Testimonials – Dive Micronesia Today
Jenn Brown and Sean Ahearne
Honeymoon November, 2012
"The Yap Pacific was a cozy, welcoming, exclusive experience that exceeded all of our expectations. We stayed three days longer than we anticipated and loved every minute of it. The dive guides were professional and entertaining, the food was incredible, and we were able to explore the entire island and not feel isolated to our hotel. We can't wait to go back! Thank you Dive Micronesia Today for booking our trip."
Sandra and Kyle Strudthoff
Guam
We had a great time on Rota! A well needed vacation, it was very quite and we enjoyed the golfing as well. We did a few of the tours and learned alot about the island. Again thank you Dive Micronesia Today for setting it all up for us!
Billy Babbit
USAF, Guam
I can't thank you enough Dianne for the trip you recently planned for myself and a couple of friends to Yap. Everything from "if" I could go, all the way down to the wire to where I could definitely go, you were able to make sure the arrangements were made and to my satisfaction. When we checked into the hotel, we not only got ocean view rooms (not all were), but they were right up front as you can see from the picture attached looking from my room. The diving too, was fantastic. Yap Divers is as classy an organization as it gets. Between the two, Manta Ray Bay Hotel & Yap Divers, a diver couldn't ask for anything more and we owe that all to you for making the arrangements for us. From the time we were greeted at the airport, to the time we were dropped off at the airport, the entire trip was a great one. First our trip to Palau on a live aboard sailboat and now this. Thanks again for the world-class set up
Purnamasari Luisa Buida Sari
Bali, Indonesia
Our 2nd dive trip to Yap was great! It all started from the ticket arrangements, the accommodation, diving, land / culture tour and the local people were great. I am living in Bali and Jon is living in Guam and we are busy people, sometimes we can't arrange our holiday schedules, so we are so lucky people to have Dive Micronesia Today to arrange all of our last minute holiday trips! We never have to worry about anything, all we do is bring our passports, dive gear and suitcase to the airport and enjoy our trip.
The Tickets. We just hand United Airlines our email conformation number and our passports, everything is there. Accommodation. Mantay Ray Bay Hotel is very nice hotel. It's clean w/large rooms, the food and drinks are great! After three dives a day if was refreshing to relax at the fresh water pool w/our favorite beverage of choice. Diving was amazing. Mantas, Sting Rays, sharks, eels, leaf fish and the coral is amazing. You never know how many sharks and mantas you might see diving...only in Yap! Land and cultural tours were wonderful. The Yapesse people are so friendly and inviting. They keep their culture "alive" by performing the traditional dances, it is so wonderful.
Thank you Dianne for making our trip amazing and unforgettable! We look forward to our next travel adventure arranged by Dive Micronesia Today!
Roger Wojahn
Micronesia teems with reef life, history, and gorgeous natural vistas. Dianne Hooker w/ Dive Micronesia Today and Sam's Tours provided the decisions that allowed our diverse group to arrive united, stay in a spacious hotel, and travel comfortably and well-guided to choice spots on the reef. Dianne handled all questions and schedules with ease. Ask for what you want to see, and she will make it happen.
Head for Peleliu, Blue Corner, Milky Way, and Jellyfish Lake. Avoid Dive with Dolphins. Sam's Tours has Banded Sea Kraits and Mandarin fish at sunset every day off their dock along the restaurant wall. Tip the boat crews; I've never had better service on dive trips. These guys work hard and make it fun.
Jaylene Kent
Travelling and planning travel is always time consuming and fraught with unknowns when travelling to a new destination, particularly in Asia. Working with Dive Micronesia Today has allowed me to travel with confidence, knowing that Dianne has relationships and experience to smooth out the experience, from the time the trip is in its planning stages to the time of its completion. She has endless patience with schedule changes, price changes, and works hard to obtain the best rates. What more could one hope for in an era when service and travel agents are a dying breed?
Brandon Braam
In late May 2012 I had the opportunity to visit Chuuk, Micronesia. Having only completed my PADI open water course a month earlier, I was a relatively inexperienced diver, and rather uneducated about diving hot spots. Still, I had heard many interesting stories about Chuuk, and learned that it was on the bucket list of many of my friends who have much more diving experience than I do. So, in the words of the Hash House Harriers, "ON ON!!"
The short flight from Guam was comfortable. I sat next to a very lovely, friendly, young Japanese woman named Suzuki who told me she was not a diver, but was traveling with a larger group of mostly divers. We traded stories, and shared pictures from our other recent travels - hers of Thailand, mine of the Philippines. Customs and immigration are a breeze, if you are American. If you are not a US resident, BE SURE TO PRINT AND CARRY A COPY OF YOUR ITINERARY WITH YOUR DEPARTURE FLIGHT NUMBER AND DATE. A friendly young man named Wilden was waiting to drive me to the Truk Stop Hotel. He was also my dive guide, and we had a chance to get to know each other over the next several days. My room was on the second floor and was spacious, clean, and quiet, with a nice balcony overlooking the water. Perfect.
After lunch, we immediately loaded up the dive gear and headed out. My lead guide Cindy was very knowledgeable and professional. I quickly learned about the history of Chuuk as well as the current culture. We dove the Fujikawa Maru, which has countless artifacts and is layered with beautiful soft corals. Our second dive was on two Japanese planes, which were also fascinating.
Over the next few days, I dove on several other wrecks, snorkeled above another Japanese plane, and thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing hour witnessing a Reef Shark cleaning station. I also took an island tour with Harry from the Truk Stop Hotel who provided more local information, and a walk around beautiful Xavier High School. I met many interesting travelers at the Truk Stop, including a missionary couple who invited me along to visit some villagers outside of town. Our village hosts offered us breadfruit, which was my first taste of the food I'd read so much about. It was simple, and very satisfying.
The food at the Truk Stop was also delicious. Meals are not rushed, so bring a book, journal, or knitting project if you are traveling alone. Yes, I use a "Nifty Knitter" to make infant sized hats. I gave several hats to different employees at the Truk Stop, and also set a few aside to be delivered to the gracious villagers who shared their breadfruit.
One night, for a change of scenery - and to look for Suzuki, the beautiful Japanese woman I met on the plane :) Wilden and I drove to the Blue Lagoon Resort for a few Coca Colas and a game of pool. The wood panels above the bar area are painted white, and filled with sharpie "graffitti" from previous travelers, so I added my name and a few words of wisdom. Unfortunately for me, Suzuki and her group were staying at nearby Jeep island, and were not "in town" that night.
I did have a few minor scrapes from entering the wrecks, and later needed an antibiotic and prescription ear drops to help clear up a minor blockage/ear infection in my right ear. Also, United/Continental Airlines had some issues with rescheduling canceled flights, which unfortunately bumped Pohnpei from my itinerary. So, bring swimmers ear drops, and allow for some flexibility in your travel schedule.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience on Chuuk!! Yes, the roads are terrible (but under repair), and the medical facilities are limited. Still, the people, food, scenery, and diving are definitely worth the trip!!
Dianne at Dive Micronesia Today; Rob, Cindy, and Wilden at the Truk Stop Dive Center; Kenolyn and Kim at the Truk Stop Restaurant, and many others helped make my trip a wonderful adventure that I will never forget!! So if you've always been interested in seeing Chuuk, go for it!! Like Warren Miller used to say, "If you wait until next year, you'll just be one year older when you go."
Jon Brice
Thank you Dianne and Dive Micronesia Today for your quick professional service. This was our third trip to Palau and Dianne always meets our requirements with little notice given. This trip took us to the waterfall hike, Clam Farm, Jellyfish Lake, Sam's Tours diving and we were able to join Sam's 50th birthday party / fiesta w/live music. The food was fantastic, we ate at The Taj and Palau Pacific Resort(PPR). I called Robert at The Taj on our last day to prepare food and freeze it so I could bring it back to Guam! Talk about service!
Thank you and we look forward to working with Dive Micronesia Today soon!
Peyton Roberts
My husband and I had a truly incredible vacation in Palau. It was extra enjoyable because Dive Micronesia Today took care of all the details for us. The diving was world class, and unlike anything we'd ever experienced before. Thanks Dianne and we hope to be in touch again when we head to Chuuk!
Fred Schmidt
The trip was great. El Galleon's friendliness and accommodating service could not have been better. The food, accommodations and diving were great. El Galleon just installed a new huge first class diving boat docking area with hanging lockers and showers, even including chaise lounges for sunning. I was especially pleased with all of their diving supervisors. Normally there seems to be a lot of turnover at diving resorts, but all of the supervisors that were there 3 years ago were still there, and in talking with several of them, it seemed most had been there for 6 years or more. Normally, I don't like meal plans because they often limit you on the diversity of their menu. But, at El Galleon other than alcoholic and specialty drinks, we chose whatever we wanted from lobster to steak, and were still on the meal plan. Thanks for booking yet again another amazing trip!
Melisa Binkey
Fiji was the best vacation experience and the dives were amazing. Diving with the sharks is an experience I think everyone should do at least once in their life. Thanks so much to Dianne at Dive Micronesia Today for booking us great dives and eliminating the stress of book excursions on vacation. I would recommend Fiji as a great vacation spot and recommend for peace of mind booking through Dive Micronesia Today!
Ken Gould
Thanks Dive Micronesia Today for your always friendly service that pointed me in the right direction for a trip of my lifetime. The Truk Stop was exactly what I wanted from great dive services from Rob and Cindy to great hospitality at the hotel. All was covered from lodging to full meal package. All I had to do was dive! Rob was at the airport to pick me up and the next day was all ready to teach me diving with doubles!
Amanda Santiago
My sister and I were recommended to use Dive Micronesia Today for planning our trip to Palau. We were told they had great prices and great service. And they did! Dianne was extremely helpful with all of our questions and concerns and always responded quickly to our emails. The trip itself was amazing- great customer service from the hotel, as well as Sam's tours (the company our excursions were booked through). This trip was one of the easiest and most fun I have been on- thanks to the help from a great company. I have already recommended friends to use their services. Thanks so much Dianne!!
Major Neil Ruggiero, USAF
Whether it is history, culture or just wanting to get away from it all, you can find it on Tinian. I cannot thank Dianne (Collins) Hooker at Dive Micronesia Today enough for setting up our Tinian adventure; she made all the logistics so easy, I cannot wait to book my next dive adventure with her. Thanks again for such a memorable vacation!
John Holman, U.S. Dept of Commerce
"For my first ever trip to Palau I chose Dive Micronesia Today to arrange everything, after they were highly recommended by several friends who had been to Palau before and were familiar with them. Dianne (Collins) Hooker at Dive Micronesia Today was great in offering me several options of accommodations and the number of tank dives that fit my budget for the trip. She also was able to coordinate a day kayak trip for my last day in Palau before flying out. She even personally delivered my travel package vouchers and reservation information to my hotel. The diving in Palau was fantastic and the sea life was incredible. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys diving and Dive Micronesia was able to arrange everything that I needed for the trip. Hope to make it back someday!" Photo is of a traveling friend.
Nancy Weare
My sister was visiting from the States and we wanted to take her to the beautiful island of Rota which is our favorite spot for a short relaxing vacation. As we were all so busy, we asked Dianne (Collins) Hooker to plan our trip for us. All we had to do was go pick up our travel packets and we were on our way. The trip was perfect with our plane, car, and hotel reservations all made for us. Dianne's planning for us made this a stress free vacation and a once in a lifetime trip for my sister.
Thomas Locks
The dive trip to Palau was just out of this world! How any future dive trips can measure up to this location remains as a wide open questions. Sam's dive center/organization is absolutely top. Our dive master - Kostas - was not only a very pleasant person, he knew exactly the right times for the many different sites and never made any unfulfilled promises.
First thought, that the combination Kayak/snorkel trip for the last day could be boring,-- very wrong! WE loaded the Kayaks onto a smaller boat, went to different locations only Kayaks could explore and snorkeled / videoed in still, extremely clear waters.
You prepared an excellent package, no doubt about it. You booked an excellent trip for me to Palau. The flight, Sam's Tours, the Hotel and transfers all was well prepared and I started the tour with the right appetite, created through your brochures and vouchers.
Connie Swanson Hurley
Thanks Dianne (Collins) Hooker and Dive Micronesia Today for putting together our trip to Palau! We leave next week and are super excited!! You made everything easy for us and did all the work AND got us a great deal! We just need to pack and go!! Will definitely book our next trip through Dive Micronesia Today.
Neil Ruggiero
Thanks putting together another great trip. As always, because of you, we had such a great time. I am looking forward to our next Dive Micronesia Today adventure!
Lance Owen
AWSOME trip, the price was great and the memories will last forever. Palau is a must do trip for any divers young, old or even non- diver like my wife who enjoyed the snorkeling at the dive sites, as you can tell by the picture it was a great trip. The Sea Passion Hotel is a great deal with a family room that let our family of five stretch out in comfort, even though we didn't need it with all the diving, kayaking and land tours prearranged for us by Dive Micronesia Today with Sam’s Tours. Sam’s tours were attentive and flexible when we decided to change our plans after the first day of diving to include more diving. We recommend getting your dive recorded by Nick Martorano who works at the Sam’s Tours, it was an awesome souvenir to bring home and show our family and friends, of us diving with sharks in Palau. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work put in by Dive Micronesia Today we look forward to booking another trip in the near future and will be using them to make our travel arrangements. Book your trip with Dive Micronesia Today to make the trip stress free. I have already recommended this company to other people and will continue to send business your way!!!
Mike and Nellie Boyer
We just wanted to thank you for helping us plan an amazing trip to Palau. Thanks to you, our hotel was perfect, diving was fantastic, and kayaking was spectacular. And it was all within our budget! We LOVED our trip! Thank you!
Next trip, I'll be giving you a call!
David Benning
Our trip to Rota was a very nice, peaceful getaway. Less than half an hour in the air and we were on the quiet island ready to start diving. The visibility was great underwater and our dive guide Megumi was very good at finding interesting things to show us. The memories that stick out the most in my mind from Rota are the Bird Sanctuary, the friendly locals waving at passing cars on the roads, and playing with the puffer fish on one of our dives. Wonderful trip planned by Dive Micronesia Today!
Connie Swanson
Just got back from our trip to Palau that was booked through Dive Micronesia Today and I must say a huge Thank You to Dianne (Collins) Hooker for making our trip fabulous!! We had such a great time and everything was taken care of for us. Sam's Tours has the best dive instructors and a big shout out to Daniel and Nicole, you guys were awesome!! Can't wait for our next trip and Dive Micronesia Today will definately be involved with booking it for us. Thanks again Dianne!!!
