Hey girl...we will certainly check it out! Thanks! Kamala
DAN has some info on the Aussie requirements. Also check the Undercurrent Archives.
2007 trips......I want to go to PNG. That's my vote! Thailand or Maldives come in second!
I would be very interested to go to PNG or the Maldives if it is in feb or march...let me know...
...unfortunately, it is my understanding that the Maldives are pretty much destroyed from a scuba diving viewpoint.....they suffered severe damage from an El Nino warming episode a few years ago, then were impacted by the 12/2004 tidal wave.....I read a recent report somewhere, I think it was at Rodales Scuba Diving, indicating very poor diving, as well as similiar reports in Undercurrent magazine.....I would recommend you do some serious research on the Maldives prior to planning a very expensive trip all the way out there.
Karl
Thanks for the info Karl, probably Thailand is still recovering from the tidal wave too...that leaves me with PNG or any other place in the Pacific or Indian ocean...
The information listed above is not entirely correct. If you are interested in Maldives or Thailand. I suggest researching it yourself to learn about the most up to date information.
I know people who have gone to both destinations and rave about the maring life. Do a search and see for yourself.
PS The AOL website just listed PNG as one of the most dangerous destinations to visit. I agree it is dangerous, but not if you follow specific information to keep yourself safe.... like STAY out of PORT MORESBY and get to your final destination ASAP!!!
Robin
I was in PNG in 2001. Dove out of Alotau on Mike Ball’s Paridise Sport. One of the best liveaboards I have been on and some of the best diving that I have done.
Alotau is not one of the garden spots of the world. However, we did wander around with lots of people on the street and went the market without incident. We never felt in any danger.
At the end of our week of diving, the Mike Ball crew took us to the airport in early afternoon to catch our flight to Port Moresby with a connecting flight back to Cairns, Australia. They were also supposed to pick up the guest for the next week’s trip.
Unforunately, the flight out of Port Moresby was cancelled and it was the last flight of the day. While there was a flight to Port Moresby the next morning, it was Sunday and there were not flight from Port Moresby to Cairns until Monday morning.
We now had two problems. First, where would we spend the night in Alotau and second what would we do when we got to Port Moresby. The Mike Ball crew was great. First, they gave us a choice of taking us to a hotel? to spend the night or taking us back to the boat. In Alotau, a Motel 6 would be a six star hotel so we opted to spend the night on the boat. Normally, they want people off the boat so that they get it ready for the next week’s trip and we were very grateful to be allowed to spend the night there. They also don’t cook on Saturday nights but they also fed us.
We also needed our flight reservation changed and hotel reservations to overnight in Port Moresby. The crew took care of all of that. Kudos to Mike Ball crew for the way above and beyond the call of duty service they provided. Needless to say I would dive with them again in an instant. (OK, enough Mike Ball commercial and back to PNG).
Port Moresby is an interesting experience. We also had read that you didn’t want to wander around the city. When we arrived at the hotel the first thing that we noticed was that not only were there 10 foot high walls around the perimeter but on top of the walls was razor wire. No guard towers with machines but there was a certain institutional ambiance to the property.
There was a convenience store across the street and considering how inconvenienced we were feeling we decided to go buy some snacks. The guard at the entrance to the parking area, who was wearing a sidearm, suggested that we not go just across the street. It was the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight so we ignored his advice and fortunately without penalty. However, the guards attitude is an indication that how safe Port Moresby apparently isn’t.
We did want to do some sightseeing and asked the front desk clerk about grabbing a cab. He arranged for the cab and cautioned us about getting into just any cab.
Port Moresby is similar to many other third world cites, although it didn’t have as many American fast food places as some cities I have been in. The cab drove us around the city for a couple of hours. The highlight was a hill with nice views of the harbor and coastline. I don’t remember anything else of note.
Bottom line is we didn’t have any problems in Port Moresby. However, we were careful about what we did and did not wander around unescorted. In my opinion the best thing to see in Port Moresby is the inside of the airport terminal.
gary