I am so excited for our day today. We are going to do a Discover Scuba course.
We spend the morning getting fitted with equipment and learning the ropes. Our guide, Alex is very thorough, fun and safe. We are diving with the other young couple at the lodge. They are there mainly to fish but also decided to do a day of diving. It is fun to learn about them and hang out.
Our first dive is 20 feet and we do it near the lodge. It is such a cool experience to be that far under the water. Definitely different than snorkeling.
After lunch, we head out on our real dive. About 10 minutes from the lodge, the boat dies. We spend the next half hour trying to get it started again and floating in the waves. I am not a good boat person I soon realize. But I keep myself distracted by getting to know our guides and Ben and Brook.
Finally we are rescued (we could see the lodge from where we sat stranded). Once we get the boats figured out we are ready to do our big dives. 40 feet this time. Again such a cool experience. We see a nurse shark and many of the same fish we have seen snorkeling. It is still a really cool experience.
I am one of the first to get done diving. Elvis (one of the guides) tells me I can't get back in the boat because he doesn't want me to get sick in his boat. That is fine with me. Until I see a barracuda very near and all I can think is that he will attack.
Avoiding shark and barracuda attacks, we are back on the boat.
I am ready to get my dive certification. The next beach vacation we do, I will definitely become PADI certified.
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.