Indonesia

(Dive Travel Business News - January 21, 2013) -- Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas, an innovative leader in dive travel,  is extending dive package deals to 7 different dive destinations. Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas is offering excellent value with these packages to the following destinations and well-known suppliers:

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – Humboldt Explorer Liveaboard ~ Save $1,200 per person to every diver’s “must do” destination

• $2,950 with Free Nitrox for any of these dates in 2013:
  April 8 – April 15, 2013
  April 29 – May 6, 2013
  May 27 – June 3, 2013

Packages include 8 days / 7 nights aboard the vessel, 3 meals daily, plus between meals snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, up to 3 dives per day, free Nitrox for Nitrox certified divers, transfers and government taxes. Fuel surcharges, National Park and chamber, tourist fees, any hotel stay, non-Galapagos transfers, crew gratuities, last evening meal are additional. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - September 3, 2012) -- Bali hotels have again been forced to step up their security and be on high terror alert for the second time this year, after attacks on police in Solo (Surakarta) in central Java early last week. Bali is on high alert to assure the world that the island is safe.  The step up in security comes just six weeks before the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings considered to be the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia. 

Head of the Bali tourism office, Kade Subhiksu, has warned managers of all types of accommodation, including star-rated and non-starred hotels, villas, apartments, as well as homestays, to follow strict security measures. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 27, 2012) -- Komodo National Park, a 500,000-acre reserve in eastern Indonesia, is a UN World Heritage site that is currently under great threat by illegal fishing. Coral gardens that were among Asia’s most spectacular, teeming with colorful sea life just a few months ago, have been transformed into desolate gray moonscapes by illegal fishermen who use home made bombs or cyanide to kill or stun their prey.  A few of the Komodo National Parks valued diving locations have very recently been blasted beyond recognition.

Komodo National Park spans several dusty, tan-colored volcanic islands and is most famous for its Komodo dragons, the world’s largest lizards. Its remote and hard-to-reach waters also burst with staggering levels of diversity, from corals in fluorescent reds and yellows to octopuses with lime-green banded eyes to black-and-blue sea snakes. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 11, 2012) -- Communities and resorts located along the Indian Ocean Rim breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier on April 11 when tsunami alerts were called off after a pair of deep-sea earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia. Those earthquakes, which had magnitudes 8.6 and 8.2, respectively, produced only scattered small tsunamis, according to AccuWeather.com.

The earthquakes were centered off the northern end of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, about 120 miles from the epicenter of the 9.1 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that killed some 230,000 people in the region, mostly in Sumatra, in 2004. When the quakes hit this time, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre was activated and there were reports of panicked crowds in the region moving to higher ground. Those fears also were fueled by the March 2011 Japan quake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - October 13, 2011) -- A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the island dive destination of Bali at 10:16 am Central Indonesia time on Thursday, October 13. The quake caused no deaths and only minor injuries to about 50 people, in part because of the better development standards the tourist industry has pushed, say observers.

The US Geological Survey reported that the quake’s center lay 62 miles south of Denpasar in Southern Bali, and 21 miles beneath the ocean floor and it did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami. Although powerful enough to shake ceiling tiles loose and crumble the walls of Hindu temples, the jolt did not trigger a tsunami warning.  But the quake was felt in East Java to Bali’s west, from Banyuwangi to Surabaya and to its east to the island of Lombok. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - January 6, 2012) --The New 7 Wonders of Nature were recently announced at the N7W headquarters in Zurich on 11/11/11.  Based on the first count of the worldwide vote, Komodo Island National Park (Indonesia) joins Table Mountain (South Africa), the Amazon Rainforest, Halong Bay (Vietnam), Iguazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Jeju Island (South Korea), and Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines). All hold provisional status (except Jeju Island) where the first step of the verification process is still underway.

Indonesia’s Komodo National Park is an astounding dive destination that includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, for a total area of 1,817 square kilometers (603 square kilometers of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later, it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin.  read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - January 4, 2012) -- Worldwide Dive and Sail, a premier luxury diving yacht company that plies the waters of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, has just reported an incident on board the S/Y Mandarin Siren. During a recent diving trip, in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesia, a fire broke out below decks while the guests were on a morning dive. The S/Y Mandarin Siren crew were unable to contain the blaze and were forced to abandon the vessel which was subsequently lost.

The guests were not aboard at the time and therefore were never in any danger.  Worldwide Dive and Sail's other Indonesian vessel, the S/Y Indo Siren, was very near at the time of the accident and steamed immediately to pick up the guests and crew from the tender. A speedboat was then dispatched to pick everyone up from the S/Y Indo Siren and return them as quickly as possible to Sorong where they were provided with fresh clothing, accommodation and assistance from Worldwide Dive and Sail staff. read more »

(DiveTravelBusinessNews - November 14, 2010) -- Worldwide Dive and Sail, live-aboard company that has become known for its luxury dive and sail itineraries around Southeast Asia, now has 5 vessels taking guests to the best dive sites in Thailand, Burma, India, Philippines, Indonesia, and its newest destination - the Maldives.

Since 2003,  Worldwide Dive and Sail has been expanding its fleet and destinations portfolio to include a wide range of destinations. The S/Y Siren plies the diving waters off Thailand, Burma and India including:  the Similan and Surin Islands of Phuket; Burma Banks and Mergui Archipelago and; India's Andaman Islands. The S/Y Philippines Siren offers four different itineraries around the Philippines including: South Visayas; Southern Leyte; Boracay and area and; Tubbataha Marine Park.  The S/Y Mandarin Siren travels to Northern Sulawesi and Raja Ampat (North and South). The S/Y Indo Siren conducts several journeys including: Komodo National Park; Komodo to Flores, Flores to Raja Ampat, Raja Ampat and Raja Ampat to Ambon. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - November 14, 2010) -- This month Reef & Rainforest is relocating its business headquarters to Portland, Oregon. The relocation to Oregon supports the adventure travel  company’s plan for growth in the scuba travel market.