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Smoking hot savings from Scuba Travel
UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel is offering some smoking hot savings this summer in the Maldives. From as little as £1795 this August you too could be enjoying a magical week on Orion, sparkling and fresh from dry dock. Emperor Serenity continues to impress, with her huge cabins and spacious decks – and from as little as £1845 this September!
It’s hard to beat the all time, high octane Best of the Maldives itinerary, famed for sharks, manta and drift dives. Island vibes continue in the Caribbean, with mega offers on the Caribbean Explorer 2. Get off the beaten path in Saba and St Kitts with diving to thrill. Plus, be sure to check out their latest Indonesian resort, Hai Tide. This traditional Bali resort is the perfect combo with the ever popular Scuba Seraya or an Indonesian liveaboard.
Orion I Best of The Maldives I Save up to £500… from £1795
Orion is freshly out of dry dock, having had a full refresh. At 39m bow to stern, Orion is a generously proportioned liveaboard. It’s a relaxed atmosphere on board as you sail between the picture perfect islands and atolls that make up this island nation. The Best of the Maldives itinerary aims to mix up big fish, manta and shark dives with scenic reefs dives, hunting out the smallest reef fish, morays and macro life that are so abundant. Due to the seasonal nature of the marine life, the exact dive sites visited on a Best of the Maldives trip may vary, but are all chosen by the guides on Orion so you see the Maldives marine life at it’s most exciting.
- Includes return flights, transfers, full board, 16 fully guided day dives plus one night dive, FOC Nitrox, full ATOL bonding
- 29th July – £1995, 19th August – £1795 and 23rd September – £1895.
Find out more about this trip here.
Emperor Serenity I Save up to £500… from £1845
Scuba Travel have some fabulous offers on Serenity – save up to £500 on this stunning liveaboard! This 40 metre boat easily accommodates 26 guests in 13 well-appointed en-suite cabins, all with air-con. There are 5 lower deck cabins, each with double beds and a single too, as well as 3 double only cabins. On the main deck cabins you find 3 cabins with double beds and a single, and the same again on the upper deck.
Enjoy the open air dining area at the stern of the main deck. A complimentary glass of wine will be served with your evening meal. Several sofas and tables await you inside the air-conditioned saloon for relaxing or watching TV. The Upper deck boasts a covered and open area ideal for watching photos and footage from your diving or just relaxing, star gazing and soaking up the wonderful Maldivian atmosphere. The sundeck is perfect for catching some sun or having a nap.
- Includes return flights, transfers, full board, 17 fully guided dives including one night diver FOC Nitrox, full ATOL bonding
- 5th August – £2295, 12th August – £2295, 19th August – £1945, 26th August – £1995, 9th September -£1845 and 16th September – £1845.
Find out more about this trip here.
Introducing Hai Tide Resort – Bali I 9th and 30th September… only £1595
Bali has long been a popular destination for divers, especially those on the hunt for critters muck diving. Scuba Travel is thrilled now to offer alongside this a taster of the incredible reef diving Indonesia has to offer. Hai Tide Beach Resort Bali is situated on Mushroom beach, Nusa Lembongan – it’s the ideal home away from home for divers! This 4 star beach front resort is located within 15 minutes to most of the world class dive sites in the area. Now you can mix up the small stuff with some of Bali’s bigger reef residents.
- Introductory offers from £1595 including flights, transfers, 7 nights in resort, half board and 14 boat dives
Find out more about this trip here.
Caribbean Explorer I 29th July & 26th August… Save £600 I 29th July & 26th August… from £2795
A unique voyage through some of the most exclusive Caribbean islands on board Caribbean Explorer 2 diving St Kitts and the remarkable Saba Island.
The Eastern Caribbean itinerary commences at either St Kitts or St Maartens and as you journey between these two end points the nature reserve of Saba stands out. This wildlife haven is just as impressive underwater. The Eye of the Needle is a single tower that rises up perfectly straight from the deep. The walls dive are breathtaking, dropping off into spine tingling blue.
- Includes return flights, 7 nights full board, up to 5 fully guided dives per day
- 29th July – £2795 and 26th August – £2845
Find out more about this trip here.
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer, call 0800 0728221, email dive@scubatravel.com or visit www.scubatravel.com. You can find the latest summer specials at www.scubatravel.com/lastminute
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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