Micronesia Dive Highlights Information
Guam
Guam, is the hub for a visit to Micronesia. It is at the Agana Airport where all the international planes land from the US, Japan, Indonesia and Australia. From Agana, Continental Airlines flies to the other islands of Micronesia such as Truk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Majuro, Saipan and Rota, and to Yap and Palau. But Guam has a lot more to offer than just an airport and hotels. It has some pretty good diving too. Guam's lush underwater playgrounds sits within 80 kilometres of the ocean's deepest point: the Marianas Trench, some 13,000 metres below sea level. The diving around the island is very varied and with 75 dive sites you are sure to find one that you like. You can find nice coral gardens with hard and soft corals, vertical drop-offs, WWII shipwrecks, seaplanes, caves and tunnels. We can offer accommodation at either the Santa Fe on the Bay Hotel and Beach Resort a small boutique style hotel, located in Agana Bay. There is a pool and open-air beach bar and grill. Alternatively there is the 600 room Outrigger Guam Resort that is located downtown on Tumon Bay. Diving is provided by Guam Professional Sport Divers who will collect you from the resorts and offer both wreck and reef diving. Do ask us for more details.
Truk Lagoon
Chuuk State consists of 11 mangrove-fringed islands in the Chuuk Lagoon - known to divers worldwide as Truk Lagoon - and a further series of 14 outlying atolls and low islands. One of the world's largest enclosed lagoons Truk, is enclosed by a 225 kilometre barrier reef and covers more than 2,000 square kilometres, and is home to an entire Japanese fleet, sunk in February 1944. Frozen in time, complete with sake cups and skeletons, with jeeps and tanks tied on board, and fighter planes still waiting in the holds; the area has been declared an underwater museum. Incredible corals in a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes attract divers of all levels, for both daytime and night diving. Schooling tropical fish smother the ships. Nowhere else in the world are there so many wrecks in close proximity, situated in shallow clear water. Many of the wrecks are visible while snorkelling and there are many on-shore wartime locations to visit.
The Truk Stop Hotel & Restaurant is situated on Weno Island, against the picture-perfect backdrop of majestic Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, and is within easy walking distance of stores and markets and just a five minute drive from Chuuk International Airport. The hotel offers 23 comfortable rooms, an award winning restaurant and the 'Hard Wreck Cafe & Bar', car rental and an IATA-certified travel agency. The PADI Truk Lagoon Dive Centre is practically on-site, with professional dive instructors and staff on hand to provide instruction, equipment repair and hire, Nitrox and to escort dives. Wreck, reef and shark feeding dives are on offer, up to four dives per day, and there is a covered wash and rinse area for gear and cameras, along with overnight storage lockers. PADI courses, including Wreck Diving Speciality and Nitrox are available.
Blue Lagoon Dive Resort, Truk - On a palm fringed point of Moen Island with breathtaking views of the largest lagoon in the world, stands Blue Lagoon Resort. Each of the 56 rooms is air-conditioned and has private facilities and an individual balcony. The hotel boasts an excellent restaurant and coffee shop. Blue Lagoon Dive Centre is on site.
Yap
Yap - the most intriguing island in Micronesia. With it's giant stone money, grass skirts, and traditional men's houses, Yap is a land steeped in ancient traditions, fascinating legends, and peopled by one of the most distinctive cultures in the Pacific. Almost completely encircled by a fringing reef, providing a backdrop for some of the most colourful, and diverse, marine and coral life to be found in Micronesia, Yap offers a whole range of diving. From drop-offs, gentle slopes and channel drifts, to the protected confines of Colonia harbour, from where most dive sites are less than 30 minutes away. Yap is also the world's foremost destination for seeing Manta Rays up close and personal, nowhere else on earth are they seen on a consistent basis year round - a fact that has catapulted Yap to the top, on all lists, of the finest diving attractions in the world. Yap is also excellent for snorkellers, the reefs starting close to the surface.
Manta Ray Bay Resort is a dedicated dive resort, designed by, and built for, divers with dive facilities and equipment storage conveniently located within the hotel. There are 35 elegant and spacious en-suite, air-conditioned rooms with mini bars on request, safes, balconies, televisions and DVD players, ceiling fans, hair-dryers and purified tap water. The Deluxe Ocean View room also has a private roof jacuzzi and sun deck! While two others have their own plunge pools. Other activities here include kayaking through the mangroves, land and village tours, plus fishing trips. Enjoy wonderful meals and lagoon views on board the S/V Mnuw, the hotels 110 year old south seas schooner, the finest restaurant on the island, and have a cold drink by the water in the Nautical Weaver Bar. The resident dive shop is Yap Divers, Yap's only 5-star PADI diving facility, offering world-class diving and a full line of diver education programmes. There are seven fast, modern, and radio-equipped twin engine dive boats ranging from seven to twelve metres. Opening soon will be the hotels Taro Leaf Spa.
O'Keefe's Inn and the historic O'Keefe's Kanteen - reflect the style, camaraderie, and hospitality of Captain O'Keefe, one of the Pacific's legendary figures. O'Keefe's enables travellers to relive bye-gone style in a unique and charming setting, just a few steps from Yap's dive shops. Every attempt has been made to capture the charm and character from the turn of the last century, with wainscoting, wooden floors, shaded verandahs and inviting rocking chairs. Each of the Inn's five rooms has a private bath and a porch with a view of Tomil Harbour and beautiful sunrises. Amenities include airconditioning, hair dryer, telephone, refrigerator, TV/DVD and complimentary morning tea and coffee. There is an enclosed dive locker, with fresh water hose and unique equipment dryer.
Palau
Palau, lying just under two hours south west from Guam, is famous for its unique Rock Islands and jelly fish lakes. Spread over a lagoon more than 37 kilometres long, the islands are covered with thick jungle growth, are rarely visited by people and offer some of Micronesia's finest snorkelling and diving. Three ocean currents converge in Palau's waters, bringing with them some of the most varied and dazzling marine life in the world. Every imaginable species of coral and over 1,500 species of fish inhabit the rich reefs, with sharks and barracudas a common sight. Most dives are drift dives and the best season for diving here is from January to June, when visibility can be over 60 metres.
During air raids in 1944, 48 Japanese wrecks and numerous American and Japanese planes were sunk in Palau. These wrecks are scattered all over Palau, with most of the ships sunk near the Rock Islands, there are many still to be discovered and some lying at depths not suitable for the sport diver. Palau offers both liveaboards and resort diving.
The Palau Pacific Resort is a tropical delight, inspired both by the native culture of Palau, and the superb standards that distinguish all Pan Pacific Hotels. The Resort provides 160 rooms set on a lush, 32 hectare, lagoon-dotted peninsula overlooking the Pacific. Facilities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness centre, two outdoor jacuzzis, restaurant and bars. Rooms are air-conditioned with minibar and private verandah. The resort boasts a 5-star PADI dive centre, with two boats and a full service underwater photo and video centre, and providing boat and shore diving as well as night dives.
The Carolines Resort sits atop a secluded hilltop overlooking the beautiful Philippine Sea. Seven private bungalows await guests, inspired by traditional Palauan architecture they are constructed almost entirely from local woods and materials, and are equipped with modern amenities: air-conditioning, TV/VCR, minibar, refrigerator and private bath. Each bungalow offers a balcony overlooking Palau's magnificent Rock Islands and stunning sunsets. Guests of the resort have access to the only private beach in Koror. And the Palau Pacific Resort nearby makes its amenities available to guests, including a swimming pool, tennis courts and fitness centre. The Caroline's Resort offers a wide variety of breakfasts, which can be taken on your own private balcony, on the back deck of the resorts Pacific Treasures boutique or on the front deck of the lobby. Palau's many restaurants are just a short drive from the resort.
Cliffside Hotel is family owned and operated, extending to guests a true Palauan spirit of welcome. Situated on a quiet hillside overlooking Koror and its bays, Cliffside Hotel is only five minutes away from downtown Koror and all the dive shops. When the diving day is done, there is a comfortable cocktail lounge and a full service restaurant serving Italian, American and local cuisine all whilst gazing across the fabulous views. Nestled into the hillside gardens is a lovely tiled pool with pool bar and a hot tub accommodating up to 10 people. The beautiful patio garden terrace offers a relaxing sanctuary after a busy day sightseeing and diving in Palau. Gaze at the view whilst enjoying a cold beer or glass of wine.
The Cliffside Hotel has a choice of standard rooms or suites, all are spacious and tastefully appointed to allow you to watch the sunrise over Koror. Rooms come with either one or two queen size beds and equipped with air- conditioning, telephone, cable TV, DVD player, minibar, personal amenities plus a view no one can refuse. Room service is also available as are movies for rent from the reception counter.
Necomarine offers the best diving facility in Palau and will collect you from Cliffside and also provide transportation to visit town and other hotels. Neco Marine is a PADI 5-star IDC and Gold Palm facility. They have a large shop, internet cafe, gear room with a full complement of rental gear including Aqualung BCDs, Apex regulators, Mares fins and UWATEC dive computers. They have the largest, most modern fleet of high-performance dive boats in Palau. The boats are large, but don't worry you won't be packed in!
Kosrae, Micronesia
Less well known than other Micronesian islands, such as Yap, Palau and Truk (Chuuk), Kosrae is the eastern most island in the Federated States of Micronesia. A mountainous island, covered with jungle and surrounded by a stunning fringing reef, Kosrae sits just 5 degrees north of the Equator, with gorgeous sandy beaches, pristine dive spots and a friendly atmosphere. Offering spectacular diving along virgin reef, the island is known as "Jewel of the Pacific." An abundance of marine life includes groupers, triggerfish, damselfish, parrotfish, six different kinds of Moray Eels plus all the colourful tropicals. Larger fish include turtles, sharks, dolphins, and rays. Kosrae is home to 170 species of stony corals and 10 species of soft coral. In addition to diving, there are archeological ruins to explore, jungles to hike, mangrove channels to canoe, and WWII relics to investigate.
Kosrae Nautilus Resort - Rich in historical sites and ruins, this jewel of Micronesia was a favorite haven of pirate Bully Hayes and is now a paradise for divers and adventurers alike. Covered with dense tropical jungles and high volcanic peaks, with lush river valleys and spectacular views the island is also surrounded by healthy, fringing reefs, teeming with colourful tropical fish feeding off spectacular corals. Visibility of over 30 metres is perfect for spotting turtles and large rays in the blue waters. Imagine observing 30-50 species in one dive, from hundreds of Pacific Barracuda to the resident Spinner Dolphins jumping and twirling for your entertainment. The resort runs two-tank drift dives from a purpose built dive boat.
The resort is a 16 room complex, with the emphasis on convenience and comfort. Each room is air-conditioned with two double beds, fridge, minibar, cable TV and DD telephones, with Internet access, and the bar and restaurant are surrounded by striking tropical gardens.
Kosrae Village Eco Lodge and dive resort combines the natural Pacific island beauty of rainforest, mangroves and mountains with stunning, pristine Micronesian coral reefs for the experience of a lifetime. The 5-star PADI dive resort takes you underwater to visit amazing diversity of sea life, such as butterfly fish, sharks, Clown fish, Manta Rays and gloriously colourful corals. Many of the best dive sites have mild currents and are good for novices, although good buoyancy skills are necessary. Boats take only six visitors at a time and hence allow small custom snorkel and dive tours, and are fully equipped with safety equipment. Sitting at the ocean's edge are traditional-style Micronesian cottages, with distinctive steeply pitched thatch roofs. All have a spacious porch, large bathroom and garden shower, and modern amenities such as queen beds, refrigerator, and are handicapped accessible.
Land based adventures on offer are bird watching, rain and cloud forest hiking, exploring ruins - with guides - and kayaking and surfing.
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is the ultimate destination for wreck diving, being the final resting place of some of history's most significant warships. Explore the only diveable aircraft carrier in the world, the USS Saratoga; the Japanese Navy's flagship, the HIJMS Nagato, and other fascinating vessels such as the battleship Arkansas and the submarine Apagon. Unlike Truk, where the main ships are freighters, this is a fleet of fighting vessels, armed and ready for action. None of the wrecks have been salvaged since they sank in 1946, lying untouched for 40 years. For a brief period it had been possible to dive Bikini. Unfortunately logistics have meant that in 2008 the dive centre and accommodation closed. It may reopen and for further information please contact us.
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