Hi
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For extremely good and challenging diving (STRONG up-down-whirlpool currents) : Komodo National Park Lodging is overall basic and easy to find in Labuan Bajo (regular fast ferry connections and flights from Denpasar, Bali) and the two trustworthy dive operators there are Reef Seekers (British run) and Bajo Dive Club (German run). I have been diving a lot with the latter, but the accommodation they offer is very basic and I really want a hot shower after a day of diving. Yet, I have done a lot of memorable dives with Frank and Anke and we had a lot of fun together.
No shore diving from Labuan Bajo, which is a harbor town, so you are bound to a strict boat dive schedule. Be prepared to wake up early because due to the strong currents you have to plan the dives around slack tide.
Great macro life, corals in good condition and pelagic fish. I remember my very first dive there years ago. I surfaced and wondered whether I had been wearing my own mask because the fishes there are as big as they get. Strong currents=nutrient rich waters=fishes are big and fat.
No partying in Labuan Bajo. Frank is into beer though (after working hours!) and after a couple of bears he might even smile at you.
Diving the Komodo National Park will be far more comfortable from a liveaboard, most often departing from Denpasar, Bali.
There's many liveaboard options, but the only company I personally know is www.songlinecruises.com (Robin Engel, the American owner one of the good guys) -
For really good (deep) wall diving: Selayar.
www.selayar-dive-resort.com (beautiful resort but expensive)
www.selayarislandresort.com (newest resort on the island since 2005 that I don't know)
You could consider diving there from a liveaboard departing from Bira (South-Sulawesi). That's how I did it. Check out www.songlinecruises.com again.
Bira is the little coastal town where they build the wonderful pinisi schooners. Worthwhile a visit and depending on how much time you have, you could consider to go to Tana Toraja as well.
No partying in Selayar either. -
For overall good and diverse (walls, pinnacles, drift) diving: Bunaken (North-Sulawesi)
www.livingcoloursdiving.com (owners are Finish and great people, they absolutely know what they are doing)
No shore diving.
Sorry guys, once again: no partying there. -
For muck diving: Seraya (Northeast-Bali, off Tulamben)
www.scubaseraya.com
Fly into Denpasar and from the airport it is a 2 hour car ride to the resort. Resort pick up can be arranged and is indeed very convenient. Getting to the resort by public transport is an option, but it will take you 3/4 of a day to cover a distance of a mere 90km.
My boyfriend and I have spent our last two winter holidays there. Each time we stayed at the resort for three months. Very friendly, professional and attentive (dive)staff and Patrick, the Swiss chief, is one of the nicest if not THE nicest man we've ever met in the dive industry. The house reef is muck diving only, so you are diving on black sand and silt (there's a volcano in the backyard) and there's hardly any corals. Nothing to see at first sight, but look again, and again and again and again and you will be amazed. Easy bath tub diving, but very interesting. The Tulamben wreck is at a 5' speedboat drive from the resort and there's many other good boat dive sites around. The rooms are beautiful with a fantastic outdoor hot water shower, beautiful garden and small swimming pool.
A great place!
But...no partying there.
The Indonesian places listed above are all quiet and remote because that's the way we like it. In winter, we just want to disappear and hang out with the fish.
We have been living in Thailand though for 1,5 years and if you really insist in combining modestly good diving with partying, then Phuket is the only option.
Don't forget that we are talking about a real dive INDUSTRY here. The boats are big, the boats are full, the boats are lining up to the dive sites. According to me, there's no fun in being surrounded by 20 other (most often lousy) divers all the time. But that's just my opinion of course.
A good base to dive from (so only boat diving available in Phuket) is Chalong. Plenty of lodging options; from the modest to the opulent.
www.white-bluedive.com (the only dive operator that was offering its dive vessels to us volunteers for the post-tsunami search and rescue operation and therefore great people)
www.sea-bees.com (German run in the well known punctual German style)
From Chalong it is a 10' motorbike ride to Phuket Town. Not touristy at all, but a vibrant atmosphere, good restaurants (La Gaetana, Natural Restaurant, Ka Jok See and many more) and a fantastic little jazz cafe (Music Matters, close to Boots)
Great seafood dining from the many food stalls along the coastal road.
Loads and loads of really nyummy, cheap street food.
If you want to go on a liveaboard to the Similan/Surin Islands (worthwhile) you can depart from Khao Lak. Mind you though, Khao Lak is really really boring and ugly and there's a 4 lane highway running through it.
A good liveaboard operator in Khao Lak is www.seadragondivecenter.com
Driving from Phuket to Khao Lak will take you 1-1,5hours by car.
If you are into hiking, go to Khao Sok National Park, sleep in a tree hut and just be amazed by the sounds of the jungle at night and tree frogs clinging to your ass while taking a tree top shower.
Stay at http://krabidir.com/ourjunglehouse/
- Diving in the Maldives is good, but, depending on which atoll you pick, expensive to extremely expensive and there's really nothing else to do there but diving and sunbathing. You are bound to your resort island, so no drinks in a local bar, no food at a local restaurant. It's all a bit artificial there as you won't get in touch with local culture at all. You could combine it with Sri Lanka or South-India.
That's as far as I can help you out with diving in Asia.
Good luck.
Silvie
