Planning A Diving Holiday In Asia

Asia dive spots were too far and unheard of in the 1970’s, but as the world discovered it's diverse marine life, and dive destinations became more accessible, a diving holiday in Asia slowly became one of the main activities for adventure tourists.

The best dive destinations in this region are mostly located in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. Each country in South East Asia has its own world class diving sites. Thailand has the Andaman and Similans, while the Philippines boast of Pandan Islands and the Apo Reef. Schools of barracuda are found in the Malaysian dive sites of Sipadan, Kapalai, and Layang Layang, and Indonesia’s 13,000 islands house the best frontier diving destinations such as Sulawesi, Alor, and Raja Ampat.

The atolls of the Maldives also offer excellent dive destinations. Commonly known as the “Pearls of the Indian Ocean,” the Maldives’ diving activities are concentrated around the North Male Atoll and the Ari Atoll.

The islands of Asia extend to the Pacific islands, particularly in the Micronesian region where Palau and Guam are located. The long coastline in the equatorial region of Asia will take a lifetime to discover. Local divers even have a hard time covering most diving destinations in their own country. Likewise, some hard-core divers from Europe and America opt to stay in Asia for months to explore what these dive sites have to offer.

Planning A Diving Holiday in Asia

If you are planning a dive holiday in Asia, you should understand the diving culture in each country since they are very different from each other. For example, most of Indonesia’s dive sites remain untapped because of the political tensions in the country, while Thailand’s relative peace and openness to foreigners allow divers to live near the diving sites for months.

Prices also vary in these countries. You can always get a cheap holiday diving package in Thailand and the Philippines, while you have to pay a higher price in the Maldives, Palau, and Guam. Most dive sites in South East Asia are locally administered, while dive sites in the Maldives and in Micronesia are heavily regulated by their central governments.

Peak and off-peak diving seasons in Asia vary depending on the onset of monsoon winds. The peak season in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia is from November to May, while Thailand has year round diving with alternating seasons from the Andaman Sea in the west and the Gulf of Thailand in the east.

For a stress-free diving holiday in Asia, you can choose a wide variety of diving packages online. However, many of the popular diving packages provide only the most popular destinations, which are often oversubscribed and crowded. Online message board discussions and correspondence with your local dive organization will help you find the most understated diving destinations in Asia.