Edward Wilson asked:


If you are looking for an adventure, unlike anything you have experienced before, Belize is just the right place for your vacation. Discover a network of fast flowing rivers and cascading waterfalls, spectacular limestone caves, lush rainforests, world class fishing, diving, and snorkeling, mysterious Maya Ruins, and miles of beautiful white sand beaches. There is so much that makes Belize a paradise for travel lovers.The following are just a few examples and possibilities for an adventurous vacation in Belize.ATM Tour (Actun Tunichil Muknal)Would you like to explore an ancient cave untouched for 1000 years? This popular site, popular among vacationers is as close as you will come. Near the Cayo District an ancient cave once used for Mayan ceremonies was discovered and left untouched, with human remains, and over 200 artifacts. Getting to the cave is just as exciting as you travel on foot for a 45 minute trek through the pristine jungle.. You will experience the natural beauty of Belize first hand with its abundance of exotic wildlife. ATM is a must for your Belize vacation.World famous Barrier ReefThe Belize Barrier Reef is a precious natural wonder and the second longest reef in the world. Home to one of the most important ecosystems in the world, the reef has 70 coral species and 500 species of fish. It is a natural wonder, yet at your doorstep while visiting one of the many fabulous Belize vacation destinations. The reef provides excellent world class diving, snorkeling, and fishing opportunities. No Belize vacation is complete without visiting the Barrier Reef. Tales of Mayan LegacyOne of the most important parts of Belize’s history is the Mayan legacy of outstanding palaces and temples. These historical monuments stand proudly and attract vacationers in huge numbers. The magnificent ruins of the ancient civilization are delight for everyone, not only history enthusiasts. While on your Belize vacation don’t forget to visit the famous archaeological sites like Caracol, Cerros, Lamanai, Actun Tunichil Muknal, Altun Ha, Cahal Pech, El Pilar, Nim Li Punit and Xunantunich. Southern Belize with Unlimited OptionsA favorite vacation destination, this beautiful, pristine area of Belize in the Toledo District embraces the sea, and possesses a lush jungle with many rivers and Mayan villages. Hike any of a number of trails leading to waterfalls and ancient caves.And when it comes to fishing, there are unlimited options to round off your vacation. Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Punta Ycacos Lagoon, Monkey River, and Punta Negra Lake all offer first class fishing experiences. This is a good choice for a Belize vacation.Sun Kissed Belize BeachesThe beautiful tropical beaches nestled by the Caribbean Sea are the best in the world. A relaxing vacation under the warm Belize sun with plenty of relaxing on any of the beautiful beaches is all you need to charge your batteries.. Choose from any of the island destinations, such as Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, or on the mainland the Placencia Peninsula or Hopkins. Miles of absolutely beautiful serene, white sand beaches await your arrival on your vacation to Belize.Scuba DivingDue to unlimited scuba diving options in Belize, it has become one of the favorite dive destinations for scuba divers vacationing in Belize. It is simply up to you whether it is the coral reef or a shipwreck that you would like to experience during your vacation in Belize. However, the best diving spots include the world-known Outer Atolls - Lighthouse Reef, Turneffe Island and Glover’s Reef. With so many interesting things to do during your Belize vacation, you’ll surely have the time of your life and will want to come back again and again. To make your Belize vacation, a memorable one, plan your holiday beforehand by consulting a reputed travel agency. A fantastic Belize Vacation Package can go a long way to enhance your enjoyment.December to April is the peak tourist season in Belize. If you plan to visit around then, plan in advance and you can get some attractive vacation specials. Getting to Belize which is in Central America is very easy. Major airlines such as American, Continental, Delta, US Air, and Taca Airlines run daily flights lasting about two hours from several U.S. cities to Belize International Airport.

Elisha Burberry asked:



The Red Sea’s narrow, sheltered shores have extensive shallow shelves which allow marine life to flourish; the region supports over 200 hard and soft species of coral, over 1000 invertebrates and over 110 species of fish - 10 percent of which are not known to be found anywhere else in the world. The rich biodiversity of the area has been officially recognised by the Egyptian government, who set up the ‘Ras Mohamed National Park’ in 1983 to protect the Red Sea from pollution and over development.

As the world’s most northerly tropical sea, it is very popular with European divers and offers hundreds of top diving spots. Not only is it extremely diverse in marine life, but with an average water temperature of around 26C, good visibility and a small tidal range it is also considered a safe place to dive. Though the Red Sea laps the shores of several North African and Middle Eastern countries, including Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, it is Egypt that is best known as the host of diving holidays.

For experienced divers, the Red Sea’s many wreck sites offer a fascinating glimpse of marine history and also how nature can take man-made materials and use them as a habitat. Examples of this includes the ‘Ghiannis D’, a Greek boat that sunk in 1983 after colliding with another wreck. Divers can swim through the deserted hull and see large moray eels, shoals of batfish, and butterfly fish.

‘Thistlegorm’, a British ship that was sunk by bombers in 1941 is rated as one of the top ten best diving sites in the world. Much of the huge vessel’s cargo is very well persevered and can still be seen, such as motorbikes, rifles and even train carriages!

Egypt is well equipped for hosting diving holidays, and divers of all levels - from complete beginners to experienced scuba masters - are well catered for. Live-aboard diving holidays are one of the best ways of maximising your underwater time and offer comfortable accommodation, with double or twin cabins, large air conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms available. Most also offer plenty of indoor and on-deck seating and a bar where guests can purchase soft drinks as well as beer and wine. Experienced crew members provide catering as well as guidance to the best diving sites in the area.

With such as wealth of diving opportunities, it’s little wonder that the Red Sea, and Egypt in particular continues to be one of the most popular diving spots in the world.

Stephen Morgan asked:


One of the fastest growing of all water sports in the world today appears to be scuba diving.The corresponding growth in increased and easier to use transportation links now makes the more obscure and hard to get to diving locations now much more within the reach of the average diver.In this article I really want to take a basic look at Scuba diving but also take a look at one of the world’s leading scuba diving locations in Grand Bahama Island.The activity of swimming underwater whilst using a scuba set is not unsurprisingly known as Scuba Diving. By carrying and using an independent source of compressed air, Divers are able to stay underwater for much longer than they would normally be able to.Scuba equipment gives divers the ability to stay underwater for periods way in excess of normal usage. The additional advantage to all of this as far as the diver is concerned is that it frees them up from being hindered and attached to some form of surface powered air system.It is more common to see scuba divers propelling themselves around underwater by the usage of flippers on their feet. That having been said it is not uncommon for divers who are undertaking large scale explorations’ to actually use a DPV (Diver propulsion vehicle). Commonly known as a scooter divers occasionally use sleds which are attached to surface boats to help them with moving large distances.The original equipment from which modern day scuba equipment was developed came from the use of oxygen rebreathers developed and sued by US Navy frogmen in World War II.Most people now recognize the term as being made popular by the equipment developed by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan.For the technically correct amongst us the term SCUBA is actually an acronym for the phrase “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus” but as with other technical phrases such as the word “laser”, the term scuba has now entered into normal linguistic usage and usually refers to scuba equipment, scuba diving etc.So to Grand Bahama Island. The reputation of Grand Bahama Island as a diver’s paradise has been growing ever since the earliest episodes of the TV Series “Sea Hunt” were filmed there.The seas around the Island boast elaborate coral gardens, a whole series of speciality dives, deep sites, cave diving and in fact a whole series of different dives.Grand Bahama Island is of course also famous for its “blue holes” – these are spectacular azure portals in the reefs through which you can descend, surrounded by reef wall on all sides. Depending on which way the current is going at any one time these holes can be “blowing” or “sucking” and the currents here can be quite strong and as a result quite dangerous if you are not an experienced diver.The geographical sub structure on which the Island is based is a massive limestone base and tied into this is also one of the other major reasons why people flock to this area of the world for diving and that is the massive underwater cave network that exists here.The underwater cave network that is located by and large within the Lucayan National Park is the second largest of its type in the world.The caves are still being explored, and there are numerous special dive programs that can take you into them (provided you are cave certified).

Joe Mwangi asked:


Deep sea fishing in Kenya

Kenya’s coastal waters are gentle and warm fanned with mild monsoon winds, conditions that attract many varieties of fish, including Big Game Fish. The seas around Mombasa, Kenya’s major port, are considered one of the prime fishing grounds in the world, where fishermen of all classes, beginners to lifelong experts, can catch marlin, sailfish and shark, as well as Wahoo, dorado, barracuda, kingfish and other game fish. The proximity to the open sea means they are closer to the fishing grounds, so mid season (August to December) they fish near the reef for a minimum of five hours. When the northeast monsoon wind is blowing from December to April, the boats go further out and fish longer hours to pursue the great billfish. August to November provides really good sport for the big Yellow fin Tuna and the many smaller game fish. In among the Yellow fin Tuna are often found big Blue Marlin and a number of Striped and Black Marlin as well as Sailfish. The Yellow fin Tuna is one of the strongest fish that swim. During this season multiple hook ups are normal when the ocean can come alive with huge schools of Tuna in pursuit of smaller fish. During the bill fish season, which is from November to March, Striped Marlin are the most prolific, sometimes showing in packs of up to ten. Large Blue and Black Marlin are also quite common during this period.

Deep sea diving

Kenya boasts three beautiful marine parks with crystal waters, ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. Most African Kenya coastal hotels have equipment for hire and offer reef trips in glass bottomed boats. Visibility is best in dry seasons - January to March and June to October and most the diving is drift diving. You need to be trained in order to dive, and you may be required to take a test. Take along your certificate. There are several companies offering recognized coursing and diving equipment for hire.

Top Kenyan water safari include

African Swahili dhow trips

Kenya deep sea boat trips

Marine park trips

Coral gardens tours

African Kenya wreck dive

Island vacation trips

Wind surfing beach safaris

Big game fishing trips

Kayaking in the ocean

African sea Kite surfing

Banana boat tours

Beach parachuting

Night African fishing trips

Stig Kristoffersen asked:


Crimea an autonomous republic is re-inventing itself after the ending of the old soviet union. Private enterprise is flourishing and well-stocked shops and good restaurants are the norm. Transport and accommodation are cheaper than the Mediterranean resorts but the weather is better and the sightseeing amazing!

Visitors from all over the world are welcomed in a country which has opened its doors to foreign tourists by reducing visa requirements to a minimum.

Whether you want wine-tasting or scuba diving, mountains or sea, to visit the Byzantine ruins of Khersoness, or the fabulous Livadia Palace near Yalta, home of the last of the Russian Tsars - or if you just want to relax on the beach and then while away a warm summer evening in a gourmet restaurant, Crimea has something for you.

In this article we will focus on the Balaklava and its reputation as a scuba divers paradise.

Balaklava Harbor lies on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea in the Ukraine. It is a fine natural harbor and provides excellent all round shelter. In the past the harbor was closed to all private vessels and was home to the Soviet submarine fleet. Yachts should establish the current position before attempting to visit Balaklava.

Balaklava is rapidly changing from being primarily a working port and (in Soviet times) a secret submarine base for the Russian navy, to a leisure destination for tourists, lured by the history of the place and the drama of the rugged coastline. Period houses along the waterfront are being restored, a new hotel, the Golden Symbol, with its own harbor has opened and the place has an air of fresh prosperity.

The harbormaster at the Golden Symbol, himself an ex-submariner, will tell you about the maze of tunnels within the hillside, that allowed large numbers of Soviet submarines to hide unobserved. It is an indication of the way things are moving that you can now take a tour inside the previously secret base, and the large floating dry dock which used to be used for submarine repairs is to be moved to the naval harbor in Sevastopol this year. Crewing a submarine was a dangerous business, and the town has several memorials to sailors and commanders who are remembered for acts of bravery.

Unlike elsewhere in Crimea, restaurants in Balaklava are generally called Tavernas - a nod in the direction of the `Archipelago Greeks’ from the islands, who settled this part of the coast under Catherine the Great. It was a Greek battalion which attempted to prevent the British occupation of Balaklava at the start of the Crimean war by holding out on the commanding heights where the ruins of the Genoese fortress overlook the town. There are locals with Greek names today, who can trace their encestry back to this period.

Apart from the excellent restaurant `The Gavan’ on the ground floor of the Golden Symbol, there is a famous seafood restaurant with a good selection of Crimean, Georgian and French wines and an English menu, as well as numerous tavernas along the waterfront.

The `Aquamarine’ diving centre offers scuba diving along the coast, and from the Golden Symbol you can get a variety of boat trips, from sea fishing to dolphin spotting.

There are three swimming beaches along the Balaklava inlet, but the locals will advise you to walk the extra distance to the far side of the Genoese fortress, where the beach faces the open sea - or to get a boatsman to take you to a wild beach along the coast, accessible only from the sea (but make sure he remembers to come and collect you!) or to swim in one of the numerous sea caves which abound under the cliffs.

A submarine turned by its bow to the shore and went with a slow speed towards the rock. The rock parted and hid the black-deck cabin at first, then the entire submarine.

Those who found themselves at the Balaklava seaside late evening could watch such a scene. A tourist would hardly understand what happened, whereas the local people would guess that the next submarine that entered its shelter would be at the underground ship-repairing factory.

For a long time, residents of Balaklava did not know exactly what was happening in the underground factory. Nowadays, it’s possible to wander the dark winding halls with a guide. The excursion to the navy complex-museum “Balaklava” clarifies the mysterious past of “Facility 825″ -a top secret complex where the Soviet subs were hidden and repaired.

In the mid 1950s, Josef Stalin, a leader of Soviet communists, amazed by results of A-bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, gave the order to hide the underwater fleet from possible nuclear attacks. The order had to be carried out and soon military engineers prepared the project for the constructing of a giant underground complex, located in the thick of the rock, deeply underground. This facility had to serve as a house for subs. It had to include such a roof and doors that could allow the ship to enter and exit by its own speed. And inside, it had to be able to survive A-bombs in the company of other subs, surrounded with the consideration and care of commanders and repairers.

You can hire motor launches and sailing yachts by the hour to take you out to sea or to perfect beaches accessible only by boat because of the steep cliffs. You may want to take a dip from the boat and swim into sea caves. For more serious diving, scuba equipment and guided dives are available from `Aquamarine’. The Black Sea is home to the bottlenose dolphin and chance encounters are not uncommon.

If you fancy a spot of sea-angling, you can hire a boat, rod and line and the services of a local seaman who can take you to the best fishing areas. In some cases you can cook and eat what you’ve caught on board.

So if you want a vacation with a touch of the deep sea extreme, head for the Crimean Peninsula. The sea waters will gently embrace you and the Black Sea shelf will readily reveal its historical secrets of sunken ships and ancient epochs, breathtaking underwater landscapes, caves and volcanoes, as well as acquaint you with marine life. Even though this underwater fairytale is quickly over; the memory of it will stay with you for the rest of your lifetime.

Like a museum, the Black Sea preserves military relics. A great number of shipwrecks were left following the Crimean War of 1853 – 1856 that enveloped the waters of the southwestern Crimea from Cape Lukall to Cape Sarych. During a single hurricane in November 1854 in Balaklava Harbor, 60 British, French and Turkish vessels sank just as they readied themselves to bombard the fortress city of Sevastopol. On that fateful day, the sea took into its embrace the pride of the British fleet, the sailing frigate “Prince” and 20 thousand Pound Sterling in gold and silver. The legend of dozens of barrels filled with gold and silver still attracts treasure hunters all over the world and frigate itself was long ago renamed “The Black Price” in order to make the intrigue more exiting.

One more wonder of Crimea’s underwater realm is an English frigate, whose name still remains in mystery, which went to the bottom with a cargo no less precious than that of the “Price”, numerous bottles of wine and cognac, which caused divers to christen it in “The Drunken Jack”. Today in the wreckage of the ship, you can find a bottle of wine or cognac that has already been maturing for more than a century. At depths from 6 to 15 meters, one can finds the eternal resting place of other heroes of the Crimean War: the legendary “Lord Reglan” and his fair lady the “Duchess of Glendaloge” and the majestic warriors “Gung”, “Pyrenees” and “London”.

The Second World War also left its marks in Crimea’s submarine spaces. In Unforgettable impressions will remain after a visit to Balaklava, a small town in the vicinity of Sevastopol. During the Sovjet era, there was a submarine shooting range there in the area of Mramorna Balka. Today, at a depth accusable to divers, one can see the remains of broken targets and unsuccessfully lounged torpedoes.

Felice L asked:


As a diver, I am always looking for a perfect place to dive, but doesn’t burn a hole in my pockets as well. I want a good place with good facilities, comfortable accommodation, good weather, good scenery and good food plus good security.

You know where I have found the place? Right in the island of Borneo on the Northern tip. The place is Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai and Mataking islands on the Celebes Sea.

Up north you have the Sulu sea where you have Langkayan island and to the West, you have the pristine waters of the South China Sea. Three vast seas in one trip. Beautiful spots, lots of interesting marine life, big pelagic fishes and action or if you prefer the muck diving, exploring for the vast variety of critters in the ocean floor .

I am a calculative person, meaning I would work my budget out and exploit to the maximum. I am taught to get maximum out from minimum at the work place and this is the principle I applied. Maximum from minimum resources! Traveling to Malaysia and reaching the state of Sabah, there is a certain sum of money being spent, right? If you have traveled half the world to reach this place, you would want to explore as many diving sites as you want. The beautiful part in this place is that the four sites are quite near to each other. The experience is unique in each one though.

For example, at Sipadan, it is big fish action, the Barracuda, Turtles, sharks and rays. At Mabul and Kapalai, it is the macro life on the ocean floor, the weird critters you have never seen before.

It is unique to be staying on houses built on stilts over the sea. Where do you get to sit on your balcony and by looking down at the water below, you can watch the antics of the Mantis Prawn? This is one unique place. And the conversion of currency is USD1 gives you RM3.4 (Ringgit Malaysia). A can of coke cost you about USD50cents. So how about that for spending power at this place?

There are a number of dive resorts with PADI status at these dive paradise. The renting of diving equipment is a bargain compared to other places I have visited.

And getting to Sabah is easy as the capital city Kota Kinabalu is well connected to major airlines from USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Bangkok, Macau, Shanghai, Australia and Kuala Lumpur.

Drew Gillson asked:


About 35 miles off the coast of Honduras sits Roatan Island - boasting Caribbean vacation homes, lush tropical greenery, local developments and fishing villas. Roatan Island is around 32 miles long and is slender, elongated and curved like the blade of some ancient pirate’s cutlass. Surrounded by shimmering, sun drenched waters of turquoise – Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands. Hidden treasure of all kind waits patiently to be discovered on the island of Roatan.
Paradise Underwater
The first stop on our journey for treasure on Roatan Island will take us under the stunning crystal waters of the Caribbean to the 2nd largest coral reef in the world. Because the coral reef is so massive and breathtaking, Roatan diving is becoming a must for those interested in scuba diving and snorkeling – hence the dive resorts and villas nestled here and there on the island.
The sea life and coral come in every color of the rainbow. Enveloped by the blue-green waters, you will see fascinating clumps of coral which range in shape, color and size. You will be left speechless from the pure beauty while you’re diving or snorkeling in Roatan and you never know what you will spot in this magical place of strange and beautiful sights.
Pirate’s Gold
Fueled by the whispered rumors of ancient treasure, we will now be moving to various locations on Roatan Island – some of which are said in stories to contain the forgotten gold and treasures of pirate visitors from long ago. In the 1700’s, pirates had control of the island – and it is still said that some of their buried treasure and booty waits to be discovered to this day.
From chests full of gold doubloons to coffins filled with gold in underwater caves – there are numerous stories of treasure found on Roatan Island. Locals will tell stories of long forgotten places and adventurers who have found wealth through Roatan treasure! Will you be the next to discover riches and wealth on this untouched island left by a pirate of the old days?
Island Life
Our final discovery of treasure in Roatan is not gold, but some would say it’s a better kind of treasure. Although there are ‘tourist hotspots’ on Roatan, much of the island is untouched. However, some individuals and companies are seeing the importance of the development of Roatan. There are already many people who regularly visit their Caribbean vacation homes, villas in Roatan or quiet vacation condos.
One such is the Oceano Village development. Built away from the tourist areas, Oceano Village remains within reach of hospitals, tourist attractions and necessities. With a net-zero construction, the beach front homes are built of renewable resources and sit upon a beautiful lush, landscaped area of Roatan. Each vacation home is greeted outside by fine, powder white sand beaches and its own view of Paradise.
Caribbean vacation homes promise the quiet, uninterrupted lifestyle of a still-untouched island – combined with the colorful culture of the friendly locals and the promise of a new discovery each day on Roatan Island.

dive buzz diver asked:


If you like turtles and sharks, great drop offs and reefs to snorkel then you will love Sipadan. This island off the east coast of Malaysian Borneo used to boast the worlds best shore dive. About 10m/30ft from the beach the wall drops to 680m/2200ft. Since 2005 the island is a marine park and is protected from dynamite fishermen and over diving by the Malaysian Navy and Sabah Parks officials. Divers must stay on close by Mabul or take day trips from the coast town of Semporna.

For such a wonderful dive site you would expect premium prices, but Sipadan is surprisingly accessible for those on a shoestring budget. Get yourself to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and follow the tips below for a unforgettable dive holiday without breaking the bank.

Book your international flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and then get yourself to Semporna via Tawau.

How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau

Book a flight from KL to Tawau with Air Asia for around RM200 plus taxes.

Air Asia leaves from the Kuala Lumpur LCCT which stands for Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Its about 10km from the main international terminals. Follow the signs from arrivals to the car park and you will find the bus station and a transfer bus for RM1.50. It takes around 15 mins but leave some time to spare.

Air Asia are very strict about excess baggage and its expensive but they are very friendly to scuba divers. Pack your gear separately and identify it when you check in and you will pay maximum of RM30.

How to get from Singapore to Tawau

Book a flight from Johor Bahru to Tawau with Air Asia for around RM200 plus taxes.

Johor Bahru is the Malaysian town across the causeway from Singapore. After you land, take the train into town and then a bus from Queen Street bus station to Malaysia! Total cost less than S$5. You will need to get a taxi to Johor Bahru airport (also called Senai airport) because the buses are difficult to find but this should only cost you RM20 or so.

How to get from Tawau to Semporna

All day boats to Sipadan and transfers to Mabul resorts start in Semporna, a fishing town 100km from Tawau. The diving day and resort transfers start early so it is better to go direct to Semporna when you arrive.

Leaving Tawau airport you have two options. The bus ticket counter will sell you a ticket to Tawau (RM10) and direct you to the bus behind the police station. Tawau town is 30km from the airport south. Semporna is 70km north. If you go to Tawau first you will have to retrace 30km on your second bus before getting closer to your destination.

So before you buy your ticket to Tawau, go and look behind the police station. You will likely find a mini bus going direct to Semporna and they charge only RM20. Save yourself two hours and RM20 and go direct!

If you are tired, late or fancy splashing out, a taxi costs around RM100 and will fit up to 3 tired divers and their gear!

You could save yourself all that hassle by booking diving ahead. Most dive resorts will come and collect you if you book ahead.

So, when you get to Semporna what are your options to dive on Sipadan? Surprisingly you can do day trips from Semporna or stay on an island resort for much the same price so you choose for other reasons.

If you want to enjoy the relative freedom of staying the mainland so you can go shopping and choose your restaurant in the evening then your cost is longer boat times to the days diving. If you want to get away and take advantage of unlimited diving and short boat trips then you must book several consecutive diving days and stay all-in on an island resort.

Staying in Semporna and having day trips

Scuba Junkies are probably the largest day tripper from Semporna (website offline at publication date). For smaller boat groups you might try Blue Sea Divers who opened this summer and are a couple of doors down the road.

Staying on the island resorts

Many of the resorts on Mabul and Kapalai are expensive but there are budget options. The cheapest is definitely Uncle Chang’s Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge. It’s very basic, mattresses on the floor and shared bathing but you go to the islands for the diving and the resort for rum party evenings not to catch up on your sleep.

For a little more money you could try something totally different and take a room on the converted oil rig called SeaVentures. This offers you the opportunity for unlimited diving under the rig with your buddy which makes it all great value. You also have more chance of getting some sleep on the rig!

Staying in Semporna

Whether its one night before a resort transfer or several days and day trip diving, your best option in Semporna is Scuba Junkies backpackers lodge. They have beds for as little as RM20 per night and that includes breakfast.

You might be tempted to go a little upmarket to City Inn or Dragon Inn hotels where you will an ensuite room but watch out, these do not include breakfast nor offer any refreshment services at all.

Sipadan is not the only diving destination in Sabah. Why not spend a few days in the state capital and discover the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park just half an hour from the town jetty.

Kota Kinabalu is a very easy town to spend a few days in. There are many backpackers but for sure the classiest is Velvet which opened early 2007. The rooms are immaculate and they offer free use of the washing machine! You can go white water rafting, submerge yourself in sulphur baths or for the more adventurous you can climb the mountain.

T.A.R. marine park has a range of diving including several artificial reefs close to the islands which are very successful in attracting a range of fish. You can see some spectacular marine life even when the visibility is low when compared to Sipadan. While several dive centers operate in Kota Kinabalu, we found the customer service of Sabah Divers to be second to none and at a very good price.

You can see my dives in Sipadan and Abdul Rahman Marine park on theDiveBuzz

KM61.com asked:


A Journal by Rick Britcher, July 2008
Introduction
            I have been diving since the late sixties, and the one thing that has keep me diving is the inherent sense of adventure and the lure of the unknown that it provides. No matter how many times I dive the same place, I never know what I might see or what adventure I might have. There is also the commerodary among divers. Some of my best friends are students of mine or people I’ve met while on dive trips. It’s these things that draw me to such exotic dive destinations like the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
            Getting there is a journey itself. Since there is only one flight each day to the islands, it takes at least two days travel time. I hooked up with a group of fourteen divers out of a dive shop in Pasadena, CA. We started our trek at LAX at 5 AM for our first leg of the trip to Miami. From there we boarded a plane for Guiyaquil, Ecuador, one of two main cities in that country. We arrived at 10 PM that night and were transferred to the Unihotel in downtown Guiyaquil, where we had booked rooms for the night. The next day we had a couple hours to kill, because the only flight to the Galapagos was at 12 noon. We decided to take a short walk around downtown. Guiyalquil is a very clean, picturesque, modern city with many parks, beautiful churches and government buildings. Across the street from the hotel was such a park and cathedral. I was busy taking pictures in the park when I saw some of the my friends frantically waving and pointing at me from across the park. I looked up in the trees above me where they were pointing and I saw at least two dozen large iguanas roosting there like some many chickens. Then I heard the SPLAT! I looked down and saw that the ground was covered with their fresh droppings. If I had taken one more step, I would have been nailed by iguana poop. My roommate wasn’t so lucky. They told me he was on his way back to the hotel to take a shower.
            A representative from the Aggressor Fleet met us at the Guiyaquil airport at 10 AM and handled all our check in and baggage. What a pleasant surprise! The flight took two hours and finally, after 36 hours, we were there, San Cristobal Island, Galapagos. Again, the representative from the Aggressor was there to met us and handle all our gear. We all boarded a bus for the ten minute ride to the dock in the center of town. Stepping over sea lions laying on the dock, we climbed aboard an inflatable dingy for a short ride to the Aggressor II, moored in the harbor. What a beautiful boat! The rooms below deck each had two single beds, bathroom and shower. The rooms above deck had one double bed, bathroom and shower. There was a sun-deck on top with lounge chairs and hammocks. The dining room and lounge was very plush with lots of wood and brass. The dive deck had 14 stations with a very large rinse tank for cameras and two chase boats. Lunch was ready for us when we boarded and we spent the afternoon stowing gear while the boat moved to an anchorage on the southeast side of the island for our check-out dive.
            Except for the small town at the harbor, the rest of the island is uninhabited. The islands are all volcanic and look very prehistoric. We anchored in a small cove and geared up for a dive to check our weights and make sure everything was working correctly. We were told to wear our 7mm suits, hoods, and gloves even though the water temp was 79 F. The dive master said the water would be much colder at our dive site tomorrow. The islands are affected by three major currents, one from the south, one from the north and one from the west. The time of year and strength of the different currents would determine the temperature of the water at each site. So we had to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. This first site was murky and the bottom was sand and rocks and inhabited by the usual reef fish: butterfly fish, damsels, grunts, puffers, eels, rays, etc. After the dive we stretched out on the sun deck until dinner at 6 PM. When we all gathered in the dining salon, the crew came in dressed in their white naval uniforms. They were very stunning. They greeted us with a champagne toast and a fabulous dinner. We had BBQ steak, chicken, fish, potatoes, rice and beans, seveche, and salsa. I ate way too much! As the boat motored to our first dive site, we sat up on the sun deck and watched the sunset, talked and laughed until we were too tired to stay awake any longer. Diving started tomorrow.
Day 1
            The breakfast bell rang at 6:30 AM and we could have what ever we wanted: eggs, waffles, cereal, fruit, toast. All you had to do was ask and the chef would make it. Dive briefing was at 8 AM and for each site the dive master drew a detailed map showing bottom contours, depths, currents, etc. The first site was called Mosquera Island, a small sand bar between two larger islands, Seymour and Baltra. We anchored on the inside between the islands and the dive  was on the ocean side of Mosquera along a wall with a long sand flat on top. The wall dropped to 90 ft. and the sand flat was at 60 ft. The dive master said that this was an easy spot with no currents and we would start at one end of the wall and dive the wall to the other end. He wanted to check our diving skills to make sure we could handle what was to come. We had seven divers and a dive master in each dingy and we were dropped at the left end of the wall over the sand flat. I sank down to the sand a 60 ft and checked my computer. Visibility was only about 30 ft. and green with plankton, reminded me of Laguna Beach on a good day, except the water temp. was 79 F. I swam down over the wall and could see the shimmering layer of the thermocline at 75 ft. As I swam through it, the water temperature dropped ten degrees but the visibility opened up to about 50 ft.. The wall was covered with black coral. Moray eels and lobsters poked their heads out of the cracks. As I followed the wall, I was surrounded by the usual suspects: schools of big-eyed jacks and small tuna, grunts, crommies, angel fish, butterfly fish, moorish idles, barracuda, spotted eagle rays. I ascended the wall and swam over the sand flat to do my safety stop. On the sand were a couple of large stingrays and a big field of garden eels. As I sat on the surface waiting to be picked up I could see dozens of sea lions sunning on the beach on Mosquera. When we got back on board after the dive, one of the crew had a plate of hot cinnamon buns and hot chocolate for us. When I pulled down my wetsuit another crew member put a hot beach towel on my shoulders. Sweet!
            The second dive was to be a repeat of the first and, after about an hour surface interval, we were dropped off in the same place on the reef. This time I went straight down the wall to the bottom at about 90 ft. Due to the upwelling it was still pretty chilly down there, so I didn’t stay long. I came back up through the thermocline and stopped at the top of the wall and looked out over the sand flat. There, about twenty feet away was a Great Hammerhead, the largest of the six species of hammerheads. It was the biggest shark I had ever seen. It had to be at least 12 ft long. It was massive! I’ve swam with 12 ft Caribbean reef sharks before and they were small in comparison. It reminded me of a Great White, only with a handlebar head. It was accompanied by several other smaller scalloped hammerheads and they quickly swam across the sand and over the wall, disappearing like ghosts. There was no chance to take a picture. I looked around for my buddy, but he was down the wall about ten feet taking pictures of reef fish. He didn’t see them nor did anyone else. Damn, nobody was going to believe what I saw. It was at that moment that I realized that I was in the Galapagos. I later told the dive master what I had seen and he said he had seen one there a couple of years ago. Since the island faces the open ocean, they come in to feed on the schools of tuna swimming over the sand flat. I continued along the sand hoping to see them again, but never did. Hammerheads are very skittish and don’t like divers and their noisy bubbles.
            A land excursion on Seymour Island was planned for after lunch. At 2 PM the dingies took us ashore and we followed the marked trail across the island. It was like we stepped back in time. The island was pristine and the wildlife was not afraid of humans. We could get within inches of nesting frigates, blue footed boobies, land and sea iguanas, orange and blue crabs, and sea lions. Richard, our dive master, was extremely knowledgeable about the history and biology of the island. It was amazing.
            After a two hour hike we went back to the boat, which had just refueled at the military base on Baltra. Next stop was Wolf Island, an eighteen hour crossing. We should arrive there at about 8 the next morning. After a dinner of sauteed shrimp and rice, we sat on the sun deck and watched the sunset and talked about the day’s events.
Day 2
            We arrived at Wolf Island on schedule escorted by a pod of dolphins riding the bow wake. Hundreds of seagulls were diving a bait ball and the dolphins moved in and attacked it as well, jumping ten feet out of the water. The first dive of the day was at Schrk-bai with the current running to the north, visibility was 50-80 ft and the water was a beautiful turquoise blue. Water temperature was a balmy 82 F and the air was 90 F. I had my 7mm wetsuit on because I didn’t know what to expect. When I did my back roll off the dingy I knew right away I was going to roast. The bottom was strewn with big boulders covered with barnacles and sloped down from 30 ft and disappeared into the darkness below. I immediately swam down towards the thermocline at about 100 ft. to cool off. Out it the blue I could see the ghostly shapes of several hammerheads right at the edge of visibility. Large schools of big-eyed jacks, barracuda, and wahoo passed by. Every few minutes a green sea turtle would swim by. I tried swimming out into the blue to photograph the sharks, but they keep their distance, too far away for a good picture. By the time we finished out safety stop the current had carried us to the north end of the island where the dingies were waiting to pick us up.
            The second dive started at El Derumbe (landslide) and I wore just my 5mm vest and board shorts and no weight belt. As soon as we descended we were surrounded by hammerheads, galapagos sharks and silkies. The current was a lot stronger, so I hid behind a large boulder and waited. The sharks paraded by, sometimes twenty at one time. Big squadrons of hammerheads swam into the current and they got really close. They were all about 6-10 ft in length and they came from all directions. Finally I decided to swim out into the blue and let the current take me. I swam through big schools of tangs, wahoo, jacks, and tuna. At one point I was surrounded by hammerheads and turtles. After my safety stop I had once again drifted to the north end of the island where the dingy was waiting to pick me up. We didn’t have to worry about getting lost at sea because each of us was equipped with a GPS locator and a 10 ft flag. I never had to use them because the dingy drivers were excellent at keeping track of everybody. We had BBQ for lunch and we had a rainstorm pass through that cooled things off. The rain stopped just in time for dive number three.
            Because we had so much action at El Denumbe, dives three and four where exactly the same. The water was warm, the current was strong, and the sharks were everywhere. It was almost too much for one day. How could we top this? We anchored on the north side of Wolf for the night and we were moving to Darwin Island the next morning. It was only a two hour crossing and we could actually see the island off to the north.
Day 3
            When we woke the next morning we were anchored off of Darwin Island with Darwin Arch off to the left. There was a large thunderstorm to the north and a rainbow appeared between the arch and the island, a good omen of things to come. The first dive started at small inlet in the middle of Darwin Arch. The water temperature was still 82 F and the visibility was 80 to 100 ft. with the thermocline at about 70 ft. There was a mild current and there were lots of groupers, jacks, wahoo, trumpet fish, moorish idles, angels, eels, and turtles. The current carried us around the arch to the flat shallow area in front of Darwin Island. There we saw a squadron of hammerheads in about 35 ft. of water. The dingies picked us up there and it was back to the boat for hot cinnamon buns and hot chocolate. We were so spoiled!             The second dive started at the west corner of the arch and we were to hang out there to wait for the action. We dropped down to just above the thermocline at 70 ft. with no current and watched as the hammerheads and turtles cruised in out of the blue. A couple of spotted eagles rays sailed by along with a huge school of big-eyed jacks. We went back for lunch and then returned to the same spot for dive three. When I dropped in this time, conditions had changed a little. I looked down and the boulders on the bottom were whizzing by. The current had to have been at least 3 knots. It’s what us old timers call an E-ticket ride. I quickly swam down to try and grab onto a rock. The current was so strong I couldn’t hold on and I couldn’t even hold my position no matter how hard I kicked. So I just went with it. Swimming into the current was a huge school of jacks followed by a group of hammerheads. I drifted for a while at 90ft. until the bottom disappeared, all the time surrounded by sharks. I surfaced after my safety stop and found that I had drifted about a half mile past the east side of Darwin Island. I did a quick 360 and saw that the chase boat was only about 20 yards away. He knew right where I was the whole time. These guys were great! I am definitely taking my reef hook on the next dive.
            The current was still ripping when we jumped in for the fourth dive. I had my reef hook this time, but it took several attempts to hook up. The hook keep popping off the rocks. After I was finally secure, I started taking pictures. I quickly discovered that it was going to be more difficult than I expected. The current keep bending my strobe out of position and my mask kept flooding. I was whipping back and forth on the reef hook and banging my bare knees against the sharp barnacles that covered the rocks. I decided to unhook and just drift with the current. This turned out to be a good idea because I passed through a couple of big groups of hammerheads swimming into the current. I shot all my film and surfaced in about the same spot as the last dive.
Day 4
            The next day we were returning to Wolf Island, but we had a chance to do two more dives at Darwin Arch if we got up early. We boarded the dingies before breakfast and motored over to the arch. There was no current and the visibility was at least 100 ft. A couple sea lions played with us and we could see a school of hammerheads out in the blue. An enormous school of jacks surrounded us and we could hear dolphins squeaking and clicking, but we never saw them. On the way back to the boat the dolphins showed up. We quickly jumped in with our snorkels and swam with them for a while. What a blast! After breakfast we went to the same spot for our second and last dive at the arch. We could still hear the dolphins but we couldn’t see them. They got louder and louder and then six big bottle nose dolphins came in out of the blue. They circled us a couple times, checking us out, and then they took off.
            We arrived at Wolf Island at noon and two dives were planned. We were diving the landslide again and the current was so strong that the surface looked like rapids in a fast moving river. It was intense. We were immediately swept away. It was hard to hang on even using my reef hook. There were sharks everywhere: 6-8 ft. hammerheads, galapagos, silkies. They just keep coming and they were all eating tuna! When we surfaced we had drifted around the end of the island a half a mile past Schrk-Bai. Since we had so much action, the second dive was at the same spot. Conditions were the same except the water temperature had dropped to 75F. The current must have caused a cold upwelling. It got a little chilly with no wetsuit. Again we were surrounded by sharks. This time the green sea turtles were there in force. I counted nineteen turtles on the dive, seeing five at one time. As soon as we boarded the Aggressor II, we pulled anchor and headed south for the main island group.
Day 5
            We arrived at Santiago Island the next day at noon and we had time for two dives at Cousin Rock. It was a small rocky island with a long wall to the south. The water was green with plankton and visibility might have been 10 ft. at the surface. Water temperature was in the low 60’s and it looked like we were back in California water. It was time for 7mm wetsuits again.   The wall went down to 100 ft and visibility was better down deep. The wall was covered with black coral and thousands of aquarium fish. We saw turtles, mobla rays, white tip sharks, and seahorses. We followed the wall south and surfaced on the backside of Cousin Rock. While on the surface, a couple of big eyed fur seals came over to play with us.
            Following our two dives we headed for the anchorage at Bartolome Island for a land excursion. This is the most famous location in the Galapagos Islands and there were a half dozen boats at anchor. The beach we were going to was one that was featured in the movie “Master and Commander”. As we approached we could see a couple of small penguins standing on the rocks and swimming in the water. They were only about 12 inches tall. We walked down the sand beach as dozens of red and orange crabs scurried into the water. We could see trenches all over the sand dunes where sea turtles had laid their eggs, some just the night before. Sea iguanas perched on the rocks like gargoyles. The island was a volcano that erupted only 150 years ago and the fresh lava flow looked like a moonscape. We hiked to the top of it and the view of the islands was amazing. As the sun set and the mosquitos attacked, we made our way back to the dingy. Back on the boat we were treated to a roast turkey dinner and everyone joked that it was really a pelican that the crew had caught.
Day 6
            During the night we had moved to Plazas Island for another land excursion. This island looked very prehistoric because it was covered with prickly pear cactus trees and hundreds of land iguanas. The iguanas main food source was the cactus and there was no shortage of either. As we walked around blue foot bobbies squawked at us and we had to step over sea lions sleeping on the trail.
            Our last dive was at Gordon Rocks, nicknamed the “Washing Machine”. It was a collapsed volcano that had currents coming in from all sides and we would be diving inside it. Visibility was much better than yesterday, 50 to 100 ft, depending on the currents. There were many submerged pinnacles and the currents were fairly strong between them. We started on the far right side and swam around the pinnacles to the left and ended up on the outside. There was a large school of barracuda on the inside of the crater and when we reached the outside on the left a group of manta rays greeted us. Right behind them was a bunch of eagle rays. What a great way to end the last dive!
            Our next stop was the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island. This is where they breed and house the various species of land tortoises that inhabit the Galapagos Islands. Each island has it’s own distinct species of tortoise. Early sailors and explorers slaughtered thousands of them for food and several species have become extinct. On the island of Pinta there was only one left and his name is Lonesome George. He now lives at the research station where they are trying to breed him in order to repopulate his island. Another island had only 12 left and through a successful breeding program there are now over a thousand. The station has hundreds of baby tortoises and dozens of adult ones up to 100 years old. They collect the eggs from each island and hatch them. Each tortoise is numbered and they raise it until it is five years old. Then they release it on its island of origin. We spent all afternoon at the station.
            We returned to the boat at 5 PM for a well-deserved nap. After resting for a couple of hours we all met in the salon for a farewell toast with the crew. They were all dressed in their whites again and we all agreed that they did a fantastic job of taking care of us. Then we headed back to town for dinner at a local restaurant. We ate, drank, and talked until 11PM and then went back to the boat for our final move to San Cristobal. The next day we boarded our flight for Quiyaquil, where we spent the night again in the Unihotel. We were back home the following night.
            It should be noted that diving the Galapagos Islands is not for everyone. It is definitely advanced diving. You must be comfortable diving in strong currents, cold water, with no bottom, surrounded by big sharks. However, if this is the kind of adrenaline diving you are looking for, then you must put the Galapagos Islands at the top of your list of exotic dive locations. I am glad I did.

Ben Eliott asked:


While you’re preparing for your next warm waters charter, playing with the hand-held GPS and poring over the new cruising guide, spare a thought for the lowly art of snorkeling. Poor mans scuba-diving it is not. Good snorkeling skills can be a life-saver for the skipper and even if you’ve always thought you have the lung capacity of a hamster, with a few techniques at your disposal you can hugely improve your free diving skills.

Good snorkel skills can give manifold benefits: see whether your anchor’s set properly or get it out of a tangle, inspect the underside of your boat while it’s in the water, save precious time if you need to cut off a prop-wrap. You know you’re in business when you come to anchorage and worry more about finding your free-dive depth than trying to calculate what one fifth of your anchor chain is. And besides all that reef snorkeling down to depth is a lot of fun.

So, you’re floating in the water wondering what you’re getting yourself into. Take at least three long deep breaths before you think about diving. I know, not rocket science. Just relax and breathe as far in and out as you can three times, make sure you push the air right out when you breathe out and all the way around when you breathe in; down to the tummy and up to the chest. Be decisive on the breath at which you’ll dive and top yourself right up.

Next step? Bend over and start down for the sea bed. The sooner you can get your fins below the water level the better, since that’ll start to give you real power to get to depth. This is where most people think it’s time to head back to the ozone. Since you’ve taken a lot of breath you almost instantly feel fit to burst. The first and best thing you can do is to avoid the temptation to head straight back up and try something else instead.

The trick? Leek out a little air till that feeling of being fit to burst ceases. It won’t take much, just dribble out a little bit till it goes away. And it will. Suddenly you’ll find yourself floating around wondering why you didn’t come down here earlier. Again, you’ll get that fit to burst feeling. Don’t head top speed for the surface but leek out more air. By this stage you’re considering whether to make a second home down there. Just keep going like that till the air runs out; each time you’ll feel back to normal until finally it’s time to head back up.

Apart from that fit to burst feeling which tells you to leek a little air, while you’re heading south you’ll feel quite a lot of pain in your ears if you don’t start doing something about it. So be ready to hold your nose and blow out through your ears. If you’re heading to depth at any speed you’ll have to do that quite regularly.

An important side note is that since you’re not taking on-board any new air like scuba-divers do you don’t need to worry about pressure when you come back up. Just head straight back to the surface. If you see a scuba diver and feel like a gasp of air then avoid the temptation to grab his spare octopus and take a breathe since you’ll have to stay down there and return to the surface in controlled stages.

While we’re not exactly re-inventing the wheel here and I’ll understand if you won’t join me in lobbying the ASA and RYA to include it in their syllabus, for chartering in warm waters spare a thought for your simple snorkel set. Nestled in beside the hand-held GPS you might just find it’ll come in handy.