12 days to go!(:
So, today I've been reading about the dive sites in Bali and learning more about Sipadan and Mabul. Getting really excited, can't wait to get under the sea again! It's been 6 months since my last diving trip and I'm stoked to be stuffing my derrier into a wetsuit again.
My original plan was to get my DM (divemaster lisence) this summer, but I decided it's not for me right now. I had picked a dive operator called Blue Season Bali because they offer a very cool Eco Divemaster Internship. You can read more on the internship on their website!
http://www.baliocean.com/en/bali_eco_internship.blueseason
After I decided to change my plans I contacted BSB and and got the most warm and understanding reply. They told me I'm welcome to use the deposit money I already paid for fun diving and even told me I could spend a day or so with the interns if I want to(: How nice is that! I'm amazingly happy that I followed a recommendation of a fellow diver who completed her DM with these guys and decided to dive with Blue Season Bali, so far they've been nothing but friendly and helpful. Good vibes!
BSB is located in Sanur, South East Bali. As an area it's apparently relatively quiet and there's no party scene like in Kuta, the "party town" of Bali. (Apparently full of drunk-ass Australian tourists and noisy clubs.) I've heard Sanur has a local moniker, Snore(: But as divers know, diving and partying don't mix, so it's really just a good thing that Sanur is a bit more quiet and relaxed. Also the location is perfect for diving the best spots around and especially East Coast Bali.
I'm staying at BIG Pineapple Backpackers for 11 nights. I'll be diving most of the the days and this hostel is located close to the dive shop and the beach, and it had gotten pretty great reviews (86%, 4,5 stars) on TripAdvisor and Hostelworld etc. Plus it's super cheap! It'll be a great way to meet other backpackers and divers too, the hostel has a nice chilling area and a pool... perfect for relaxing and mingling with fellow travelers after a long day of diving(: I will review the place after staying there. If you're traveling on a budget and want to rather spend your hard earned money on diving than beach resorts, look into the hostels in the area. There are quite a few that also offer private rooms for a super affordable price - they're usually for 2 people so if you're traveling with company that's the best budget way to go! I've found cheap single rooms too, but I'll write more about the accommodations another time.
Back to the diving!
What to expect when you dive in Bali? Well, I'm definitely waiting for a few things...
1. Manta rays!
2. Mola Mola aka Sunfish
3. USAT Liberty wreck
4. Reef sharks
5. Turtles
6. Cool macro stuff like nudis etc.
Borneo/ Sipadan and Mabul:
Pulau Sipadan is a small volcanic island in Malaysian Borneo, east side of Sabah area. Sipadan is said to be one of the top 10 dive sites in the world with an incredibly rich ecosystem of more than 3 000 classified species including huge schools of barracuda and bumphead parrotfish etc. Manta rays, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks and whale sharks also visit the area. Apparently there are also a lot of turtles around, and I just happen to love turtles(:
Some of you may remember Sipadan from 2001 when 21 tourists (including 2 Finnish guys Vahanen & Fränti) were kidnapped from the Island by Filipino Islamist terrorist group and taken to Yolo, Philippines... everyone was released in the end, so no harm done, right(; There haven't been any incidents since and it should be totally safe to travel and dive in that area now.
I have very high hopes for Sipadan... I wasn't planning on diving Mabul, but one cannot dive just Sipadan, oh no. The dive operators in the area know how to make money and they've established a system where one has to dive at least 3 dives around Mabul to be able to dive in Sipadan. You also need to book your Sipadan dive permit well in advance! It's a marine conservation area and they only allow 120 people a day to visit... which is really cool, I'm not into diving in places where you see more Japanese divers than fish.
Now I'll get back to making some more travel plans(:
Love,
Emma
So, today I've been reading about the dive sites in Bali and learning more about Sipadan and Mabul. Getting really excited, can't wait to get under the sea again! It's been 6 months since my last diving trip and I'm stoked to be stuffing my derrier into a wetsuit again.
My original plan was to get my DM (divemaster lisence) this summer, but I decided it's not for me right now. I had picked a dive operator called Blue Season Bali because they offer a very cool Eco Divemaster Internship. You can read more on the internship on their website!
http://www.baliocean.com/en/bali_eco_internship.blueseason
After I decided to change my plans I contacted BSB and and got the most warm and understanding reply. They told me I'm welcome to use the deposit money I already paid for fun diving and even told me I could spend a day or so with the interns if I want to(: How nice is that! I'm amazingly happy that I followed a recommendation of a fellow diver who completed her DM with these guys and decided to dive with Blue Season Bali, so far they've been nothing but friendly and helpful. Good vibes!
BSB is located in Sanur, South East Bali. As an area it's apparently relatively quiet and there's no party scene like in Kuta, the "party town" of Bali. (Apparently full of drunk-ass Australian tourists and noisy clubs.) I've heard Sanur has a local moniker, Snore(: But as divers know, diving and partying don't mix, so it's really just a good thing that Sanur is a bit more quiet and relaxed. Also the location is perfect for diving the best spots around and especially East Coast Bali.
I'm staying at BIG Pineapple Backpackers for 11 nights. I'll be diving most of the the days and this hostel is located close to the dive shop and the beach, and it had gotten pretty great reviews (86%, 4,5 stars) on TripAdvisor and Hostelworld etc. Plus it's super cheap! It'll be a great way to meet other backpackers and divers too, the hostel has a nice chilling area and a pool... perfect for relaxing and mingling with fellow travelers after a long day of diving(: I will review the place after staying there. If you're traveling on a budget and want to rather spend your hard earned money on diving than beach resorts, look into the hostels in the area. There are quite a few that also offer private rooms for a super affordable price - they're usually for 2 people so if you're traveling with company that's the best budget way to go! I've found cheap single rooms too, but I'll write more about the accommodations another time.
Back to the diving!
What to expect when you dive in Bali? Well, I'm definitely waiting for a few things...
1. Manta rays!
2. Mola Mola aka Sunfish
3. USAT Liberty wreck
4. Reef sharks
5. Turtles
6. Cool macro stuff like nudis etc.
Borneo/ Sipadan and Mabul:
Pulau Sipadan is a small volcanic island in Malaysian Borneo, east side of Sabah area. Sipadan is said to be one of the top 10 dive sites in the world with an incredibly rich ecosystem of more than 3 000 classified species including huge schools of barracuda and bumphead parrotfish etc. Manta rays, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks and whale sharks also visit the area. Apparently there are also a lot of turtles around, and I just happen to love turtles(:
Some of you may remember Sipadan from 2001 when 21 tourists (including 2 Finnish guys Vahanen & Fränti) were kidnapped from the Island by Filipino Islamist terrorist group and taken to Yolo, Philippines... everyone was released in the end, so no harm done, right(; There haven't been any incidents since and it should be totally safe to travel and dive in that area now.
I have very high hopes for Sipadan... I wasn't planning on diving Mabul, but one cannot dive just Sipadan, oh no. The dive operators in the area know how to make money and they've established a system where one has to dive at least 3 dives around Mabul to be able to dive in Sipadan. You also need to book your Sipadan dive permit well in advance! It's a marine conservation area and they only allow 120 people a day to visit... which is really cool, I'm not into diving in places where you see more Japanese divers than fish.
Now I'll get back to making some more travel plans(:
Love,
Emma
No comments:
Post a Comment