MY Pelagian (Bali, Indonesia)
One of the most luxurious and comfortable liveaboards operating anywhere in the world, the Pelagian offers dive trips to Komodo and other sites in Indonesia. Six A/C cabins, all with en-suite heads. A dedicated room for photographers reduces the clutter that otherwise dominates any boat with photographers on board, making the Pelagian the most photographer-friendly boat I've ever dived from. Two RIBs, Nitrox available.
MY Evening Star (Labuanbajo, Indonesia)
Formerly a sailing brig, the Evening Star operates out of Labuanbajo, primarily in the waters around Komodo and Flores. Accomodations are very adequate, with six A/C cabins, three shared heads. Diving from two RIBs. Air only. This is a comfortable, well-run boat, and the operators know the waters and dive-sites of Komodo very well.
MY Komodo Adventurer (Bali, Indonesia) - web site pending
This luxurious new vessel will begin dive trips to Komodo, Raja Empat and other Indonesian locations in the autumn of 2003. Diving from two large RIBs. Nitrox available. Luxury cabins and A/C throughout interior spaces. Larry Smith, formerly of the Pelagian (and Kungkungan Bay Resort) will be directing dive operations.
MY Chertan (Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea)
The friendliness and immense local expertise of Rob van der Loos makes any trip on the Chertan a memorable experience. It doesn't hurt that Milne Bay offers some of the best diving and underwater photography on the planet, everything from micro/macro to hammerheads and schooling mantas. A family operation, with five comfortable cabins, two heads. Most diving is off the back of the shallow draft vessel, where Rob has installed an ingenious folding staircase that provides the easiest entries and exits for equipment-laden photographers you will find anywhere.
Bali International Dive Professionals
Located in Sanur and operated by Avandy and Luciana Djunaidi, BIDP has a fast and comfortable boat for day trips to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. Avandy and his crew are extremely knowledgeable about the complex and potentially currents in the Lombok channel. BIDP can also arrange trips to Tulamben, Secret Bay, and other Bali locations. Nitrox fills and equipment rentals. A full range of PADI and technical diving courses are available. BIDP is strictly a dive operation, not a resort, but there are dozens of wonderful places to stay nearby in Sanur at all price levels.
Tauch Terminal (Tulamben, Bali)
Catering mainly to European divers, Tauch Terminal is a well-run resort with excellent, reasonably-priced bungalow rooms (and very upscale delux rooms too), as well as a nice pool and sunning area to relax between dives. The dive guides are very good. Best of all, of course, is the Liberty Wreck, sitting nearby in shallow water just off the beach. Torpedoed and beached during WWII, The Liberty fell into the water as a result of earthquakes coincident with an eruption of nearby Mt. Agung in 1963, creating what has to be the most accessible and safe genuine wreck anywhere in the world. The nearby Drop-Off dive site was badly damaged by silting after flash floods last December, but the coral garden in front of the Tauch Terminal can be an interesting dive, and the resort can arrange for a jukung to take divers to nearby Batu Kelebit (which escaped silting) and other sites.
Asian Divers (Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental, Philippines)
Good diving including nice corals and some spectacular macro subjects, excellent courses from BOW up through advanced technical and GUE (DIR) courses, a great bar (The Point) and fine company above and below the water. It's all only a few hours from Manila (by car to Batangas and then bangka across the Verde channel). Asia Divers and Tech Asia are the diving operations. The Galleon is the adjacent resort owned and operated by (mostly) the same people, and the Point Bar sits a little to conveniently directly over the dive shed with a view over the Verde Channel. Nitrox available. Technical diving facilities (trimix, rebreather) and training available as well. People who dive with Asia Divers soon feel like members of a club, and if you go more than once or twice, you'll be diving with friends you've met before.
This was where we did most of our diving when we lived in Hong Kong. I'm looking forward to going back.
Walindi (Kimbe, New Britain, Papua New Guinea)
xx