island really worth it.
The other divers I dove with at Verde Island said the conditions were perfect that day. We had 100ft viz and the water was about 78 degrees.
Topside, there is a small town to explore. Massage parlors and bars are available everywhere. The red light district is confined to one alley and easily avoidable if that is not your scene.

Visited on 02/2014 - Submitted on 07/30/2014
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MSY Seahorse (Wallacea Dive Cruises) Liveaboard

5
4
5
4

The Seahorse is a traditional phinisi style boat and is a solid 4 star dive liveaboard. The cabins are not large but spacious enough for 2 people. There are plenty of common areas to spread out like the galley, dive deck, and sun deck. All the outdoor common areas have shade so guests can be out there all day, rain or shine. The dedicated camera room has space for about 8 large rigs and plenty of charging stations.

The dive deck is large, and there are two showers on the dive deck, and an outdoor bathroom so you don't need to go to your cabin when wet. The diving is done from large steel boats and you only have to bring your mask with you. The crew loads all your dive gear on the boat for you. Photographers have individual cooler bags for their cameras so they are not banging against each other on the ride out to the dive site.

The crew and service was one of the best things about the Seahorse, and one of the best of any liveaboard I have been on. Fresh towels are provided on the dive deck after every dive, and dedicated camera towels are also changed after every dive. The cabin towels are swapped out every 2 days, and bedsheets are changed every 3 days. There is a masseuse on board, and the kitchen was staffed with a head chef, a sous chef and a pastry chef!

Visited on 01/2022 - Submitted on 01/27/2022
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The Junk Liveaboard

4
4
4
5

The Junk is a very cool boat with a very interesting history including being used in a James Bond film. The cabins are adequate and there are plenty of places on the boat to hang out. The boat is well maintained and didn't have any issues with leaking cabins or broken toilets on my 10 day trip. Food is plentiful and good with a mix of excellent Thai food and some western cuisine. The crew were excellent and a lot of fun, and they brought us to a few beaches to hang out.
One of the coolest things about The Junk is that you get to help raise the sails in the old school way on the last day and go sailing.
Schedules and itineraries vary and they do go to some of the best dive sites in Thailand like Hin Daeng and Hin Muang and Richelieu Rock.

Visited on 01/2017 - Submitted on 10/26/2017
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Lembeh Strait

5
5
5
3

The best muck diving in the world! I only did 2 days of diving here, 8 dive total, but i've seen pygmy seahorse, pygmy cuttlefish, pygmy squid, mimic octopus, coconut octopus, longarm octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue ring octopus, ambon scorpionfish, giant frogfish, painted frogfish, hairy frogfish, pipefish, pipehorse, mandarinfishm the endemic banggai cardinalfish, so many nudibranchs, and a lot more that I don't recall.
The port town of Bitung is the 3rd largest port in Indonesia, and the waters around Lembeh can have a lot of trash, but don't let that stop you from diving here and seeing all the critters.
It is also very easy to combine a trip to Lembeh with a trip to Manado about 90 minutes by car where you can dive the Bunaken National Park.

Visited on 01/2022 - Submitted on 01/27/2022
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Scuba Addicts

5
5
5
4

ScubaAddicts has a dive lodge in Umkomaas where you dive Aliwal Shoal. The accommodations are nice and modern. Their boats are well kept and the crew are all very experienced. During the Sardine Run, they head up to Port St. John's and base their operations at Cremone Resort. Food and drink options at Cremone are really good and inexpensive. Maximum 8 divers in the boat with one divemaster and one boat captain. The owners Shona and Craig are awesome.

Visited on 06/2017 - Submitted on 10/30/2017
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Arkipelago Divers and Beach Resort

5
5
5
5

What a great affordable boutique dive resort in Puerto Galera! The rooms are basic but spacious. I was in a poolview room but next time I will stay in the villa which looks amazing. The dive operation is very good and the food menu is extensive. Best part is the owners are always on site, including their kids and dog Bubbles. It has an awesome family vibe and the owners make you feel like part of the family. They are also very flexible and will do everything they can to make your stay memorable. The resort is located right on the beach and away from the yucky part of town. The views are incredible! You can dive 4-5 times a day and the diver to guide ratios are small. Hot water is very HOT, and the wifi is so good I could stream live games.

Visited on 02/2023 - Submitted on 02/15/2023
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Palau Royal Resort

5
4
5
3

Palau Royal is a great value option in Palau. It is a large hotel with tennis courts, pool and even their own private beach. The rooms are simple but clean and well decorated, and they all have a balcony. Some balconies face the garden/pond/marina and some face the beach/sea. The breakfast restaurant is large and has good asian and western breakfast options. I didn't have lunch/dinner in the hotel. A famous Palau restaurant called Carp is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. There is a bar in the restaurant and a poolside bar too. Downtown Koror is about a 5-10min taxi ride away and the front desk will call a taxi.
There is no shore diving, but there are wrecks within a short 5-10 min boat ride from the resort and some of the more famous dive sites like Blue Corner and German Channel are about 30 mins from the resort.

Visited on 11/2017 - Submitted on 11/05/2017
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El Galleon Dive Resort, Puerto Galera

5
5
5
5

Top dive resort in Puerto Galera. There are many room categories and I stayed in a poolview room, which is simple and nice. The resort is located away from the hustle and bustle of Sabang town but close enough if you want to explore a little. The resort has lots of greenery and it feels like you are in a tropical rainforest. Their dive shop is called Asia Divers and are the only ones with a dock. The dock is massive and there are lots of space to gear up and hang your gear to dry. Getting on and off the boats are also the easiest. The camera room is located under the bar and have a dozen or so stations. The restaurant is large and serves great food and there is a massive wine fridge for wine enthusiasts. One of the best things about diving with Asia Divers is that they give you a warm wet face towel right as you get back on the boat to wipe the salt water off your face after a dive. It is a small and easy gesture, but it makes a huge difference!

Visited on 02/2023 - Submitted on 02/16/2023
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Quino El Guardian

5
3
5
5

This is not a luxury liveaboard, but is one of the best liveaboards I have been on. Cabins are quad share and bathrooms are located on the dive deck and shared among all the guests.
The Quino used to be, and still is a research vessel. They conduct citizen scientist trips where a scientist is on board and conducting research. Divers get to experience a marine scientist at work, with presentations from the scientist and divers can sometimes even assist in some research.
If you spend a lot of time in the cabins of a liveaboard, this one is not for you. If you like interacting with the other divers and making new diving friends, there are few liveaboard better at fostering this than the Quino. This is a very fun liveaboard for singles travelers.
While the cabins and bathrooms might be 3 star, the FOOD is nothing short of 5 STARS. Easily the best food on any liveaboard I've been on. The chef is top notch, and the rest of the crew are also really amazing.
There is also a tv lounge area, a massive camera table, nice open dining area and a large sun deck with shade.

Visited on 03/2016 - Submitted on 11/05/2017
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