A new island at Kapalai

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort, built over a shallow reef and a sandbank, has built, yes that's right, built an island.

No longer do guests have to feel stranded on a wooden platform, because sand between their toes is just a short stroll away.

The island is built on an extremity of the resort, so there is water lapping all around and, for the most part, has uninterrupted views out over the sea.



It's the ideal place from where to enjoy those legendary Sabah sunsets after your third dive, and with a mobile bar provided, a good time is to be had by all.

November and December is the perfect time to check out this and other facilities at Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort with our 10% discount offer for your perfect diving holiday.



Low Season 8 days 7 nights with 20 dives
Price: Was US$ 1,582 Now US$ 1,424 Save US$ 316 per couple

Includes: Accommodation on a twin-sharing basis, breakfast, lunch and dinner, return transfers from Tawau Airport to the resort. If you are a single diver, either share with another diver, or pay a single supplement for your own bungalow. For non-divers, a 20% discount is applicable to the rate.

Diving Includes: Boat rides, dives, night diving and unlimited shore dives, English-speaking dive masters, tanks, weights and weightbelts and park fees.

Diving Excludes: Diving equipment, which can be rented upon arrival.

To book, contact Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email: Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Up to 20% off MV Nautica

Our latest last-minute deal is going to knock your dive boots off!

There are two parts to this deal. The first part is our Nautica Kick Off Special, which if you book and pay for a liveaboard safari aboard MV Nautica before 15 October, will nett you a 10% discount off the liveaboard price. Ten Percent! Think of how well you can spend that kind of saving elsewhere on the beaches, bars and shopping centres of Thailand.



For example, Similan 8 day 6 night safari
Normal Price for a standard cabin: US$ 1,900 per person
After 10% discount: US$ 1,710
You save US$ 380 per couple!

Do you want more? Of course you do!

Then you better act fast, because remember our other 10% off deal on Thailand liveaboards? It applies to the MV Nautica's Thailand trips too.

So hang on, let's do the math. If you book and pay for the MV Nautica before 30 September you qualify for our 10% Thailand liveaboard deal AND another 10% under the Kick Off Special. That's a 20% discount offer on MV Nautica's Thailand trips if you book and pay before 30 September.

That example again, Similan 8 day 6 night safari
Normal Price for a standard cabin: US$ 1,900 per person
After 20% Discount: US$ 1,520
Now you save US$ 760 per couple!

Don't delay, book the MV Nautica right now by calling Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email: Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Book Fiji first and get 5% discount

It's Fiji season! And what a better way to celebrate than going there with more money in your pockets?

How's that possible?

Well, if you book with us and are one of our first 20 guests to book Fiji in that calendar month then you qualify for a 5% discount (booked and paid in full) so act now and save $$$!

Fiji's diving needs no introduction to the diving community as it's well-known for the variety of dive attractions on offer. Pelagic action, a variety of sharks, barrier reefs and wall diving, to name but a few, ensures that the 'Soft Coral Capital of the World' remains on the wish-list of many a diver.



The choice of how you want to experience Fiji diving is varied. If you prefer a land-based approach, to intersperse your diving adventures with swaying palm trees and white sandy beaches, then one of Fiji's idyllic resorts might be for you.

With huge savings there's no doubt that the price certainly is for you. Take for instance Fiji's Matava Astrolabe Hideaway;

8 Day 6 Night Stay
Save US$115 per couple off the normal price



Or if you choose to explore the more distant treasures of Fiji's marine life, then a luxurious liveaboard with diving to fill your days, will be the choice to make. With savings such as you'll find on the Fiji Aggressor III it will be a pleasure to choose;

9 Day 7 Night Koro Sea Safari
Save US$304 per couple off the normal price

But regardless of property or liveaboard, choose from our line-up of Fiji diving holiday options and if you're the first to book then 5% discount off selected products is yours!

Book your Fiji diving holiday now by calling Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email: Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Diving in Manado Made Easy – from KL via Air Asia

Ah, Manado; deep water paradise, smack in the middle of the Coral Triangle, home to the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, oodles of fish varieties and top-shelf wall diving.

And, Lembeh; muck diving capital of the world where you can be sure of spotting a brain-scrambling number of mid-boggling creatures more alien than the best sci-fi writers could ever dream up.



If you've ever wanted to go on a diving trip to Manado and/or Lembeh, but thought flying to Manado airport was too much trouble, then Dive The World brings you good news: Manado is easy to get to.

That's right, not only is Manado now more accessible than ever, it's a good deal too. AirAsia, that low-cost carrier we all know so well, flies to Manado from Kuala Lumpur three times a week.

And if you don't mind paying a little extra for your frills, then Silk Air flies to Manado from Singapore, four times a week too.

So, for dive enthusiasts transiting through Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, or who are based in the region, the wondrous diving of Bunaken, Lembeh and all the other magical dive sites of North Sulawesi, are now mere hours away on any given day.

Grab your passport and contact Dive The World, because you're flying to Manado for an awesome diving holiday. Phone us on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or email at blog@dive-the-world.com.

MV Greta Overnight to Phi Phi Update

Dive The World has some exciting news for those of you planning a trip to Phuket. The MV Greta has increased the frequency of her popular overnight trips to Phi Phi island!

A well-known and popular dive boat in Phuket, the MV Greta has a practical layout, converted for diving by divers. Combined with dedicated service and fun-filled trips, the MV Greta has gained day-trip notoriety amongst divers wanting a shorter, quality dive experience.



Up until recently, she ran twice-weekly overnight dive-trips to Phi Phi island, but due to popular demand MV Greta will now set sail for Phi Phi three times a week.

From 1 October 2008 – 30 April 2009, the MV Greta will depart Phuket on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.



Price: 1 October 2008 - 14 December 2008
10,900 Baht per person (US$ 316) based on twin sharing.

15 December 2008 - 15 January 2009
11,900 Baht per person (US$ 345) based on twin sharing.

16 January 2009 - 30 April 2009
10,900 Baht per person (US$ 316) based on twin sharing.

Note: you can pay 20% deposit in advance to secure your spot and balance on arrival!

Includes: 7 dives, tanks, weights and weightbelts, all meals and hotel transfers, fruit and snacks, experienced English-speaking divemaster.

Excludes: diving equipment (US$ 20 per day), dive insurance, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks.

Read more about the MV Greta's Phi Phi Overnight Trips, or contact Dive The World by phone on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or email Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Last minute special! Nai'a, Fiji October 2008

As always, Dive The World are ears to the ground deciphering the hum of liveaboard offers in search of those fantastic last-minute deals for you. And this one is ringing loudly in our ears:

The renowned Fijian liveaboard Nai'a has a few spaces left for their 11 - 18 October charter to Bligh Water, which includes the best of Fiji diving at the Koro Sea, Nigali Passage, Wakaya, and Gau Islands.



The Nai'a is one of Fiji's flagship liveaboards known for the most competent, professional and friendliest crew in the market. Nai'a specialises in top-drawer Fiji diving through liveaboard safaris, and also schedule trips to experience the humpback whales of Tonga.

The Nai'a's very large, timber-lined staterooms with en-suit facilities will host you aboard this deluxe motor yacht, which goes under sail where possible. This means you will be cruising the islands of Fiji with nothing but the wind whispering in your ears.

As for the excellent diving you will encounter; Bligh Water is rife with opulent coral bommies in vibrant, nutrient rich waters. This area is the playground of leading photographers and underwater film makers, thanks to an extraordinarily rich and diverse marine ecology.

Be part of the illustrious Nai'a this October and discover the renowned dive sites of Fiji.



Bligh Water 11 – 18 October: 8 Days 7 Nights

Price: US$ 2,790 per person
Normal Price: US$2,940 meaning you save US$300 per couple!

Includes: Shared cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, fruit, biscuits, snacks, wine (with dinner), tea, coffee, soft drinks and water, dives, tanks, weights and weightbelts, torches, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), local village visit for a Fijian 'sevu sevu' ceremony, and return transfers to the boat from either Nadi Airport or Nadi hotels.

Excludes: Marine park fees of US$ 20 per person are payable upon embarkation, scuba equipment, nitrox (US$ 100 for 7 days or US$ 140 for 10 days per person), dive insurance, alcoholic drinks.

For full details about the Nai'a, refer to our Nai'a Liveaboard pages.

There are only a few spaces available on this charter, so get in touch with us now and secure your spot on the Nai'a Bligh Water liveaboard safari. Contact Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email: Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Slow down with The Junk after the Singapore F1

The Singapore F1 Grand Prix, taking place on 28 September 2008, is going to be an unique experience – the first ever F1 Grand Prix held at night and for the first time ever hosted on the streets of Singapore.

The region, nay the world, has its eyes fixed on this tiny island state with the big F1 ambition. Millions of F1 fans will flock to Singapore and those who can't flock will certainly be nailed to the telly for the newest and grandest of all Formula One Grand Prix racing events.



But hang on a second! What is F1 Racing news doing on the Dive The World Blog?

Well, at Dive The World we specialise in unique diving experiences and although you can't dive the Formula One circuit in Singapore, we certainly can offer you something equally unique on the nearby diving circuit in Thailand to balance your Formula One getaway.



The Junk (also known as June Hong Chiang Lee) is itself a grand and well-known attraction (this is the boat that featured in The Man with the Golden Gun), and Dive The World offers you a special F1 diving cruise to facilitate a gentle come down from your F1 racing rush.

Departing 1 October 2008, The Junk brings you action of the underwater kind on a 5 day 4 night diving cruise to Thailand's Southern Islands for 5 days of world class diving action.

Like the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, the price of the dive safari will get your heart racing, as you get a 4 night package for the price of a 3 night package, just for being a sport.



The Junk Special F1 5 Day 4 Night Cruise

Shared Cabin: US$ 649 per person

Private Double Cabin: US$799 per person

Bonus: 4 nights for the price of 3!

Includes: cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee, hot chocolate, tea and water, dives, tanks, weights and weightbelts, torches, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), and return transfers to the boat from Phuket Airport and hotels.

Excludes: Park fees (approximately US$60), payable upon embarkation, scuba equipment, soft drinks, dive insurance, alcoholic drinks.

Get in touch with Dive The World soon, because this offer will disappear faster than hotel accommodation in Singapore. Book your post-F1 bliss now by contact Dive The World by phone on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or email at blog@dive-the-world.com.

Philkade to the Andaman Islands in Mar 09

The Andaman Islands is a relatively recently discovered liveaboard diving destination that lies in Indian territorial waters nearer to Thailand.

Spread over some 7,700 square km, which include more than 500 islands and rocky outcrops, the Andaman Islands were, for nearly 60 years, protected by strict access regulations.

During that period of isolation, and since then cushioned by environmentally concious tourism practices, marine life proliferated. Today the Andaman Islands can offer you unparalleled diversity and an an exuberant marine environment.



Aside from the pristine corals and a wealth of fish life you will encounter, you will swim with large pelagics and shivers of sharks including nurse sharks, grey reef sharks, leopard sharks and white tip reef sharks. You could even encounter schools of hammerheads, silver tip sharks, bull sharks and oceanic white tip sharks.

When you've had your fill of close encounters of the razor-toothed, predatory kind, there's manta ray cleaning stations, dark clouds of Napoleon wrasse, pandemoniums of hump head parrot fish and bevies or turtles including leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles and Olive Ridley turtles.

All these treasures, hidden amongst coral pinnacles, steeply sloping walls, fringing reefs and midnight black walls of Barren Island, make the Andaman Islands attractive to a wide range of diver interests. The distances between dive sites necessitates a liveaboard in order to make the most of your Andaman Island dive trip.

Due to logistics and distances, liveaboards to the Andaman Islands are generally quite limited. The seasons are roughly on par with the west coast of Thailand and for manta ray action January to April presents the best chance of spotting these flying marine giants.



Enter Philkade; a purpose-built, 5-star vessel designed with long-range luxury cruising in mind. Usually plying the waters of the Similans and Burma, Philkade takes time out in March to cruise the Andaman Islands at its best.

Before you reach the splendour of the islands though, you will be enveloped in Philkade luxury. Exquisite cabins, with the Deluxe cabin offering panoramic sea views that take in the whole bow, and space so ample it's equipped with a sofa, TV and DVD player and a king-sized bed. All the cabins are air-conditioned with individual control, and the spacious cabins are serviced daily.



The common areas include the enormous saloon, which is indoors and air-conditioned. The Philkade's equally huge lounge, finished in teakwood, leather and granite, provides that Super Yacht feel, with the home theatre system providing a multimedia platform for watching a movie or showing off your latest snaps and videos. Outdoors the expansive sundeck and dive deck offers you the ocean, islands and views beyond.

Even with all this space, the Philkade allows a maximum of only 13 guests on board attend to by 12 staff, assuring you outstanding, attentive service. Four divemasters and two onboard dinghies offers you crowd-less diving and quick pick-ups after you resurface.

Philkade undertakes just two scheduled pilgrimages to the Andaman Islands in March every year. In 2009 these are scheduled for 12 – 21 March and 21 – 30 March respectively. Of course, Philkade is also available for full charters at certain times.



Philkade 10 Day 9 Night Andaman Islands Liveaboard

Deluxe Cabin: €3,350 (US$4,850) per person
Superior Cabin: €2,900 (US$4,199) per person
Standard Cabin: €2,550 (US$3,689) per person

Full Charter: €34,400 (US$ 49,630)

Includes: cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, fruit, coffee, tea and water, dives, tanks, weights and weightbelts, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), and return transfers to the boat from Phuket Airport (on the day of boat departure and arrival only) and hotels.

Excludes: park and immigration fees payable upon embarkation at specific ports (approx. US$ 115), scuba equipment, torches, nitrox, soft drinks, dive insurance, alcoholic drinks

Note:
Prices above are per person with two sharing.

For more information, to check availability or to book your once-in-a-lifetime diving experience in the Andaman Islands on board Philkade, call Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email: Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Wreck Diving in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

At Dive The World we usually recommend only the very best dive sites and when it comes to diving in Sabah that means Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Lankayan and Layang Layang.

However, by popular demand, we've decided to include the wreck diving enthusiasts among you, as well as people staying in Kota Kinabalu (KK) who want to venture further afield than the nearby Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP).



Usukan Bay Wrecks

About 2 hours by boat from KK, at a depth of between 25 – 40m, lie 3 World War II wrecks. Still in good condition, the wrecks are within close proximity to each other and make for a thrilling wreck diving excursion.

The Rice Bowl Wreck, Upside-down Wreck and Usukan Bay Wreck where names given to the sunken ships in lieu of accurate records confirming the real names of the Japanese vessels. The Usukan wrecks, some of the most interesting in Sabah, are full of life and since so few divers ever visit them you will often be the only people on site.

The bottom time here is not huge so if you are nitrox qualified you will feel the benefit and have more time to explore these excellent wreck diving sites. Let's see what wreck treasures Dive The World can offer you at the bottom of the Sabah seas.

Rice Bowl Wreck

The Rice Bowl Wreck was named for some of the first artefacts discovered on this wreck, which was, you guessed it, rice bowls. It was one of several Japanese ships reportedly sunk by the submarines USS Darter and USS Dace on 14 October 1944.

The wreck settled on the ocean floor in a relatively upright position and is, for most part, intact. At 37m deep the wreck's propeller and rudder are in place in an otherwise confusing stern. As you move towards a slightly twisted and partially collapsed bow area, a steam engine is visible.

Before the bow section, peering in through the portholes will reveal the artefacts that gave this wreck its name and entry into the room is possible through a break in the hull or through the hatch near the peak. The rice bowls are severely damaged and so overgrown with mostly hard corals, that it is now irrevocably part of nature.

Schools of batfish are at the ready to greet you and shoals of barracuda patrol the wreck. Scorpion fish are hidden amongst the multifaceted corals, so beware of where you put your hands when exploring the wreck up close.

Upside-down Wreck

Very near the Rice Bowl Wreck lies the Upside-down Wreck and no prizes for guessing in which position this sunken vessel came to rest. Having said that, the Upside-down Wreck is more slanted over the vertical to port than it is upside-down as such.

Possibly one of the larger of the wrecks, you will be amazed by the sheer size of it, as it seems to disappear into the blue. Some of the vessels are said to be up to 250m long and the Upside-down Wreck certainly comes close.

You will discover the shallowest part of the wreck around 25m with the deepest end slanting down to a sandy bottom at approximately 42m. Midway along the hull there is a relatively long, but easy swimthrough with impressive ship innards in the form of heavy machinery suspended above you.

At a depth which can't sustain much human traffic for long, the Upside-down Wreck is a haven for pristine marine life. Schools of bigeye jacks and rainbow runners virtually obscure the view of the wreck, with lionfish and schooling glassfish skirting the ample coral growth inhabited by the likes of banded coral shrimps.

Having been part of the ocean for over 50 years, the Upside-down Wreck is covered with whip coral, daisy coral, an assortment of sponges and an Impressionist's pallet of colourful soft coral. You are likely to spot the odd whitetip reef shark, corbias and giant groupers scouring the wreck for their next serving at the Upside-down Wreck coral buffet.

Usukan Bay Wreck

The Usukan Bay Wreck, one of the three Japanese World War II wrecks lying in the bay with the same name, met her final resting place at 40m.

Tipped over on the port side, you will find the basic structure of the hull intact, but noticing the war damage and general corrosion is unavoidable. The propeller and rudder is still where it should be though, and towards midship you will find a large steam engine and the adjacent boiler.

The wreck itself is encrusted with lavish black coral and soft coral coverage, with innumerable tunicates. Hard to avoid are the shoals of trevally and barracuda as well as untold numbers of basslets swarming all over the upper edges of the wreck.

Gaya Wreck

A little closer to home off to the west of Gaya Island, the largest island in the TARP, lies another unidentified vessel. At a depth of between 35 – 50m the wreck is relatively unexplored, as it's a technical dive only suited to divers with decompression diving experience.

This wreck is rumoured to be the Nittetsu Maru, a ship that closely fits the description of one of the Japanese vessels said to have been torpedoed that fateful October day. She settled in her final resting place in an upright position and has remained largely intact, save for a split hull at approximately mid ship and a collapsed wheelhouse.

This intriguing wreck is inhabited by varied and multitudinous marine creatures of the TARP on the inside and the outside. Several interesting penetration opportunities to explore the innards of the ship, brings a technical aspect to this wreck dive, but at the same time ensures it will be a memorable one.

You can discover these North Borneo wrecks of Sabah, and more, for yourself with Dive The World's Wreck Diving Package.

6 Day / 5 Night Wrecking Diving Package

Price: US$ 980 per person sharing

Includes: 2 wreck dive days, (2 dives per day), a Pulau Tiga day (2 dives), a TARP day (3 dives), lunch, equipment rental, jetty fees, return boat transfers, 3 star accommodation, breakfast, hotel pick-ups;

Excludes: Non-air gas blends and twin-sets (available on request), park fees, flights, meals.

TDI and Rebreather training is also available as additional add-ons to the package. Ask us for more information.

For all the details or to book your wreck diving adventure in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, call Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or
email: Blog@Dive-The-World.com.

Seized Phuket Airport Re-opens

The Phuket Airport was under siege, reported the Phuket Gazette at 8.45am yesterday (31 Aug), but followed up at 3.13pm stating that, despite protesters still being present, the airport was expected to re-open with flights landing shortly.

The two day occupation by the People's Alliance of Democracy (PAD) of the Phuket Airport was in protest against the current Prime Minister, Samak Sundaravej, and his association with disgraced former PM Thaksin Shinawarta.

PAD initially said they would continue their protest until the PM resigned or their leaders instructed them differently.

The seizure inconvenienced thousands of tourists who were stuck in Phuket, with Sunday adding to the tally as it is Phuket Airport's busiest day. With the only transport alternative being a 11-hour busy journey to Bangkok, many tourists found themselves with undue extensions to their holidays in Phuket.

The seizure alienated some PAD members and due to the negative impact on Phuket's tourism, some members outright disowned PAD and called for an immediate end to airport occupation.

Elsewhere in Thailand, the airport in Krabi suffered the same fate over the last 2 days, with disruptions also occuring at Surat Thani Airport, a gateway to Koh Samui, where some flights were suspended.

An airport in Songkhla, Hat Yai Airport reopened yesterday, but the local leader of PAD protesters there warned the government not to disperse the massive PAD rally in Bangkok with violence, or risk another, possibly 5-day long reoccupation of the airport.