Dive Safari Asia re-launches

Diving instructors Ben Stokes and Sarah Kemsley have re-launched their travel company Dive Safari Asia by offering a new range of holidays across Asia.

The company now has the UK travel market firmly in its sights with a variety of experiences that span the continent and feature guide-led ‘expedition style’ tours, far reaching liveaboards and secluded resorts. At the heart of the company’s philosophy are the ideas of adventure, escapism and the opportunity to experience something special.

Dive Safari Asia originally launched in 2008 by offering a series of adventure style guided tours throughout remote Indonesia, including Papua & Sumatra. By this time guides Ben and Sarah had already spent eight years and some 5,000 dives between them working the seasonal circuit as dive instructors and guides. In 2011 the couple returned to Somerset to re-launch the company as a UK-based tour operator and expanded the range to include resort and liveaboard based packages.

The new range of holidays focuses on the principle of things that are particularly special to see and do, be it a rare marine life encounter such as the whalesharks of Cendrawasih Bay in Papua or odd critters on the north shore of Bali to a secluded resort that has a unique house reef, ideal for photographers who need the time and space to take a winning shot.

While these types of holidays will generally appeal to the more experienced divers there’s fully guided safaris lead by Ben and Sarah for those looking to get off the beaten track for the first time. The companies ‘Best of Indonesia’ safari is an island hopping tour that takes small groups of divers through the heart of the coral triangle in North Sulawesi & Raja Ampat whilst the ‘Sumatra Dive Safari’ features wild diving off the most westerly point of Indonesia and orang-utan encounters in the Sumatran rainforest.

Ben and Sarah believe a combination of local knowledge, the ability to source the right experience for the right diver and ‘the pure love of diving’ will enable the company to become successful in what is already a competitive marketplace.

The next ‘Best of Indonesia Safari’ runs from the 16 November - 2 December 2012 and features wall diving in Bunaken Marine Park, critters and macro in Lembeh Strait and rich reefs, manta rays and mangrove passages in Raja Ampat. The tour also includes a land based excursion to the highlands of North Sulawesi. The price is £2,565.00 plus international flights (£870 approx). Includes full board, 30 dives, all internal transfers and connections, guide and land based excursions.

As a member of the Travel Trust Association Dive Safari Asia is fully compliant with the Package Travel Regulations 1992.

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