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Malaysia's Dive Resorts | Live Aboards | Land Based Adventures

Malaysia Live Aboards

Ocean Rover | M/V Celebes Explorer

Ocean Rover

The diving at the islands along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is one of Asia's best kept secrets. Beloved by local weekend divers and largely made up of interconnecting Marine Protected Areas this is truly one of the most enjoyable areas in our region.

From June to October the waters are guaranteed flat calm, visibility is good to great and the islands have secluded bays with absolutely gorgeous anchorages and some of the best beaches we have ever seen. Cruising in this area is easy on the system.

The two things we like best about this area are:

• It is quiet. You don't see many other divers and you certainly will not see other large liveaboards.
• It is protected. Unlike its neighbouring countries, Malaysia strongly enforces the laws that protect their reefs and the results are good fish life and undamaged reefs.

Several of the islands have turtle preservation projects and we have seen mating leatherback turtles at Pulau Redang. Diving depths are anywhere between 5 and 35 meters on reefs, pinnacles and even a few wrecks. Reef fish are prolific on all sites with a good variation of species. Macro critters are in abundance as well and there are several promising muckdives that beg to be explored. Shark wise the area offers blacktip-, bamboo- and zebra sharks and even on occasion a whaleshark or manta ray.

This is a carefree no-stress diving trip that is suitable for divers of all levels. We make 4 to 5 dives per day. Beach visits and kayaks are available and on some of the islands it is possible to hike through real rainforest.

Ocean Rover departs from the town of Kuantan which has several good resort hotels, including a Hyatt Regency which is located at the beach that is our departure point. Nearby Cherating is home to the largest Club Med in Asia. Flying to Kuantan is easy; Malaysian Airlines offers several flights per day from their ultra-modern hub in Kuala Lumpur.

Ocean Rover's departure point in Malaysia is in Kuantan on the east coast.The exact location is Teluk Chempadak (teluk = bay) where we are anchored in front of the Kuantan Hyatt Regency. Obviously, staying at this excellent beachside resort pre- or post cruise is the most convenient way of joining the boat. Flying to Kuantan is easy with several flights each day from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines.

Our Malaysian diving cruises are 8 days / 9 nights and visit all the islands and reefs along the coast. The total distance covered during one cruise is approximately 550 nautical miles. We travel between the islands during the night so there is no valuable dive time lost during the day.

The following itinerary serves only to give you an idea of how an average cruise works. During the cruise the Captain and Cruise Director decide on the best course of action. You can make 4 daytime dives each day plus nightdives whenever suitable. On some days optional non-diving are offered. You are not under any obligation to join these activities if you prefer to go diving instead. This is a diving cruise.

"Pulau" is Malay for "island".

Includes: accommodation on board Ocean Rover, all meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, tanks, weights & belts and use of kayaks. Port & Park Fees of $100 are extra and payable in CASH US Dollars at time of boarding. Nitrox extra $100 unlimited fills.

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Malaysia's Dive Resorts | Live Aboards | Land Based Adventures