timyeo - Bluewater Dive Travel

timyeo

timyeo

My Dive Map

Reviews (31)

Best Diving in Thailand - Top 8

5
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5

Thailand is not on many seasoned dive travelers bucket list, but here are a few reasons why it should be:
- world class dive sites like Richelieu Rock in the Similan Islands, King Cruiser wreck in Koh Phi Phi, and the pinnacles of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang
- go in the right season (Dec to Mar) and you should see a ton of marine life including big schools of jack and barracuda, whale sharks, mantas and many more
- good for macro and wide angle
- really friendly people and amazing thai food
- great beaches, isolated islands, and fun cities to visit before or after scuba diving
- very affordable and easy on the pocket
I was on a liveaboard trip and that is the best way to dive Thailand as most of the thai best dive sites are a long commute from land.

Visited on 01/2016 - Submitted on 03/24/2020
Read all Best Diving in Thailand - Top 8 Dive Travel reviews

Emperor Harmoni

5
5
5
5

The Emperor Harmoni was built from scratch and started her maiden voyage in 2022. She is a beautiful vessel and is very large and spacious with plenty of common areas to hang out. The cabins are large, the water pressure is strong and the water is hot. Food is excellent and plentiful. The dive deck is large and there are 4 hot showers for after the dive. There are also 2 toilets on the dive deck. Guide ratios are 4:1 and there are 3 zodiacs so only your group is on the zodiac and there is plenty of space. There are 2 camera tables (one on the dive area, and the other in the galley) and plenty of outlets so there is no need to charge batteries in the rooms.
Everything is included in the cost of the trip (Nitrox, marine park fees, fuel surcharge) so there are no surprises at check out. The only thing you pay for is on board expenses and gratuity.
Overall an excellent vessel and very well run.

Visited on 01/2024 - Submitted on 01/16/2024
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Volivoli Beach Resort

5
5
5
5

Wow! I've been to many dive resorts all around the world, and Volivoli Beach Resort is one of my favorite!
Diving
If you love colorful soft coral reefs supporting thousands of tropical fish, there is no better than the Vatu-I-Ra passage in the Bligh Water. Ra Divers have really stable dive boats that can move fast. It still takes about 45 minutes to get to the Vatu-I-Ra passage, but the diving is well worth the long ride. Diving on the reefs closer to the resort are also really good, but Vatu-I-Ra passage is the main event of a dive trip here. There is a house reef, but it is mainly muck diving, although I saw a couple of giant frogfish and seahorses.
Resort
The resort is located on a hill, so there are a lot of stairs, especially if you are in a standard or deluxe room. Walking from the dive shop located at the beach level all the way up requires a few stops along the way. Luckily there are at least 3 bars on the way up with at least one of them hosting a happy hour at any one time. Half way up is also the pool, but it large for a dive resort, and also has a swim up bar. The recreation room is next to the pool. There are multiple activities throughout the week like a kava ceremony and traditional dances from the village nearby.
Accommodation
All rooms come with a view which is one of the benefits of being on a hill. Some have an ocean view, and some have a view of the mountains and bay. Both views are amazing. If you are a couple, upgrade to a premium oceanview room. These are a lot more spacious than the standard and deluxe rooms, come with a lot more privacy and are half way up to the top of the hill.
Food
Meal time is one of the most exciting times at Volivoli. The menu is extensive so you can try something different every day. Dishes are extremely tasty and well presented. I am not one that usually go for dessert, but their Volivoli Reef Shark dessert is out of this world. The diving area was recently remodeled and it is very fancy for a dive resort (in a good way). It is open and very breezy. The restaurant is indoors but let's in a lot of light during the day, and the mood lighting at night is perfect. There is also a large bar in the restaurant, and a lounge area as you enter the complex.

The combination of excellent diving, good dive boat, excellent food and nice accommodations makes Volivoli a real treat.

Visited on 03/2020 - Submitted on 03/30/2020
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Solitude Lembeh Dive Resort

5
5
5
5

Solitude Lembeh is an excellent dive resort. The resort and dive staff are very friendly and they have thought of everything to make your stay comfortable. The transfers are easy and they even brought water and a snack box for the hour long ride from the airport. Meal times are a blast as the menu is extensive with both local and western dishes. After your scrumptious meal, you choose what you want for your next meal. Lunches and dinners include a starter, main and a dessert. They even arranged a BBQ and a song and dance on our last night as we came with a group.
The camera room is large and has at least 20 camera stations. There is an infinity pool next to the restaurant/bar, and there is also a spa which offers very reasonably priced massages.
The dive operation is excellent with great guides and good air fills. The dive boats are fast with one of their boats having two 200hp engines and the other boat having two 150hp engines. After the dive, a hot face towel is presented to everyone, which is an amazing touch. Water, fruit and bath towels are also available on the dive boat. All surface intervals are done back at the resort which is great.

Visited on 01/2024 - Submitted on 01/16/2024
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Hotel Maitai Rangiroa

5
5
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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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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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Moorea

5
5
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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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Puerto Galera

5
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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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