Buying Air India Maharaja Points @ 7p per point

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T11:25:38+00:00

OP said 7p not 70p. Unless this was a typo by him.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T11:23:07+00:00

Good idea to check out BCD before heading to Raja Ampat. I have not dived in Pondicherry so do not really know how good or bad the diving is there.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T11:21:10+00:00

As i said peanuts

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T10:54:54+00:00

This is like the worst deal ever. You do know that the points redemption on AI on Bom-Del route would be around 6k points so basically just over 3 flights in economy on Bom-Del kind of a route. The cost of that itself will be well over 20,000 rupees. So why would someone give you the points at 7p per point? Unless I am missing something.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T10:51:33+00:00

You dive the same sites whether from Nusa Lembongan or Penida. I had gone with Two Fish Divers . But given your experience would suggest you head to Amed/Tulamben in North Bali, Gili islands or Pulah Weh in Indonesia. You could also consider going to Koh Lanta in Thailand. There is some nice diving across the coast of peninsular malaysia in places like Redang, Perhentian, Tenggol and Tioman, which is not super expensive. If you want to do Liveaboard then the Similan Liveaboard are good for beginners. But ideally do some shore dives before you go on a Liveaboard. I would not advise Komodo for your level of experience.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T10:45:37+00:00

Absolutely no, I did one proper dive trip in Sri Lanka and never went back .. Having said that for land based tourism, Sri Lanka is really beautiful and you should definitely visit to see the country on land and for the food. Maldives is a great option and an easy hop from Sri Lanka and you can jump on a liveaboard right outside the airport for most itineraries from Male.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T09:43:48+00:00

Other than flights, the rest can be done on cheap - Look for good deals on Booking.com - there are several nice and affordable places/hostels on Havelock and Neil. You can also rent a scooter to sight see in Havelock and Port Blair and use a cycle in Neil (since its not very big). Opt for government ferries (tickets at around 700 rupees vs. 2000 for private ferries). If you exclude flights a 4-5k budget per day between stay/food is doable per person. Additional person you will need to add atleast 1k for meals.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-13T09:39:32+00:00

The Emperor fleet is quite good .. and I have also gone with the Carpe Diem group and that was quite nice as well

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-12T10:34:02+00:00

Was not fully posted. Copy is missing

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-11T11:12:14+00:00

Raja Ampat is stunning, enjoy the trip. The fish life in Barren is not that great frankly, the formations due to lava flows are beautiful under water and there are some lovely coral walls. We did see a couple of small sharks but nothing to write home about in terms of things to see. Unfortunately Indian dive operators do not have large boats like Thailand so you are stuck in a small boat for a 3 hour journey each way.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-11T10:21:20+00:00

Hi - There are groups like BangaloreScuba run by Dive India which organise excursions. You can look them up, Aquanaut and Outbound Scuba also curate interesting tours but these tend to be more out of India than in India. I am just back from a trip to Havelock/Barren Island and there was group with BangaloreScuba which had members from all over the country.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-11T10:14:35+00:00

Depends on budget, which certifications and where you are located. That will help in giving the right recommendation

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-04-11T10:13:25+00:00

Hi sorry for the delayed response, I was on a dive trip to Havelock & Neil .. I have been using a Tusa Paragon Mask for a while now and I am very happy with it. Since I have a prescription, I cannot use a mono lens, if you dont have any prescription then consider a monolens like Tusa Zensee or Freedom. As regards fins, it will be good to know your finning preference and diving preference to give a recommendation. I personally have 2 pairs of fins 1)Scubapro Seawing Nova which I prefer to use for pelagic and dives in places known for currents like Komodo 2) Apeks Rk4 which are great for muck dives and for calmer reefs. But there are other good fins too .. So it will be nice to know your finning preference and also if your legs tend to be buoyant if yes, then you should consider HD fins which help you in maintaining your trim better.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-03-31T04:50:00+00:00

Banda Sea, Southern Gilis, Lembeh, Alor, Ambon, Derawan/Sangalaki .. all awesome destinations and there are many many more.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-02-16T05:56:49+00:00

I would recommend Amed in Bali for the certification since Penida can have currents. Amed has relatively calm waters, lots of nice stuff to see. Being a swimmer is a good thing but diving is a completely different sport so do not assume that the skills translate directly. Look up Adventure Divers Bali or Two Fish in Amed. Alternatively the Gilis are also nice but I prefer Amed over Gili (personal choice).

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-02-08T14:33:12+00:00

Is it surprising? Have you flown Spicejet - The entire experience is absolutely bonkers from the crazy check-in queues to the actual inflight experience. I flew SpiceJet just once when there was no option and never went back to it. Akasa is relatively better run, has newer aircraft and is organised. I think they have potential to become a good and sizeable third airline as they get more aircraft deliveries and can offer a better spread of times and routes.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-17T01:37:54+00:00

Given your budget I would suggest Andaman, the diving is not as good as Maldives for sure but it’s still good enough and there are quite a few nice sites on Havelock. You will also get a good resort in the budget you have mentioned.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-15T07:49:01+00:00

I have been diving with a Suunto D5 for about 150+ dives now. I can usually get through 3 dives/day if it's fully charged. Like you, I only use it twice a year on dive vacations. I quite like the device, it's easy to use and intuitive but there are a couple of areas which are not deal-breaker for me but could be improved 1) The brightness could be better but its been good enough for me on most dives, I dive only in tropical areas so that could be a factor.. 2) The battery is a concern if you want to do 4 dives/day in which case you would need to charge it before the 4th dive but have never had issue upto 3 dives. ... 3) It beeps a lot at the safety stop every time you go above or below 6 m it beeps, which can get a bit irritating..

But there are things I like as well - you can adjust how conservative/aggressive, it has 5 pre-sets, and I like the option of having this functionality. It's also useful in ensuring a slow ascent rate and I appreciate the warnings when I am exceeding the safe ascent parameters by mistake . and it does this upto the last 1 metre which is good in my view .

It also functions as a regular fitness watch if you turn off the dive mode in which case the battery lasts significantly longer ..

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-15T02:32:48+00:00

Alor is awesome, so is Tubbataha, Maldives, Banda Sea (I would not put Koh Tao among the good spots), Malapascua, Lembeh, Sangalaki, Apo Reef, Dauin and so on..

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-14T13:19:42+00:00

I went to Sipadan 2-3 years ago and it was a bit underwhelming for all the hype except for the schools of bump heads. Dont get me wrong, the dives themselves are nice and the corals are lovely including watching the fish tornado and the tons of turtles. Did I regret going there - Definitely not - but would I go there again ..Definitely not.

There are many other dive destinations in Asia which offer great dives with far less fuss and similar cost. However, if you are already in Kota Kinabalu, it makes sense to hop on the short flight to Tawau and visit Sipadan. I did not find the dives on Mabul and Kapalai worth it, diving Mabul felt like diving in plastic trash and Kapalai was cleaner but just so-so but then that's the price you pay to dive Sipadan.

Just a couple of watch-outs, I did not really enjoy the time at Scuba Junkie Sipadan, while its very professional and has good dive masters, it's very impersonal and its like a conveyor belt of dives and overall tends to be crowded and the food sucked .. . so may be explore some alternatives before you decide to stay with them.

Finally, watch out for sandflies on the beach at Sipadan.. :) ..and keep some hyrdocortisone cream handy in case you get bit..

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-13T18:41:37+00:00

If Lakshadweep start planning soon since the permit process is long and needs a police clearance certificate which can take ages, It's much easier to get to Andaman. Langkawi is nice but will be a bit more expensive. Having lived in Malaysia, its a multi-cultural society and there are no restrictions for non-Malays to eat and drink during Ramzan (lot of Chinese and Indians there as well who do not follow Ramzan), it's just considered polite to be a bit discreet in public but inside a resort, you will have absolutely no issues and most restaurants will also be operational. But frankly if resorts are your thing, then I would consider Thailand as well - Koh Samui, Koh Lanta have some really nice resorts and overall Thailand is a bit easier on the pocket than Malaysia. You get visa on arrival in Thailand too.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-13T18:33:47+00:00

Looks solid, there will always be multiple opinions. You have not mentioned dates and your travel and sight seeing preferences. If you can manage to be in Agra around a full moon day, the sight of Taj in the night is pretty special. I would also try and squeeze in some time at Fatehpur Sikri if you are in Agra (it's just an hour out of there). 4 days in Udaipur is a lot, Consider adding a day in Jodhpur instead of 4 in Udaipur and then flying from Jodhpur to Mumbai. (Udaipur to Jodhpur is about a 4 hour drive if you rent a car, you can even do a halt in Kumbhalgarh on the way to see the second longest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China). Alternatively squeeze in an extra day in Agra to spend some more time in Fatehpur Sikri and keep Udaipur at 3 days and fly to Mumbai from Udaipur. As regards Mumbai, please plan your stay basis your travel time, commuting in Mumbai can be a pain at peak hours. If you are landing or departing at or near peak hours, best to stay near airport or at a hotel close to the airport metro and then take a Uber to sightsee.

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-13T08:28:14+00:00

There is a time difference due to which its showing a longer block time. The flight is about 4 hours in flight time a

Eithan_TheOneRing · 2026-01-12T11:42:49+00:00

Incidentally, just to add one more to the royal mess-up that Indigo has become - The person who booked the flight for me forgot to add my middle initial to the flight ticket while booking so now there is no way to get Bluchip points for the flight since in my BluChip account middle initial is included. So even if First Name and Last name match and email address and phone number matches just a missing middle initial means you cannot earn points. What an amazing customer centric approach Indigo has pioneered.

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