Can u share the cost to hire the scuba please?

Hire the scuba?

New fashion crop rashguard..

Well its RM250 for 3 dive including lunch at Padang Point Pulau Gaya. All of that inclusive of the park fee, DM fee, boat fee, gears (wetsuit,tank,mask,fins,etc)

This post has been edited by SoulReaper: May 30 2014, 07:21 PM

Thats the offer 250 for 3 dives advertised at their shop rite?

It's been awhile...i think i missed a lot here..

Anyway, just sharing my dives in Anilao, Philippines (March 2014) and Sangalaki, Indonesia (May 2014)

For Anilao, I dived with Anilao Photo Hotel, owned by ex-Malaysian DJ - Tim Ho. He takes fantastic UW photos, and goes by his nick Scuba Tim.
You may check out their FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/anilaophotohotel
The place is easy access, direct KUL-MNL flight. If you go in a big group, can hire a van. The ride to Anilao is 1hr+/- from MNL.
Or, if you prefer travel cheap, can check this guide:
http://www.anilaobackpackers.com/2013/06/c...-to-anilao.html
The stay is home-feel, relax...and their food is good.

For the dives, Anilao offers a lot of tiny underwater critters, great for Macro photography. Lots and lots of Nudis..shrimps...
here's some pictures i shot with my Canon S110+Ikelite Housing (No macro lens)


a huge frog fish, it is at least 20cm.


Huge mantis shrimp, not a friendly fella.


thought was soft coral...but....




Mandarin fishes! they are shy and often seen mating....

For Sangalaki, i just got back 2 days ago.
Access is not easy, I flew from KUL to Tawau, then Tawau to Tarakan. From Tarakan, took a speed boat ride about 3 hrs to reach a habitat island, known as Derawan. I stayed and dived with Derawan Dive Lodge. Overall, the stay is good, but food is below average.

The dives location are Sangalaki, Maratua and Kakaban islands, all of which are at least 1.5 hrs boat ride from Derawan Island.

Sangalaki island - for pelagic. Saw eagle rays, Manta rays, turtles.....was expecting to see whale sharks but no luck.

Maratua island - drift dives, school of jack fish (barracudas), sharks (black tip)

Kakaban island - Macros, and snorkeled in Kakaban lake, where there are non-sting jelly fishes. This is one of the only two places in the world such jelly fishes existing. The other one is in Palau.

Some photos:


Pygmy seahorse


Candy crab


No idea what nudi this is, but it has panda-face


Eagle ray


Non-sting jelly fish

This post has been edited by jye'n: Jun 2 2014, 12:17 AM

Interested la for this Raya trip... 26 July issit? What's the mechanics.. u will check out deals at MIDE? For Tioman i think just telephone Dive Asia and they will be good enough to book rooms for us too, thats how i did it a coupla Rayas ago...

rooms are apparently fully booked by sporeans!!

Interesting... Derawan... Is the coral n reef life healthy? Never heard of this site...

How much was the damage including transportation to sangalaki? how many dives? been interested to go there but i heard it could be quite expensive and is a hassle to go there.

sounds very reasonable. scuba gear and 02 tank all included ya? wetsuit can fit big size people?








food is goreng fish and nasi goreng i presume?

Wahhh lao ehhhhhh
What's the alternative then. Maybe somewhere away from Salang... ABC? or do u mean, Tioman is ALL FULL..!! adoiii

got accomo but ferry also pening ... unless u flying berjaya

last time i went during holiday ... ferry passby straight coz full house

We went in group of 17 people. Stayed 6 nights:
Day 1 - arrive at Derawan Dive lodge
Day 2 - 3 dives in Sangalaki
Day 3 - 3 dives in Maratua
Day 4 - 2 dives in Kakaban + 1 snorkel in Jelly fish lake.
Day 5 - 3 dives nearby Derawan
Day 6 - 2 dives nearby Derawan
Day 7 - left the place and flight at 1300hr (that's why we did only 2 dives on Day 6)

I didnt do night dives. Some in the group did, additional USD40 per pax.

For the stay and dives, about RM2700+/-
Flight ticket total about RM800 (KUL-TWU-TRK then TRK-TWU-KUL)
Boat transfer from Tarakan to Derawan, depends. Cost about IDR1.5mil per pax, we chartered speed boat.

This post has been edited by jye'n: Jun 2 2014, 12:25 PM

Yes, especially the wall dives at Kakaban

Owh sounds good
Im very close there. No nid permit?

I'm not sure about the rest.... I won't be surprise it's all almost full though.....

It's pretty normal coz it's cheap n budget island as comparing to johor side's of islands.

me too!


but isn't the purpose of a rashguard to cover your body rather than leaving it exposed?

wow nice photos! I have this camera too, didn't know it can take such awesome photos underwater

This post has been edited by scpt: Jun 2 2014, 05:43 PM