DIVEQUEST THE ULTIMATE IN DIVING

Divequest arranges professionally organized, dedicated diving holidays of the highest quality to the finest dive destinations in the world.

Our aim is to make your holiday a rich and unforgettable experience. Dive in warm, crystal-clear waters. Float effortlessly through underwater forests and gardens of coral surrounded by rainbow-coloured reef fish. Enjoy the thrill of an encounter with a swirling school of barracuda, an elegant White-tipped Reef Shark gliding by or a breathtaking meeting with Manta Rays. Divequest makes it possible for people to travel and dive in the world's most beautiful and spectacular places with the assurance of first-class quality and excellent organization.

Divequest caters for individuals, couples, families or small groups of friends and larger groups originating from dive centres, dive shops, clubs or societies (groups of 10 or more often qualify for special rates). We also arrange our own group dive adventures, including photographic expeditions and courses, that are guided by skilled and experienced leaders.

Wonderful diving, efficient travel arrangements, high quality dive operations and (mostly) superior accommodation combine to make Divequest holidays rather special. We select our dive centres with great care, looking for attention to quality, safety and a friendly and personal approach rather than budget prices. Wherever possible our accommodations are chosen because they conform with the Divequest philosophy of high quality combined with the personal touch.

We provide all our clients with comprehensive pre-departure information, including a detailed description of each holiday in our brochure, and all relevant information about such matters as visas, customs, currency, health, flight details, luggage allowances, transfer arrangements, travel insurance, clothing, equipment and guide books. All our information is computerized and is constantly being updated.

Financial security is a vital part of any holiday arrangements. It is a legal requirement that all United Kingdom tour operators protect their clients' money in full. Divequest holds an ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licence), No. 2937, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. This means that we are fully bonded against financial insolvency through this government licensing and bonding scheme and anyone booking an air holiday with us can do so with complete financial security.

Our enthusiastic staff pride themselves on their personal and flexible approach and attention to detail. When you select a Divequest holiday you can be certain that your enjoyment and safety are our highest priority.

Let us take the pressure out of your diving holidays!

THE DIVER'S GUIDE TO DIVEQUEST HOLIDAYS

The underwater world is a fascinating and exciting environment which we divers are privileged to explore, but individual reasons for entering 'Neptune's Kingdom' are many and varied. There is now such a bewildering choice of diving holidays on offer that many people seek our advice before selecting a holiday. We are always very happy to discuss your holiday arrangements and choices with you, but to assist you in making your choice we have prepared this guide which is designed to answer many of the most frequently asked questions.

PRISTINE & SPECTACULAR REEFS

All the destinations we offer have reefs that can be described as pristine, or nearly so, but amongst the more scenically spectacular can be numbered Grand Turk, Little Cayman, Sipadan, Layang Layang, Manado, Wakatobi, Palau, Yap, the Coral Sea, New Britain, New Ireland, the Solomons, Fiji, Hawaii and Cocos Island.

DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF FISH

All our destinations are rich in marine life, but if we had to single out areas where the density and diversity of fish life was particularly apparent we would include Bonaire, Little Cayman, Cozumel, Sipadan, Layang Layang, Manado, Wakatobi, Palau, Yap, the Coral Sea, New Britain, New Ireland, Loloata Island (Papua New Guinea), the Solomons, French Polynesia, Hawaii and the Sea of Cortez. However, as every destination featured in the Divequest programme holds some interesting fish species that are hard or impossible to find elsewhere the serious fish-watcher has a lot of travelling to do!

SHARKS

Most divers enjoy observing these elegant, exciting and beautiful creatures. Destinations that regularly offer excellent opportunities for shark observations include the Bahamas, Sipadan, Layang Layang, Palau, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef, New Britain, New Ireland, French Polynesia, Hawaii, the Channel Islands of California, the Sea of Cortez, the Revillagigedo Islands and the Galapagos. Cocos Island and Malpelo Island are world famous for their incredible concentrations of sharks. Every diver wants to see that beautiful leviathan of the deep, the immense Whale Shark, and although encounters with this declining species can never be guaranteed, there are certain seasons and destinations where your chances of Whale Shark observations are better than most. The periods February-May in southern Thailand and Burma and August to mid-October in Baja California offer the best opportunities, but even here you can often miss out. Specialist shark trips we offer from time to time include group tours to see a variety of sharks in the Bahamas on Shear Water , Bull Sharks in Cuba, Whale Sharks close-up in Mozambique and the Seychelles, and Blue Sharks off California.

MANTA RAYS

The sight of a group of Manta Rays, 'flying' through the water is very high on most divers' 'wish list'. Yap in Micronesia is one of the world's few known Manta Ray feeding stations and as such the chances of seeing Manta Rays is very high. Because the presence of the Manta Rays is subject to tidal movement a stay of five days or more is recommended so that you have an increased chance of 'Manta Encounters'. Manta Rays are also regularly encountered in Mozambique (which we visit from time to time as a group trip), in French Polynesia, at Big Island in Hawaii, in the Revillagigedo Islands off western Mexico and (in the late summer) in the Sea of Cortez. They also occur from time to time in most other destinations, but are so unpredictable that no recommendations are possible.

WHALES & DOLPHINS

Spotted and Bottle-nosed Dolphins are sometimes seen bow-riding or frolicking in the waters around dive boats almost anywhere in the tropics. Dolphins generally do not like the sound of scuba and therefore often take off at great speed when divers try to interact with them under the water. Most boat captains are more than happy to give their passengers the opportunity to don snorkel, mask and fins and jump in with the dolphins should the opportunity arise. Whales also dislike the sound of scuba equipment and so generally avoid divers. Consequently the opportunity for whale encounters below the surface are few. A notable exception are the special charters by Turks & Caicos Aggressor that provide wonderful opportunities for snorkeling with the Humpback Whales of the Silver Banks, and similar exciting charters by MV Nai'a in Tonga and boat trips out of Rurutu in French Polynesia. In Australia, Undersea Explorer and Spoilsport offer cruises featuring time with the Minke Whales of the Great Barrier Reef. For those who would like to dive with Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras is the place. If you are considering a trip to the Sea of Cortez in January or February, take some time off from diving and go and see the magnificent Grey Whales which congregate in the coastal lagoons of Baja California. Likewise, Dominica offers great whale and dolphin watching.

'MACRO LIFE'

Of interest to both keen students of marine life and underwater photographers are those fascinating but tiny critters that many divers never notice as they race around using up their air! If you want to see or photograph amazing creatures we can especially recommend Dominica, Bonaire, the Bay Islands of Honduras, Sipadan (and especially nearby Mabul), Manado, Kungkungan Bay in Sulawesi (probably the best place for 'macro life' on earth!), Wakatobi, New Britain, New Ireland and Loloata Island in Papua New Guinea, and the Solomons.

WRECKS

Many people immediately think of Truk Lagoon and its 'ghost fleet' of wrecks as the best place in the world for wreck diving. Without a doubt this stunning destination, with almost 70 charted wrecks, is truly the world's 'wreck capital'. For the even more adventurous, remote Bikini Atoll offers the most spectacular warship diving, including a complete aircraft carrier! Bali has one of the world's most famous shore diving wrecks in Tulamben and you may get the chance to explore one or two excellent wrecks in Cuba (during our group trips there), in Palau, at Loloata Island (Papua New Guinea) and in the Solomons, while other destinations feature man-made wrecks, including Bonaire and the Cayman Islands.

SHORE DIVING

The Caribbean Sea has its shore diving 'capital' in Bonaire. Shore diving around the island is very easy with car parks at all the well-marked dive sites and good shore diving guides. A car is required to visit many of the shore diving sites, but good shore diving can also be had directly off Captain Don's Habitat, which has a relaxed 'don the gear and roll in the water' approach to shore diving. Dominica has some interesting creatures off the Dive Dominica dive centre. Other great places include Mabul, Wakatobi, the Palau Pacific Resort and the Fish N'Fins dive centre on Palau.

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Underwater photographers make up a high proportion of Divequest clients. We work closely with some of the UK's leading underwater photographers and we consequently understand the very special needs that underwater photographers have in their search for the ultimate image. We run several specialist courses and guided group expeditions annually and details of these can be found towards the end of the brochure. Many of our dive centres and liveaboards are specifically chosen by us because they offer excellent facilities for the underwater photographer. Most of our destinations provide great photographic opportunities, but we can especially single out the Silver Banks (for Humpback Whales), Dominica, Bonaire, Little Cayman, Southern Thailand, Sipadan, Mabul, Layang Layang, Manado, Kungkungan Bay (the world's macro mecca), Wakatobi, Palau, Yap, the Coral Sea, New Britain, New Ireland, Loloata Island (Papua New Guinea), the Solomons, French Polynesia (including sharks, mantas and Humpback Whales!), Fiji, Hawaii, the Sea of Cortez, the Revillagigedo Islands, Cocos Island and Malpelo Island (for sharks and other big creatures) and the amazing Galapagos (for wildlife photography above the water as well as below!).

EASY DIVING

Even destinations which are well-known for their easy diving conditions can experience unusual weather conditions at times. However, almost all the Caribbean destinations offer diving in sheltered waters and there is usually little current or surge on the dives (Tobago and Cozumel are partial exceptions), while most South-East Asian destinations are also not very demanding. If you have any doubts about your abilities we will always be happy to discuss with you the diving conditions likely to be encountered at particular destinations.

LOTS OF DIVING

Liveaboards are generally the best way to maximize your diving time, with most of the top-quality boats that we feature offering up to four or five dives per day. In addition, Bonaire, Mabul and Wakatobi, because of their very high quality shore diving, are great choices for those who are interested in diving more than two or three times in a day.

CHALLENGING DIVING

Some divers enjoy challenging diving and actively seek destinations where surge, currents and thermoclines may be frequently encountered. The Galapagos and Cocos Island (plus Malpelo Island), because of their open ocean locations, are destinations where testing conditions can arise and other areas such as Tobago and Cozumel's more advanced dive sites, Palau and Rangiroa and Fakarava in French Polynesia offer often quite rapid drift diving and so are best avoided until you are reasonably experienced, as are the deep wrecks of Bikini Atoll. Of course, every diving destination can experience difficult conditions from time to time and these are simply part of any diver's experience.

SNORKELING

With the exception of the amazing Silver Banks, Tonga (see Fiji brochure entry) and Rurutu (French Polynesia) Humpback Whale encounters, the destinations featured in our brochure are aimed at the serious scuba diver rather than the snorkeler. However, Bonaire is a destination famed for the quality of its snorkeling, while Dominica, Cozumel, Turneffe Island Lodge in Belize, Manado and Wakatobi are also quite snorkeler-friendly.

TRAVELLING ALONE

The main disadvantage of travelling alone is cost. Single occupancy supplements can be very expensive. If you want to avoid this additional cost, and are prepared to share, then a liveaboard is an excellent option. One shore-based location that operates a similar system is Wakatobi in Sulawesi, while Lissenung Island in New Ireland has a very inexpensive single room supplement. For many people, another potential drawback to dive travel by oneself is the problem of socializing in the evening. In the daytime one meets other divers, regardless of where one stays, but evenings can be a different matter. For this reason many lone travellers prefer a liveaboard, where there is no problem finding friends to chat to of an evening, or smaller shore-based operations where all or most of the guests are fellow divers. Amongst the latter we can recommend Osprey Beach Hotel on Grand Turk, Castle Comfort Lodge in Dominica, Captain Don's Habitat on Bonaire, Turneffe Island Lodge in Belize, Sipadan Water Village, Layang Layang Resort, Wakatobi Dive Resort, Kungkungan Bay Resort, Lembeh resort, Manta Ray Bay on Yap, Walindi Plantation Resort in New Britain, Lissenung Island in New Ireland and Loloata Island Resort in Papua New Guinea proper. In particular, our Divequest group tours, which are open to all comers, are designed to offer an enjoyable social experience as well as great diving!

DISABLED DIVERS

Suitable facilities are provided by Layang Layang Resort, Tahiti Aggressor and Kona Aggressor in Hawaii.

NON-DIVING PARTNERS

You can still enjoy a diving holiday if you have a non-diving partner! Some non-diving partners are happy to take a holiday on a liveaboard, but this is something that you should discuss carefully between you first (please read the 'Liveaboards' section in this guide). Most non-divers find that a shore-based holiday provides a better solution. Our destinations are selected primarily for their excellent diving, but some do have good facilities for non-divers. Captain Don's Habitat in Bonaire has good swimming and snorkeling and the island's capital town, with shops and restaurants, is just a 20 minute walk or short taxi ride away. In Grand Turk and Saint Lucia the diving is usually completed by early afternoon, leaving both divers and non-divers free to explore or relax for the rest of the day. The lovely and peaceful Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras is hard to beat as a great place for practicing the art of relaxation! Little Cayman Beach Resort and Palau Pacific Resort offer a full range of activities for non-divers as well as some very comfortable accommodation and fine dining, while Turneffe Island Lodge offers sailing and kayaking. By making careful choices, non-divers can have a wonderful holiday with their diving partner. Everyone can be happy!

CHILDREN

Divers have sometimes to settle for the solution of taking separate holidays from their families so that they can pursue their much-loved hobby. However, it is possible to take the children on holiday and dive as well! At the Cortez Club in Baja California there is a full range of activities available for children aged 3-6 and 6 and upwards, including PADI Bubble Maker and Discover Scuba courses for the older kids. Child minding and baby sitting can be arranged locally. At Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras families are well-catered for. Child-minding services can be arranged. Another good venue for families, with child-minding arrangements available, is Osprey Beach Hotel on Grand Turk.

GROUP BOOKINGS

We are always very happy to handle group travel arrangements for groups of friends, dive clubs, underwater photography societies etc. Our expertise in handling complex travel plans to far-flung parts of the globe is unsurpassed, so you can be sure you will be in good hands. For groups of 10 or more (making the same travel arrangements) we can typically provide one free place at the resort or on the liveaboard (although certain liveaboards will provide a free place with groups of 5-9). Please note that a free place on flights is only available for groups of 20 or more.

LUXURY ACCOMMODATION

Divequest destinations are always primarily selected for the quality of their diving, but many of our destination offer a taste of luxury too! All the liveaboard boats that we offer can be classified as very comfortable or, in some cases, of luxury standard. Shore-based holidays with luxury or near-luxury hotel accommodation include Ti Kaye Village on Saint Lucia, Compass Point on Grand Cayman, Little Cayman Beach Resort, Sipadan Water Village and Layang Layang Resort in Malaysia, Kungkungan Bay Resort in Sulawesi and Palau Pacific Resort.

LIVEABOARDS

There is little doubt that, for most keen divers, a liveaboard holiday is the most productive way to experience the world's best diving. The greatest single advantage that a liveaboard has to offer is the sheer number of dives that you can make during a relatively short time. While many shore-based dive centres offer only two boat dives a day, on first-class liveaboards the limit is usually 4 or 5 dives a day for those who wish to dive frequently. (On the other hand, if you just like to make 2 dives a day, no one will mind!) With a big airfare to pay for, it makes sense to dive often and maximize your enjoyment, unless of course you prefer a more relaxed pace.

Many liveaboards also provide opportunities to dive remote and otherwise inaccessible areas far beyond the range of day boats. They also offer more frequent night diving possibilities. Liveaboards have the flexibility to move on if conditions are less than perfect. As your dive gear is always handy there is also the fantastic opportunity to leap in the water when those amazing pelagic encounters occur  dive with dolphins, merge with the mantas or maybe even waltz with a Whale Shark!

There are no heavy gear bags to pack and re-pack, and no tanks to haul back and forth. No long boat journeys out to the dive sites and back from the resort: you will already be there. No hanging about between dives either, with the daily routine ashore being broken up by the need to be back at the dive centre in time for the afternoon boat dive. After a dive you have only a few metres to travel in order to shower and change and there are freshly prepared snacks and drinks ready and waiting within minutes of surfacing on the best quality boats. The restaurant is 'on-site'.

Liveaboards tend to offer a much better social experience, especially for lone travellers. You will be with like-minded people who share your interests as a diver. The crew will also have plenty of fascinating fishy tales to tell! There is no problem socializing after diving, and no need to eat alone if you are travelling by yourself (the bane of single travellers ashore). A particularly attractive feature for many people is the fact that there is no need to pay a single occupancy supplement (as long as you are willing to share a cabin if required).

For many, nothing quite equals the joy of living at sea. Sip your morning coffee as you watch the morning sun creep above the horizon. As the sun dips beneath the sea relax with a glass of wine and your new-found friends at the end of a memorable days diving. In most parts of the world sea conditions in the areas worked by quality liveaboards are typically placid, so there is no need to expect a constant recourse to seasick pills!

Although expensive at first sight, top quality liveaboards offer very good value for money. Liveaboard trips include more diving (often double or more the quantity included in shore-based packages) and also all meals and snacks, and often drinks as well! You will have no car rental costs and no sight-seeing trip expenses. Consequently the cost per dive, even on luxury liveaboards, is often significantly less than for high quality shore-based holidays.

A note for non-divers : If you are a non-diver you will need to think things over carefully before agreeing to take a liveaboard holiday with your partner. If you enjoy being on boats and like to relax, sunbathe, read or generally hang about then the holiday is likely to work for both of you. However, some people find being on a relatively small boat for a week or more very restricting, as the opportunities for shore excursions are inevitably fairly limited. All our liveaboard vessels welcome non-divers, but we want both of you to enjoy your holiday so please think carefully about the pros and cons before deciding to book.

WHATEVER YOUR CHOICE IN DIVING HOLIDAYS, OUR EXPERIENCED DIVING STAFF WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO ASSIST.