One of our favorite places in Taiwan, the cliffs of Long Dong are located on the Northeast coast of Taiwan. Long Dong draws climbers from around Taiwan and even throughout Asia for its isolated climbing on sandstone crags up to 70m in height. There are over 500 routes, with options for sport climbs, trad, deep water solo and bouldering. And it is absolutely breathtaking.
Do you rock climb? If not, what do you do to get outdoors and enjoy nature’s beauty?
The Gili Islands are known for being some of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia, having managed to preserve their pristine beaches and authenticity despite growing tourism to Bali and Lombok. And by authenticity, I mean the only form of land transportation is horse carriage or bicycle! Ah-mazing, especially after living in Taiwan where I’m constantly trying to avoid collisions with incompetent scooter drivers. There’s a reason why the three islands have such a good rap—with white sand beaches, amazing snorkeling and diving, and easy accessibility, they really are a must for any Bali/Lombok visitor.
One awesome thing about the Gili Islands is that each island caters to a different kind of tourist, promising a match for any traveler personality.
Gili Trawagan is the party island, and has morphed into a Kuta wannabe. It’s easy to get your dance moves on til sunrise, or rent a boat and drink the night away under the stars. Gili T is the largest and most developed of the three islands, and has many five star resorts, reliable dive shops, and classy restaurants. The beaches are still quite nice-not as secluded as some you might find on the other Gili Islands but still rather clean despite the hung-over foreigners that dot the sand here and there. Gili T is perfect if you are traveling with a group of friends, or if you want a lot of options in terms of things to do. Also, if you need a doctor for any reason, Gili T has a great 24-hour clinic with English speaking doctor. Unfortunately I speak from first hand experience and a 103-degree fever. Yeah. Not fun. Other than our time at the clinic, we only spent a brief afternoon on Gili T to follow the snorkeling and biking route explained in the Frommer’s Bali Guide Book. (We wouldn’t recommend this route to others, as the biking is primarily over sand and the snorkeling only average.) In addition to snorkeling, scuba is one of the main attractions across all three islands. Dive shops are extremely popular on Gili T, but prices are fixed across the Gilis.
Gili Air is the middle island in terms of size and development. We didn’t get the chance to check it out firsthand, but it seemed like a popular choice with travelers looking for a toned down Gili T. All we can say is we’ve only heard good things. It’s also the closest to mainland Lombok, making it an easy day trip.
Gili Meno is the honeymoon island, and naturally where we decided to settle down for a couple of days. We’re suckers for all things mushy and romantic, so how could we possibly say no to candlelit dinners on secluded beaches? It is definitely the smallest and least developed of the three Gilis—there isn’t any fresh water on the island, and you can circumnavigate the whole thing by foot in an hour! Not quite as remote as staying on a personal island, but pretty darn close. We understand why honeymooners would choose Gili Meno; it’s easy to spend hours relaxing under your private beach gazebo, sipping on cocktails and watching the gentle waves lap across the sand, all the while without another soul passing by. Other than the lovely waiter bringing you your Mai Tai, of course. Although basic, Gili Meno has everything you need: unspoiled white sand beaches, stunning snorkeling (with the opportunities to see lots of turtles), and decent beach warungs serving everything from burgers to nasi campur (fried rice) to fresh fish. And just in case you didn’t get enough sunsets on the rest of your Bali trip, you can rest assured-they’re incredible here too.
Accommodation on Gili Meno is great, with lots of different options. If you are actually honeymooning, look no further than the MAHAMAYA Boutique Resort. It’s beautiful, and we couldn’t help but feel a bit envious every time we passed by. Butttt unfortunately our pockets don’t run that deep. If you’re a traveling couple on a budget like us, than Meno Dream is for you. We accidentally stumbled upon it when we arrived, and immediately fell in love. Consisting of 5 bungalows, Meno Dream is well designed, with boutique rooms, comfy beds, and a well-manicured garden. It does get a little hot at night in the rooms with no A/C, but the adorable outdoor shower compensates. What really sets Meno Dream apart from the rest is the hosts, Bernie and Made. Not only did they ensure we were comfortable, they made us feel as though we were their good friends whom they’d known for ages. Bernie and Made can help you with any information you need, and will cook up some of the best food you’ll eat during your entirety in Bali. Trust me—eat the gnocchi. It’s mind blowing. The only hesitation some might have is that Gili Meno isn’t beachfront. But don’t let that change your mind—the five-minute walk to the beach is easy and quite enjoyable provided you don’t have a fear of cows. They like to block the path and just stare at you, mindlessly swatting at the swarms of flies across their back. I think they’re harmless… On a sidenote, Meno Dream didn’t compensate us to say any of this. We just loved them that much!
Transportation to the Gili Islands is available from either Bali or Lombok.
If coming from Bali, you will have no trouble arranging your transfers as everyone wants to sell you their super-discounted-one-time-only ferry tickets. Definitely negotiate. Prices will vary depending upon where you are coming from in Bali, but most fast boats depart from Padangbai. Once in Padangbai, prices vary depending upon operator. Often you will initially be told around $60, but most people don’t end up paying more than $35, if they’re willing to book ahead and don’t mind a bit of bargaining. Total travel time is about 2 hours. If you are really on a budget, the slow ferry is also an option; however, it’s definitely not desirable as travel time is 8 hours, and list ticket price is about $30. Finally, travelers can also choose to hire a local fisherman from the east coast of Bali to take them over. Prices should range between $20-$30, and trip time is around 3 hours. We arranged our transportation from Ubud, or else the latter would have been our preferred method.
Travel between the Gilis and Lombok is quicker and cheaper. The public ferry costs a mere $1 and takes around 40 minutes. Be sure to check the schedule ahead of time as often the ferries only shuttle people twice a day. Private charters can also be hired should you miss the public ferry, but the cost will be around $20-$25.
Travelling as a couple is always rewarding, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. If you’re looking for a place to throw the backpacks down and flirt with your significant other, then look no further than the Gili’s. Especially Gili Meno, where romancing is made easy.
We weren’t expecting to see spiritual warfare when we went to Padangbai. Our main purpose for visiting the small fishing village was actually just to check out the action below the water: reef sharks, manta rays, turtles, and general ocean scenes seemingly taken straight from Finding Nemo. And while we were fortunate to experience the incredible marine life Padangbai boasts (sans manta rays), this wasn’t the most memorable part of our short stay in the town. That’s because this was no typical day on Bali’s east coast; it was the day of the Barong dance ceremony.
Now we had already seen numerous Barong dances before arriving in Padangbai, a favorite being in Ubud. So when we heard we would have the opportunity to see another one, we weren’t all that excited. I mean, it has got to be like the Harlem Shake—once you’ve seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all, right?
Wrong. Especially when it is a local, religious ceremony; then it’s still an entertaining performance but with a much deeper, spiritual purpose. As it turns out, our previous encounters with Barong had left a crucial element out of the tourist driven performances: exorcism.
But before we get to the juicy stuff, here’s a summary of the story of Barong, according to Balinese mythology. Don’t worry, it’s quick.
Barong dance portrays an epic battle between good and evil, a similar concept in most world religions. Barong, often depicted as a lion, represents ultimate good. In contrast, Rangda is an evil witch, or demon queen, skilled in black magic. Does this not already sound reminiscent of a certain Narnia plot? Unfortunately, after that, it gets a bit more complicated. The Barong appears on the stage, accompanied by monkeys, which are historically associated as helpers of the Barong. (This could be why there are so many monkeys still found at Balinese temples. That or all the free bananas they receive from the tourists…) They dance around happily before the malicious Randga makes her appearance, attempting to cause harm to the Barong, at which point the battle between good and evil begins.
Barong
Rangda
This is also the point where things in the audience start to get…well…interesting. Just to reiterate, this wasn’t a performance for tourists. It was an authentic religious ceremony to balance the level of good and evil in the local village, Padangbai. As such, the performance involved personal purification as well. We didn’t really realize that at the time, and it took much clarification from our friendly Balinese bartender later that night to understand what was happening. But as I was saying, this is when the audience really started to get going, and Dan and I simultaneously started distancing ourselves from the crowd. It’s also the point where people started to become possessed by the evil spirit of Rangda. It came on slowly, and of course the first person to feel the ill effects was literally seated one foot away from us. The young man, who appeared to be in his twenties, spontaneously began wildly thrashing around while screaming out in incomprehensible pain. His buddies nearby quickly pinned his arms and legs to the ground as he struggled with what appeared to be pure hysteria. Dan and I had no idea this was coming, and as we dodged to avoid his flaring fists, we were astonished to hear the sounds of laughter in the air. Looking around, we could see local women and children enjoying the scene, apparently not phased by it all. Okay then, nothing to worry about. Maybe it’s just this guy’s charming personality. But as the show continued, more men systematically began to fall prey to the spirit of the Rangda. Before we knew it, the crowd had divided into groups, with the women and children standing about the same place as Dan and I, and the men huddled in circles of ten while attempting to restrain their possessed companion.
Now, all the dancing was still going on at this point in time. But somehow while fearing black eyes from stray fists we got a bit distracted (imagine that happening, eh?) Suddenly the costumed dancers had exited the stage and the ceremony appeared to have ended. The men who were possessed were quietly helped up, a handful of the women and children began to leave, and the few other tourists present could be heard chattering about what possibly could have been going on. We were just about to make our exit when we noticed a couple lines forming. It wasn’t long before we also realized bundles of sticks were being set ablaze and a new crowd had formed, circling around the priest holding the glowing branches. It was time for the actual exorcism to take place! The spirit of Randga was still very present in the possessed men, and craziness seemed to ensue. Holy men from the temple, with their heads wrapped in white and their bodies covered in sarongs methodically began forcing arak, the local liquor, into the mouths of the distraught men. This seemed to only make their case worse as now they were obsessed with the nearby flames. Their fellow villagers finally let them loose to run towards the fire where other holy men were waiting to beat them with the torch, although apparently taking care to hit them on places that would do no serious harm. The fire then appeared analogous to the evil spirits, for after the first was extinguished, the second followed suit. One by one the spirit of Rangda was exorcised, and the balance between good and evil was restored. The exorcised men collapsed quietly to the ground, understandably exhausted from the spiritual war that had taken place inside them.
We were quite taken back by this ceremony, and unsure what to make of the events that had transpired. Specifically, we couldn’t be certain as to whether those who had been overcome by evil spirits were just acting. Had they previously decided to become ‘possessed’? It seemed a bit odd that those who did feel the effects were spaced so evenly across the crowd, with a group of friends nearby to respond to their frenzy immediately. Or did they just know that they would feel Rangda because of some bad occurrence in their life that needed to be sorted out? Over our own glasses of arak later that night, we spent a long time talking to our Balinese bartender about the ceremony, asking him these very questions. While he was able to clarify a little, he also couldn’t be certain. However, he did emphasize that it wasn’t a joke or an act. Perhaps those who became possessed did know it would happen prior to the Barong dance. Or maybe not. But this question didn’t seem of importance to him, or any of the other locals we asked—quite a contrast to Western culture. Ultimately, it seems left to believe what you would like about the performance and the evil spirits present.
Have you seen a Barong dance that included the exorcism ceremony? Any similar experiences? We would really love more knowledge about the events we witnessed.
Today is June 21st, 2012. Which means that exactly one month and one day ago we were celebrating our 1-year anniversary while basking in the sun of the Philippines (it’s totally different from the sun in America). And that means that exactly 1 year and 1 month ago we were saying our vows and starting our own happily-ever-after.
Seriously?!!! I realize we live in the future—kind of—but let’s talk about how time flies! I don’t know if the past 13 months have gone by in the blink of an eye for anyone else, but seriously! I guess this is a sign that we’re getting old or something.
Dan and I have so much to be thankful for. We won’t go all mushy-gushy here, but this past year has been the happiest year of our lives. We are extremely grateful for each other, and we feel overly blessed for all the amazing experiences we have had together in only one year. We haven’t forgotten all the help we received in preparation for our wedding and honeymoon, and we will always be thankful for the support from all of you, then and now!
So on to the details of how we celebrated our first successful year as Mr. and Mrs. Moore. One of the great parts about living in Taiwan is our close proximity to beautiful Asian islands (even if we’re always working and not really able to enjoy them to their highest potential). For our anniversary, we wanted a little bit of adventure mixed in with a lot of relaxation. We choose Apo Island and Bohol Island in the Philippines (surprise!) as the perfect destination to meet our expectations. Luckily, our entire vacation went above and beyond our pre-exiting criteria.
Apo Island
Our first stop was Apo Island, world-renowned for its scuba diving. I’m sure the city is lovely, but we stayed outside of Dumaguete at a dive resort only a short boat ride away from Apo. This was a fantastic decision, and if anyone else is headed to the area for scuba diving, you just have to go to Liquid Dumaguete. It’s owned by a couple named Tim and Zoe, and they are awesome— really fun, really accommodating, and could not have provided better customer service in any aspect. We really appreciated the homey feel they gave to the place, and Tim can make some mean cocktails.
Of course, we went to Apo/Dumaguete to dive, so we did. 5 dives in 2 days is enough to make your ears bleed, but Apo Island deserves the high talk that it receives. The dives were gorgeous, and we can confidently say that Apo Island had the best diving we’ve experienced yet. We’re talking Finding Nemo scuba diving here, with walls of beautiful and colorful coral, clown fish frolicking in anemone, sea turtles gracefully drifting off into the unknown, and herds of barracudas stalking the shadows. Unfortunately we don’t have an underwater camera, so you’ll just have to take our word for it. But if not, here is a different dive resort’s video with footage from one of the same places we dove: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoYi6tnXcqI
After getting our fill of ‘adventure’ interspersed with ample amounts of pruney fingers, it was time to fully stock up on relaxation. For this, we called on the expertise of the Amorita Resort in Bohol.
Oh. My. Goodness.
This place was incredible. We don’t normally stay at places in this price range. Actually, we try to avoid places in any price range at all and just Couchsurf. But the Amorita Resort was worth every penny. Our Garden Villa was spacious and beautiful, equipped with a personal plunge pool, large outdoor shower/bathroom area, and nightly turndown service with dessert. (The chocolate cookies were divine). The in-room massages were fantastic, the restaurant had great drinks and food, and the staff consistently greeted us as Mr. and Mrs. Moore.
And then there was the infinity pool. Wow. We probably spent the majority of our time here, sipping on cocktails and enjoying the view. We were quite lucky to be visiting the resort on a slow weekend, and often we had the ripple free horizon all to ourselves.
If what I’ve heard about ‘the first year is the hardest’ is true, I can’t wait for what’s in store next year. I’m thinking the moon.
While our quick stop in Sabang and the Underground River was lovely, it was really El Nido that resulted in our jaw-dropping, heart racing, ‘I can’t believe somewhere this beautiful actually exists’ ramblings. A harrowing six-hour van ride away from Sabang or Puerto Princesa, El Nido comprises 45 islands at the very northernmost part of Palawan. I can easily say it’s the most beautiful place I have ever seen, and our entire time there was spectacular.
Here’s a few notes on why:
This was hands-down the coolest thing we did. Through our hostel we stayed at, The Alternative, we were able to book a night of ‘camping’ on a private island. Only it wasn’t camping in the traditional sense of the word. We had an actual bed in a sort of open-air Nipa hut that gazed out to the ocean, complete with personal island dwelling staff that cooked incredible meals with no electricity. Nothing like waking up to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean while laying in bed, only to have coffee and frittata waiting for you a few steps away at your mini dining table, on your own private island. Absolutely heavenly.
No trip to paradise is complete without a day spent island hopping. The tours around the town are all the same, and essentially you can choose from Tour A, B, C, or D. I know, pretty creative. We choose tour A (for AWESOME), which is one of the more popular choices, and brings you to the Secret Lagoon, the Small Lagoon, the Big Lagoon, and 7 Commando Beach. The sites are breathtaking, and the snorkeling is quite good as well.
We went on a night dive, and while we didn’t see anything crazy—except for a lionfish and a crab carrying coral on it’s back like a shield—it was still an easy and enjoyable dive. We met a Spanish diver who seemed to think that while the diving here is fine, Abo Island is the place to go if you are interested in world-renowned diving. Still, we’re glad we did it, especially because it was Casey’s first night dive. (We’ll be headed to Abo Island in May, so we’ll give our own opinions on the diving then!)
The sun in El Nido gets really powerful. Even with layer upon layer of sunscreen, we were fighting off UV’s like King Leonidas battling the Persians. Dan ultimately lost against the raging sun when his feet turned neon red our last day, reluctantly becoming one of those tourists. So when you need a break from the sun, there’s a little bit of trekking to be had. There is one path in particular that meanders through lush jungle, eventually leading to a nice, quiet waterfall. Hiring a point person is advisable as the path isn’t clearly marked and crosses through creeks about 8 or 9 times. Guides are easily obtained at the trailhead.
The island tours are nice, but we decided to spend our last day on our own schedule. We rented a kayak and arranged a personal little island tour, going about an hour and a half out to Helicopter Island and then making stops on our way back. Every turn was spectacular, so this was quite a nice option for a relaxing day full of picnicking on the freshest mangos you could imagine, napping, and photo snapping without being tied down to a tour.
Speaking of mangos, I think El Nido has the most incredible mangos in the world. Just writing about their rich juiciness is making me salivate a bit.
The pictures speak for themselves. The best place to watch the sunsets are at Corong-Corong, an easy tricycle ride away from the town of El Nido.
We don’t normally go to the same place twice. It’s not that we don’t value learning new things about a place the second time around, but simply there are just WAY to many things on our bucket list for that. However, we will 100% make our way back to El Nido someday. We hope you’ll be convinced to visit it too!
We have been irreconcilably behind on our blog. No matter how hard we try, we really just can’t seem to keep everyone up-to-date on the daily occurrences of our lives. So we’re going to do a quick catch-up of our Road Trip in three Californian cities and one infamous highway in our attempt to get closer to real-time blog posts.
Los Angeles:
Too many tourists. Too many cars blaring their horns while we sat in traffic for thirty minutes without budging an inch. Too many people talking about how pretty this and that celebrity were at such and such’s multi-million dollar party.
We didn’t really fit in with the Los Angeles/Hollywood vibe. However, we were able to find a few redeeming qualities of the city, mostly because of the great people we spent time with. First there was Patrice, a celebrity travel agent and close friend’s mother who served as our wonderful host. Although repeatedly stating she didn’t cook, Patrice wouldn’t stop feeding us delicious food while we comfortably lounged on her couch and caught up on about five loads of laundry. Then, there was Selina, a lovely British lass and aspiring actress who navigated LA’s congested streets for us. Selina guided us to a beautiful hike outside the downtown area to see Los Angeles’ nighttime radiance from afar—much more enjoyable than actually being in the overcrowded streets. So although we didn’t click with Los Angeles in quite the same way we instantly fell head-over-heels in love with San Diego, a few nice people managed to make the city a tad bit more tolerable.
Monterey:
Monterey turned out to be a little bit of a disappointment. We had visited the city with one goal in mind: scuba diving. After receiving our advanced open water dive certifications in March, we were both pretty antsy to literally get our feet wet again. Our research had told us that Monterey was a great place to dive—a bay where scuba divers often get to swim alongside seals, sea lions and otters. That sounded absolutely AWESOME to us, and thanks to a generous wedding gift, we had been incredibly excited to give it a go. But you can’t always predict the weather, and given our tight schedule we only had one day in Monterey. So when the water was turbulent with little visibility, we were doubtful if it would be wise to shell out $150 to barely see our hands in front of our face. We ended up asking some fellow divers emerging from the water for their viewpoint. They eloquently advised, “Just go to the aquarium. I can guarantee you’ll see a lot more there for a heck of a lot less than renting equipment.” With our diving dreams destroyed we reverted back to what we do best: wandering the streets. In the process we did actually see quite a few sea lions sun bathing next to a pier, and an ADORABLE otter floating on his back while bashing open his fresh crab lunch. Not quite what we were expecting, but worth the stop in Monterey just the same.
Santa Cruz:
We were pretty sad to leave Santa Cruz. The beach town was cool—definitely a surfer’s paradise with massive waves ready for the taking, which made Dan wish he had brought along a wetsuit and a board—but we fell in love with the lazy beach city because of the wonderful people we met. We couchsurfed with a super cool guy named Mitch, who has some really inspiring stories about his time as a media resources teacher. Absolutely hilarious and witty but also incredibly kindhearted and generous, we felt like we could have stuck around and listened to Mitch’s stories for another week. And did we mention that he is a squirrel rehabilitator?! Mitch volunteers for an organization that takes care of all sorts of interesting injured animals, including baby squirrels that need some extra TLC. While we had previously never thought twice about saving squirrels, Mitch’s were absolutely adorable. Seriously, so so so cute.
Highway 1
Probably one of the most beautiful drives in the US, Highway 1 is known as the scenic yet treacherous coastal route that spans California. The northern section of the route is known as Big Sur, and definitely the area that makes you want to pull over at every scenic vista to capture the huge cliffs that tower above the sparkling Pacific Ocean. We wish we could’ve had much more time to explore the numerous hiking options that await jittery road warriors. We did make time for the McWay Waterfall, only a quarter mile from the main road and totally free!! It’s located in the Julia Pfeiffer State Park (but park outside to avoid the fee), and is one of the most popular images from Big Sur. Many winding turns later, we decided to camp on the side of the road at one of those scenic vistas we mentioned. After finding a snug place to hide our tent behind the car, we enjoyed watching the sunset over the ocean while the moon simultaneously rose from behind the mountains. If we’ve ever had one of those ‘at peace with the world, wow we’re so small moments’, this was one of them.
Okay so now we are getting closer to being caught up! Just have to get around to San Fran, Napa Valley, Portland, and Seattle…..
In an effort to combine our last two posts about scuba diving and local travel, we decided it might be beneficial to write a post about local scuba diving. It’s true. You can actually scuba dive in Central North Carolina, and there are quite a few reasons why you should.
1. It’s a lot cheaper. Rates can be as low as $15 a day (not including equipment), and you don’t have to worry about gas and accommodation prices that accompany a weekend trip to the coast.
2. It’s quicker. There are many dive quarries in the Piedmont that allow even the over-committed workaholic a chance to get in the water.
3. It’s a chance to dive in fresh water. That means you can see freshwater aquatic life, and you don’t have those leftover salt particles all over your body. Better yet, you don’t have to worry about lugging around quite so much weight. If you’re not familiar with scuba, every diver must wear extra weight to counterbalance the positive buoyancy from the scuba diver’s body, wetsuit, and equipment. This weight is more in saltwater, and less in freshwater. It can be really nice to make the trek to the water without lugging quite so many extra pounds.
4. It’s a great way to practice your diving skills. Because of the proximity of quarry diving, it is a great opportunity to get in the water and practice skills such as underwater navigation or neutral buoyancy. The better your skills, the more enjoyable your dive. So the next time you actually do take that trip to the Caribbean, you can be ready to dive without wasting time reviewing basic concepts.
That said, most of the local diving in North Carolina is quarry diving, and there are some valid reasons why people don’t like to dive in quarries. For one thing, they can be pretty cold. During the winter months the water temperature can get down to 50°F. But they do get up to tolerable conditions in the late spring, and in the summer the temperature is often in the 70′s. Another reason why people stay clear of the quarries is because of lack of aquatic life. If you go to a quarry with a picture of the Great Barrier Reef in your mind, then you will be disappointed. However, there is still a lot to see! Some local quarries have compensated for the lack of aquatic life by sinking objects such as school buses and airplane remains, and the Blue Stone quarry has created an underwater cave.
So where exactly are these rock quarries we speak of?
In Wake Forest, you’ll find Fantasy Lake Scuba Park. A day pass is $15, and a night dive can be added on for only $5. It has been called a ‘scuba diving mecca’ by the News and Observer, and hiking and camping is also available on-site. Depths go as deep as 80 feet, and you can explore a sunken school bus and rock crusher.
In Thomasville, you’ll find the Blue Stone Dive Resort. A day pass is $20, and a night dive is $10. There is an abundance of freshwater fish, as well as a simulated underwater cave. Depths go to 80 feet. Blue Stone is closed for the winter but re-opens April 30th.
The Piedmont Diving Rescue Association provides safe and affordable scuba diving inland, and owns the American Quarry (Granite), the James M Robertson Quarry (Blanch), and the Lake Norman Quarry (Mooresville). An annual $45 membership will give you unlimited access to all three dive spots. Members are provided a key to the quarry gates, and facilities stay open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are underwater ‘attractions’ and plenty of freshwater aquatic life.
Perhaps all this information about local diving really does sound appealing. But there is still one problem–you don’t have anyone to dive with. Luckily there is an easy solution. A quick Google search will provide you with a local dive shop that more than likely has a dive club, and plenty of eager divers who are looking for scuba buddies. If you are in the Durham/Chapel Hill area, I would highly recommend Water World. They put on our awesome dive trip to Florida, and they have plenty of information about local diving.
Of course, despite the plethora of local scuba diving spots and the advantages they offer, the North Carolina coast is an incredible place to dive. Nicknamed the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’, the hundreds of wreck sites make the Carolina Coast one of the best places to dive in the Western Hemisphere. Say tuned for more information about diving off the coast, but in the meantime go ahead and get to some quarries!
This blog post is also being used for PADI marketing purposes.
What to do for spring break…. It’s the age-old question that arises each year for all college kids. And since this spring break was technically our last one, we had to make it epic! Unfortunately, being at different schools meant our breaks didn’t line up exactly, but we did we did share a common weekend. It was the weekend that Casey and her fellow PADI interns had been working with Water World (a local dive shop) to set up a scuba diving trip to Florida. We decided to tag along and test our skills at the Advanced Open Water course. My brother, Josh, and Casey’s good friend Alexa (also a PADI intern) joined in the fun. After the 10-hour road trip from Wilmington, NC to Ocala, FL we promptly went to bed before our 7am wake up call Friday Morning.
Our first dive was at a location called Blue Grotto. It is a 90 ft cavern with little aquatic life but super clear water and a great cave-diving feel. To complete the Advanced Open Water Certificate you have to complete five different dives, each surveying different skill sets. We started with our peak performance buoyancy skills: descending without a reference line, hovering motionless for a minute, and using our breath to control our depth. It felt great to be underwater again. Our next dives consisted of underwater navigation (using an underwater compass) and the thrilling deep dive. The deep dive took you to 91 ft and a dive light was required unless you wanted to get lost in the darkness.
The next day was the drift dive and underwater naturalist dive. We woke up at the crack of dawn and moved locations to the crystal clear Rainbow River. The whole river is spring fed, much of it from underwater caves that you can poke around in. This was my personal favorite. As I’ve mentioned before, drift diving is the lazy way to dive. If you get your buoyancy right, the current will do all the work for you. The river was full of eel-grass and served as home to just about every type of freshwater fish, including the intimidating long-nose gar, and soft shell turtles the size of my torso. We even got to see a perched bald-head eagle on the boat ride down the river.
Last but not least, we took a snorkel to Three Sisters, a warm water spring that attracts manatees in the winter. I’m gunna tell you straight up, don’t mess with the manatee! They have more rights in Florida than the people do. You are in no way allowed to harass them, which includes swimming towards them, or there are massive consequences. With this in mind, Casey and I had to have a lot of patience when we found one who had just woken up from a nap. We stayed put and made the classic manatee call with our hands (Alexa taught it to us, and it cannot really be described using words…) After about 5 minutes of looking like idiots, the manatee finally decided it wanted to play and came right up to us. It was a pretty awesome experience. They really are quite friendly—nearly too friendly—and once it came up for air and nearly kissed me. It also rolled over for Casey begging for a belly rub, to which she quickly obliged. After our fair share of playing with “Mandy” the manatee, we went back to the boat and prepared for our long journey back home as newly certified Advanced Open Water SCUBA divers. Next step: rescue divers.
I also want to give a quick shout out to Alexa’s blog, which talks all about her Chapel Hill experiences. She is a fantastic writer and always entertaining, so give it a look! I’m sure she’ll also be talking about the trip if you want a different perspective!
By Dan
Lovebirds with a shared desire to learn, explore, taste, and give more. Traveling the world together slowly but surely. Currently calling Taiwan home. Join us as we document our travels and try to connect more with our world.
CategoryTaiwan Holidays
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