2015: Trip Suggestions...& Trips Locked in so far...

Yep, Philippines. Just can't do last week of May to second week of June - work commitment every year... As well as last week of Nov thru second week of December - which is the ONLY reason I'm not on the Galapagos trip

2015 is currently a clean slate for me.

Thank you for the updates. More and more people are requesting that we lock in the "BIG" trip offerings further in advance to allow for better planning, saving money etc.

So that means it is not too early to start trying to figure out where we will be going for 2015 as our big trip offerings.

Fiji may be on of those offerings...

How about combining a land resort in Fiji with a liveaboard(Billiliki) in the Solomon Islands?Its a four hour jump from Nadi.

Kathy we have had a similar request and upon asking about the Solomons it "seems" that they are still killing dolphins. If that can be verified then it would be best to boycott them.

Can you take a few minutes to research online to see if the Solomons are still killing dolphins? Thank you, Kamala

Thinking on this some more, I'd like to return to Fiji & finally get to Cocos Island in 2015.

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I did a quick search, and found that they are still killing dolphins. As one of the people that was looking at that area, I am no longer looking at that as an add on to Fiji. Ed

Kathy we have had a similar request and upon asking about the Solomons it "seems" that they are still killing dolphins. If that can be verified then it would be best to boycott them.

Can you take a few minutes to research online to see if the Solomons are still killing dolphins? Thank you, Kamala

Ed please share your findings...its important to have a clearer perspective of what has been found. Thank you, kamala

Thinking on this some more, I'd like to return to Fiji & finally get to Cocos Island in 2015.

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We've never done Cocos...any other interest? Its expensive but certainly a bucket list trip... and would have to be planned early. I guess 2016 should be thrown into the mix as well since it seems the max number of high end trips is about 2 a year or possibly 3.

I did a quick google search. Below is the first article that I read. It was dated January of this year, so it is recent. As I was initially asking Kamala to look into the Solomons while at BTS, as an add on to a Fiji trip, I am very unhappy to read this report, and have decided that I will not travel to the Solomons personally. The positive is that Fiji offers a very wide variety of diving options, and a Fiji exclusive trip is a wonderful option. Ed

http://www.theweek.c...islands-tourism

Ed please share your findings...its important to have a clearer perspective of what has been found. Thank you, kamala

My sister just returned from a trip to Hawaii. While there, she did one day of diving. As luck would have it, the group received a visit from a humpback whale mid way through their dive. She said the experience made that one of the best dives of her life, and she wants to dive with the whales again if possible. There is an island South of Tahiti called Rurutu. Every year during the months of July to October, humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to Rurutu to mate, calve, and nurse in the shallow waters. I know someone else recently asked about diving French Polynesia. I think a combination trip of diving Rurutu and a second island in the area would be very interesting. Looking at the interest that the Holbox trips generate with the whale sharks, I would guess this might also be a popular option. Any thoughts? Hopefully Kamala can dig up some more info while at BTS this weekend. Ed

Thinking on this some more, I'd like to return to Fiji & finally get to Cocos Island in 2015.

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We've never done Cocos...any other interest? Its expensive but certainly a bucket list trip... and would have to be planned early. I guess 2016 should be thrown into the mix as well since it seems the max number of high end trips is about 2 a year or possibly 3.

I'd like to get back to Costa Rica, away from the coastline. With Truk & Galapagos in 2014, Fiji & Cocos would be the perfect follow up year, for me, personally. While I'm heavily intrigued by diving more in the South Pacific or the Phillipines, I simply can't continue to overlook this incredible location right in my back yard, practically. Costa Rica is an easy trip from Arizona. I like the 10 Day itinerary. Don't mind the long boat ride, whatsoever. I'm turning 50 in 2015 & want to get this one under my belt for the first time sooner, rather than later. Who knows? Cocos might become my primary destination, should the experience be as advertised. I hope that SD'ers jump on this destination. I will go to Cocos in 2015. I sincerely hope it's with SD. Not a threat, I promise. I've just GOT TO GET THERE!!! />

I did a quick google search. Below is the first article that I read. It was dated January of this year, so it is recent. As I was initially asking Kamala to look into the Solomons while at BTS, as an add on to a Fiji trip, I am very unhappy to read this report, and have decided that I will not travel to the Solomons personally. The positive is that Fiji offers a very wide variety of diving options, and a Fiji exclusive trip is a wonderful option. Ed

http://www.theweek.c...islands-tourism

Ed please share your findings...its important to have a clearer perspective of what has been found. Thank you, kamala

Thanks, Ed! Looks like I'll be scratching this one off the list for a while. Good info. Appreciated. />

My sister just returned from a trip to Hawaii. While there, she did one day of diving. As luck would have it, the group received a visit from a humpback whale mid way through their dive. She said the experience made that one of the best dives of her life, and she wants to dive with the whales again if possible. There is an island South of Tahiti called Rurutu. Every year during the months of July to October, humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to Rurutu to mate, calve, and nurse in the shallow waters. I know someone else recently asked about diving French Polynesia. I think a combination trip of diving Rurutu and a second island in the area would be very interesting. Looking at the interest that the Holbox trips generate with the whale sharks, I would guess this might also be a popular option. Any thoughts? Hopefully Kamala can dig up some more info while at BTS this weekend. Ed

Was your sister's trip to the Big Island, Ed? Another great place to experience the humpbacks is Magdalena Bay on the West Cape of the Baja Peninsula, West of Los Cabos. It's on the same migration route.

Holbox has definitely grabbed my attention, as well. I have been in the water with a Whale Shark outside San Carlos, though never in the numbers seen in the photos Kamala has posted. When does that trip generally run?

Take care.

Hello Tim,

My thoughts are that there are so many amazing destinations, such as the Cocos trip you are looking at, that I will not support a destination that is killing dolphins, when I can opt for another place. Ed

I did a quick google search. Below is the first article that I read. It was dated January of this year, so it is recent. As I was initially asking Kamala to look into the Solomons while at BTS, as an add on to a Fiji trip, I am very unhappy to read this report, and have decided that I will not travel to the Solomons personally. The positive is that Fiji offers a very wide variety of diving options, and a Fiji exclusive trip is a wonderful option. Ed

http://www.theweek.c...islands-tourism

Ed please share your findings...its important to have a clearer perspective of what has been found. Thank you, kamala

Thanks, Ed! Looks like I'll be scratching this one off the list for a while. Good info. Appreciated. />