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Save over 35% on luxury diving holidays to Bali with Original Diving
UK tour operator Original Diving is offering 7 nights at the Karma Resorts in Bali, Indonesia from £2,050 per couple (saving £750) based on 2 people sharing a 1-bedroom pool villa on a B&B basis with a 1-day dive package (2 dives), return airport transfers and a 20% discount on all spa treatments. Stay 10 nights and you will get a free Bali tour too! Return flights to Bali start from around £690 per person with Qatar Airways via Doha. Offer valid from now until March 2014 excluding 15 Jul to 15 Sep and 27 Dec to 05 Jan.
As Bali continues to lead the way as one of the most popular dive destinations in the world, Karma Jimbaran provides the ultimate resting point from which to discover this magnificent underwater world. The Resort’s location on the south west coast of Bali provides guests with a whole host of options when it comes to diving day trips from Karma Jimbaran. Housing an impressive collection of varied diving opportunities, Bali’s waters are home to a vast array of marine life, from the very small reef dwellers such as the pygmy seahorse to the larger magnificent manta rays. Highlights include the world famous wreck dive in Tulamben: the final resting place of the shipwrecked USAT Liberty sunk in the Second World War; almost guaranteed diving with manta rays at manta point off Nusa Penida; the walls of never ending coral surrounding Menjangan Island or for the macro-lovers out there, Seraya: where the sandy bottom is home to all manner of rare and weird critters. Bali is also one of the few places in the world where it is possible to see the Giant Mola Mola (Sunfish), an extraordinarily large and odd-looking fish. Put simply, Bali has it all when it comes to diving!
Karma Jimbaran is a charming collection of 40 luxury pool villas sleepily overlooking the white sandy beaches of the world renowned Jimbaran Bay; a natural proscenium for some of the island’s most majestic sunsets. The resort takes inspiration from classical Balinese architecture, incorporating both indoor and outdoor living to form a tranquil resting place from which to watch the sun gradually descend into the sea. Villas take the form of a series of pavilions featuring floor to ceiling glass walls dotted around a central garden courtyard, housing a private pool and veranda. Inside, open plan living, dining and kitchen areas house contemporary furnishings and traditional artwork leading to en suite bedrooms. The resort’s restaurant, Karma Lounge is accessed along the Karma Jimbaran’s tropical flora-strewn paths where guests can dine on some of the freshest seafood on the island. Regular weekly events including Sunday BBQs and seafood feasts occur at the restaurant, introducing guests to a little Balinese tradition. The Karma Spa features black timber floors, gossamer fabrics and batik furnishings, creating the perfect environment for a diverse range of treatments, including bamboo stick seaweed facials to the rather unusual hot oil blue glass massage.
For more details, contact Original Diving:
www.originaldiving.com| info@originaldiving.com | +44 207 978 0505
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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