We have just returned from our diving holiday in the Philippines booked through Ultimate Diving. Gail, our contact at Ultimate was extremely helpful and patient, making sure we got the right holiday planned, making brilliant suggestions and answering all our never-ending questions (sorry Gail we just couldn’t believe we each had 46KG luggage allowance).

A comfortable, friendly hotel, and a first class dive team. The best organised boat-diving we’ve ever done. I would give the whole holiday a 9, brilliant!

The place was great, the accommodation was great, the staff at Villa Almarik were great, the guys at Gangga divers were great, the diving was very good. I must admit one of the best run and friendliest places I have ever stayed and I have been to a good many places on holiday around the world. It is very much a backpackers resort basic but a great atmosphere and value for money. From what I was told March/April is the best time to go just on the end of their wet season and before peak season when it is rammed.

I was not particularly seeking a “ value for money “ break – for me it was an opportunity to dive, at a premium time of year, and respecting that I would incur a single person supplement. I appreciate that I could have secured more favorable prices at other times of year. Yes – absolutely, Sharm was a destination high on my priority list, and I shall be returning at some point in the future The ground organisation, transfers, hotel check in and general communication was comprehensive – my baggage exceeded 23.5kg but this was not questioned, either at Gatwick or Sharm. The pick up’s were on time, were waiting for me, and all was fine. Booking with Camel, with all facilities in one location was ideal for me, as all I wished to do was dive. The added benefits of the various restaurants, bars, and pool were a bonus. The night club next door will not suit everyone, with loud music until the early hours, but fortunately I was too tired from diving for this to affect me! Camel dive were very well organised, and safe. An English speaking guide was allocated to me, and I found Deniz to be very helpful. Some of the instructors/ guides joined us in the bar on New Years eve, and generally were a sociable bunch. For me, the holiday did exactly what I required, although quite obviously certain aspects will not suit everyone. For me, I shall be returning and will score this 8.

We had a great holiday. Everything was organised perfectly and we had no problems. The weather was not optimal but we were able to dive every day. We saw a whole lot of thresher sharks and the diving around Gato island (from Exotic dive resort) was very nice. As a resort we preferred the atmosphere at Magic Island.

Lee Thorneycroft arrived back from the Red Sea and had only positive things to say! During a conversation with Marcelina he spoke highly of all aspects of the holiday. Overall he said the he “can’t fault it, everything went brilliantly.” Speaking of the PADI advanced open water diver course which he took at the Inmo Divers Home he joked that there was “lots of studying” and compared it to a degree, however thought the practical tests were great and was impressed with his instructor, whom he thought was extremely patient. Through the duration of his trip he had 13 good 45 minute dives and described the Red Sea diving as “beautiful, great dive sites in Dahab, incredibly diverse aquatic life.” All the paper from you guys arrived and everything was how it should be, the transfers were fine, the second I arrived at the airport they were waiting for me and assisted with visas etc. The equipment was perfect, everything was great and I can’t fault it, I met some good people and saw much more of the Red Sea than expected. The staffs were fluent in many languages.” Overall, Leigh thought it was an “absolutely cracking holiday, it all worked out very, very nicely.”

Chris felt that his holiday to the Philippines was good value for money and that the diving destination was absolutely spot on, no issues what-so-ever. He stayed in the Exotic Dive and Beach Resort, of which he said was “brilliant, really clean and nice, excellent staff” and the Coron Hilltop View resort was also to the same standards. Speaking of the dive centres and hotel experience, he said he found both “First class, absolutely unbelievable, 10 out of 10. The staff were really friendly, really helpful, absolutely spectacular! Legendary!” Mr Lannin also said “The holiday itself was fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for any more of Holly, the girl who put together my holiday, everything she arranged ran absolutely smoothly which helped to make my holiday amazing. I asked Chris to rate us out of 10, 10 being the best and his response was 11, saying that everything was over and above his expectations and that he would most definitely be booking his diving holiday with Ultimate Diving again next year!

I would rate the holiday a nine out of ten. Both hotels were very good and the resort was beautiful and peaceful. The pickup and drop off from the airport was also good with all the taxi drivers on time and helpful. I was a first time diver and the dive centre was great, with good facilities and very helpful staff. Sue my instructor was fantastic, meticulous but also entertaining. I was on my own so I found the evenings a little quiet but it is perfect if you are traveling as a couple or with a group of friends. This is the only reason that the holiday did not get a ten out of ten. I had a great holiday overall and would recommend the resort and Ultimate Diving to anyone.

My wife and I went to Magic Island not exactly knowing what to expect, what a gem of a place. The accommodation was first rate well cared for and adequate for our needs. The staff were very friendly, helpful and polite, nothing was too much trouble for them.The food was excellent and even though as we are both vegetarians we were well looked after and can have no complaints about any of the meals. The diving was very good generally in small groups with friendly and knowledgeable guides (we were able to see a whale shark, pygmy seahorse and mandarin fish during our stay so couldn’t be much better than that) the only comment we would make about the diving is that it is all a bit the same as apart from Pescador Island all the dive sites are along the same reef wall, but they were still very good and some quite challenging in a strong current. The resort had the feel and atmosphere of a liveaboard, particularly with everyone eating together. We will certainly be returning in the future to enjoy the whole experience again, well worth the long journey.

I would recommend this holiday to others. It is an easy to reach destination and a good boat to be on. The crew work incredibly hard and with up to four dives per day it is good value for money plus Nitrox is thrown in for free! Sadly no pelagics but I am a v. spoilt diver and was disappointed that we had no shark sightings! Liveaboard was just great/ fantastic food and very helpful crew. Nothing was too much trouble. The dive centre in Sharm was very well organised. We were only there for a few hours but were impressed.

I had a fantastic 4 days diving. None of our party had tried it before but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our instructor Beth was excellent. I had a bit of a scare on day 2 and nearly gave up but she coaxed me through it and I am so glad she did. I love it now and cant wait to try it again. Camel Dive club in Sharm is the best. I would thoroughly recommend it!

Egypt was great, Stephan and the Orca company were really good and soo much more professional than the ‘red sea’ diving company next door. Hani looked after me really well and met up with me most nights to show me the sights and keep me from being alone in the hotel. The reception and restaurant staff were lovely with me also. I have the bug for diving now, not so much from the 4 days as i found it a bit boring, but i went on two days on the boat with them, over to Ras Mohammed and the Starits of Tiran – it was totally unbelievable, the corals and the fish were amazing. It was pretty scary though too! Anyhow, I am going to Thailand on the 23rd July for two weeks staying with a friend out there and doing some travelling around. i was wondering whether you do trips out there at all? Is there any chance you can do anything for me? Departing round about the 16th July and coming back around the 6th August with a 1 week liveaboard or hotel all inc package with diving? Hope you can!! Look forward to hearing from you, and once again thanks again for all your help last time. it made a daunting trip really enjoyable

This was my 3rd visit to Colbalt Coast, what can I say. Fab hotel and brilliant service. Diving is spectactular, I will be going back next year. Ultiatediving always offers a competitive and first class service.

Really help team of people at this company!

Bonaire is a super dive destination – beautiful reefs, abundant fish life and pleasantly warm water. The boat diving at Captain Don’s is very well organised with helpful, knowledgeable dive guides. Nitrox is free and tanks are available 24/7 for unaccompanied diving. The meals at Rum Runners restaurant are excellent quality and variety. This was our fourth visit and the fact that we’re already planning our next one says it all!

Snorkelling Trip Marsa Shagra Nov 2022 This is the second time we have travelled with Ultimate Diving and we hope to do so again. Communication is excellent, quick and helpful. Our 2 deluxe chalets were clean, spacious and comfortable with outside sitting areas with views of the sea and desert. The food was 3 buffet style meals daily, good and varied. A pizza oven, was a nice extra optional extra. Excellent desserts. House reef - both North & South, are in a protected area, no fishing has been allowed for the last 30 years. It was like snorkelling in an aquarium. Very popular with divers. Easy sandy entrance/exit. Well organised set up, both safety and environmentally aware. Staff were helpful & pleasant. The divers we chatted to were all repeat customers. 95% divers, very few English mainly German and Dutch. Would recommend going there.

This was our first diving holiday, booked through Ultimate Diving. It certainly won't be our last! From start to finish, the planning, organisation and location, at the Marsa Shagra diving centre in Egypt, far exceeded our expectations and has been an amazing experience. We would personally like to thank Gail for all her hard work organising our diving trip, for dealing with any queries promptly and for being so helpful and polite. The travel arrangements were extremely well organised and the dive centre at Marsa Shagra was fantastic. Our chalet was modern and clean and was located close to the restaurant and other amenities. The food was outstanding and the staff throughout the dive centre were polite, friendly and spoke good English. The diving house reefs were amazing and suitable for all levels of diving experience. My partner had only recently qualified in June 2022 with 6 logged dives, so was a pure novice. During the week, she had the opportunity to master her diving skills and can't wait to return! The dive centre staff were always happy, smiling and ready to assist divers with their heavy equipment. A big thank you to Ahmed Amin, who helped us assemble our equipment, rinse our equipment after our dives and even went into the water to remove my partner's air tank at the end of her dives, which was very much appreciated. We have made so many fantastic memories on our first scuba diving holiday together and can't wait to return to Marsa Shagra diving centre in the future. Thank you so much for making our dreams a reality! Finally, we would thoroughly recommend Ultimate Diving to our family, friends and wider scuba diving community.