Scuba Diving Tours
Ice Diving - Antarctica
Antarctica's ice diving offers a remarkable adventure beneath the frozen surface, showcasing crystal-clear waters and stunning views. Despite the extreme cold, divers encounter diverse marine life, creating unforgettable memories.
Egyptian Red Sea
Diving in the Egyptian Red Sea promises an unforgettable underwater adventure amidst crystal-clear waters teeming with diverse marine life. Renowned dive sites like the Blue Hole and Ras Mohammed cater to all skill levels, while underwater wrecks and historical sites add cultural depth. With warm waters year-round and hospitable locals, the Red Sea welcomes tourists seeking both adventure and relaxation.
Indonesia
Diving in Indonesia offers a paradise of beauty and diversity with coral gardens, volcanic formations, and rare marine life. Raja Ampat is renowned for its stunning reefs and exotic creatures, while beginners can enjoy Bali or the Gili Islands. With warm waters year-round, friendly locals, and rich culture, Indonesia is an ideal destination for unforgettable diving experiences.
Japan
Diving in Japan unveils its rich culture and diverse marine. From stunning coral reefs to encounters with large marine creatures like hammerhead sharks and manta rays, Japan's cold-water diving sites offer captivating experiences. The southern island of Okinawa presents the enigmatic Yonaguni Monument for those seeking a unique adventure. Combined with friendly locals, delicious cuisine, and a rich history, Japan promises unforgettable experiences for diving enthusiasts.
Maldives
Diving in the Maldives presents a tropical paradise with clear turquoise waters and vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life. Tourists can explore a variety of dive sites across over a thousand islands, encountering exotic fish, sea turtles, and reef sharks. The Maldives is renowned for manta ray and whale shark encounters, offering unforgettable experiences for divers. With warm waters year-round and hospitable locals, it's a destination sure to create lasting memories.
Mexico
Diving in Mexico offers diverse underwater ecosystems, from vibrant coral reefs to captivating cenotes. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world's second-largest, lines the Caribbean coast, providing numerous dive sites suitable for all levels. Mexico's cenotes are renowned for advanced divers, showcasing remarkable geological formations. Marine life such as sea turtles, nurse sharks, and colorful fish add to the allure. With warm waters and rich local culture, Mexico promises an unforgettable diving experience.
Micronesia, Yap Island
Diving in Yap, Micronesia, offers a remote and pristine experience with exceptional marine life. It's renowned for resident manta rays visible year-round at cleaning stations, providing close encounters in calm, clear waters. WWII-era shipwrecks attract history enthusiasts, while vibrant reefs showcase colourful fish and exotic creatures like sharks and barracudas. With a vibrant local culture and welcoming locals, Yap promises an authentic and unforgettable diving adventure.
New Guinea
Diving in New Guinea offers an extraordinary exploration of one of the world's most diverse marine environments. Teeming with colourful coral reefs, giant clams, and unique fish like the pygmy seahorse, its waters are a marvel. Sharks, including hammerheads and whitetips, are abundant. Rich cultural heritage adds depth, with underwater sites featuring WWII artifacts. While challenging due to strong currents, the experience is uniquely rewarding for adventurous divers.
St Helena
Diving in St Helena offers a distinctive experience for adventurers seeking untouched waters and diverse marine life. Situated in the remote South Atlantic, it boasts endemic species like the St Helena wrasse and black coral, along with tropical fish, rays, and sharks. Shipwrecks like the SS Papanui offer historical intrigue. Amidst stunning natural scenery and a tranquil way of life, St Helena promises a unique blend of adventure and serenity for diving enthusiasts.
Tanzania
Diving in Tanzania offers an unforgettable blend of stunning underwater scenery and rich local culture. Zanzibar and Pemba islands boast top dive sites with clear waters, vibrant coral reefs, and diverse marine life including tropical fish and sea turtles. Zanzibar caters to divers of all levels, while Pemba Island's dramatic drop-offs appeal to advanced divers. With warm waters and welcoming locals, Tanzania promises an unforgettable diving adventure for enthusiasts.
Worldwide Scuba-Diving Tours & Holidays
We have had a fascination with Scuba Diving since our childhoods. This fascination led Raf Jah to learn to dive at 21, become a dive instructor at 23 and start his own recreational dive centre at 25. He was the pioneer of diving in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, finding new dive sites every day. At the age of 28, he moved his dive centre “lock stock and barrel” to Pemba Island in Tanzania. Here he opened Swahili Divers on Pemba Island and The Old Mission Lodge Dive Hotel in Chake Chake. Raf again found himself pioneering diving on another Indian Ocean Island. Supported by one instructor, he had to maintain all the equipment, diving most days and run a hotel. He and his instructor set a personal record of 21 days of diving without a break. All of this became a bit much so in 2002 when Francisca joined him to run the hotel, life became a lot better. The Old Mission Lodge grew old and guests wanted to be on the beach. So together they bought land, and Francisca built a beach lodge (a series of bungalows on the beach) in Northern Pemba. After their travels in Central Asia, they decided to call it “The Kervan Saray Beach Lodge”. They operated the dive centre and its’ dedicated Scuba Divers Lodge for 10 years. During this time they built the first swimming pool on Pemba Island. Swahili Divers became the first PADI 5-Star Dive centre on Pemba Island. It had been the first BSAC Resort, and finally, as the diving world changed, Raf pioneered the NAUI diver education system in Tanzania. Raf is an NAUI instructor trainer with close to 3000 dives. He started the system of training Tanzanians to become dive masters with the view to becoming dive instructors. Francisca continued to run the lodge and has notched up over 1000 dives as a proud NAUI Advanced Open Water Diver. In 2012, they founded the African and Oriental Travel Company, and this grew from a small dive safari agency to the modern, speciality travel agency that it is today. We recognise that there are dive centres all over the world. We only sell what we have experienced. We go to all our dive destinations, and we check that they have oxygen, a first aid plan, registered dive leadership personnel and are members of an internationally recognised diving organisation such as NAUI, BSAC, CMAS or PADI. We invite you to peruse our destinations and contact us to tailor-make your Scuba Diving holiday. It goes without saying that all of our dive holiday packages are protected by ABTOT and our Company adheres to all of the UK’s “Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992”.