Scuba diving

Raja Ampat and the Richest Marine Biodiversity on Earth

Back in 2009 when I got my diving certification on the Great Barrier Reef, I never imagined how far it would take me. I had no intention of ever diving again. I did it mainly to step out of my comfort zone and to try something new. Fast forward five years and I’ve now dived many of the worlds top spots including the Galapagos in Ecuador, the pristine waters of Sipadan, Malaysia, the Thresher shark cleaning stations of Malapascua in the Philippines, and the deep cenotes of Riviera Maya, Mexico. However, there was still one place that was constantly lurking in my mind.

Raja Ampat.

This remote archipelago on the far east of Indonesia is known for having the richest marine biodiversity on Earth, which includes more than 600 species of hard corals and over 1,700 species of reef fish. [Read more…] about Raja Ampat and the Richest Marine Biodiversity on Earth

Swimming With Manta Rays | A Raja Ampat Scuba Diving Dream Trip

by Matt 1 Comment

It’s a really special feeling to be standing on a boat looking out over gorgeous paradise that up until now was just a dream. Just a place that I wanted to visit one day. And now, I’m here. I made it happen, and just for a moment, the scenery around me seems extra vibrant.

As I thought about the sheer awesomeness of sailing around the islands of Raja Ampat, the bell rang for our dive briefing. It was time to get into the water. I was standing on the Jaya, an old sailboat used by Wicked Diving to host budget live-aboard diving trips in one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. When the sails are open, it looks like a pirate ship but this is done only for photos. The onboard engine makes it much easier to navigate at will.

Briefings are done before each dive. It’s important that scuba divers know what to expect in the water and so one of the guides explains to the group about the next dive, the currents, and anything else that might be helpful. It takes about 10 minutes and then it’s time to slide on our wetsuits (slide makes it sound too easy. It’s much more of a struggle), prepare our masks and fins, hook up our BCD, and step into the zodiac. [Read more…] about Swimming With Manta Rays | A Raja Ampat Scuba Diving Dream Trip

Vagabonding: Living the Choice of Freedom & Adventure

by Matt Leave a Comment

Since my 6 month journey down under, I can’t seem to picture my life without the constant curiosity and adventure of long-term travel. Life will never be the same for me. I will never happily be able to ride the migratory route to work each day, live in the same community my whole life, and partake in the everyday average hobbies and activities that have become continuous out of simplicity and habit.

I’ve always wanted to come up with my own term for what I do and the way I feel on the road but really it all comes down to the notion of vagabonding.

Vagabonding, by definition is: (1) The act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time. (2) A privately meaningful manner of travel that emphasizes creativity, adventure, awareness, simplicity, discovery, independence, realism, self-reliance, and the growth of the spirit. (3) A deliberate way of living that makes freedom to travel possible. [Read more…] about Vagabonding: Living the Choice of Freedom & Adventure

Scuba Diving – Another World of Inspiration and a place to build confidence

by Matt 7 Comments

If you ever have the chance to try scuba diving, do it! It is one of the most amazing and memorable things you will ever do.

I did this back in April 2009 when I was right in the middle of my 6 month backpacking trip throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Initially, I had no desire to scuba dive as I was quite nervous but definitely wanted to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.

I was with my cousin Jeff at the time and we were looking at different day tours that would allow us to snorkel the reef. Luckily, one of them included a free 20 minute intro to scuba diving course. I’m so happy we came across this tour because this intro opened me up to the deep water world. I’m also lucky it was introduced to me on this trip because this was the one trip that opened me up to extreme [Read more…] about Scuba Diving – Another World of Inspiration and a place to build confidence