timyeo - Bluewater Dive Travel

timyeo

timyeo

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Reviews (33)

Hotel Maitai Rangiroa

5
5
5
4

Hotel Maitai is a really good affordable accommodation option in Rangiroa. The rooms are simple and built in traditional style, but they are large and spacious. AC is available which is a plus. Each rooms have a nice patio with chairs and a table. The infinity pool is located right on the ocean and offers amazing views. Next to the pool is a bar and restaurant with the same great views. The restaurant food is decent. Wfi is a little spotty, but you're on vacation so unplugging is refreshing.

Visited on 10/2019 - Submitted on 09/25/2020
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Cooks Bay Hotel & Suites Moorea

5
5
5
5

This is a new hotel that opened up in 2023. Rooms are large and modern with a kitchen and separate bedroom. The views from the rooms, the pool, and especially the restaurant are incredible. Food in the restaurant is excellent, and one of the best things to do in Moorea is to go for Happy Hour in the restaurant and enjoy the sunset.
The hotel is also very convenient. There were multiple food places to try within a walking distance from the hotel. The town is also walkable, maybe 20 minutes.

Visited on 10/2023 - Submitted on 02/09/2024
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Hotel Kaveka

5
3
5
2

Hotel Kaveka is perfect if you do not need luxury accommodations. Rooms are simple but very spacious and affordable. They are located right on the water with a long private dock. There is also a small beach with a couple of beach chairs to lay out in the sun.
The restaurant is large and right on the water. Dining with a view. The restaurant food is ok, and there are plenty of food options within walking distance including a great pizza stand, a fancy French restaurant, a BBQ joint, a burger stand and an oceanfront bar and restaurant.

Visited on 10/2019 - Submitted on 09/25/2020
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M/Y White Pearl

5
5
5
4

Wow! What a gorgeous boat. If you are looking for luxury in the Maldives, the White Pearl is the best value! The cabins are huge with lots of storage space. The windows are massive and views are incredible. The shower is large and also has a large window to look out onto the ocean. Water is hot and pressure is very strong.
The dining area is nicely designed and always kept cool as a nice common hideout during the afternoon heat.
The bar and jacuzzi area is so well laid out with lots of chairs that can easily accommodate everyone on board with room to spare. The bar looks like it could be in a hotel. There are 2 jacuzzis. One is shaded and one in the sun. Water temperatures in the jacuzzi is very comfortable.
The camera room doubles up as a TV room and it is right next to the amazing spa room. There is enough camera table space to accommodate 6 full DSLR setups, or about a dozen smaller setups. There are plenty of outlets so no need to fight over them. You can plug in America or European plugs into the sockets.
The deck where most of the cabins are also has a laundry room that guests can use at any time. There are 4 sets of washers and dryers in the room.
The sky deck is one of my favorite places to hang out. It is so spacious and has a large covered area if you need some shade. There are enough seats to accommodate 40+ people!
The dhoni (dive boat) where you will be diving from is very open and has plenty of space. It does not feel cramped like most other dhonis in the Maldives because there are no compressors or air banks on the dhoni. Tanks are filled on the main liveaboard and then brought over to the dhoni. A lot of work for the crew, but great for guests. The sun deck on the dhoni has bean bag chairs to hang out on during the short rides to and from the dive site.
The local and international crew is great. They are all very friendly and hardworking but at the same time professional.
The food is plentiful and well executed and all meals are served buffet style. The only reason I dropped the food one star is because desserts was lacking. Fruits are always available after meals and my scale will thank me when I get home.
We did 18 dives in the weeklong Central Atolls itinerary and that included 2 night dives. The diving schedule is very relaxed with plenty of time between dives to nap. The chosen dive sites were excellent and the pre dive briefings were detailed.
Apart from diving, there are watersport activities like jet ski, stand up paddle boarding and a waterslide.
Overall an excellent boat and experience.

Visited on 03/2024 - Submitted on 03/30/2024
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Moorea

5
5
5
5

Moorea ... WOW!!! What an amazing destination. If you go between August and October, spending a few days in the water swimming with humpback whales is a must do. The diving is also excellent with lots of sharks, rays and turtles. Black tip reef sharks and lemon sharks are the most common, and tiger sharks are sometimes also seen by divers. Visibility is easily over 100ft, and the water is the bluest you will encounter anywhere.
There are luxury resorts with overwater bungalows, and more affordable family run lodges to fit every budget.
Restaurants are pricey but food is excellent! There are also lots of inexpensive options at food stands along the street.
When not in the water, I really enjoy renting a scooter and driving around the island, stopping at different beaches and taking in the sights.
Moorea is not cheap, but the extremely good value for money for what you get.
A great destination for divers and non-divers.

Visited on 09/2019 - Submitted on 01/29/2021
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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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Sipadan

5
5
5
3

The marine life here is incredible. No wonder this is a top rated dive destination!
My favorite dive site was Barracuda Point. There were constantly large schools of jacks and schools of barracuda every time we went back...and we kept asking to go back.
Turtle Cave was a cool dive site. It's where turtles go to retire and there are turtle bones and shells even at the entrance of the cave. Eerie but different.
Hanging Gardens is not a "famous site" but it was really beautiful with all the colorful soft corals.
There were lots of black tip, white tip and grey reef sharks and lots of turtles on every single dive. I even spotted a hammerhead on my first dive.
Most dives start deep > 100ft so get yourself nitrox certified and dive with it along with a computer to extend your bottom time. Even in the winter it was warm in the mid 80s and I think the worst viz I got on my trip was 60ft. Most dives was over 100ft viz.
Book early and let the dive operator know that you want to dive Sipadan coz a limited number of divers are allowed on the reef per day.

Visited on 12/2006 - Submitted on 07/29/2014
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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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San Ignacio Gray Whale Experience

5
5
5
5

The San Ignacio Whale Trip was truly unforgettable. It was an incredible mix of adventure, comfort, and amazing wildlife encounters. From the very scenic private charter flight over the stunning Baja Peninsula to the intimate, respectful interactions with gray whales and their calves, every moment felt magical.

The en-suite glamping accommodations were both luxurious and cozy, with hot showers, real beds, and gourmet dining that made the experience even more special.

The guides’ passion for conservation and their deep knowledge added a meaningful layer to the trip, helping me appreciate the whales and their environment even more. It’s an extraordinary journey that perfectly blends nature, education, and relaxation.

This is a perfect trip for all ocean and animal lovers. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Visited on 03/2023 - Submitted on 11/25/2024
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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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