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Save over 35% on luxury diving holidays to Bali with Original Diving

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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

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Book Review: Fire on Monroe Bravo by Fred Lockwood

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the ship beneath the ice

Fire on Monroe Bravo is the latest book in the Jack Collier series by Fred Lockwood.  Our story begins with our lead characters, Jack and Sandro, owners of Marine Salvage & Investigation Company, arriving on the Monroe Bravo Oil & Gas Platform in the North Sea.  Having secured a contract for their vessel the MV Stavanger to act as support ship to the platform for TransGlobal Oil, our protagonists are on a celebratory visit.

However almost as soon as they arrive a series of explosions rock the platform, causing huge damage, loss of life and the very real danger of a massive human, ecological and financial disaster.

As the danger mounts for both our heroes and the surviving workers, Jack and Sandro will have to escape the inferno, all while trying to save the platform and the men still trapped unable to help themselves.

The disaster sets the scene for the unfolding story lines following the fate of the platform and our main characters, the police investigation into a suspected terrorist act and the actions of TransGlobal Oil as they attempt to navigate the pubic outcry and financial repercussions.

In his eighth book, Fire on Monroe Bravo, Fred Lockwood delivers an explosive thriller, with plenty of above and in-water drama, and our heroes fighting for survival, what more can you ask for?  

We thoroughly recommend this read and look forward to the next in the series. For more information about his book series, you can check out the reviews of his previous books here on Scubaverse.

  • Title: Fire On Monroe Bravo
  • Author: Fred Lockwood
  • ISBN: 979-8325324536

Available in a paperback version and for Kindle from Amazon and book stores.

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Alonissos: The complete diving destination (Part 1)

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In June we were incredibly fortunate to be invited to dive in Alonissos, a small Greek Island in the Sporades island chain located in the North Aegean Sea.  While I have long been a big fan of the Greek Islands as a great holiday destination, I had not had the opportunity to do any diving on previous visits and Mike and I were extremely excited to see what Alonissos had to offer both above and below the surface!

The Sporades are easily accessible via the airport in Skiathos (the first island in the chain), which is served by Jet2 flights from all major UK airports from May through October.  Numerous ferries and charter boats make island hopping from Skiathos Town a breeze.  After an hour boat ride, the picturesque port of Patitiri was a wonderful introduction to Alonissos, where we were met by our gracious hosts Kostas of Albedo Travel and Dias of Alonissos Triton Dive Center.  Mike and I were delighted to be staying at the Paradise Hotel, aptly named for its stunning views over the sea and great location for walking to the waterfront.

Alonissos is beautifully situated in the National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades, the largest marine protected area in Europe.  The surrounding seas offer fabulous marine life, including incredibly rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal.  They boast deep walls covered in gorgonians and sponges, stunning topography with caverns, swimthroughs and pinnacles, and the first accessible ancient shipwreck from 500BC!

In locations where historical sites have been reported, the waters are largely restricted, but with collaboration between government, underwater archeologists and dive centres, incredible underwater museums are being created for a truly unique diving experience.  Alonissos is home to the first of these, the Ancient Shipwreck of Peristera Accessible Underwater Archeological Site.  The chance to dive into history (along with reports of healthy reef life and amazing underwater topography) meant Mike and I were keen to get in the water.

Our introduction to the diving around Alonissos was at the Agios Georgios Pinnacles, in the channel between Alonissos and Skopelos.  This fantastic site was named “The Chimney,’ and proved to have a huge amount to see.  We got to a decent depth here (over 25m), and marvelled at a colourful reef wall with a wonderful swim through whose rocky walls were absolutely covered with life.  As well as brilliant topography there was no shortage of macro life here.  We saw numerous nudibranchs, five different species in total.  The second dive at Mourtias reef nearby was a shallower dive along a nice wall with lots of crevices. Several moray eels and grouper called this site home.  We enjoyed looking in the crevices for lobster and smaller benthic life, such as cup corals and tunicates.

Our itinerary allowed us two dives a day with afternoons left to explore the island with our hire car and evenings to enjoy the famous Greek hospitality.  This proved to be a lovely mix of in-water and land based diversions.  

The next days diving to the Gorgonian Gardens and Triton’s Cave was to be even better!  These two stunning sites are nothing short of fabulous.  The Gorgonian Gardens was a deep wall near to the Agios Georgios islands.  The ever-present currents in this deep channel meant that the sea life was amazing … the namesake Gorgonian sea fans dotted the wall at a depth of 30 to 50 meters, getting ever larger the deeper we went.  Above 30m was by no means less beautiful, with sponges, corals, scorpionfish, moray eels and some rare and colourful nudibranchs.

The second shallower dive of the day was to Triton’s Cave or the Cavern of Skopelos, on the east side of that island. The spectacular rock formations had wild striations both above and below the water making a truly epic topography.  The cavern entrance was at 14m, and big enough for a buddy pair, winding up to 6m and passing two beautiful windows out into the blue.  Emerging from the cavern, the light at the shallower depths and the incredible rock formations made for a fantastic gentle swimming safety stop and we all surfaced by the boat with massive grins. 

Check out our next blog :Alonissos: The complete diving destination (Part 2)” to hear about our amazing dive on the 2500 year old Peristera Wreck!

Thanks to:

Alonissos Triton Dive Center https://bestdivingingreece.com/

Albedo Travel https://alonissosholidays.com/activities/

Paradise Hotel https://paradise-hotel.gr/

Alonissos Municipality https://alonissos.gr/en/

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