10 new places to dive

It's cold and wintry back in London - what a change from several weeks of warm tropical sun. The diving trip was wonderful, completely relaxing with great and lucky diving. I also found out from some old and new friends about some new (to me), wonderful places to dive in South East Asia.

1. Puerto Galera - Philippines

Thresher sharks, manta rays and other big pelagic life. But I'll be going mainly for the thresher sharks.

2. Komodo - Indonesia

Diveable only by liveaboard apparently. Mantas and other large pelagics. Includes a stop to see komodo dragons on komodo!

3. Lembeh Straits - Indonesia

Muck. Nudibranches, shrimps and crabs. Pretty interesting with the right crowd...

4. Raja Ampat - Indonesia

Better go before the coral dies. Apparently this is the reef to beat all reefs.


5. Pulau Weh - Indonesia

Off the coast of Acheh. Great reef life, some muck, but pelagics occasionally make an appearance. Hard to get to.

6. Similan Islands - Thailand

World famous. Big pelagics - mantas, and the occasional whale shark. Liveaboards only.

7. Burma Banks - Myanmar

Pretty difficult to get to, but unspoilt. Big, big pelagics - hammerheads, mantas, threshers and whale sharks.

8. Dungun - Malaysia

Off Kuala Dungun, there are some interesting islands which are frequented by whale sharks. Not Redang and not Perhentian obviously. Lang Tengah, possibly.

9. Malapascua - Philippines

Thresher sharks. Lots of reef life and some pelagics, but the highlight is apparently the threshers.

10. Milne Bay - Papua New Guinea

Milne Bay is a province! 160 islands, unspoilt, with some wrecks to go with the beautiful reef life and big pelagics.


And lastly one old, beautiful place:

11. Sipadan, Kapalai, Mabul - Malaysia

I saw many wonderful things here. 2 dives on Sipadan in the morning, 1 muck dive in the afternoon around Kapalai or Mabul. A week of this - heaven!


The goal is to tick off these places on by one! The next trip looks like it will be to Puerto Galera, if I can get everyone to agree.