The Diving: The macro diving was spectacular, with the variety of critters the most we have experienced, including dozens of different nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, pipefish, crabs, shrimp, etc. Larger critters included turtles, moray eels, frogfish, weedy rhinopias, octopus, larger crabs & shrimp, various puffers, butterflyfish, damsels, anthias, barracuda, cowfish, boxfish, anemonefish, cuttlefish, etc. The variety of diving ranged from muck diving on sandy slopes to beautiful healthy coral reefs crammed with marine life, so crammed it was hard to know what to look at! The night diving was not to be missed at the pier & included numerous octopus, bobtail shrimp, stargazers, pipefish, squid, crabs, Melibe nudibranchs, a pipehorse, Bobbit worm, gurnards, burrfish, etc. After a dive I was constantly remarking that it was my favourite dive ever, only to say the same thing after the next dive. We have dived throughout the world & enjoyed this location more than anywhere else! The viz was usually 40 – 60 feet, not the best, but not as important for macro diving, & an indication of the nutrients needed to sustain life. There was current at times, but manageable. The Dive Operation: Up to 4 dives a day were offered & included 2 back-to-back morning dives starting at 9 am, an afternoon dive at 2:30 – 3 pm, & a night dive at 6 pm. The largest group we were included 5 divers. My husband & I each completed 24 dives over 7 days. The dive sites were generally within 20 minutes of the resort by bangka, with roll-off entry, & ladder to exit the sites, with the option of removing your BCD in the water for the staff to lift out for you. The staff carried all gear on & off the boat. Divers rinsed & hung up their own neoprene. A spacious camera room was available & kept locked overnight. The dive masters were eager to please & great at finding those critters we would have easily missed. Before each dive a briefing was given with time given for any questions. Accommodation: The resort included 7 guest rooms & was basic, definitely not luxurious, but most importantly clean, with a good mattress on the bed, & quiet. Our shower took a while to figure out & warm up so we found it easier to use the outdoor showers after our last dive of the day. Restaurant: Breakfast was included each day & was ordered off the menu & included coffee. Because we dived all day we elected to have our lunches & dinners here as well. The food was delicious & reasonably priced. We were frustrated, however, by the lack of availability of fresh fruit (they ran out constantly), & desserts (they ran out of ice cream early in the week & did not replenish it). We don’t usually eat dessert at home so part of enjoying our vacation time is to indulge ourselves; I know, first world problem! Service: The staff provided exemplary service, from the moment of 1st contact by email & throughout our stay. We were always greeted with friendly smiles & asked how we were enjoyi
Excellent
44 Reviews