Have your say Special Dive Charters to Remote dive location 2010
We welcome your ideas and thoughts in selecting a charter for Next year, but here’s something to get you started:
1. Komodo
Including new areas Palue Island and Maumere Bay on board the “Seven Seas”. I’ve been hearing good things about this area and the trip itinerary.
This would be our 3rd charter of “Seven Seas”, a vessel and crew we highly recommend.
The only date available for charter is 24 October – 2 or 3 November 2010, for 9 or 10 nights. This needs urgent attention and it could be sold before we are able to confirm it.
2. Maldives
A brand new vessel run by old hands
There are a number of nice, well priced liveaboard boats available here. I would need to do some homework on boats, itinerary etc, but we could expect a 10 – 12 night trip during Aug – Sept would be do-able, and it’s a good time of year to dive.
We are currently checking out “MV Orion” – a stunning looking new liveaboard. She is currently under the final month of construction, due for her first charter next month.
Her owner and crew have a lot of experience in the Maldives.
http://mvorion.com
What you can expect at Maldives. Great Video on Youtube
As for travelling time, it’s much of a muchness. Easier to get to than PNG or Indonesia, despite the fact that it’s further away. The Maldives is a 747 jumbo flight to Singapore, then a wide bodied 777 for 5 hours to the Maldives, board the liveaboard in front of the airport: Easy as!
3. Solomon Islands, MV Bilikiki
MV Bilikiki operates from Honiara, on Guadalcanal Island, to dive sites in the Florida Islands, the Russell Islands, Mborokua (Mary) Island and Marovo Lagoon in the New Georgia Islands.
Dive Fish Snow Travel have secured space for you and your buddies on the 7 Night trip departing on Tuesday the 27th July 2010 through to the 3rd of August.
The 7 night package includes return airfares from Auckland, share cabin accommodation on MV Bilikiki, all meals while onboard, airport transfers in Honiara, unlimited diving and Government taxes of US$25 per person per day, plus Travel Insurance with Cover for diving from a Liveaboard Dive Boat. Package prices start from $5775.00 per person.
MV Bilikiki is the most popular Dive Liveaboard for Kiwis. This would be our 19th Charter of Bilikiki and stand as a testimony to the popularity of the Diving.
4. Indonesia on board “MV Pelagian”.
We have had many clients dive with “Pelagian” who have returned highly recommending it and are keen to go back.
Here’s the link to their website, so you can check it out and decide for yourself:
http://pelagian.wakatobi.com
Estimated Costs:
Destination/ Charter
Duration
Estimated Cost ex Auckland
Komodo/”Seven Seas”
9 nights
NZ$8,000
Maldives/ “MV Orion”
10 nights
NZ$8,000
Maldives/ “MV Orion”
12 nights
NZ$8,700
Solomons/"MV Bilikiki"
7 nights
NZ$5775
Indonesia/”Pelagian”
10 nights
NZ$10,500
These costs are only estimates at this stage, to give you some comparisons. We will be able to give you confirmed costs before we book.
If you can get back to us with your thoughts we will start putting something together, based on your preferences.
Looking ahead to 2011:
We will probably take into consideration the above options and roll over the 3rd favourite option to 2011.
Plus: Cocos /Galapagos charters back to back. You could join either 1 or both.
We actually have about 8 – 12 divers who have held their hand up for this trip, but we have never had 8 – 12 divers all agreeing on a time, or we’ve never been able to get the boats when we wanted them. Plus, it’s an expensive location to get to, so everyone needs time to plan, and save, for it. If this trip is something you are interested in, let us know now. If we get enough interest, we’ll put in the hard yards to make it work for 2011. Note: Galapagos is already just about booked out for 2010. If you snooze on this one, we will plan it for 2012.
Approx dates/costs: We’d probably look at May/June or Oct/Nov 2011 for this trip. The cost for 1 trip would be approximately $10,500 - $11,500, or for both trips $22,000 - $24,000 ex Auckland.
Cocos is a 10 day liveaboard trip, Galapagos 7 nights.
So, here’s something to think about over the next week. Please get back to me or Mike ASAP with your list of preferences, and we’ll take it from there. Either email or call us
1. Komodo
There are a number of nice, well priced liveaboard boats available here. I would need to do some homework on boats, itinerary etc, but we could expect a 10 – 12 night trip during Aug – Sept would be do-able, and it’s a good time of year to dive.
MV Bilikiki operates from Honiara, on Guadalcanal Island, to dive sites in the Florida Islands, the Russell Islands, Mborokua (Mary) Island and Marovo Lagoon in the New Georgia Islands.
Indonesia on board “MV Pelagian”.
