Next year (2024) our diving expedition will be to the tropical island of Bali in Indonesia
The dates are May 26th to June 7th.

We will stay at a resort there which looks amazing and offers a dive package of 20+ dives.
Theres a choice of sea view accommodation or deluxe rooms with direct pool access.

The name of the resort is the Bali Dive Resort & Spa. It is located in Tulamben on the east coast of Bali. It looks fantastic and the list of dive sites sound really good.

Theres a choice of sea view accommodation or deluxe rooms with direct pool access.

The whole package including flights will be around £2600 - bargain!
It includes flights, transfers, full board at the resort and 20+ dives

This venue is due to go in the Oonasdivers new brochure for next season priced at £3400.

We have reserved 9 rooms different room types ie. doubles and twins
which gives us the possibility of a maximum of 18 persons in the group.

Sea View Bungalows

Sea view bungalows are stand-alone buildings located on the front row in the middle of the resort.
They have a great location straight in front of the main pool area and a direct sea view. The sliding
front door will take you out to your private patio where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the
undisturbed view of our beautiful garden and the sea. With its spacious 35 square meters and a king
size bed it is the perfect choice for couples.

The Bungalow bathroom offers a large walk-in glass shower, hairdryer and a selection of
complementary toiletries. The room itself features a relaxing area with sofa & TV, complimentary
wireless internet to keep you connected and generous storage space that will let you unpack your
luggage with ease.

You can also find coffee & tea making facilities as well as unlimited filtered water.
Stainless steel water bottles are available for you to use during your stay with us. Bring them to the
pool area or use in-between dives as well as other daily activities and excursions. It makes it easy for
you to stay hydrated while avoiding the use of plastic bottles.

Superior Deluxe with Pool Access

The deluxe room categories are forming our two Deluxe Units of five rooms per unit. Each unit has a
secluded garden area with gazebo, sunbeds and a private pool.

Located on the ground floor of the units, Superior Deluxe rooms give you a direct access to the
swiming pool. These rooms come either with one king size bed or with two twin beds. Deluxe rooms
are the perfect choice if you prefer a bit more privacy and the luxury of 24-hour pool access.

Superior deluxe rooms are situated on ground floor with direct access to the semi-private pool just in
front of their door. You can choose a room with one large king size double bed or a twin share
option.

The room features a relaxing area with sofa and TV, complimentary wireless internet to keep you
connected and generous storage space. In the room you can also find coffee and tea making
facilities, minibar and unlimited filtered water.

Stainless steel water bottles are available for you to use during your stay. Bring them to the pool area or use in-between dives and other daily activities & excursions. It makes it easy for you to stay hydrated while avoiding the use of plastic bottles.

The spacious Deluxe room bathrooms offer a large walk-in glass shower with solar panel water heating
system. They also come with hairdryer, bathrobes and towels as well as complementary toiletries.

Nurture your Body, Spirit and Mind. Loose yourself in a treatment, with relaxing music in the background. Forget everything around you for a while, ease into relaxation with both body and mind, and come out reborn.

Open daily from 11am till 10pm, our trained therapists will provide you carefully selected, traditional and natural treatments, using natural products only.

Aromatherapy

Body scrubs

Body treatments

Body wraps

Facials

Manicures and pedicures

Reflexology

Hot tub

Our menu is based on homemade meals with a big selection of Balinese, Indonesian and Western dishes, with options for meat lovers and vegetarians, as well as for vegans. We only use fresh ingredients and organic local vegetables and fruits.

The restaurant is open every day between 7am and 10pm. A delicious cooked-to-order breakfast is available daily from 7:00am to 10:30am

Tulamben Dive Resort & Spa sea front with Mount Agung behind

Diving

Indonesia is known for having the world’s best diving and the most diverse sea life anywhere. With over 17.000 islands, spread out over a huge area all around the equator, you can only imagine the wealth that nature provides underneath its ocean surface. Bali shares this wealth and it is one of Indonesia’s most popular dive destinations.

Situated in the Indo-Pacific, the richest bio-geographic dive zone in the world, Bali offers great diversity of marine life! Here you can dive WWII and other ship wrecks, explore walls, reefs and sand slopes full of fish. You can also ""muck about"" for the unusual critters in rich black volcanic sand on many of our macro dive sites.

Indonesia is known for having the world’s best diving and the most diverse sea life anywhere. With over 17.000 islands, spread out over a huge area all around the equator, you can only imagine the wealth that nature provides underneath its ocean surface. Bali shares this wealth and it is one of Indonesia’s most popular dive destinations.

Beautiful Tulamben

Tulamben was a very quiet fishing village in the dry lands of Karangasem for a very long period of time.

Nowadays, it’s one of the busiest diving destinations in Bali. Since the discovery of the sunken USAT Liberty as a dive site back in the 1980's, Tulamben has been drawing more and more divers, all wanting to take a glimpse at this WWII shipwreck.

However, Tulamben bay and surrounding villages have a lot more to offer than just the USAT Liberty wreck. With dozens of dive sites, Tulamben can provide weeks of awesome diving.

Dive Sites around Tulamben

There ate plenty of dive sites within a 15 minute radius of Bali Dive Resort and Spa, including the world famous USAT Liberty Shipwreck.

Our House Reef in front of the resort offers world class muck diving, which is a paradise for underwater photographers. With several of Bali’s most famous muck dive sites reachable within minutes from the resort, there will be no dull moments.

Tulamben also offers stunning walls and slopes. Enjoy the sight of corals and sea fans flourishing from
the depths.In the shallows you can find numerous cleaning stations where you can watch the fish getting cleaned.

The water is usually very clear and most of the time there is no current at all, which makes Tulamben suitable for all levels of divers.

USAT Liberty Wreck
This is one of the most famous dive sites in Bali.

The wreck is 125 meters long and 17 meters wide. It sunk in 1963 and sits at about 30 meters off the coast of Tulamben.

The shallowest point of the wreck is about 5 meters deep and the deepest point of the wreck is about 30 meters deep.

Easy dive site, accessible from the shore and remarkably interesting with a great reminder about how nature restores life everywhere. Anemones, soft and hard corals grow all over the wreck.

Here you can find both common coral fish and some of the rarest frogfish, leaf scorpion fish, pygmy
seahorse and mimic octopuses.

Out in the blue you can sometimes spot eagle rays and different sharks, including whale sharks!

Night and sunrise dives give you the opportunity of seeing the large family of humphead parrotfish, who have made the wreck their personal bedroom.

Coral Garden
Sitting between the “USAT Liberty Wreck” and the “Drop Off”, Coral Garden is a nice coral reef particularly good for a lazy and shallow dive. Home to many clown fish, the goral garden is very good for young or inexperienced divers.

The artificial reef with Balinese statues and temples attract many different underwater creatures and make the dive site interesting for all kind of divers.

Moray and ribbon eels are living in the area as well as nudibranchs and other different macro critters.

The sightings of blacktip reef sharks in the shallow sandy patch of the garden makes the safety stop extra enjoyable.

Coral garden also has a deep slope that goes into the deep ocean. You never know
what to expect coming up to shallower depths from there.

Drop Off
One of the top destinations in Tulamben, the “Drop Off”, is a nice wall absolutely amazing for any type of experienced diver.

Starting from a depth of only 3 meters the wall reaches a max depth of over 80 meters! The wall is covered in sponges and it is home to many different types of marine life.

Here you can find everything from common reef fish to the amazing frogfishes. You also go through many different types of nudibranchs, leaf scorpion fish, clown triggerfish and octopuses of all sizes during your dive here.

Do not forget to also have a look in the blue, where we have been spotng different types of sharks, big tunas, marlin and sometimes even mola mola!

Alamanda
Alamanda is just a 5 minute boat ride away from Bali Dive Resort and Spa in Tulamben.

This dive site is only accessible by boat and it offers a beautifully covered coral slope holding a lot of treasures.

Alamanda is one of the less dived dive sites in Tulamben, where you can expect to find a huge diversity of macro life.

This is also a good location to encounter Sharks, Bumphead Parrotfish, Napoleon Wrasses and Turtles.

Palung Palung
Located between Drop-Off and Batu Kelebit, Palung-Palung is
accessed by boat from the Dive Resort at Tulamben which makes this dive site very convenient.

As the boat ride to this dive site only takes about 5 minutes, the boat will drop us back at the resort after the dive, where you can enjoy a beverage by the pool during your surface interval.

Palung Palung means “bowls”, which are formed by drop-offs, slopes and “fingers” that stretches out to the blue from the slope.

This dive site is also one of the less dived dive sites in Tulamben. Here we
can find very healthy corals and sponges with loads of interesting marine life. Bump head parrotfish, garden eels and turtles are often spotted in Palung Palung.

Batu Kelebit
Batu Kelebit is a pinnacle located 5 minute boat ride away from Bali Dive Tulamben. Large rocks breaking the surface indicates the dive site once you get closer.

This is where we will enter the water and start the dive. In the beginning of the dive, we will see a beautiful sloping coral reef and as we move deeper on the ridges the scenery becomes more dramatic and stunning.

Because of the stronger currents and the topography here, this dive site is rich in plankton, which keeps the corals healthy and can increase your chance to spot larger pelagics like great barracudas, napoleon wrasses, different rays, sharks and tunas.

Emerald
Just few minutes ride with the traditional jukung boats will take us to this amazing dive site, which is the closest boat dive to Bali Dive Tulamben.

The dive starts in a calm white sand bay, which makes this dive site special compared to the other black sand dive sites in this area.

The reef is covered in nice huge elephant-ear sponges and finger reefs going into the depth.

On the way to the split along the reef, we can often spot garden eels, bump head parrotfish and ladybugs.

The current can be expected to pick up a little bit once we reach the reef split and the turning point.
This is also the most interesting part of the dive with schools of fusiliers, sergeant major fish and
often also bigger creatures like giant trevallies or eagle rays, which can be seen at the split where the current is present.

Here we can find an underwater table and have some funny pictures taken before turning the dive
and heading back to the bay. Remember to have a look under the table corals where baby sharks and
stingrays are sometimes hiding.

Emerald is suitable for all levels of divers and its definitely one of our favorite dive sites around
Tulamben.

Pura Segara
Segara is the last dive site in the bay where Bali Dive Resort and Spa is located and it is only a couple of minutes car drive away.

Segara is a classic black sand dive site and it gently slopes down with nondescript bottom topography.

This dive site is a true macro life heaven where, with a good pair of eyes, you can spot Shaun the Sheep nudis, donut dorids, nudibranchs and frogfishes.

The entry to this dive is probably the easiest in this area, because of the fine black sand and the minimal amount of stones on the beach.

If you decide to go left shoulder towards Emerald, you will
find a nice reef with coral bommies and the bottom full of stingrays and lionfish.

If you are lucky you may encounter turtles or a school of big mouth mackerel passing by on the reef.
This feature makes this dive interesting for all divers, not only macro photographers and muck divers.

Melasti
Literally a minute car ride away from our Tulamben resort we reach another classic black sand dive site called Melasti.

The topography for this dive is easy, a couple of rocks in the shallows and nothing but a black sand slope. Although this may sound boring, it is NOT! For macro and muck divers this is a treasure.

The fine black sand beach makes the entry easy and with our excellent guides you will have one of the best muck dives that you have ever done in your life

Make sure to have a good buoyancy control while taking photos over the black fine sand and be aware of the currents as there is no place to hide from them.

Shaun the Sheep nudibranchs, donut dorids, nudibranchs, frogfishes and different species of
octopuses are often found here.

House Reef
Bali’s most famous muck diving sites are located just off the beach in front of our resort in Tulamben.

The black sand together with small patches of corals offer perfect conditions to spot amazing critters.

With a pair of good spotng eyes, this is the perfect place for curious divers and photographers with a passion for the small and unique!

You can spend hours of diving looking for Harlequin, Boxer and Skeleton shrimps, Frogfish, Ghost pipefish, Ambon scorpion, Mimic octopus, Stargazers and Sea horses. Even the elusive Leptocaephalus has been filmed here.

Other common marine animals found on the house reef are multiple species of moray eels, blue spotted sting ray, different kinds of lionfish, leaf scorpion fish, garden eels, shoals of swaying razor fish and just about any type of nudibranch you can possibly think of!

Our House Reef is, without a doubt, the macro lover’s heaven!

Seraya Secrets
Seraya Secrets is located couple of minutes away from Bali Dive Tulamben and it is one of the most famous critter diving sites in Bali, perfect for underwater photographers.

There is a great preparation area on the beach with rinsing tanks for cameras and toilets. The entry is an easy walk over small rocks into the water.

Seraya Secrets is a classic macro dive site and common encounters include Harlequin shrimp, Ornate ghost pipefish, Pygmy seahorses and occasionally Seahorses and Leopard moray eels.

It is important to note that all divers should have good buoyancy control skills and respect for the
environment, even with a big camera. The key is to avoid bottom stir up sediment while diving
this dive site.

Don’t miss this out! Get your camera ready!

Batu Niti
Batu Niti is located about 1,5 km south-east from Bali Dive Resort and Spa in Tulamben.

The dive site is accessible either by boat or from the beach. Batu Niti is slightly rockier than the other macro dive sites around our Tulamben resort.

The slope on Batu Niti has small coral patches and hydroids, which makes this dive site suitable for all divers, not only macro photographers.

Sidem
Located in a small volcanic stone bay just a few minutes down south from our Tulamben resort is the dive site called Sidem.

This is a beautiful and less visited dive site where we can easily stay for two dives, as the bay is well equipped with a rest area, showers, rinse tanks, and toilets.

We start our dives in front of the rest area and can choose a couple of different ways to perform the dive.

Moving to the middle of the bay we will find an excellent place for macro underwater photography and critter hunting.

If we choose to dive the right side towards the corner of the bay, we will find a nice shallow reef full of hard corals and feather stars suitable for all levels of divers.

Many different nudibranchs, mantis shrimps, sea moths and boxer crabs can be spotted in the middle
of the bay, whilst the right side and the corner of the bay often offers turtles, leaf scorpion fish and
even white Tip reef sharks.

Kuta Paradiso Hotel

I found this hotel after researching various hotel and resorts etc. It looks very nice. Has a 5 star rating and is in an excellent location. Here's someting off the web site:

Here is a link to one of the booking sites:

Kuta Paradiso Hotel (Agoda)

Below are some photos of the hotel:

Hotel Reviews:

	"Affordable and Friendly ” It was an amazing time having to stay in Bali at Kuta Paradiso for a budget trip! The staff and cleanliness of the hotel is incredible and I will definitely recommend anybody who wants to stay in Kuta to book this hotel :-) the staff are really accomodative and will go the extra mile! Really very grateful. Reviewed December 19, 2022 - Singapore
	"Fast staff service” Nice location for night life, restaurants, bars, 24hr store. I called staff to borrow an adaptor, and they brought it immediately! Reviewed January 13, 2023 - Thailand
	"Exceptional” Nice hotel, clean, friendly staff, delicioous breakfast with various menu. Walking distance to Beachwalk Mall, Discovery Mall, and near the beach... Reviewed January 19, 2023 - Indonesia
	"Value for money” I have stayed for one night. The room was clean and cosy. Service was quick. Food was amazing. Highly recommended. Reviewed January 30, 2023 - Australia
	"Great” It was amazing. Everything was so comfortable and fantastic. Reviewed January 30, 2023 - Japan
	"Breakfast was excellent” My kids loved the breakfast menu, we stayed there for 4 nights. the staff were helpful, even when they had a large group to handle on that day. Reviewed February 01, 2023 - Indonesia

Staying at the Exotic Dive Resort:
Malapascua Island (see below)

There is an option for an extended stay of one week
in the Philippines (Cebu) following the diving in Malapascua
(2 weeks or 3 weeks duration)

Philippines

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean, and consists of about 7,640 islands, that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The Philippines covers an area of 120,000 square miles and has a population of around 109 million people, making it the world's twelfth-most populous country. The capital city is Manila which is located in Luzon.

The Philippines is close to the equator and has a tropical maritime climate that is usually hot and humid.

There are three seasons: a hot dry season or summer from March to May; a rainy season from June to November; and a cool dry season from December to February. The southwest monsoon lasts from May to October, and the northeast monsoon from November to April.

Temperatures usually range from 21°C to 32°C. The coolest month is January; the warmest is May. Sitting astride the typhoon belt, the islands experience 15–20 typhoons annually from July to October.

Average temperatures in the dry season (November-May) Air 25-27°c / Sea 24-28°c

Average temperatures in the wet season (June-October) Air 26-28°c / Sea 26-28°c

Its position as an island country on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes the country prone to frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

The country has a variety of natural resources and a globally significant level of biodiversity. The Philippines is part of the "Coral Triangle" along with other countries in the region.

Philippine maritime waters encompass as much as 849,425 square miles producing unique and diverse marine life. The total number of corals and marine fish species was estimated at 500 and 2,400 respectively. New species discoveries continue.

The Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993.

Filipino (Tagalog) and English are the official languages of the country. The national currency is the Philippine Peso (PHP).

The Philippines time zone is GMT +8.00 hours.

Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway on a deserted strip of sand in the middle of the ocean, an adrenaline filled activity holiday with friends and family, or an adventure exploring volcanic landscapes and untamed wilderness, the Philippines has it all.

Malapascua Island

Malapascua is an island situated in the Visayan Sea, 6.8 kilometres from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. It is a small island, only about 2.5 kilometres long by 1 kilometre wide.

Malapascua became known in the early 1990s as a dive destination. Prior to this, the island was known for its wide white sand beach, known as Bounty Beach (remember the TV advert?).

It has also become known for its beautiful coral gardens, coral walls and excellent local dive spots, as well as further-out sites including Gato Island, Monad Shoal, and Kemod Shoal. Monad Shoal is an underwater plateau where thresher sharks and manta rays can regularly be sighted.

Cebu Weather

Exotic Dive Resort

The lovely Exotic Island Dive Resort is beachfront on the best part of Bounty Beach.

It is the island’s first dive resort and pioneers of the thresher shark encounters.

The owners, Dik and Cora de Boer carried out the first encounters with thresher sharks back in 1997 and soon film crews and dive magazines from all over the world visited to see the phenomenon.

The area is famous for having some of the best shark diving in the Philippines and being the only place in the world where the thresher shark can be seen within recreational diver limits on a regular basis.

 

This wonderful resort is in an idyllic location within walking distance of the main tourist beach yet far enough away to feel secluded and peaceful.

Guests can lay back and soak up the island atmosphere in the beautiful beach garden where the hammocks are great for relaxing after an exhilarating day’s diving.

The newly refurbished rooftop Exotic Spa takes de-stressing to another level, here the professional masseurs offer a range of relaxing treatments including Reflexology, Thai massage, Aromatherapy, and the Exotic Combination Massage where east meets west combining a full body Swedish massage with pivotal shiatsu pressure points.

Guests can choose from several types of accommodation, all of which have en suite facilities, balcony, and air conditioning.

There is also a highly acclaimed restaurant, wonderful coffee corner, sea view bar and bakery serving mouth-watering homemade products.

The newly constructed Multimedia Conference Room and Instructor Development Classroom can accommodate up to 30 people and is situated above the dive shop. From here you have access to most media requirements including internet, large flat screen TV with DVD whilst enjoying stunning views across Bounty Beach.

Other facilities include free Wi-Fi access in the restaurant, an internet cafe and telephone, laundry service, convenience store, safety deposit box at Reception and 24-hour security guards.

If you are looking for panoramic views then take a walk up to the Lighthouse, the perfect place to enjoy sunset.

Even if you don’t dive Malapascua is the ideal destination for a beach holiday. Bounty Beach is lively and has a good selection of shops and restaurants, and for peace and quiet spend the day at Langub Beach or Guimbitayan Beach with their desert island vibes.

For those looking for something extra special we can combine a diving holiday with a city stopover where you can enjoy a wide array of sightseeing and culinary delights along with superb diving and snorkelling.

For foodies there is an abundance of fresh seafood, and local delights such as binignit, a creamy, sweet dessert made of cooked bananas, coconut milk, sticky rice and tapioca rice.

Or if chocolate is your thing then sample the local version of hot chocolate named sikwate, where blocks of cacao are boiled in water and frothed using a traditional wooden whisk before adding milk and sugar to produce this delicious velvety delight.

At the Exotic dive resort there is the option of bed and breakfast, half board and full board packages, the choice is yours.

The highly acclaimed international restaurant offers delicious local and international cuisine, with their renown breakfast menu you can sample a wide choice of delights from homemade pancakes to freshly baked croissants all day long.

For coffee lovers take in views of the beach whilst enjoying a cappuccino, latte, or iced coffee. The Coffee Corner is said to boast the best and freshest brewed coffee on the island!

The bakery has homemade pies, freshly baked European breads, and a wide assortment of other products that will have you coming back for more!

Take advantage of the sea view from the OneUp bar during Happy Hour where you can buy one get one free on selected cocktails, or sit back and relax with a delicious fruit shake.

The fully stocked bar offers a selection of alcoholic drinks including their own Draft Beer which is the first on the island.

Exotic's One Up Bar is the only place on the island to have a "brew-with-a-view".

As the only bar to host a picturesque ocean view, as well as the only draft beers on the island. Heineken, Stella Artois, Hoegarden and Paulaner just to name a few.

Relax and enjoy the vibrant colours as the sun sets while you sip on one of our signature cocktails or fresh fruit shakes.

We offer drinks right on the beach accompanied with our exclusive One Up Bar Menu.

Happy Hour is from 4pm - 7pm.

Accomodation

Standard Rooms: The 2 spacious standard rooms with air-conditioning offer twin single beds, an individual controlled air conditioner and an extended private balcony. These rooms are located near the beachfront, restaurant and bar.

Deluxe Rooms: The 16 spacious deluxe rooms consist of 2 twin beds or a double bed, an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold water and sliding doors that open onto a private balcony to enjoy the overlooking of the lush tropical flowers and garden.

Beach Front Deluxe Rooms: The 4 spacious beachfront deluxe rooms with air conditioning are spacious and offer twin single beds or a double bed and an extended private balcony. These rooms are located on the beachfront close to the restaurant and bar.

Super Deluxe Rooms: The 8 spacious super deluxe rooms are elegantly designed with 2 comfortable queen size beds, an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold water and sliding doors that open onto a private balcony to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and give you the opportunity to wind down after your day’s diving.

Diving at Malapascua

Malapascua is the place to be if you want to experience some of the best shark diving in the Philippines, thresher sharks can be seen year-round at Monad Shoal and Kemod Shoal.

You can also see hammerheads and giant manta rays at certain times of the year when they visit the many cleaning stations.

The macro diving is first class, you are likely to encounter nudibranch, sea horses, octopus, mandarin fish, gurnards, pipefish and frogfish to name but a few.

The fantastic house reef starts at 5m and gently slopes to 13m, you will find a wide variety of marine life amongst the scattered coral and patches of sea grass.

There are artificial structures everywhere, including coral encrusted jeepneys, large concrete and wire structures and a few old boats, creating a unique habitat for soft coral and sea life to flourish.

This exclusive one-of-a-kind dive site suits all levels of divers and is a photographer’s dream.

For those that are critter crazy a night dive on the house reef is an experience not to be missed as you are sure to come up close and personal with some weird and wonderful creatures.

There are 4 large traditional ‘bangka’ boats, a small boat and a speedboat, offering dive schedules to suit all tastes and experience levels. There are many dive sites within close proximity and two wonderful day trips that are suitable for all divers.

The first is Gato Island located around an hour from the resort. This is a pinnacle surrounded by stunning coral which shelters frogfish, pigmy sea horses and a wide variety of nudibranch.

There is a resident population of whitetip sharks sleeping in the overhangs, and the caves and sloping walls house cuttlefish, squids, and schools of mackerel.

Another popular trip is Kalanggaman Island with its picture-perfect white sand bar and turquoise waters. This piece of paradise is a two-hour boat trip from Malapascua and is famous for its wall diving, the northern sites offer a spectacular wall that drops over 200m where schools of lionfish, fusiliers and anthias congregate.

Other sites offer delights such as giant barrel sponges, sea fans, turtles, and an elusive blue ring octopus.

 

Photo Gallery of Underwater Photos taken around Malapascua

Below are descriptions of just a few of the Exotic Dive Resort dive sites.

There are many more offering a wide variety of macro life, stunning walls, soft corals, giant sea fans, table corals and large pelagics.

MONAD SHOAL
The top of the shoal ranges from 20 meters to 27 meters, with a sheer drop-off down to 45 meters, and a second drop-off exceeding recreational dive depths. There is a good opportunity to see the famous thresher sharks year round at this site. Thresher sharks are regular visitors at the cleaning stations found on top of the reef. Depending on the season you may also encounter giant manta rays and smaller devil rays. The ideal depth to encounter life is between 22 meters to 27 meters, making Monad Shoal a perfect site for enriched air (nitrox) dives.

LIGHTHOUSE REEF
The perfect sunset dive, this site is almost a sure bet to see the colorful Mandarin Fish perform their mating dance. The most prolific time of the month is around the full moon, but the activity can been seen virtually every night. Blue Ringed Octopus and sea horses of every size can be found on the surrounding reef. Situated directly across from the island's lighthouse this sloping coral garden is a perfect shallow dive to end the day.

NORTH POINT
With its strong currents this site creates a perfect habitat for soft corals, which grow in an abundance creating a magical colorful garden. Stunning rock formations and canyons create ideal hiding places for scorpion fish, frogfish and lionfish. Sea horses, nudibranches and flat worms can also been seen nestling within the coral branches. An interesting dive to suit all levels of divers.

NORTH ROCK
Situated off the northern tip of Malapascua this dive site offers a little of everything. Subject to strong currents a luscious soft coral garden thrives here, creating an ideal home for an array of different marine life. A small coral encrusted wall starts at 16 meters and drops down to 24 meters creating shelter for many varieties of nudibranchs, flatworms and lionfish. A great dive for the budding photographer.

HOUSE REEF
Exotic's own protected area where the fish are plentiful, House Reef is not to be missed. Starting at 5 meters and gently sloping to 13, it's a great place to work out the kinks after some time out of the water. Amongst the scattered coral and patches of sea grass, a wide variety of fish and macro life can be found. Artificial structures are everywhere, including coral encrusted jeepneys, large concrete and wire structures and a few old boats, creating a unique habitat for soft coral and sea life to flourish. This exclusive one of a kind dive site suits all levels of divers and is a photographer's dream.

KEMOD SHOAL
A sea mound situated near the island of Leyte. The reef begins in 10 meters with one side gradually sloping down to 29 meters before becoming a severe drop off and the other side, a wall starting in 10 meters and dropping far below recreational limits. Throughout the year different large pelagics visit the shoal, including schools of hammerheads, manta rays and requiem sharks. For the advanced diver it is possible to arrange a blue dive at certain times of the year to look for the hammerhead sharks.

CHOCOLATE ISLAND
A small island situated between Malapascua and Cebu, this site is a gentle relaxing dive. The undulating island walls gently taper towards a sandy bottom, elephant ears, barrel sponges, sea fans and soft corals cover the sloping reef creating an ideal habitat for nudibranch, sea horses, spanish dancers and hairy frogfish, a nice gentle dive suitable for all levels of divers and excellent for the budding photographer.

SMALL BEACH
An interesting dive site, proved to be a favorite with photographers and those interested in the small and strange creatures of Malapascua. Beautiful soft corals and sea fans create the perfect environment for the weird and wonderful, a kind of muck dive without the muck! Also a great spot for a night dive site, flamboyant cuttlefish and moray eels can be seen.

DAKIT DAKIT
A gentle dive site created by a scattering of small island formations, some below the surface some above. The site is prone to strong currents, creating a beautiful soft coral garden. Nudibranches, flatworms, pipefish and sea horses can be found within the soft corals. This is an ideal dive for macro enthusiasts and those who need to refresh their diving skills.

BUGTONG BATO
A dive site with a little bit of everything, a gently sloping reef from 8-12mts leads to a small wall dropping to 20mts where once more sloping reef continues to 30mts where a sandy bottom stretches outward. A wide variety of macro life can be found here including sea horses, frog fish and nudibranches; a great photo dive and a must for any level of diver.

DONA MARILYN
"Dona Marilyn" is a Filipino passenger ferry that was sunk on the 23rd of October 1988 by Typhoon Ruby. The 98-meter long ferry now lies intact on her starboard side in 32 meters of water, creating a unique artificial reef. The wreck itself is covered in hard and sort corals, and black coral trees. For certified, "wreck divers" it is possible to penetrate the wreck via the passenger walkways on the port side. For those interested in learning more about wreck penetration check out our PADI Wreck Specialty Course. Due to the relatively deep depth and size of the Dona Marilyn, the ideal way to experience the wreck in its entirety is to dive it on a blend of enriched air.

GATO ISLAND
Gato Island is a protected marine sanctuary. An almost guaranteed site to encounter sleeping sharks and sea snakes. Spectacular colored soft corals cover this undulating dive site sheltering frogfishes, sea horses and nudibranches. Sleeping white tip sharks rest within crevasses. A paradise for avid photographers, this site offers a great opportunity for both macro and big fishes. Advanced divers can dive the tunnel that runs beneath the island; a unique overhead environment, the inside of which is covered with daisy soft corals and sponges.

CALANGGAMAN ISLAND
Calangaman Island is a small remote white-beached paradise. The southern section offers sloping reef walls covered with soft and hard corals, the northern sites offer spectacular wall dives encrusted with gorgonian fans and giant barrel sponges. Schools of snappers, fusiliers and anthias can be seen congregating off the large drop offs. The deep walls offer every possible chance to encounter large sharks and rays. A great two-dive day trip is the way to enjoy this site.

NUNEZ SHOAL
Situated adjacent to Calanggaman Island, this wall dive offers a little bit of everything. Hard corals and barrel sponges cover the gently sloping top of the reef creating an ideal environment for sea stars, frogfish, nudibranches and reef fish to hide within. The walls drop down to a plateau in 40mts, with a further drop to well below recreational limits.

Lex Hotel Cebu

We have managed to secure one of the top hotels in Cebu for our stay when return from Malapascua: The Best Western Plus, Lex Hotel. After some negotiations with the hotel management they dropped their price to almost a half of the original asking price. The final price came to £57.00 (based on todays exchange rate). The price is slightly over my original budget of £50 but they included breakfast in the deal and since breakfast is normally an extra £5.00 it makes it a very good deal. Below are some photographs of the hotel I got off the internet. It looks really nice:
Lex Hotel Cebu is a top accommodation choice in the business district of Cebu City and is one of the hotels in Cebu with pool. Located 9 KM from the International Airport, 5 KM from Tops Lookout, 2.5 KM from the historical Colon Street, 2.8 KM from Basilica De Sto. Nino and 2 KM from the Taoist Temple, it is an ideal choice for anyone looking to explore the charms of Cebu City. Carrying the fine tradition laid out by the Best Western brand, Lex Plus Cebu lives up to its billing as one of the leading business and leisure Cebu hotels in the city. Aside from the modern rooms furnished with all the features one would need to relax and be entertained, Lex Hotel Cebu also has additional amenities that include a rooftop infinity pool, bar and terrace, a cocktail bar, a physical fitness gym, coin-operated laundry machines and an in-house restaurant serving a medley of local and international flavors. Some web sites:     12 Great Restaurants in Cebu 10 Best Hotels in Cebu Whale & Dolphin watching 11 Nightlife Venues in Cebu 23 Things to do in Cebu KAI Restaurant
Some YouTube videos:     Best Western Cebu Customer Hotel Review Cebu Hotels

Some information about Cebu

A good location for an extra week stopover!

Cebu is the largest island in the Visayas region, and is particularly rich in Spanish colonial history. The original capital of the Philippines until the 17th century, ‘the Queen of the South’ contains 6 major cities – Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Toledo and Talisay.

Cebu City is the capital of the island and province of the same name and is the oldest and second-largest city in the Philippines. Cebu is a city of trade and commerce, reminiscent of Manila but somewhat less chaotic, but with a noticeably slower pace.

Due to its central location in the middle of the Visayas and its importance in the country, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll pass through Cebu at some point. The city offers some home comforts in the form of western food outlets and mega shopping malls. It’s also peppered with historic sites offering fascinating insights into the country's colonial past.

To this day, Cebu Island still remains a prominent and popular part of the archipelago, boasting the most ethnically diverse population. Its inhabitants are an interesting bunch, made up of Malay, Chinese, Filipino and an ever-growing number of westerners. It’s now considered to be the most dynamic island in the Philippines, attracting native and international tourists in droves.

Cebu is a long and narrow island that stretches 196 km from north to south, and 32 km from east to west at its widest point. Located on the eastern central area of the island, Cebu City is its main urban centre. The 2nd largest city in the Philippines is a lively commercial and industrial hub, with modern features like giant shopping complexes as well as a myriad of leisure and entertainment options to keep you busy both day and night.

The rest of Cebu Island is not as developed. It has rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island, with the highest mountain standing over 1,000 metres tall. The coastal areas have beaches, fishing villages, mangrove forests and rich fishing grounds.

The two destinations on Cebu Island that’ll capture the interest of adventurous travellers are Moalboal on the east coast and Oslob on the west coast. Located a few hours’ drive south of Metro Cebu, they offer a rustic type of vacation in pristine natural surroundings.

Some Photos of Cebu and surrounding areas

Cebu Weather

Map showing the distance between Cebu and Malapascua. (Journey time 4-5 hours).

Tropical Sunset

Itinerary:

21/11/2019 Flight London Gatwick [LGW] 08:20 to Marsa Alam [RMF] 21/11/2019 15:50

21/11/2019 Liveaboard M/Y Emperor Asmaa - depart - Port Ghalib 22/11/2019 08:00

22/11/2019 to 27/11/2019 Dive safari to Fury Shoal & St. John's Reefs

28/11/2019 Liveaboard M/Y Emperor Asmaa - return - Port Ghalib 28/11/2019 07:00

28/11/2019 Flight Marsa Alam [RMF] 16:50 to London Gatwick [LGW] 28/11/2019 20:50

Diving

St Johns is a large reef system right at the end of the Egyptian Red Sea and all time favourite with scuba divers of all abilities.

Lying just above the Sudanese border, a trip St Johns is a trip to the very edges of the Egyptian Red Sea- and back again.

Not content to only offer up the awesome diving of the deep south, this itinerary packs in more, stopping at the stunning reef systems of Fury Shoal and Wadi el Gimal.

This itinerary truly is the best way to see the Southern Red Sea in its all its glory, on a luxury liveaboard holiday far from the crowds.

The entire region is filled with every kind of marine life, from the smallest nudibranch's to the largest. Bumphead parrot fish, baby white tips, barracuda and napoleons comb the deep south, whereas snapper, hawk fish, batfish and morays roam the more northern stop offs.

Fury Shoal is famous for her hard corals - Shaab Claudia, Malahi or Abu Galawa Soraya are as bright as they are impressive.

The St Johns itinerary is perfect for every diver, no matter what experience level. The diving is straight forward so you can concentrate more on the mind blowing marine life in this veritable underwater aquarium.

Diving takes place both from the boat and RIB. With walls, pinnacles, caves, night diving over the whole week, the St Johns itinerary is packed with the dives that everyone can enjoy. Currents tend to mild and minimal

Flights

Baggage Allowance:

Check in Baggage

The standard baggage allowance to Egypt is 20kgs per person.

If you're travelling with more than one person, you can combine your baggage allowance together, as long as any one case does not exceed 30kgs in weight for lifting purposes. If you're travelling to the USA or Canada you are unable to combine luggage but you can take upto 32kgs in one case.

The outer dimensions of each item of baggage may not exceed 158cm (length + width + height).

If the specified outer dimensions or free baggage allowance are exceeded, then excess baggage charges will be charged. The additional baggage can be checked with other checked baggage.

Hand Baggage

You are also allowed to bring one piece of hand baggage weighingup to 8kg free of charge.

The dimensions of your carry-on baggage may not exceed:
(H) 55cm x (W) 40cm x (D) 20cm.

In addition to the above, customers can carry an extra piece of hand baggage from the below list not exceeding 40 (H) x 30 (W) x 10 (D). This item is included within the hand baggage weight limit and must be placed under the seat (except exit or front rows).

Hand baggage cannot be combined together with other passengers or with any hold baggage.

• 1 laptop.

• 1 overcoat or 1 blanket.

• 1 small lady´s handbag or 1 small wrist-bag or 1 small bag with shoulder strap.

• 1 umbrella.

• 1 small camera and/or 1 pair of binoculars.

• A reasonable amount of reading material for the flight.

• Duty Free items purchased behind security control or as a pre-order from the operating carrier.

Gate Bag

At some UK airports, a charge for a Gate Bag will now be applied. This means if customers arriveat the boarding gate with more then one item of hand baggage (excluding airport shopping and any of the above mentioned additional items) the extra item/s will be taken and put into the hold. There is a fee of £65 per bag.

We recommend that you pack valuables such as cameras, jewellery, tablets etc. in your hand luggage.