Leading tours and working as a photo pro, has exposed me to some incredible boats and resorts. But, it was not always like that. When I first started out and wanted to travel and dive, and I did it as cheaply as possible. I ended up on a few questionable boats not to mention, suffered through sketchy accommodations. Back then, my sense of adventure was more important than creature comforts. Decades later, my needs have changed. I prefer boats that are well maintained, and accommodations where a mosquito net is an amenity, not a necessity.
Many of the best diving and whale swimming spots are located in remote regions of the world and do not have an international standard of quality, let alone luxury. While this is part of the allure of adventure travel, it does not always have to be the case.
Tonga for example is one of my favorite destinations. I have been leading groups there since 2006, and over the years experienced some boats, and accommodations that did not meet my expectations, and several that did. I have continued to use the same operators and accommodations over the last several seasons because they provide a consistent level of quality and service.
Recently I became aware of a luxury 80 foot yacht that rather than settle in one great location, does a few charters, then moves on to another world class destination. The boat was just refitted to take 8 divers in luxury. I have chartered the boat for a fiji dive trip May 19-25, 2024 in Fiji and again Sept 4-13, 2024 for a ten day whale swim cruise in Tonga. The dive trip is for a max of 8 people, and the whale swim trip has a maximum of four.
The tone of the trip will be to travel in style and relax in luxury. Check out my site for details.
#onceinalifetime #worthit #forme #Nikon #Whale #luxury #travel