Nestled in Kasawari Bay, Dive into Lembeh Resort has been likened to a comfortable 'land-based liveaboard'. British owned and managed, this lovely small hotel is located on the mainland of the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.  A true macro photographer’s paradise, the resort is just off the north east coast of Sulawesi and is famous for its 'muck diving' on black volcanic sand.  Muck diving is all about spotting weird and wonderful underwater critters, species that you would normally not find during a regular dive.

Diving in the Lembeh Strait means diving with amazing species such as frog fish, hairy frog fish, mimic octopus, blue ringed octopus, banded sea snake, mandarin fish, orangutan crabs, mantis shrimps and many other critters that are hiding on the black volcanic sand, amongst patches of rubble and coral.

Each of the nine sea view private bungalows is equipped with TV, air conditioning, ceiling fan, mini bar and safe. Every bungalow has its own Japanese 'Onsen' (hot tub) on the veranda to warm up in at the end of the day. There are also two Panorama View Bungalows available at supplement.

The Resort has an open air restaurant and bar, sea view fire pit area with comfortable chairs to relax in, a swimming pool and a fully equipped dive centre with a spacious camera room. There is also a lovely resort spa complete with sea views.

The Resort is located at the northern end of the strait out of sight of Bitung Harbor in the south, offering unspoiled views of Lembeh Island. Two of the most famous dive sites in Lembeh (called “hairball" and "aw shucks”) are nearby forming Dive into Lembeh Resort's house reef, with a choice of the black sand of “hairball", or a nice coral reef, suitable for snorkellers. The boat diving is done from newly built speedboats and the furthest dive site is only 12 minutes away. 

We are pleased to offer Twin Centre trips combining Dive into Lembeh Resort and Tasik Ria Resort, Manado. Packages including flights, accommodation, transfers and boat dives are available. Please ask a member of our team for further details.

Trip Report: Roots RED SEA and Coral Garden RESORT

Just one hour and 20 minutes from Hurghada airport lies Roots Red Sea, a small, friendly and relaxed “eco-resort” just north of El Quesir run by two dedicated Brits: Clare and Steve Rattle.

The first thing that strikes me as I arrive is how friendly the greeting is: a refreshing glass of fruit juice and the polite request to put all bags down, as someone will take them straight to our room. Following the usual check-in paperwork, we are directed to our room on the hillside of this cosy resort. A quick shower and then it's time to visit the bar to meet our hosts and fellow guests.

Steve and Clare gave us a warm welcome and shared a few beers with us as we relaxed into the laid-back Roots way of life, whilst eating the Roots’ Friday special: Fish and Chips! 

In fact the food - as with everything else at Roots - has a wonderful Britishness about it: on Sunday we enjoyed a traditional roast meal with a delicious apple crumble for dessert. Bliss!

The following morning after breakfast we visited the onsite dive centre to complete the necessary paperwork and then headed off to the house reef dive complex on the shore. A short walk across the sand and over a quiet road lies the other part of the Roots setup: a furnished kitting up area, complete with showers, benches and a collection of tanks. There are two buildings on this site; the other being the small restaurant where lunch is served.

Our first dive on the house reef was guided, to enable us to get our bearings. Plenty to see, including several large morays and the largest barracuda I have ever seen. 

The freedom to dive as and when we chose was one of the attractions of visiting Roots. Dawn dives and night dives are also available, but you need to request a night dive one day in advance, so the centre can apply for the necessary approval from the local authorities. On our second day we took a jeep trip to some sites up the coast, one of which was a stunning underwater cave system that I would recommend any diver should visit.

Another highlight was our trip to Elphinstone, which is available for a small supplement. A very early start (4:30am alarm!!!!) and an hour’s drive south to join the RIB awaiting our arrival followed. The three of us boarded and in 20 minutes we arrived at one of the signature dives in the Red Sea, hoping to see some sharks for which this site is famous.

A colourful, but shark-free, first dive along the reef followed. During our surface interval moored up to a liveaboard, we noticed an Oceanic White Tip swimming around the back of the liveaboard and directly under our RIB. “This bodes well” we thought…

The three of us dropped back in the water and hung around the back of the liveaboard at 10m, as three white tips took turns to cruise past us. For 50 minutes! And just the three of us were in the water. Simply stunning! This was one of my most memorable dives in many years of visiting the Red Sea.

Following a final dive at a local site in El Quesir, it was time to say goodbye to our friends at Roots and hello to Coral Garden Resort in Safaga.

North of Roots and only one hour from Hurghada, Coral Garden Resort is a small hotel and dive centre (run by Orca) right on the shore of their house reef: Gassous Bay. This is one of the best house reefs that I have ever dived and I would recommend that any diver spends some time at Coral Garden just to visit Gassous Bay. 

The team at Orca are rightly proud of their house reef and it shows. There are various areas worth exploring, including several purpose built metal frames that are already displaying some impressive coral growth and marine life and a seagrass area with two resident turtles.

As with Roots, you can dive the house reef whenever you feel like it, with dawn dives and night dives also available for the keen diver. In fact the well-run dive centre is set up for this: divers just kit up, collect a full tank from the appropriate area and wander into the sea. On return, simply drop your tank off at the empty area, collect a full tank and set your kit up ready for your next dive.

Coral Garden is a well-designed resort with the dive centre, bar, upper floor restaurant and spa all conveniently located in a central area. Breakfast and evening meals (buffet style) are taken in the upstairs restaurant (complete with cheeky sparrows on the scrounge), with a lunchtime menu available at the beach bar offering pizza, burgers, wraps and toasted sarnies.

Another highlight for us was the big fluffy black and white cat that followed us around and often visited our room in the evening for cuddles and some milk that we saved from breakfast. She probably realised early on that she had encountered a pair of suckers!

Roots Red Sea and Coral Garden lend themselves perfectly for a twin centre holiday which would suit buddy pairs and larger groups. In fact, Roots is already set up for school and university groups, as they host the Marine Biology students from Glasgow University for six weeks every year.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a laid-back diving holiday with no other distractions, then give Roots Red Sea and Coral Garden Resort your serious consideration.

RESORT DETAILS

Roots Red Sea is a small friendly resort ideally suited to divers & snorkellers wanting peace and quiet, but with the convenience of the small traditional town of El Quseir on its doorstep.  The resort is surrounded by magnificent colourful mountains on one side and unspoilt Red Sea beaches on the other, making it a wonderfully relaxing destination. Pharaoh Dive Club has a base both at the resort and on the beach allowing divers to come and go as they please with easy access to a beautiful house reef. The centre runs daily shore trips to over 50 different dive sites as well as having their own zodiac and hard boat for full day excursions.

Roots Red Sea has 29 rooms, consisting of Eco Huts, Deluxe Chalets and Superior Boutique Rooms.  We offer Deluxe Chalets, which can be either twin or triple rooms.  Superior Boutique Rooms may also be booked at an additional supplement. All rooms are built using natural materials, a mixture of wood and local red stone. The wooden furniture and tiled floors enhance the authentic natural feel. The gardens have been cleverly created to minimize water usage, but at the same time with some careful lighting help create a wonderfully relaxing ambience.

Coral Garden Resort is a true divers resort. Situated 22km south of Safaga, Coral Garden Resort is a true divers resort. Located on the northern end of a long sandy beach by the beautiful Gassous Bay, Orca Dive Club is based on site. The resort provides a relaxing stay with superb views over the bay and to the western mountains. Gassous Bay offers a fabulous house reef, ideal for both divers and snorkellers.

Rooms are arranged in a bungalow village style, set in beautifully landscaped gardens. A total of 39 rooms provide spacious and simply furnished accommodation, all with air-conditioning, satellite television, safe, twin beds and a great view. The hotel has a popular beach bar with its own pizza oven, pool and table tennis and a shisha bar. The buffet style roof top Al-Saif restaurant boasts great views of Gassous Bay and serves both authentic Egyptian and Arabic food along with international cuisine. 

I suppose many people would ask if they should believe the hype about Palau and is it worth going halfway round the world to visit? The answer to both questions should most definitely be 'yes'. So, it takes a couple of days to get there, but when you see the beautiful islands and slip beneath its clear blue waters, you will soon forget your journey. 

Due to Palau flight schedules, I had the chance for some nice day boat dives from the capital Koror, before joining the liveaboard. This served me well in getting back in the water after a few months without diving and gave a good taste of things to come. I then joined the Palau Siren a lovely boat with a helpful crew, and a great way to explore the best diving around Palau. 

I had heard of many of the dive sites before, such as Blue Corner and German Channel, so I was looking forward to experiencing them for myself. The first part of the week was out on the extreme west edge of the islands, where you will find Blue Corner and other great sites like Big Drop Off and Ulong Channel. I defy anyone to dive those sites and not have them go straight into their top ten favourite dive locations. Blue Corner involves dropping down to a shear wall, then going onto the top and hooking on with a reef hook and watching the shark show. You will probably see more Grey Reef and Whitetip Sharks than you have ever seen in one place before. You just hang there and watch them cruise by, losing count at around 25.

I'm sure you know that sharks are protected in and around the islands of Palau, a wonderful situation that started 15 years ago and culminated with the creation of the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009. It was so nice to see so many sharks on most dives during my visit. In fact I saw sharks on every dive except the night and wreck dives. 

But of course there is plenty more to see. Some sites had some beautiful hard and soft corals, rivalling the best you'll see anywhere in the world. We also spent half an hour watching a Manta Ray at a cleaning station and often saw Eagle Rays and Stingrays. There was plenty of little stuff to keep the macro lover happy, from Frogfish to lots of different Nudibranchs, many I'd never seen before. 

The wrecks of Palau mustn't be forgotten either. We dived four different wrecks during the week and although not so much of a destination for the hardcore wreck diver like Truk, there are quite a  few wrecks there to keep you happy. Like Truk, most are WWII Japanese vessels, some so big that they take a couple of dives to explore. They are mostly cargo ships, but there is also a very interesting dive on a small seaplane, known as Jake from its American code name. 

One last dive that is worth a mention is Chandelier Cave. Although you would normally think that a 70m long cave would require cave dive training, this one is great for those without, as there are four chambers where you can pop up and breathe the air without your regulator. Its very strange to see the amazing stalactite formations above you with your torch, whilst being entertained by your dive guides silly stories about the cave monsters that supposedly live there! Plus there’s a few tiny Mandarin Fish to hunt for in the coral on exiting the cave. 

Was there any downside with Palau? Of course there was. I was disaapointed that my stay there was limited and I had to leave it behind for the trip home!

To find out more about diving in Palau, please call our friendly team on 01353 659999. If you would like to speak to John about his trip, he would be delighted to share his experience and help you plan your diving adventure in Palau. 

Beauty Has an Address

Oman offers great diving variety. Its waters are known for colourful hard and soft corals, as well as numerous species of ray, including stingrays, eagle and torpedo ray. Leopard sharks are regularly spotted, along with moray eels, especially honeycomb and yellow mouth eels. Divers can also encounter green and hawksbill turtles, reef and schooling fish. Whale sharks are seen during summer months. 

Visit the pristine Daymaniyat Islands, or join a liveaboard to discover the Hallaniyat Islands. Combine all this with our 'Mountain, Desert and Sea' tour to discover even more of this fascinating country for a true Arabian adventure...

Diving in Muscat

Divers of all experience levels can enjoy the dive sites accessible from Muscat, the capital of Oman. The diving here is well established, with over forty recognised sites including the renowned Daymaniyat and Fahal Islands. There are few currents and dives range in depth from ten to thirty metres, along coral flanked stoney walls. Plankton rich waters attract a large amount of marine life, which includes many pelagic species. The Daymaniyat Islands helped place Oman on the world dive map. This string of offshore islands north of Muscat offers pristine coral gardens, dramatic walls and abundant fish life.

Diving in Salalah and Mirbat

Situated in the southern area of Oman's Dhofar region, the unspoilt coastline stretches as far as the eye can see, offering sheltered bays to explore in an area steeped in history and heritage. Set against the stunning backdrop of deserted beaches and the high Jebel Al Qara rising steeply out of the Dhofar mountain chain, this area offers a level of excitement and adventure hard to find in other destinations so close to home.

Liveaboard - MY Oman Explorer

Join the MY Oman Explorer Liveaboard to discover the extensive reefs of southern Oman and the Hallaniyat Islands! Departing from Mirbat’s small harbour, the itinerary will be exploratory in nature, for divers comfortable in a relatively remote location. Sitting in the waters straddling the north Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, the Hallaniyat Islands comprise five islands lying in an east to west string in the south-eastern waters of Oman’s Dhofar district.

Refurbished in 2015, the spacious MY Oman Explorer is a 34 metre, steel hulled vessel which very comfortably accommodates 22 divers in 10 spacious twin cabins and one Master Cabin. Diving is done directly off the dive deck or from a RIB, dive site dependant and Nitrox is available. The MY Oman Explorer follows different itineraries depending on the season, including some trips that depart from Muscat.

Contact our friendly, specialist team on 01353 659999 to book your diving adventure in Oman...

Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort in Anilao

Nestled in the heart of Anilao, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort is an ideal spot for discovering the Batangas province, known for its impressive shoreline. This welcoming and friendly resort sits in the heart of the Philippines’ best-loved diving in the Coral Triangle, the ‘muck diving’ capital of the Philippines, where the waters are rich in marine and coral life. With an attractive house reef and access to great dive sites, divers are bound to enjoy this location. The Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort flanks a hillside that runs straight down to the shoreline in a quiet and tropical location. Designed and built with divers in mind, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort has just 10 Deluxe Rooms with either sea or sunset views. 

Standard Rooms at Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort are available at very competitive prices, with 7 night packages starting at only £1,099 per person. This includes: flights, transfers and accommodation in a twin room on a Bed and Breakfast basis.

Asia Grand View Hotel in Coron

Divers can enjoy the beauty and wonders of Coron from the stunning setting of the Asia Grand View Hotel. Coron Bay is known for its access to wreck dives, rich marine life, lush green mountains and rich flora and fauna. Welcoming and friendly, Asia Grand View Hotel is located within lush gardens, in tranquil surroundings. Only a stone’s throw from the world renowned wrecks of Coron Bay, Asia Grand View Hotel is an ideal base for divers to experience world-class wreck diving, along with outstanding reef and coral diving. Extended dive safaris are also available around Busuanga Island and to Apo Reef. 

Superior Rooms at Asia Grand View Hotel are available at very reasonable rates, with 7 night packages starting at only £1,399 per person. This includes: flights, transfers and accommodation in a twin room on a Bed and Breakfast basis.

For further information, or to book, give our friendly team a call 01353 659999, or visit: Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort or Asia Grand View Hotel.

Malta – one of Regaldive’s most popular destinations - is only a three hour flight from the UK and boasts a large number of wrecks to enjoy. Lying at 14m in Valetta harbour is HMS Maori: a British destroyer sunk in 1942. Another famous Maltese wreck is the Bristol Blenheim Bomber. One of five known wrecks of its kind, the engine and wings are intact at 42m and make a memorable dive for experienced divers. Another wreck for the more experienced diver is the Imperial Eagle; a former ferry and the sister ship to Cousteau’s Calypso. 

An Egyptian liveaboard is the place to be if you want to visit the best wrecks the Red Sea can offer. Regaldive offer itineraries including the most famous Red Sea wrecks: the Dunraven at Ras Mohamed, the Rosalie Moller and the most famous wreck of them all; the mighty Thistlegorm. 

In the early 1960s, Jacques Cousteau placed Sudan firmly in the psyche of divers with his experiments in underwater living. The remains of his Conshelf II “village” provide a fascinating window into this unique chapter of diving history. Directly out of Port Sudan lies the Umbria: an Italian cargo ship deliberately scuppered at the beginning of WWII to avoid it falling into British hands. The holds are easily penetrated and the cargo (ranging from ammunition and military vehicles to wine) is still there to be explored. Fans of the Red Sea seeking a new challenge should ask Regaldive for details on a Sudan liveaboard.

Known as the “wreck capital of the Caribbean” Grenada is recognised for its exceptional range of wrecks, and is renowned for one wreck in particular: the Bianca C - a 200m liner that caught fire and sank in 1961. With her deck sitting at 35m, the wreck supports a large amount of marine life and has numerous points of interest, including a swimming pool and the bridge. At the bow divers can see large pelagics including schools of barracuda and tuna, as well as passing eagle and manta rays.

The Veronica L, a highly photogenic wreck that makes a fantastic night dive, is festooned with colourful soft corals, sponges and marine life. The open hold, crane and surrounds of this 25m cargo ship are home to seahorses, moray eels, frogfish and octopus. 

Due to popular demand Regaldive has now added Busuanga Island to our Philippines portfolio. From here divers are ideally placed to dive the Second World War Japanese wrecks of Coron Bay: some of the best preserved in the world. 

Another recent addition which will excite all wreck lovers is Truk Lagoon – one of the most famous concentrations of wrecks in the world. Final resting place for an entire Japanese fleet sunk in 1944, the wrecks include a submarine, jeeps, tanks and fighter planes. Truk Lagoon is a dream destination and one which all wreck lovers should experience.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of sitting on a boat knowing that you are about to dive one of the most famous wrecks sites in the world. Each site has its own unique beauty, is mostly intact, within recreational diving limits and full of history. Happy diving, metalheads!

For help with planning your next wreck diving adventure, call us on 01353 659999 or send us an email.

Our colleague Nigel Cass has recently returned from a dive trip to Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. Nigel shares his trip report with us here:

Lanzarote is a great destination for a cheeky week’s diving. Excellent weather, combined with the convenient location of Regaldive’s three accommodation options and their proximity to Safari Diving, shops, bars and restaurants. Furthermore, at just over 4 hours flight away, Lanzarote is a great short haul getaway option: ideal for couples, small groups, families and dive clubs alike.

Playa Chica promenade runs from the beach entrance at one end to a small harbour at the other end and is where you can also find Safari Diving. There is a bar/restaurant at the harbour so you can sit back and watch the world go by at the end of your day’s diving.

The Safari Diving staff are professional, friendly and very helpful. They are also excellent Dive Guides and very useful at finding/spotting marine life. 

Safari Diving offer two morning dives, one starting at 09:30 for experienced divers and 10:30 for less experienced. Depending on the site, divers will kit up at the centre and either enter the water from the beach or from the harbour steps (3 min walk along the promenade). There is also a daily boat dive that departs at 14:30. It is also possible to arrange to borrow tanks from the centre for unguided dives (depending on qualification, experience, etc). 

The underwater topography is volcanic in formation, with plenty of caves and swim throughs to enjoy. During the week we spotted seahorses, huge grouper, barracuda, octopi, rays, sardines, tuna, moray, cuttlefish and angel sharks. There are also a few wrecks just away from the old harbour wall that are worth checking out. 

Would I go back? Of course! My dive club is already hatching plans to visit next year, and my name will be first on the list.

Regaldive's accommodation options in Puerto del Carmen,  Lanzarote include Costa Volcan Apartments and Spa and, Guamarama Apartments. This popular dive destination combines a sunny climate with a great mix of shore and boat diving and the convenience of only four hours flying time from the UK. 

To find out more, please call our friendly team on 01353 659999, or visit: Lanzarote 

Eriyadu Resort, Maldives has recently completed the Beach Club rooms and Regaldive are able to offer exclusive access to these rooms for UK divers. Eriyadu is now great value for money with the superb house reef and boat diving available that has made it a firm favourite with Regaldive guests over the years.

Eriyadu, which is located in North Male atoll, offers a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere and superb diving. An excellent beach surrounds the island, which is covered by a canopy of vegetation providing welcome shade. The excellent house reef wraps around the entire island and is suitable for both divers and snorkellers.

NEW Beach Club ROOMS

Eriyadu Resort's 16 Beach Club rooms are in a two storied block and they command panoramic views of the front façade of the entire island. Just minutes away from the main restaurant and dive centre, the Beach Club rooms are in a prime location. Take in the breathtaking views from your private verandah or balcony.

Each air-conditioned room is furnished with double bed, Satellite TV, mini bar, ceiling fan, hairdryer, telephone and a lovely open-air bathroom with tropical outdoor shower / bath, private veranda, sun beds and beach towels. In-room Wi-Fi is available at an additional cost, paid locally.

In addition to the new Beach Club Rooms, Regaldive can also offer Deluxe Beach Rooms. The more spacious Deluxe Beach Rooms have recently been refurbished and are located in beachfront villas, just metres away from the water's edge.  

The Resort has a bar and restaurant. Set by the water’s edge, the restaurant offers a choice of local and international cuisine, including themed nights and BBQs.

House Reef

Eriyadu house reef surrounds the island. The whole reef is accessible via five entry points with the majority of the reef formed into a gentle slope falling to 30 metres. Coral formations on the reef are both interesting and varied with the east edge forming a particularly dramatic wall. The reef’s formation makes the island an excellent choice for snorkellers, as a lot of the colour and marine life is easily visible from the surface. Various shark and ray species are often encountered on the house reef, alongside the resident batfish and turtles. 

BOAT DIVING

The Northern end of North Male atoll is quiet with very few islands resorts competing for space on dive sites. There are over 35 boat dives within one hour of the resort. Finger point is an excellent place to encounter large numbers of Grey reef sharks and Eagle rays. The reef also supports schools of jacks and snapper whilst Napoleon wrasses are often sighted. Eriyadu enjoys its best diving conditions over the South West Monsoon, (June to October) with wonderful visibility on many dives. During the North East season, (December to April), both whale sharks and manta rays are occasionally encountered in the area.

Regaldive is pleased to offer exclusive UK access to the Beach Club Rooms.

The Beach Club Rooms are available at great prices, with 7 night packages starting at only £1,526pp. This includes: flights, transfers and 7 nights accommodation in a twin room on half board basis.

To find out more, please call our friendly team on 01353 659999, or visit: Eriyadu Resort

There's nothing better than finishing a diving holiday with a feeling of satisfaction and that's how it was at the end of  my recent trip to South Africa. Knowing you've had a great trip, seen some amazing creatures, been looked after well and made some great new friends is what it's all about. From the moment I was met at Durban airport and was reassured to see the sign with my name, it was an almost perfect trip. 

Scuba Addicts Lodge Aliwal Shoal is just an hours drive from Durban Airport, overlooking the Indian Ocean, on the edge of the town of Umkomas. More warm welcomes on arrival there were swiftly followed by a beer and a Braai, or barbecue to you and me. Needless to say, I slept exceeding well that night, dreaming of what was to come. The dive centre is on site at the lodge and after kitting up there's a 5 minute ride down to the beach, where the fun really starts.

After climbing aboard the spacious RIB, you have to hang on while the boat handler negotiates the surf, luckily they have had years of practice. An exhilarating start to the days diving. But after a 15 minute RIB ride we reached the famous Aliwal Shoals for our two morning dives. The exhilaration continued as we very quickly encountered two big sharks, the whole reason for the trip. They patrolled the reef and came and went a couple of times during the dive. 

The following morning was also a very special dive, as we got up close and personal with Blacktip Sharks. This was on the baited dive that many of the local operators have undertaken there for quite a few years. As soon as we entered the water we were surrounded by a good few sharks and the numbers increased as the dive progressed. 25 was my estimate,  but to be honest they are all around and move so quick it's impossible to actually count them.  Certainly a great way to end the first part of the trip before we move on to Mozambique the following day.  

Although the drive up to Scuba Addicts Lodge Ponta Do Ouro takes a while it's great for seeing a bit of the South African countryside. Good roads right up to the boarder, then the road turns to sand, but it's only an interesting 20 minutes ride over the sand dunes to the lodge. Like previously the lodge is very comfortable, with a nice view over the ocean. Ponta Do Ouro means 'Tip of Gold' as it faces east and it's worth getting up a bit earlier to catch the sunrise to find out why.

The following 5 days of diving where a feast of Sharks and Rays with encounters on every dive. More Blacktips, Grey Reef Sharks, more Bulls, a lone Zebra Shark and quite a few Hammerheads. Four types of Rays too, Manta and Ribbon Tail, but mainly good size schools of Mobula & Eagle rays. The area is also well known for its game fish too, which is why the Sharks are there of course. The diving in Mozambique is quite deep, so Advanced Open Water and a reasonable amount of experience is required. As an added bonus the water was a very pleasant 26 degrees.

Of course other types of Sharks are often seen in both locations, such as Tiger Sharks and Silvertips, but just my luck they turned up for the group after mine! But that's nature for you.  The last night is spent back in South Africa at a lovely lodge near the St Lucia Wetlands. That's quite an interesting experience too, as you can drive around after dark looking for Crocodiles and Hippos. It's very strange passing a Hippo grazing the grass on the edge of town like you would see a sheep or cow in the UK.

I can't emphasise enough how well Scuba Addicts look after their guests on this trip. It was almost like being on a liveaboard really, but on land. You are looked after from arriving at the airport to being dropped back there 10 days later. You dive and stay with the same group of divers for the duration, random day divers are not catered for at all. Although it's booked on a B&B basis, very reasonably priced lunches are available at both lodges and they will happily drive you to and from local restaurants for dinner in the evening. As an added bonus, it's a great value trip at the moment due to the rate of exchange with the Rand, and you get a lot for your money whilst there. A bottle of beer works out at around £1 at the moment. Great diving and hospitality, and cheap beer, what more could you ask for? 

10 & 12 DAY TRIPS

Regaldive offer 10 and 12 day itineraries for East Coast Shark Diving trips in South Africa and Mozambique, allowing you to experience the best marine life this area has to offer. The 12 day trip also gives you the opportunity to experience the Big 5, at a game reserve.

We also offer a Great White Shark Cage Diving trip extension in Gansbaai which may be combined with your East Coast Shark Diving holiday. 

Want to find out more? Contact the Regaldive team on 01353 659999 or email us to plan your twin centre shark diving adventure.

Discover the Breath-taking Azores with Regaldive

Unique Biodiversity

Divers can encounter a vast range of oceanic species including rare blue and mako sharks, spotted, bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins, manta and devil rays and whale sharks, as well as five kinds of turtle. Beaked, sperm, blue, humpback and false killer whales can all be spotted from the surface making boat rides to dive sites exhilarating adventures.

Volcanic Geological Wonders

The volcanic landscape of the Azores offers a unique backdrop to the incredible nature above and below water. Divers can explore labyrinthine tunnels, bubbling hydrothermal vents, canyons, caves and arches. Impressive wrecks and a ship graveyard at the Underwater Archaeological Park encourage discovery.

Blue Sharks and Other Highlights

The renowned Condor Seamount offers the best chance to meet captivating blue sharks. Manta rays, morays, stingrays, groupers, wrasse, parrotfish, triggerfish and damselfish are also encountered here. Princess Alice Bank is a majestic underwater mountain falling to some 500m whose 35m tip is packed with groups of devil rays, barracuda and schools of thousands of tuna swirling in the currents.

Diving and More!

Equally spectacular on land, you can immerse yourself in a rich cultural heritage. With each island having its own unique charm, non-diving days can be spent hiking through picturesque landscapes, climbing to waterfalls and towering volcanoes, exploring the islands’ maritime history, or simply relaxing in hot springs.

Best Times to Travel

Regaldive offer holidays to the islands of Sao Miguel, Pico, and Santa Maria during the May to October season when the best diving conditions can be found. The Azores are particularly well suited to twin centre island combinations and with flexible scheduled and charter flights available, we can plan your trip to get the most out of this exciting destination.

Want to find out more? Contact the specialist Regaldive team on 01353 659999 or email us to plan your Azores adventure.